Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

peoplesstruggles

By staff

Image from Oct. 12 organizers' video.

Oakland, CA – The Occupy movement is planning a dramatic set of blockades at West Coast ports Dec. 12.

Read more...

By Brad Sigal

Mitin para iniciar ocupacion de la casa de Bobby Hull en el sur de Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – El 6 de diciembre, fue un día de acción nacional a favor de aquellas familias en peligro de perder sus casas debido a la ejecución hipotecaria. Para ello más de 100 personas se congregaron frente a la casa de Bobby Hull en la 3712 Columbus Ave. Sur, Minneapolis, y anunciaron el inicio de una ocupación de su casa para garantizar que el banco US Bank no le saque de su casa.

Leer más...

By Brad Sigal

Rally at start of occupation of Bobby Hull's home, Dec. 6, 2011

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 6, a national day of action for occupying foreclosed homes, more than 100 people rallied here in front of Bobby Hull’s house at 3712 Columbus Avenue. They announced the start of an occupation of his home to prevent US Bank from kicking Hull and his family out of their home.

Read more...

By staff

Welfare Rights Committee protests at Legislative hearing on Viking's stadium

St. Paul, MN – “There should be no public funds used, from any source, to pay for a rich man’s stadium,” said the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout’s Linden Gawboy, testifying at a Dec. 6 state Senate committee hearing. The off-session hearing looked at financial options for building a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings football team.

Read more...

By staff

Minneapolis, MN – Supporters of Occupy Minneapolis rallied here Dec. 6 to protest this morning’s raid by Hennepin County Sheriff. They vowed to continue the struggle.

Read more...

By Joe Iosbaker

People's Thanksgiving 2011 event in Chicago

Chicago, IL – 125 people gathered on Dec. 3 here for the People’s Thanksgiving. Sarah Smith was one of them. “There are two anniversaries to make note of today,” Smith told the crowd. “One year ago, the FBI contacted me to tell me I was being subpoenaed to a grand jury.” Smith is one of the 24 anti-war and international solidarity activists targeted by the FBI.

Read more...

By Students for a Democratic Society

SDS tent at Occupy Minneapolis, Nov. 29

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Read more...

By staff

Tom Burke speaking to a large crowd in Albany, NY.

Albany, NY – Tom Burke, a leader of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, toured upstate New York Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 to talk about FBI repression and the upcoming trial of Carlos Montes. Burke spoke to hundreds of people at events in Rochester, Albany and Buffalo. He also visited and spoke at Occupy Wall Street camps where dozens of tents are pitched and scores of people are holding their ground, protesting the wealthy 1% and the politicians that serve them.

Read more...

By staff

_Occupation at People’s Plaza will continue _

Minneapolis, MN – Occupy Minneapolis won a real victory, Dec. 2, when Hennepin County Sheriffs and security guards were forced to abandon their plans to remove the possessions of occupiers, including tarps, bedding, tables, chairs, signs and banners from People’s Plaza.

Read more...

By Kim DeFranco

Snow falls on Nov. 29 Occupy Minneapolis encampment.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 400 protesters gathered on People’s Plaza here, Nov. 29, defying the anti-free speech rules imposed by county government. While state Representative Karen Clark spoke to the rally, activists set up 40 tents on the Plaza.

Read more...

By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Los Angeles Committee to Stop FBI Repression on the mass arrests and jailing of Occupy LA protesters.

Read more...

By staff

Cop approaching Occupy LA encampment.

Los Angeles, CA – More than 1000 police raided the Occupy LA encampment here, Nov. 30, at about 12:30 a.m. The massive camp, comprised of more than 400 tents, was constructed on the grounds surrounding L.A. City Hall. The Los Angeles Police Department raid came at the camp from all sides, with some cops emerging from within the city hall.

Read more...

By Kim DeFranco

On the evening of Wednesday, November 30 occupiers at Occupy Minneapolis defied the 'no tents' policy imposed by Hennepin County officials by setting up dozens of tents on People's Plaza. The tents stayed up until just after 4:00 a.m. on December 1, when county police dragged people out of the tents, then dismantled and took the tents away. Protesters then decided to set up more tents across the plaza in front of City Hall, until police dragged people out of those tents too and confiscated them, arresting two people in the process. These photos by Kim DeFranco document some of what happened on the night of Nov. 30 and morning of Dec. 1 in People's Plaza in Minneapolis.

Read more...

By staff

Chicago, IL – Activists here will gather for the 20th annual People’s Thanksgiving, Dec. 3. Every year, Fight Back! hosts this event to give thanks for advances in the people’s struggle. One of the organizers, Stephanie Weiner states, “We join together friends, co-workers and family with fighters from many movements because these are what we’re grateful for.”

Read more...

By Kim DeFranco

St. Paul, MN – Chanting “Money for human needs, not for stadiums,” members of the Welfare Rights Committee, the Minnesota Coalition for a Peoples' Bailout and supporters from OccupyMN gathered outside Senate Taxes and Local Government and Elections committee hearing, Nov. 29, at the State Capitol building. The committee was holding an informational hearing on proposals to build a new stadium complex for the Minnesota Vikings football team owner – a New Jersey real estate developer named Zygi Wilf.

Read more...

By Masao Suzuki

_Second of four-part series _

Editor’s note: This is the second article of a four-article series. The first article was titled, “ Who are the one percent?” This article describes the working class, who make up most of the 99%. The next article will be about the rest of the 99% who aren’t part of the working class. The last article will talk about how the history of racism and national oppression is important to understanding what is behind the 1%-99% divide and how the 1% enriches itself while maintaining its privilege and power.

Read more...

By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement urging support for Occupy Minneapolis.

Read more...

By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution adopted by the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants Association (AFT Local 3220). It passed unanimously at its general membership meeting on Nov. 14, 2011.

Read more...

By staff

Occupy LA encampment

Los Angeles, CA – Mayor Villaraigosa set a 12:01 a.m. Monday deadline for occupiers to end the massive 400 tent encampment that is surrounding City Hall. Participants in the occupation vow to remain and more have joined the occupation, this evening, Nov. 27.

Read more...

By staff

St. Paul, MN – The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a lawsuit against Hennepin County, Nov. 22 on behalf of Occupy Minneapolis. The lawsuit argues that the county’s new restrictions on the OccupyMPLS unconstitutionally restrict the demonstrators’ free speech rights. OccupyMPLS has been continuously occupying the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza, since renamed People’s Plaza, since Oct. 7 to express their frustration with the growing economic and political inequities in this country.

Read more...