New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 24, a crowd of about 30 people rallied in front of the Hale Boggs Federal Building and marched against police brutality and prison torture.

The action included many family members impacted by police brutality and horrible prison conditions, along with community members supporting them. Shanta Scott, Sabrina Foster and Lakeba Griffith spoke on their families’ cases of police and prison cover-ups. As they recounted their struggles, attendees stood united against the oppressive, racist injustice system that has wrecked their lives and others’.

“My son was tortured. He was tased several times, they choked him. He could not breathe,” said Sabrina Foster, mother of Glenn Foster Junior. Glenn Jr. was slain by police in Pickens County, Alabama in December 2021 after a routine traffic violation. “Police give the media their narrative as the ‘truth.’ But we need to speak up and speak out, tell the truth. Those motherfuckers are always lying and they get their point across first.” Her determination inspired cheers and applause from the crowd.

“It’s a new era in New Orleans, Louisiana. We have to stop these people. We have to stop the [NOPD] because people are afraid to step up to them. The devil is on a rampage and it’s coming from the police officers, the city officials, the people who are supposed to be the servants of us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. Jace was killed in November 2019 by Andrew Gant, the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr., who aided in a subsequent cover-up.

The family of Dwerinn Alexander also came to speak on the inhumane treatment of prisoners in the Louisiana correctional system. Their family member, Dwerinn, was murdered while under the watch of Raymond Laborde Correctional Facility (RLCF) located in Cottonport, Louisiana earlier this year. Lakeba Griffith, the cousin of Dwerrin, spoke of taking the fight to the courts, wardens, and operators of RLCF, who are attempting to shut his case away and not give the family a full explanation of what occurred during the night of his murder.

After rallying, the crowd marched to the New Orleans Police Department headquarters located within the DXC Technologies building on Poydras Street. The chants of “Victor Gant is a crooked cop! We want justice, lock him up!” sounded through the busy streets around Poydras and sent shockwaves through the nearby police precinct. The march concluded around 1 p.m.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem

New Orleans, LA – On October 3 and 4, the 20th National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society was held with great success. Over 240 student and youth activists gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana to say, “Keep up the fight on campus!” and “Build a movement against Trump!” Students from around 26 chapters across the country gathered to learn from seasoned activists, exchange experiences, vote on resolutions, and elect national officers.

Despite facing repression from their universities and the Trump administration, the organizers were united and steadfast in their drive to keep fighting. As SDS’ recently re-elected president, Erin Boyle, put it, “Before SDS, I felt pessimistic about what was going on. I don’t feel that way anymore!”

With the rampant and ongoing threat of ICE terror, SDSers spoke on their campaigns for sanctuary campus policies on the panel entitled “ICE Out Now! Sanctuary Campus Now: Immigrant Rights and the Student Movement.”

On that panel, Sasmit Rahman of the University of Minnesota recalled the noise demonstrations that SDSers conducted outside of ICE agents’ hotel rooms during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.

“There's a deep-rooted collective rage that our noise demos tapped into. You're seeing the kidnapping of immigrants all across the cities, and the kidnappers and occupiers are in the building in front of you. Trying to control that rage, actually, is not our job at all,” Rahman said.

Earlier in the day, SDSers and other activists spoke on the “Money for Education, Not for Wars and Occupation: Continuing the Tradition of Anti-war Student Activism” panel. It was there that Navya Prakash of Together United Louisiana (TUL) SDS spoke on her chapter’s strong anti-war and anti-Zionist efforts in spite of the rabidly pro-Israel administration of Tulane University.

“We don't hold these rallies every week only for solidarity, although solidarity is an important part of it. We do them, because every time they call Tulane police, every time they put up barricades around our campus, it's proof that we are making a change in our campus,” said Prakash “We can't allow them to see that the students will just take whatever they do lying down. We have to organize at these extremely reactionary places, because these institutions can be won.”

At the end of the first day, students and community members rallied in the convention center at a protest to demand the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The action was organized by New Orleans’ affiliate to the Anti-War Action Network, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

On the second day of the convention, organizers voted on resolutions for National SDS and demonstrated great unity as they passed resolutions to combat gender oppression on campus, honor those martyred by racist violence and police brutality, reaffirm their commitment to defending free speech on campus, continue solidarity with the people of Palestine, demand the freedom of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and ultimately to resist attacks by the Trump administration and the ruling class wherever they may appear.

Above all, this convention demonstrated that the student movement continues to be strong and steadfast.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #SDSConvention #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement

New Orleans, LA – On October 22, the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO SDS) rallied as part of a national day of action against sexual violence and rape culture on university campuses. The day of action was called in response to the ongoing coverage surrounding the Cornell 57 and rampant sexual violence on college campuses in general.

At the rally, Loyola students expressed that their university had repeatedly failed to keep them and their peers safe and called for stronger systems of accountability from their administrators.

Speaking for LUNO SDS, Loyola freshman Jessica Monahan stated, “It is imperative that bodies of authority in our universities hear out and defend people like Jane Doe. Not only because it is their job, but because these people need to be and feel safe speaking out about their experiences.” Monahan continued, “What precedent does it set when sexual predators are made to pay for the trauma and dehumanization they've enacted with mere essays and suspensions?”

Incidents of sexual violence do not exist in isolation and are indeed a part of a wider systemic problem. Juleea Berthelot of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke to the Republican-led effort to roll back Title IX protections.

“The rollbacks put in place are being used to protect the status quo as it exists. The ruling makes it impossible for there to be a real legal pathway to hold fraternities accountable for perpetrating sexual assault on campus and lets rapists know they can commit their crimes with little to no accountability,” Berthelot said.

Berthelot continued, “The rollback lets schools get off the hook for refusing to come to the aid of victims. It defends rich and powerful students from even being accused of rape by demoralizing those who come forward.” Berthelot finished their speech by reminding the crowd that “more people are becoming conscious of the rotten corruption and injustice allowed on campuses,” and “the struggle for socialism will only intensify as more people in the United States are forced to realize it is the only way to truly end rape culture and anti-LGBTQ attacks on campus and in our communities.”

The rally concluded with the final demand to convict the Cornell 57 and for justice for all survivors.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #LUNO #WomensMovement #SexualViolence #LGBTQ

New Orleans, LA – This October 24 at 11 a.m., the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression will hold a march against police brutality. The march will begin in front of the Federal Building downtown at 500 Poydras Street.

Demands include, “Jail killer cops! Stop police cover-ups! End prison torture!” Families impacted by police crimes will be highlighted in the program to demand justice for their murdered and incarcerated loved ones.

The injustice system has consistently shown that it does not care about Black lives. Over the last few months, Black Americans have seen unsolved lynchings, the police cover-up Nolan Wells murder, and the police murder one-year-old Kohen Wiley with no consequences. 

The New Orleans Alliance is demanding justice for Nolan Wells, Kohen Wiley, Jace Lee Scott, and all Black lives taken by police killings or covered up by police. They urge all who believe in justice to attend and join the fight for Black lives alongside the families leading the way.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #NOAARPR #KohenWiley

New Orleans, LA – On October 7, the third anniversary of al-Aqsa Flood, New Orleans pro-Palestine groups, students and community members gathered to demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel.

Members of the grassroots pro-Palestine organization New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) erected a banner over the steps facing New Orleans’ famous Jackson Square in the French Quarter. The banner read the people’s demand: “Stop the Gaza genocide, end U.S. aid to Israel!” as tourists and passersby stopped by to take pictures.

Several activist groups rallied and spoke on how the history of occupation, ethnic cleansing and massacres by the Israeli state against Palestinians did not begin on October 7, 2023.

“When the Palestinian resistance broke down the apartheid gates on October 7, they opened the gates to a new world!” said Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Carson Cruse.

Cruse continued, “Let's be clear that this is not just a moral issue of Israel versus Palestine. This is a class issue. The same ruling class that is bombing Gaza, they are suspending and expelling student protesters, stealing oil from Venezuela, price gouging you and me, funding Trump and his dogs' campaigns.”

NOSHIP members spoke of Trump’s agenda to further militarize and occupy the Gaza strip through his Board of Peace. The board issued its first contract for construction of a military base in Rafah, to be populated by foreign troops. The contract was awarded to a Louisiana-based company, Arkel International.

“While Trump’s Board of Peace serves to further solidify the violation of Palestinians’ right to self-determination, Louisiana companies like Arkel stand to profit from it,” said Cristine Farah from NOSHIP.

NOSHIP member Tracie Ash highlighted the breadth of destruction caused by Israel and its financial backer, the U.S., since October 2023, stating, “82% of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including 94% of the hospitals and clinics, with 90% of the population displaced. Nearly 300 journalists have been murdered.”

Speakers combatted the Zionist narrative that Palestinians have no right to resist 75 years of occupation and apartheid.

Local organizations and community members are gearing up for a large March for Palestine in downtown New Orleans on October 17.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #NOSHIP #FRSO

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, October 6, around 30 students and community members held a rapid response pro-Palestine rally outside Tulane Chabad to protest an event held there. Inside, three students who served in the Israeli Defense Forces gave a talk on the three-year anniversary of October 7.

The rally was organized by Together United Louisiana Students for a Democratic Society (TUL SDS). The student organization has protested IDF events held by Tulane all three times they have taken place in the past year. The event was not publicly advertised anywhere. Students learned of it only hours before via a mailing list.

SDS organizer Keenan Gray spoke about their rapid response, stating, “Even though Tulane tried to hide this event and we only found out about it three hours in advance, SDS knew we had to quickly organize a protest to show that the genocidal IDF is never welcome on this campus.”

Students and community members gathered outside the building, banging drums and chanting, “Tulane hear us loud and clear, IDF’s not welcome here!” And “We want justice, you say how? IDF off campus now!”

“Tulane knows they are monsters. That’s why this is happening off campus. That’s why these cowards didn’t even advertise their event until three hours ago. That’s why last year they tried to arrest us for protesting the IDF, why they retaliated so violently against the encampments, and why they constantly shut down pro-Palestine activism,” said TUL SDS member Jai Thombre. “Tulane treats its own students like we are the threat yet welcomes the IDF with open arms.”

Attendees of the event came outside to shout at protesters, but passersby cheered the crowd on and honked in support.

SDS organizer Rory MacDonald, who Tulane Police attempted to arrest at a similar demonstration in November 2025, spoke about the student movement at Tulane, “We are still here, we are still fighting. The anti-Zionist movement at Tulane has only grown. It’s only gotten stronger, and the Zionist movement is cowering!”

Students ended the rally with a promise to continue fighting back against Zionist forces on their campus.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On October 3, over 200 students and youth rallied for Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores at the New Orleans Healing Center. The protest called by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) condemned the horrific treatment of Cilia Flores, who is currently experiencing a life-threatening heart condition. New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), an AWAN affiliate, organized the demonstration alongside Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

“When I met farm workers, indigenous organizers, and trade unionists in Venezuela, all of them denounced the Yankee imperialist attacks on their sovereignty!” cried Ebtesham Ahmed, a member of New York University SDS. Ahmed visited Venezuela mere weeks before the kidnapping of Maduro and Flores. They lifted their fist to the crowd, sharing a chant they learned in Venezuela: “¡Yo solo sé tres palabras en inglés, Yankee go home!”

Protesters held signs that read “Free First Lady Cilia Flores!” and “Stop U.S. war on Venezuela!”

Maduro and Flores have been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York for over 200 days. Their capture on January 3 resulted in the death of 100 people in Venezuela. During their imprisonment, the United States has maintained suffocating sanctions on the country.

Trump has openly bragged that taking Venezuela’s resources and labor will bolster the U.S. economy, but student activists rejected this exploitation. “My enemy is not the people of the world, they're our allies. I stand with the people of Venezuela as they stand with us, against our true enemy, Donald Trump and the ruling class of the United States,” shouted Khalid Hamu, National SDS secretary.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Chris Maldonado connected the struggle to his family’s fight against sanctions in Cuba, stating, “Whether it's my country or Venezuela, it is important that we don’t sit idly by while the U.S. monopoly capitalists plot to murder revolutionaries, strangle sovereign countries, and profit off of exploitation. We must stand up and fight back!”

As the rally ended, NOSHIP organizers made sure to give everyone in attendance a call to action for Maduro and Flores. “The Anti-War Action Network will be at every single court hearing that they have, demanding their freedom and an end to the attacks on Venezuelan sovereignty. We ask that you join us in signing our petition, and rally in your city every time AWAN calls a day of action,” said NOSHIP member Cristine Farah.

People interested in supporting Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores can sign AWAN’s petition at tinyurl.com/awanfreemaduro and follow their Instagram @antiwaractionnetwork for days of action in solidarity with Venezuela.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #CiliaFlores #NicolasMaduro #AntiWarActionNetwork #SDS #Feature

New Orleans, LA – Hundreds of student activists from across the country will arrive in New Orleans this Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, for the 20th National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). October 3 will also mark nine months since the United States shamefully invaded and attacked Venezuela, kidnapping President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), a partner of the national Anti-War Action Network, has led the local struggle against intervention in Venezuela. The intervention has accomplished nothing but more suffering. In particular, the June 24 earthquakes near the capital city of Caracas killed over 6000 people and injured nearly a quarter million more.

“Our city was also devastated by a federal policy of neglect. Now we have the Trump administration trying to cut off aid and resources to more innocent civilians experiencing a disaster. Here, we find that especially alarming and abhorrent,” said Charlie Schully of NOSHIP. “That’s why it is fitting that the largest rally for Venezuelan sovereignty this week may be right here in New Orleans.”

Schully pointed to the fact that the United States is freezing Venezuelan assets in the International Monetary Fund, preventing them from accessing their own funds, and the decades of sanctions which have grown worse. “We call for their leaders to be freed, particularly Cilia Flores, who is quite literally dying in an American prison. But we also demand an end to U.S. sanctions and freeing up their nearly $5 billion in assets!”

Silas Gillett, of Liberate and Unite New Orleans (LUNO) Students for a Democratic Society, said that “Students for a Democratic Society stands in full support of jailed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.”

“As students and youth, we remember the student movement’s history of fighting against U.S. interventions abroad, from Vietnam to Palestine,” Gillett added. “As young people, we refuse to sit by and allow this imperialist government to spoil our world’s future by starting chaos and crises in independent countries. We all have a stake in the fight against foreign interventions. Whatever rights the U.S. imperialists can take away from people abroad, they can take away from us.”

NOSHIP will partner with local chapters of SDS to bring the rally and march against U.S. intervention in Venezuela to downtown New Orleans right after the first day of the National Convention. The rally will begin on Saturday at 5 p.m. in front of Armstrong Park. Activists will march through the French Quarter and end on the steps of Jackson Square.

You can sign the Anti-War Action Network petition to free President Maduro and First Lady Flores at www.tinyurl.com/awanfreemaduro.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #NicolasMaduro #CiliaFlores #AntiWarActionNetwork #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, September 28, about a dozen people packed the municipal court for activist Toni Jones of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Jones is facing trumped-up misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and disturbing city council. She was arrested on March 30 during a city council meeting where Shanta Scott and supporters gave public comment on corrupt Sargeant Victor Gant Jr of the New Orleans Police Department.

Before Jones’s court hearing, the crowd gathered in front of the building with a loud speaker to chant and give speeches. They held signs reading “Stop NOPD corruption” and “Justice for Jace Lee Scott.”

“From our perspective, the person who disturbed the peace is Victor Gant Jr of the NOPD. He’s a crooked cop who steals justice from grieving families. The people who disturbed the city council meeting are the group of police officers who surrounded and tried to intimidate a mother fighting for justice,” said Toni Mar of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“It’s a shame how this system is treating people like us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. “They attack us, but they should be attacking the New Orleans Police Department. They should be attacking every officer that was sitting in the police station over there while the corruption was going on. My child was murdered. This has to stop, from the DA’s office all the way down to the municipal court! Why attack us, and not attack them?” said Scott.

Inside, a city attorney filed for a continuance on the case, citing the need to subpoena more witnesses and a missing police report. Jones will appear before the court again for trial on November 24, the day Jace Lee Scott was murdered by Andrew Gant in 2019.

“On November 24, we are going to come out strong to demand justice for Jace on the date of his angelversary. We have to show these officers that they can’t bully us, we are standing our ground,” said Mar.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InjusticeSystem #JaceLeeScott #ToniJones #PolitialRepression #NAARPR #KillerCop #VictorGant

New Orleans, LA – On September 1, a group of students rallied demanding Loyola University New Orleans adopt proper anti-ICE sanctuary policies. This includes visible signage preventing ICE from entering the campus, student and professor representation on the school’s Immigration Task Force, and assurance that Loyola will refuse to collaborate with ICE in any capacity.

At the rally, Loyola student Rosalina Framboise addressed a message to the Loyola administration and President Xavier Cole. Framboise said, “Just because this has not happened on our campus yet, does not mean it is not happening on campuses all over the country.”

Another Loyola student, Fin Jones, said, “When schools and organizations can’t go against the government’s wishes for fear of a target on their backs, we can no longer call ourselves a democracy.”

The rally’s final student speaker, Quesada-Amor, urged Loyola’s administration, “We cannot accept these vile, cruel and unjust enactments carried out by these ICE thugs that only serve to violate the rights of men and women.”

The rally continued a yearlong sanctuary campus campaign led by the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO-SDS). The rally was part of a New SDS National Day of Action calling on all chapters to engage in active protest across their campuses and demand “ICE out now!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #LoyolaUniversity #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On August 27, about 30 people gathered for a demonstration against Palantir, a data analytics corporation notorious for its use in mass surveillance and the Palestinian genocide. New Orleans Nurses United led the protest alongside National Nurses United (NNU) locals in seven other cities.

“We nurses are outside the federal building in New Orleans today because one in four people detained by ICE are taken to Louisiana detention centers,” said Hannah Miller, an ICU nurse and NNU member.

The crowd chanted “Purge, purge Palantir!” and raised picket signs that read “Palantir Out!”.

NNU chose to target Palantir in this coordinated National Day of Action because hospitals contract the corporation to manage patient information, including automated scheduling and management. Palantir is currently partnering with the Trump regime to target people for deportation based on Medicaid data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Trump and his fearmongers in Congress continue to send billions to corrupt CEOs who profit from violence and suffering. They have stolen more than a trillion dollars from healthcare for working people,” said Miller.

Nurses then occupied a busy street for over ten minutes and raised a giant banner that read, “Patients over Palantir!” They put stickers on signs and buildings informing bystanders on the dangers ICE and Palantir pose.

“We must unite to say no to Palantir making us work harder for less, no to Palantir arming masked thugs to kidnap our neighbors, no to Palantir enabling Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, and no to Palantir everywhere!” stated Nick Michaels, an organizer with New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

Organizations that joined NNU in this demonstration include NOSHIP, Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #Nurses #NationalNursesUnited #Palantir #AntiWarMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE

New Orleans, LA – On August 13, IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 632 filed a lawsuit with the Civil District Court of New Orleans against the city’s Roman Nelson, the city’s fire superintendent. The union is fighting against unsafe practices like ordering unqualified fire fighters to operate the fire engines, a practice that puts workers and New Orleanians at risk.

Although staffing shortages have historically plagued the department, qualified operators could earn overtime to keep the engines running. “[But] now, we're being told we won't be compensated for this dangerous and often unqualified work. And if we refuse, we risk being fired,” explained Aaron Mischler, president of Local 632.

The conflict between Local 632 and the city came to a head in the beginning of August, when three fire stations were forced to temporarily cease operations due to severe staffing shortages. “When we took this drastic measure, the city finally relented and allowed us to pay guys overtime to keep services up and running,” said Aaron Mischler.

The city of New Orleans has repeatedly attacked workers’ wages to compensate for severe fiscal mismanagement. Mayor Helena Moreno announced layoffs, hiring freezes and furloughs as soon as she took office in November 2025. “We're a public union, we don't generate income, we'll always be a red line. They're always looking to cut corners on safety at the detriment of us and the public,” argued Mischler.

While the legal battle continues, some local news outlets are blaming the union for the city’s failures. Local 632 firefighters want to set the record straight on who the real instigator of this fight is. “Even if you see station closures, we will always get the job done. We put ourselves on the line every day for the people's safety. There's nothing the public has to worry about, this is a fight between us and the city. The city is choosing to do this, not us firefighters,” asserted Mischler.

New Orleanians should keep an eye out for announcements from IAFF Local 632 for future calls to action and solidarity in their ongoing struggle against Roman Nelson and company.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #Firefighters #IAFFLocal632

New Orleans, LA – On Aug 11, Shanta Scott met with the office of Mayor Helena Moreno to demand justice for her son, Jace Lee Scott. Jace was killed in 2019 by the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr., who now serves on the mayor’s security team. Scott maintains that police led a sham probe to cover up her son’s murder. A dozen protesters joined her outside of City Hall in support.

They chanted, “Victor Gant Jr. what do you say? What protocol did you break today?!” and “How do you spell accountability? F – I – R – E, G – A – N – T!”

Shanta Scott told protesters, “Seems like they have people in high places, I’m going in there to bring them down a little bit.”

After kicking off the rally, Shanta Scott went into City Hall. She was joined by Toni Mar of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The two met with the mayor’s chief of staff, Kevin Ferguson.

Scott demanded that Victor Gant Jr. be fired. She showed Ferguson audio recordings of Gant's son, Andrew Gant, being interrogated for Jace Lee Scott’s killing. The audio revealed NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr. clearly present at his son’s own interrogation. Audio and body camera footage also showed Andrew’s mother and uncle entering the interrogation room. Andrew Gant’s mother can be heard saying, “You’re going to be home by tonight” and that she would call the judge overseeing the case.

“When Andrew killed Jace, he got to have his family come and comfort him. But where’s my comfort?” Shanta Scott asked Ferguson.

On Nov 24, 2019, Andrew Gant shot Jace Lee Scott in the neck at the Southern University of New Orleans campus. Scott bled to death. That night, Andrew Gant fled the scene and called his father Victor Gant Jr. of the NOPD. Gant told his son to put his clothes in a bag as evidence and drove him to the 3rd district police station.

Despite Andrew Gant being depicted with gloves and a cell phone on campus surveillance tape, these items were not found in evidence. Homicide detective Rob Barrere, a close colleague of Victor Gant Jr., led the interrogation of Victor Gant and Andrew Gant. Both lasted less than ten minutes. NOPD developed a narrative that Jace and Andrew were both “play-fighting with guns.” No evidence was ever submitted confirming that Jace Lee Scott possessed a gun. Andrew Gant was charged with “negligent homicide” and “obstruction of justice.” He was released on an exceptionally low $12,500 bail. He was later convicted and sentenced to no prison time.

In his meeting with Shanta Scott and Toni Mar, Ferguson said that he would reach out to Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Michael Harrison. He said that he would make contact with Harrison in the next week to learn more about the investigation.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeMovement #NOAARPR #NAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On the evening of Friday, August 7, around 30 people gathered at the downtown Hilton hotel to protest the local Democratic Party’s decision to platform Vice President Kamala Harris. Protesters demanded that Harris take a stance against the genocide in Palestine that started under her administration.

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) led the noise demonstration, confronting wealthy donors to the Louisiana Democratic Party, which charged up to $10,000 to attend their “Masquerade Sneaker Ball.”

“While your constituents were begging for you to condemn the genocide in Gaza and end aid to Israel, you ignored them,” Miriam Lovelace, a member of NOSHIP, declared. For Lovelace, and everyone else present, Harris and the Democratic Party’s role in the genocide already doomed her chances, but her inability to meet the material needs of the people were evident as well.

“Your stance on Gaza lost my vote, but I think a lot of people just wanted a little hope for a better future, of which you offered none. Just snarky one-liners and a Dick Cheney endorsement,” Lovelace said.

Before the demonstration, NOSHIP issued three demands of Vice President Harris: arms embargo on Israel; end all U.S. aid to Israel, and, stop the U.S./Israeli enocide in Gaza. Kamala Harris failed to endorse those positions.

Rosalina Framboise, speaking on behalf of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, criticized Vice President Harris for her role in the genocide. “Kamala Harris and Joe Biden not only ‘stood back’ and ‘stood by’ as Israel conducted a live-streamed genocide of the Palestinian people, but they have actively aided and abetted this carnage by sending billions of dollars to Israel.”

Throughout the evening, protesters were joined by supportive hotel guests who came down to hold signs and chant, hospitality workers and taxi drivers who waved and honked in support, and cyclists who rang their bells. Even the occasional fundraiser participant was sympathetic to the cause, raising their fists in solidarity or approaching to inquire about the cause.

NOSHIP members observed that this was the very same hotel and venue where they were thrown out earlier this year for demanding that the DNC and their Chairperson Ken Martin release the election autopsy report.

“The 2024 DNC postmortem told us something we already knew, that Harris’s complicity and backing of the genocide in Gaza was a major factor contributing to her loss,” Lovelace added.

Demonstrators also condemned both U.S. Representative Troy Carter and Mayor Helena Moreno for their inaction when anti genocide activists tried to stop shipments of arms from the Port of New Orleans. Other speakers invoked the name of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, of nearby Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Jabbar was the first American killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023. There was complete silence from the local Democratic Party around his death.

Closing out her speech, Lovelace concluded, “To Kamala Harris, to Ken Martin, to Troy Carter, and every other politician who wants the support of the people, we demand you call for an end to all U.S aid to Israel. We demand you call for an arms embargo on Israel and a stop to the U.S.-Israeli genocide in Palestine.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #KamalaHarris #NOSHIP

New Orleans, LA – On August 8, a crowd of about 40 people gathered to protest the Trump regime’s recent attacks on Haitian immigrants. The protest demanded an end to mass deportations and for legalization for all immigrants. Nationwide protests broke out in response to a call to action from the Legalization for All Network.

The Department of Homeland Security officially revoked TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for over 300,000 Haitian and Syrian immigrants, immediately putting them in danger of deportation. TPS includes work authorizations, and this revocation triggered immediate layoffs for all workers impacted.

Protesters chanted, “No human is illegal, all power to the people!” and held picket signs that read “Stop the mass deportation of Haitians!” and “Down with ICE terror!” Many attendees were already involved in some form of anti-ICE activism, from know-your-rights trainers to court watch organizers.

“It is important that we recognize that this administration is targeting Haitian immigrants particularly because [this administration] are racists, and we know this because they say it proudly! We must fight against these deportations not just in words, but with our hands and fists, raised against these tyrants,” affirmed Toni Jones, a member of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Rosalina Framboise, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke about Haiti’s revolutionary history, “The Haitian people were daring to struggle and daring to win when the United States barely had recognition. The powers that be are terrified of Haiti and its people because they know that if Haiti can kick their French oppressors out of power, so can every oppressed people – so can the workers and nationally oppressed of this country.”

The organizations who sponsored the protest included the Ben Gordon Freedom Caravan, Louisiana for Collective Liberation, New Orleans Nurses United New Orleans Alliance Against Racist And Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, and more.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #ImmigrantRights #Haiti #TPS

New Orleans, LA — On Monday July 28, around 20 community members gathered outside the Hale Boggs Federal Building to demonstrate against the brutal murder of Corey Ruiz by police in Madison, Wisconsin. The action was called by the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR).

Protesters held signs calling for an end to police terror and demanding community control of the police. They chanted to demand accountability: “Cell blocks for crooked cops!” and “Justice for Corey Ruiz!”

NOAARPR has been leading the charge against police crimes in New Orleans, fighting to get justice for Jace Lee Scott, whose murder, by the son of New Orleans Police Officer Victor Gant Jr, was covered up by local officials. His mother, Shanta Scott, urged people to continue organizing saying, “The people have to get out here and put our boots to the ground and show them that they can’t keep killing our children!”

Speaking for Freedom Road Socialist Organization, activist Toni Mar said, “We’re tired of hearing the same thing every time [the police] kill somebody in the streets. The time for talking is over, we want results!”

Protesters vowed to keep struggling for justice for all those affected by police brutality.

“Every life that is taken by the police has the potential to turn this country on its head, and that's exactly what we want to see!” said Mar.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InjusticeSystem #CoreyRuiz

New Orleans, LA – On Sunday, July 26, activists and community members gathered in front of the federal building downtown to commemorate the Cuban National Day of Rebellion and demand that the U.S. cease its blockade against Cuba.

The rally occurred with a backdrop of several banners on the walls of the Hale Boggs Federal Building commemorating the 250 year anniversary of the United States. Members of New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports held up their own banner which read “No more wars for oil. End the embargo on Cuba now. Venceremos!” alongside the Cuban and Venezuelan flags.

73 years after the Cuban people kickstarted their rebellion against the U.S.-backed regime and succeeded, the U.S. government has escalated its attacks on Cuba, with intent to cause suffering and break the spirit of the Cuban people

In January, President Trump issued an executive order which effectively established a fuel blockade against Cuba, plunging the nation into a deep humanitarian crisis. Protesters gathered to demand an end to this cruel economic war on the Cuban people. Despite the decades of U.S. sanctions that have plagued the Cuban population, the Cuban people have continued to resist U.S. interference in their politics and economic life.

Rose Framboise of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization made a point to read excerpts from Secretary of State Rubio’s recent inflammatory report on Cuba, which she quoted verbatim: “‘In Cuba’s telling, the oppressed peoples of the world from Harlem to Hanoi all share one enemy: the same racist Yankee imperialism victimizing Africa, Asia, Latin America was victimizing Blacks and other minorities in the United States.’ I appreciate your candor, Marco Rubio – it seems like a pretty fine analysis to me!” said Framboise.

The Trump administration’s increasing economic and political pressure against Cuba is only becoming less popular. Recent polls from May show that only 15% of Americans support U.S. intervention in Cuba, with over 64% completely opposing U.S. war in the country. The crowd echoed that sentiment by chanting “Cuba sí, bloqueo no!” and “Biggest threat to the world today, Donald Trump and the USA!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #International #Cuba

New Orleans, LA – On the morning of July 20, Shanta Scott and a group of supporters showed up at city hall to deliver a letter to the mayor and request a meeting. Participants wore t-shirts reading “Justice for Jace Lee Scott” as they walked into the building.

After waiting for the second floor to open at 9 a.m., the group went upstairs to the mayor’s office. They spoke briefly with security who brought out Director of Executive Affairs Leo Maya to greet the group.

“I emailed [the mayor], we’re coming up here to find out if she got the letter. Officer Victor Gant’s son murdered my son. [Gant] has broken protocol in my son’s death investigation and I have been reaching out to her so we can talk,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Scott, to Amaya. She also requested confirmation that her emails are being received by the office, after an employee told her the new mayor’s inbox had not been set up yet earlier this year.

Activists were able to confirm with Amaya that the office did receive the February 9 email. He also took the physical copy of Scott’s letter and assured the group the mayor’s office would reach out about scheduling a meeting. When asked how long this process would take, Amaya claimed he could not provide more information.

“I will bring this up the proper channels so that we can handle it in the most respectful and sensitive way possible,” Amaya told Scott.

“If we don’t hear from y’all in a week, we’ll be back. We’re going to keep it pushing,” said activist Toni Mar with the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “We want to make sure all of this information about Gant gets pushed up the chain to the mayor so she can help us get justice.”

Just before leaving, Amaya came back out and told Shanta Scott the office sent a response via email and post. The group walked out and chanted “Justice for Jace!” before leaving city hall.

Scott sent a letter to Moreno in February 2026 demanding that New Orleans Police Department officer Victor Gant Jr be investigated and fired for breaking protocol in the case of Jace Lee Scott’s murder in 2019. The killer was his own son, Andrew Gant. Instead of recusing himself from the case, Gant Jr accompanied his son in an NOPD “interrogation” by fellow friend and Homicide Detective Rob Barrere which lasted less than ten minutes. This is just the surface of favoritism and corruption in the case, which includes sloppy paperwork, hasty interviews, improper collection of evidence, and more. Since 2019, Gant Jr has been promoted to work under the mayor.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops

New Orleans, LA – On July 15, former Dollar General employees rallied at the site of their former store on Earhart Boulevard to protest the company’s decision to close the store and terminate all employees without notification, severance pay or the ability to transfer to the only remaining location in Orleans Parish.

“I tried the transfer. They blocked all of us out of the system,” former employee David Williams said at the event.

Members of the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO SDS) were also in attendance to express their solidarity with the fired workers.

LUNO SDS member and UPS worker Silas Gillett stated, “I just found out the other day that they’re shutting our warehouse down.” He continued to draw parallels between UPS and the Dollar General closure saying, “No transfers, no severance – they’re just laying people off; that’s all we get. if they can do this to one of us, they can do this to all of us. We’ve got to show up and show out for each other.”

Workers also spoke on the hypocrisy demonstrated by Dollar General’s rejection of their “core values” when it comes to how they treat their employees. Former employee Sunshine Best said, “Dollar General says in this mission statement is ‘serving others.’”

Best continued, “Communities deserve honesty. Workers deserve respect, and accountability requires fairness.”

Through store closures and the blatant disrespect that these workers have faced, Dollar General has firmly communicated what it thinks of our communities and of the people they need to operate. The workers, however, are not discouraged. They chanted, “Worker’s rights, day and night! This ain’t right, we’re gonna fight!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor

New Orleans, LA- On July 4, downtown in Lafayette Square, a crowd of about 100 people participated in an anti-imperialist rally and march. The action was organized by local anti-Zionist organization New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and was endorsed and attended by several local New Orleans groups.

Speakers included activists from the anti-war movement, Indivisible, and the movement for police accountability. Although every speaker used their own words and language, every speech had one through-line, demanding an end to US wars for blood and oil.

The rally chanted and marched in 95-degree heat to Jackson Square to unveil a banner that read “250 years of imperialism, oppression & war” to passersby on the scorching Saturday afternoon.

Rosalie Framboise of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization declared to the crowd, “We are here on the 250th anniversary of the American empire, a hydra that has strung its tentacles all over the world, in pursuit of raising its stock price, and manifesting the destiny of the billionaire, monopoly capitalists who control it.” Framboise went on to decry how Donald Trump wants us to celebrate American wars and empire.

In conjunction with NOSHIP’s action, high school student activist groups Student Action Movement (SAM) and Students for Resistance (SFR) spoke against the development of a planned AI Hyperion data center along Louisiana Highway 183, emphasizing the threat that data center expansion poses to the environment.

“We are out here in the streets protesting imperialism, oppression and war that the U.S. has been engaging in for 250 years,” said one of the organizers of the action. “We’re angry, and it’s hot as hell but we’re fired up, we’re mad, and we’re not going to stop.”

Despite the incredible heatwave in New Orleans city, the locals came out in droves either to actively participate in the march, or clearly show solidarity with our united messaging.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #AWAn #NOSHIP