New York, NY – New Yorkers across the state face a vote on Nov. 7 on whether or not to have a Constitutional Convention, a process which occurs every 20 years. The last time a vote occurred for a so-called “Con Con” was in 1997. In the current political climate, unions and workers fear that all protections that were won in past Constitutional Conventions, most of which were gained during the New Deal, could be peeled away due to the intervention of lobbyists and financing from corporate influences.

One of the main concerns of bad amendments that could harm workers would be the possibility of New York becoming a ‘Right to Work’ state. Unions so far have aggressively promoted a no vote on the convention, since they do not have the monetary resources to outspend the corporate interests that no doubt would seek to stack the deck of delegates with their minions. Others see the convention as an opportunity for progressive gains to be made in a sweeping way, seeing the political structure of Albany as entirely too corrupt for change to be made.

The convention should be opposed for the simple reason that sweeping progressive change is unlikely. All that can be won must be won in the streets, through organized fight backs and contract fights. The last convention in 1997 came off the heels of a huge victory by the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters against United Parcel Service, which was led by New Yorker Ron Carey, who was standing president of the IBT at the time.

With so many important struggles for labor on the horizon (such as new contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS net year), leaving the door open for the bosses to undo decades of victories for workers at a constitutional convention – or worse still, weakening the position of unions by using resources to ensure a maintaining of present standards – rather than toward the needed organizing of struggles for better contracts and protections would be a misstep. A convention effort would waste the opportunity presented to unions to win all that can be won for the working class in the various shop floors, and for the attention of workers in taking charge of these fightbacks.

#NewYorkNewYork #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #Vote

New York, NY – Over 47 groups have signed on to the Oct. 7 day of action against U.S. imperialism. People will converge at on Saturday October 7, in New York City’s Herald Square, 34th Street, at 1 p.m.

The day is important because it marks the 16th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Since then, the U.S. has continued a relentless campaign of war and genocide in every country it invades, from Iraq to Libya. The U.S. government claims it does this for humanitarian purposes, but the death toll says otherwise.

The organizers of the rally have agreed upon simple, yet straightforward demands for the day. These include U.S. out of everywhere; stop the attacks on migrants, refugees and Muslims; No war, no sanctions; and the right to self-determination.

Organizers ask all to come out and join them in resisting war and racism, at home and abroad this Saturday.

To find out more, go to the Facebook Event.

#NewYorkNewYork #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #PeoplesStruggles #PuertoRico #Iraq #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression

New York, NY – Several hundred gathered at Union Square on May 1 to celebrate International Workers Day. The event was one of several organized for the day and was put together by groups that are a part of the International League of People’s Struggles – North East.

The event was called “Shut it down: Strike to defend migrants, refugees and all workers” and started at noon at the south end of the park. The program consisted of speeches and cultural performers.

Speakers and performers stood in front of a large banner that declared “Strike!” in several different languages, as unions and worker centers, such as the Laundry Workers Center and B&H Photo workers, called for a one-day general strike.

Joe Catron, an organizer with Samidoun the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, read a statement of solidarity on behalf of the 1000 plus Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger strike.

Michela Martinazzi, an organizer with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, spoke on political repression, stating, “We scored a victory in keeping Rasmea Odeh out of jail. It’s the people who must protect their own. From those arrested at Occupy, to J20 and Jacksonville, when the state attacks our own, we have to stand up to them. Together we fight and united we win!”

There were also speakers from different countries that highlighted how those countries were experiencing and fighting back against the brunt of U.S. imperialism and intervention, such as Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Korea.

At 2:30 p.m. the speeches stopped for one hour as different groups set up in different parts of the park for teach-ins on respective issues in our movement. The main program began again at 3:30 p.m.

Susan Sarandon, an actress and an outspoken progressive voice in Hollywood, made an unexpected appearance and gave a speech. She stated, “I’m a born and bred New Yorker and the reason I came here is because of the spirit and fuck you attitude,” she continued as the crowd cheered, “There have been infringements on people’s lives beyond the past eight years and just now people are noticing. It’s now more important than ever that we stand together and we demand that New York is a sanctuary city.”

Cultural performances included Palestinian Dabke Dancers, singers, spoken word and short skits. Each performance highlighted a particular culture or showcased parts of the movement.

Throughout the day, Alt-Right and Trump supporters attempted to tear down the event, but they were thwarted by security, comprised of event organizers. The NYPD arrested organizers and those trying to defend themselves.

The march began at approximately 5:30 p.m. even though there were a couple of speakers left on the program. The decision was made when security noticed that armed fascist forces had infiltrated the park and surrounded the area. As the march began, the NYPD arrested people on the front banner who took the streets.

Regardless of the heavy police and right-wing repression, the rest of the organizers took the lead and continued marching. Approximately 5000 people marched for three hours downtown chanting, singing and standing up for justice!

#NewYorkNewYork #Labor #MayDay #ILPS #InternationalLeagueOfPeoplesStruggle #NewYorkCity #MayDay2017 #UnionSquare

New York, NY – Hundreds of protesters gathered at Union Square, April 7, to protest the bombing of Syria. On Thursday, April 6, President Trump launched 59 Tomahawk Missiles into Syria that killed nine people, including four children.

Protesters gathered on the back steps of Union Square behind a banner demanding “Hands off Syria” and signs declaring opposition to the U.S. war machine.

A round of speakers from different organizations, including the International Action Center and NYC Students for Justice in Palestine, opened the rally.

Sara Flounders, from International Action Center, said, “Does anyone here really think that that bombing yesterday had anything to do with protecting lives in Syria? Everyone here knows that this is another war based on lies. Whether it’s Trump, or Clinton or Obama it doesn’t matter who is in the White House. The U.S. military and corporations are the ones who want the wars and wage the wars and they don’t care about anyone here.”

Michela Martinazzi, from Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “President Trump you can't claim to care about Syrian children when you bomb their country and then ban them at our airports. President Trump you can't claim you care when your airstrikes murdered 200 people last month. There is no justice in U.S. intervention. There is no freedom in U.S. bombings. We must demand hands off Syria!”

The closing speeches included those by Nerdeen Kiswani and Noura Farouq from NYC SJP. They brought up the hypocrisy of the response to Syria, when in 2014 Israel ruthlessly bombed Palestine and killed approximately 2000 Palestinians.

At around 8 p.m., the Union Square crowd was joined by another protest that had started at Trump Tower earlier that day. The earlier protest was organized by ANSWER Coalition.

Close to 1000 protesters began marching and taking the streets alternating chants from “U.S. imperialist! Number one terrorist,” “Hands off Syria!” and “Out of Syria! Out of Iraq! Out of Palestine! Don’t come back!”

The NYPD kept pushing protesters back to the sidewalks, but protesters vastly outnumbered the cops and any attempt at being corralled was met with chants of “Whose streets? Our streets!”

Protesters kept marching north from Union Square. As the march continued, cops became more and more agitated at losing any semblance of control over the crowd. Cops began jostling anyone who accidentally got too close; shoving them. Several protesters were seen being shoved into nearby parked cars or knocked down.

When protesters passed the Flatiron Building, on 23rd and 5th, the cops attacked. It began with cops trying to pry the Palestinian flag from two organizers, John Becker, of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner’s Solidarity Network, and Dan Cione, of NYC Students for Justice in Palestine.

At the same time, eight to ten cops rounded on Nerdeen Kiswani, of NYC Students for Justice in Palestine, threw her on the ground, ripped off her hijab and pulled it so it choked her.

Other protesters caught in the attack were Angela Firestone of NYC SJP, Michael Bellamy of SPARC, Collin Ashley of Peoples’ Power Assembly, Stephen Millies of the Workers World Party and International Action Center, Brendan O’Brien of ANSWER and the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Jonah Quest.

While the arrests were happening, protesters lined the sidewalk and shouted at the cops, “Who do you serve, who do you protect?” A small gathering proceeded to summate what had just happened and began making plans for jail support.

Those arrested were taken to the 7th precinct and more than a dozen stayed outside doing jail support. All nine of the detained were finally let go by 1:30 a.m.

Vijou Bryant, from Gabriella New York and International League of People’s Struggles, said regarding why the NYPD reacted the way they did, “The cops were pissed with our program and our rally at Union Square. It was militant with a strong line of anti-imperialism and holding the U.S. accountable for the bombing in Syria. Our rally and march was unpermitted, and they were unsure of our route and where we were going. The only way the cops know how to deal with people protesting for the people is to physically harm us.”

#NewYorkNewYork #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #Syria #HandsOffSyria

New York, NY – On the March 17 the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoners Network organized an action where several dozen protesters gathered near Union Square to honor Basel al-Araj on the day of his burial and to continue protesting the regime the killed him.

Al-Araj was murdered on March 6, when Israeli Forces found his hiding place and for two hours rained bullets and rocket fire until they confirmed the kill. Al-Araj had recently been released by the Palestinian Authority after a hunger strike, but his legal charges for wanting to fight the U.S.-backed Israeli apartheid regime weren’t dropped. Al-Araj knew that once Israeli forces captured him, he would be sent straight to prison, so he evaded them for around a year before they found him and extra-judicially executed him.

Protesters chanted for the better part of an hour and handed out flyers regarding the Al-Araj case. As the protest coincided with Saint Patrick’s Day, one of the chants was, “From Belfast to Palestine, occupation is a crime.”

At the end of the protest there were several people read statements. Sapphira Lurie, from Fordham Students for Justice in Palestine, read Al-Araj’s will.

Joe Catron, an organizer with Samidoun, read a statement that the group signed on to that urged people to stand together to fight for the liberation of Palestine.

The protest ended with an announcement to join the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoners Network next Friday for their weekly protest.

#NewYorkNewYork #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #SamidounPalestinianPrisonerSolidarityNetwork #BasilAlAraj #MiddleEast

New York, NY – About 40 protesters gathered at Lexington and 65th, the location of the Palestinian Mission, to join an international day of action demanding justice for Basel Al-Araj and an end of the collaboration between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israeli forces. The protest was called by the New York chapter of Palestinian Youth Movement.

Basel Al-Araj was a Palestinian youth freedom fighter against the violent and brutal Israeli regime. He and five of his fellow activists were imprisoned by the PA last year. They were tortured and beaten throughout their captivity for planning opposition to Israel. Al-Araj and his comrades launched a hunger strike and were released after eight days. However, once they had secured their release from the PA prison, they were pursued by Israeli forces. While Israel was able to capture four of the six, Al-Araj was able to escape and had been on the run since last year. On March 6, Israeli forces found Al-Araj’s hideout and bombarded it with rockets and bullets. Al-Araj was effectively executed without trial or due process.

Despite an impending blizzard, protesters were in high spirits as they chanted in Arabic and English. One of the chants was, “Israeli Zionists – number one terrorist!”

Towards the end of the protest, people from the crowd went to the center and spoke up regarding Palestine, the Israeli apartheid and the movement in the U.S.

Michela Martinazzi spoke on behalf of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoners Network and said, “Basel was on the run from the Israeli forces when they found him and extra-judicially executed him. He bravely fought them off for two hours before he died amongst bullets and rocket fire. Basel's unrelenting passion for freedom and justice should be an example for us all. Basel was a hero and freedom fighter. And we have to honor him by securing liberation for Palestine!”

She also reminded the crowd that Samidoun hosts weekly protests on Fridays, where each week a Palestinian political prisoner or liberation fighter is highlighted, and how this week they chose Al-Araj. The crowd continued to chant for the next hour until it became dark. One of the organizers of the event thanked the crowd and protesters walked away chanting, “We’ll be back!”

#NewYorkNewYork #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #PalestinianAuthority #BaselAlAraj #MiddleEast

New York, NY – After days of unrest following the results of the U.S. presidential election, tens of thousands of people continue to flood the streets of downtown Manhattan, Nov. 12, in direct opposition to the new President-elect Donald J. Trump.

The protesters met at Union Square in the early afternoon, swiftly filling 5th Avenue and shutting down traffic as it progressed north. Chants of “Not my president,” and “We are the popular vote” reverberated off the buildings lining over 30 uninterrupted blocks, eventually coming to a halt at the base of Trump Tower as protesters were met by barricades and heavily armed police officers defending Trump’s fortress.

“The last four days of nationwide protests is a small sign of what Trump can expect. There are 20 blocks of protesters here on 5th Avenue angered by Tuesday’s election and, more importantly, ready to challenge the Trump administration. We can expect he’ll follow through on his racist, sexist, anti-worker policies, and he should expect continued resistance,” said Michelle Morris, a progressive activist in the city.

#NewYorkNewYork #US #PeoplesStruggles #Elections #Elections2016

New York, NY – 45 activists and community organizers gathered at 19 W 44 th Street, the office of G4S Security Solutions, June 10, to stand in support for Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian American leader who is facing jail and deportation on a trumped-up immigration charge. G4S provides security services to Israeli prisons, where countless Palestinians prisoners have been held without due process, persecuted and tortured.

Michela Martinazzi, an organizer with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression and the New York for Palestine Coalition, started off with a series of chants like “Appeal, rehear, keep Rasmea out of Jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” and “From New York to Palestine, being Palestinian is not a crime!”

Suzanne Adely, from the New York for Palestine Coalition, spoke about how Rasmea Odeh was instrumental to the Arab and Muslim community in Chicago. “Rasmea wasn’t targeted for simply working in the community. She was targeted because she effectively organized her community.”

Jill Dowling, a local activist, spoke about the connection between Odeh and the general political repression of other organizers, “I have family and friends in the Midwest who woke up one morning with the FBI knocking on their door. They were targeted for being anti-war activists and nothing else. The same repression they faced, Rasmea is facing right now. We need to keep organizing and standing in solidarity with all activists and organizers.”

Before starting the march, Martinazzi read a statement from Odeh herself, “To my wonderful friends and colleagues in New York: I thank you all for coming out in support of my freedom, in support of justice, in support of Palestinian rights. Because make no mistake – this is not an immigration case or a case of lying on an application. It's a case, like so many others, of Palestinians coming under political and legal attack for who we are, because of our nationality, because we have struggled so long and hard for our national and human rights.”

The march went to the Army Recruiting Station in Times Square which was emblazoned with a large and bright America flag. Demonstrators chanted, “When freedom fighters are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

While marching, several Times Square impersonators joined in, specifically a Spiderman who said, “We need to keep organizing. We need to have more protests like this to stop racism and terrorism in the Middle East.”

The rally ended in high spirits with several rounds of chants led by Nerdeen Kiswani of NY Students for Justice in Palestine.

The rally and march were endorsed by: Al-Awda New York: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, American Muslims for Palestine, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression NYC, the International Action Center, Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, Labor for Palestine, New York City Students for Justice in Palestine, NY4Palestine, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Palestine Solidarity Alliance of Hunter College, Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and the US Palestinian Community Network.

#NewYorkNewYork #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #Palestine #WomensMovement #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #politicalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

New York, NY – Supporters of Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh will be rallying here, June 10, 4:00 until 7:00 p.m., at G4S Secure Solutions (19 W 44th St.), to demand justice in her case. Odeh, an icon in the Palestinian community, was convicted on a politically-motivated immigration charge in 2014, and sentenced to 18 months in prison and deportation.

A protest organizer, Michela Martinazzi of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, states, “When activists and freedom fighters are under attack, it's our responsibility to stand up for them. Rasmea dedicated her life to helping her community, and standing in solidarity with her, fighting against these bogus charges is the only way to protect organizers now and for the future.”

The protest has the backing of Al-Awda New York: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, American Muslims for Palestine, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression NYC, the International Action Center, Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, Labor for Palestine, New York City Students for Justice in Palestine, NY4Palestine, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance of Hunter College, Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Brooklyn for Peace and the US Palestinian Community Network.

On June 13 in Detroit, protesters will rally outside the Federal Courthouse, where Odeh will attend a status hearing. The hearing comes on the heels of a Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in February that stated that mistakes were made in her 2014 trial, when she was not allowed to present key portions of her defense.

#NewYorkNewYork #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

New York, New York – Every year in New York, leftists gather for the Left Forum. This year, the Left Forum took place May 20-22 and included several hundred workshops on an array of topics – from Venezuela to the current electoral climate.

Jess Sundin, a longtime member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression spoke on a panel regarding political prisoners called, “What Has Happened to Leftist Theology and What Has This Got to Do With Political Prisoners in the Day of the & 'trumpocalipse’?” and another panel entitled “The Trump/Clinton/Obama Triumpherate?” She was joined by important speakers, such as Lynn Stewart and Pam Africa.

Sundin spoke about her experience facing political repression and the ongoing case of Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a Palestinian American leader who is challenging her unjust convicted on a trumped-up immigration charge. Sundin stated, “When the government arrested Rasmea, you know their plan was to have her locked up or deported by now. But they failed. We made them fail. And each day that Rasmea is running around free in Chicago, they fail again. And again we turn their repression into a stage, where we stand with Rasmea, waving the Palestinian flag, advancing the struggle for a free Palestine.”

Sundin speaking about Odeh couldn’t have come at a better time. Odeh’s next day in court will be June 13 in Detroit, Michigan. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression has put out a call to action for folks to go to Detroit and stand in solidarity with Odeh. In New York, there will be a rally around that date.

The facebook event for the New York rally is at https://www.facebook.com/events/1047337341987172/

Also at the Left Forum, Freedom Road Socialist Organization had a table that featured books, buttons and pamphlets.

#NewYorkNewYork #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #JessSundin #PoliticalPrisoners #politicalRepression #LeftForum #RasmeaOdeh