Salt Lake City, UT- A dozen people gathered in front of the Wallace F. Bennet Federal Building on March 20 to protest on the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

“Twelve years ago, people came out into the streets to protest U.S. involvement in the Middle East. The people are still out here, and our message is the same. This isn’t what we want, and this war is not fought in our name,” said Alyssa Ferris with the Utah Anti-War Committee.

Carly Haldeman, representing the Revolutionary Students Union of Utah, stood with those gathered, saying, “We lose more than we gain out of war.” She continued, “We kill more people than we kill enemy combatants and we become our own real enemy abroad.” Her speech ended with a loud round of chants, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!”

Gregory Lucero, a speaker from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke, “On the anniversary of the Iraq War we see U.S. imperialism targeting people from all around the world, from Iraq to Venezuela. These people are not our enemies. Our real enemy is here at home, in our Senate, in the House of Representatives, and in every branch and office that keeps this machine running.”

The Utah Anti-War Committee organized the protest and fights against U.S. imperialism by demanding an end to all U.S. wars at home and abroad.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #UtahAntiWarCommittee

Salt Lake City, UT – Chants of “No justice, no peace, no killer police!” and “Hands up, don’t shoot!” filled the streets here, Aug. 20, with about 100 people rallying at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building. Organizer Fatima Badran urged protesters to make two phone calls: the first call to Salt Lake City police chief Chris Burbank one demanding justice for Dillon Taylor and the second to Missouri Governor Dixon to demand that he withdraw the National Guard from the streets of Ferguson. People must be allowed to have their democratic rights to address injustice without living under a military occupation.

Kim Kasey spoke out against the recent wave of police militarization. Some of the equipment used in Ferguson once belonged to U.S. soldiers occupying places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Scott Simons spoke next, telling protesters that they are the resistance. Simons’ own daughter was the victim of a police murder in January 2013.

Karen Rodriguez recited her anti-racist poem Our Skin, containing the lines “Black, for all the time when our people can’t see justice and claim at last, the freedom still isn’t ours when we look at the flag,” and, “Black is wise, Black is power, Blacks shall continue to overcome, because it is no longer a tone, color, or race, It is a name and way of being, it is a tradition, a history of colored men, women and children striving and overcoming adversity.”

Aaron Swanenberg was a close friend of Dillon Taylor, who was shot and killed Aug. 11 by a still-unnamed police officer, stated “We know that there’s evidence the police won’t release, body camera footage and 911 phone calls, why won’t they release what’s public information?” Swanenberg continued, “We can’t walk away from this now, we must keep pushing forward until we get the justice we demand.”

Members of Dillon Taylor’s family were present, including his aunt and brother. They addressed the packed crowd, thanking them for showing up to support their family and carry out the fight for justice. Jerrail Taylor was with his brother at 7-Eleven when Dillon Taylor was killed, and said that his brother had headphones in and couldn't respond to the officer’s orders.

Gregory Lucero of the Revolutionary Students Union drove home the protest by stating the demands and the need for people to take concrete actions. “We’re here to recognize the tragedy of two lives cut short by police brutality,” Lucero said. He also spoke about the need for the people to carry out the demands because police and the politicians aren't going to do the right thing. The police have both a history of murdering Black and Brown men and a history of covering it up. Lucero emphasized, “When the police murder unarmed people, it’s still murder!”

Fatima Badran plans to continue organizing street level protests, mobilizing communities to resist the onslaught of police violence.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #Antiracism #MichaelBrown #Ferguson #MikeBrown #DillonTaylor

Salt Lake City, UT — On Wednesday, June 11, more than fifty students, faculty, and community members attended a meeting to discuss the fate of campus space used mainly by African-American, Chicano, Pacific Islander, Asian American, American Indian, and international students. Addressed by Interim Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) President Deneece Huftalin, students expressed alarm that the Multicultural Initiatives Department and the related space in Student Engagement are being taken away. The Multicultural Initiatives Department offices surrounded a large open space where various nationalities meet to study, relax, and find community.

The President had met with students previously to announce she would not hire another administrator for the Multicultural Initiatives Department, and that she planned on dispersing members of the department around campus. She had said the decision was final. However, the President faced serious criticisms for this position and is now backtracking.

Angela Romero representing Utah House District 26 and graduate of a similar diversity program stated, “You need a multi-cultural director and I feel it’s critical that if you’re trying to be an inclusive campus you have someone who understands diverse communities. You need someone who can act as a voice for the students and who can raise those concerns. Students also need to know they have a safe space.”

Gregory Lucero of the Revolutionary Students Union raised additional doubts, “ We have the President trying to force gentrification on a multicultural center by turning the student space into a waiting room for academic advisors.” He added, “The president says she’s spreading the department around the campus to help serve more students, but we’ve heard this story before. It’s really divide and conquer.”

Shekinah Stanton of the Black Student Union pointed out that most of the diversity programs only focused on first year students with little programing for ongoing students. She pointed out the much lower graduation rates for oppressed nationality students stating, “SLCC needs to do better. It’s obvious when you look at the numbers. It is no where it needs to be, and where it could be.”

Jerri Harwell, an English professor, summed up what she saw as the real problem. “I feel a major problem is institutional racism. It is an uphill battle to fight it but we have to continue to fight it. So I could leave Utah but I choose to stay, because I want to make the community better, Salt Lake community better, and improve my little place in the world.”

Students, faculty, and the community members vowed to continue to fight for both the department and the space if President makes any moves to cut either of them.

#SaltLakeCityUT #OppressedNationalities #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #Antiracism #SaltLakeCityCommunityCollege #MulticulturalInitiativesDepartment

Salt Lake City, UT – Six speakers, along with about 40 workers, activists and community members, gathered for a panel discussion to recognize International Workers' Day, May 1. Hosted by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the panel covered a range of issues including working class and union struggles, the immigration struggle, immigration reform, the current state of imperialism and government corruption. Alyssa Faith moderated the event.

Heidi Belka, an IATSE Local 99 union member and organizer, discussed the importance of workers’ rights and of unions in the U.S. and Utah itself. She began her presentation by asking the audience to “create a buzz phrase that it’s legal to organize a union in Utah.” Belka emphasized that when workers vote against unions, “they vote against themselves.” She explained how to organize a union and gave her own personal experiences organizing for women’s and workers’ rights. “Unions raise the bar for everybody,” stated Belka.

John McCormick, a Salt Lake Community College professor and author of A History of Utah Radicalism, gave a brief history of the radical political movements in Utah. Utah has a long standing history of radical political movements. McCormick explained that he looks at the radical workers’ movements of the past in order to act on present and the future. McCormick explained that “the path out is a radical one.”

Agustin Diaz (Tino) brought great energy to the room by having the whole room join in a couple of chants. The group began chanting “No human is illegal!” and the United Farm Workers motto, “Sí, se puede!” Diaz is a Utah County activist with a history being involved with the immigration fight. He came to speak on the behalf of the Salt Lake City Dream team. Diaz brought to light the issues of exploited undocumented workers and the separations of families. He asked how we can build bridges and come together as workers, activists and immigrants. He said that the immigration struggle affects all of us, and is “a movement of many movements.”

Mark Alvarez, an immigration specialist and lawyer, spoke next. Alvarez worked for three years as the administrator of minority affairs for Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. He spoke on immigration reform and the difficulties that undocumented peoples face to getting citizenship in the U.S.

The next speaker was Gregory Lucero, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and founder of the Revolutionary Student’s Union. He opened by giving everyone the common slogan of “serve the people.” He spoke of the many victories of workers’ movements, from the fight for a $15 per hour minimum wage in Seattle to the victories in Florida, stating ,“Today marks a victory in winning in state tuition for undocumented students in Florida.” Lucero also said, “We must struggle against imperialism. No corner of the globe is unaffected by monopoly capitalism, the U.S. doesn’t have the best interest of the world in mind. We must say no to U.S. intervention!”

Finally, the panel was closed with some words from Rocky Anderson. Anderson served two terms as the 33rd mayor of Salt Lake City from 2000 to 2008. He discussed numerous examples of government corruption and the desperate need for change. He talked about the domination of corporate interests, the lack of accountability of politicians and the high rate of incarcerations in this state and country. “The corporate state is monopoly capitalism made safe,” said Anderson, reminding attendees to “follow the money.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #MayDay #immigrantRights #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #workersRights #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #RockyAnderson

Salt Lake City, UT – On Nov. 13, the October 7th Anti-War Committee hosted a rally joined by Workers World Party and the Revolutionary Students Union to demand the U.S. government drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh. Rasmea Odeh is a Palestinian-American community organizer and international solidarity activist who has held U.S. citizenship for over 20 years. The U.S. government charged Odeh with an immigration violation, alleging she violated the law by not identifying her arrest by the Israeli army more than 40 years ago. The U.S. government is engaging in clear political repression.

The Committee’s protest brought together people to stand with Rasmea Odeh and received support from numerous people on the street. They held signs in front of Salt Lake’s federal building that read, “Stop FBI repression” and “Support Rasmea Odeh.” Ian de Oliveria of the October 7th Committee said, “Rasema’s story touches a lot of people personally because of her struggle as a woman and an immigrant.”

The October 7th Committee Anti-War Committee has promised to join with activists locally and around the country in support of Rasmea Odeh and demand a stop to political repression.

#SaltLakeCityUT #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #RasmeaOdeh #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion

Provo, UT – Students and community members protested in front of the Wells Fargo building on April 6 to voice their opposition to Wells Fargo’s hypocritical marketing. Wells Fargo deeply invests in privately owned prisons through firms like Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the largest private prison company in the U.S.

CCA operates several immigrant detention centers throughout the country while financially backing anti-immigrant legislation such as Arizona’s infamous Senate Bill 1070. SB 1070 promotes racial profiling of Chicanos, Mexicans and American Indians and gives police the power to arrest based on whether individuals are carrying identification documents. Wells Fargo and the CCA want more arrests, to increase the numbers of people in immigrant detention centers, thereby raising revenues and profits.

The Utah Valley Dream Team, an immigrant rights organization, led the protest with the Revolutionary Students Union (Utah Valley University chapter) supporting them.

Wells Fargo also advertises extensively in Spanish-language media, informing listeners that they do not need an ID to open up a bank account. At the same time, Wells Fargo is financing the state laws and immigrant detention centers, leading to the harassment, detention and deportation of undocumented workers.

According to event organizer Augustino Diaz, “We gathered to expose Wells Fargo’s financing of private prisons and lobbying efforts that separate and destroy families, especially in the undocumented community.”

During the protest members of the Dream Team closed their accounts with Wells Fargo, informing the bankers that they would be moving their money elsewhere due to the company’s investment in privately owned prisons.

#ProvoUT #CapitalismAndEconomy #InJusticeSystem #WellsFargo #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #CorrectionsCorporationOfAmerica #UtahValleyDreamTeam

Salt Lake City, UT – Trayvon Martin's death sparked outrage and also a movement to combat the racism that led to his murder at the hands of George Zimmerman. On the one-year anniversary of his death, Utahans met as part of that movement to both mourn his passing and learn about racism, police brutality and how to fight them.

More than 40 people attended the panel discussion and vigil organized by the Salt Lake Community College Revolutionary Students Union.

Reverend Michael Minch, a professor of philosophy at Utah Valley University (UVU) spoke on the pervasive violence, both physical, economic and spiritual, which characterizes racism in America, as did Doctor Jeff Torlina, also of UVU.

Leah Farrel, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, addressed the crowd about the ongoing racist tactics of the Salt Lake Area police. In December 2010, police rounded up 40 students at West High School, all Chicano, Polynesian or Black, and detained them, claimed they were in gangs, photographed them and placed them on a list of known gang members, though none of them were. Farrell has been involved in an ongoing class-action lawsuit directed at police agencies involved in the incident, including the Unified Police Metro Gang Unit.

The crowd also heard from Michael Sampson, president of the Florida State University Dream Defenders, a group which formed in the wake of Trayvon Martin’s murder and fights to defend the rights of Black and brown people. Sampson explained the on-the-ground situation of Florida. He also encouraged those looking to combat racism to display their power through organization.

A vigil was held afterwards, where Reverend Minch offered words of mourning, encouragement toward action and prayer. Others then offered their thoughts on Martin’s death, with many stressing the need to fight for justice and to fight for the living.

#SaltLakeCityUT #StudentMovement #InJusticeSystem #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #TrayvonMartin

Sundin began the workshop by asking participants to write down the names of female revolutionaries that came to mind. When some found the activity somewhat difficult, Sundin pointed out that women have always had active roles in every revolution, but that male revolutionaries tend to be remembered. Sundin suggested that participants pick any revolutionary struggle that interested them, and then begin researching the role of women in order to better educate themselves about female activists.

“The root of it is women’s oppression in society, and male chauvinism in society. It’s not our movements or our organizations that are to blame. We pull in a lot of garbage from the society that we live in.”

Sundin explained that in the economy, women are treated as reserve workers. Women can be among the first to be let go from jobs and more likely to be offered only part time work. Due to inequality in the workplace and education, women are not given opportunities to progress to positions of authority in the workplace. Sometimes women’s roles in mass movements and people’s organizations mirror that bias.

Chauvinism does not only hurt women, however. Sundin said it is important to remember that sexism weakens the efforts of all activists and is a tool used by the ruling class.

“You want to keep working and oppressed nationalities people oppressed down? Cut half of them off from the other half,” Sundin said.

She said that within her own work as a revolutionary, she noticed there often can be a gender-based division when it comes to work.

“If we fail to respect women’s contributions in our movements, the default can be that men give all the political leadership and women just post fliers,” she said. “The reality is that women give just as much political guidance to the work we are involved in. The question is, is that guidance recognized?”

Participants shared numerous ways in which they had witnessed chauvinism in their revolutionary struggles. Some observed that men’s contributions are often celebrated and appreciated, when the same contributions from women are merely expected.

#SaltLakeCityUT #JessSundin #Utah #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #maleChauvinism

On Feb. 12, Sundin told the students of Westminster College a stunning tale of FBI repression that changed her life and the lives of her fellow activists. More than a dozen attended to hear her speak at the event hosted by the Revolutionary Students Union.

“I've dedicated my life to building international solidarity and friendships across borders,” she said. “Two and a half years ago that dedication brought the FBI to my door.”

She, her partner, and of other activists were the focus of a nationwide raid that involved more than 70 FBI agents and six locations, with the purpose of silencing them and ending their efforts. Sundin said her belongings were searched and seized, and she was ordered to testify before a grand jury that sought to investigate “material support of terrorism.”

She and all other activists under investigations refused to testify in front of the grand jury. The possibility of indictments is still a real danger.

“It's still hanging over us,” she said. “The police could come to our home tomorrow and arrest us.”

Sundin explained that an FBI infiltrator exploited the gender and sexual orientation of members of the Minneapolis Anti-War Committee in order to spy on their legal organizing. “Karen Sullivan,” who lied about being a queer mother to gain trust, joined the well-known and respected group, pretending to be a friend and fellow activist.

All the while, Sullivan was informing government officials of their activities, who even went so far as to prevent a group of activists from entering Palestine to meet with a legal women's group there.

Sundin said that international solidarity work remains not only commendable, but also essential.

“In fact the case against us, the work that we've done that's being criminalized, is the same kind of work that helped to bring apartheid in South Africa to its knees,” she said.

Throughout the presentation, Sundin, a member of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, stressed that she is free today due to the work of people willing to stand up against repression and support both her cause and the cause of others. Hundreds of people rallied to prevent the trumped-up case against her from moving forward, she said.

She also spoke about the support for Carlos Montes, a Chicano activist from California who faced similar repression, and the Holy Land 5, currently in prison in the U.S. for their charity work for Palestine. She said that to demand their freedom is also a demand to the freedom of all activists. She said hundreds of people are currently in prison for daring to fight against war and disagree publicly with U.S. policy.

“It's about this: there is a conflict and the U.S. has picked a side, and when we pick a different side, the government says it is illegal to extend a hand of friendship,” she said. “That's what we've been targeted for.”

Nevertheless, Sundin says that she remains committed and encouraged others not to be daunted by the tactics used to silence those who are trying to build a better world and end U.S. wars.

“Don't be afraid – because the fact is that being open and being outspoken in defense of ourselves and our work has done more to expand the political space for all of us to continue to build solidarity between each other and across the globe.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #JessSundin #CarlosMontes #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #grandJury #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #AntiWar23

With more students on more campuses, in more states, in every region of the U.S., members of the commission made plans to organize and bring social change to both colleges and society. Student leaders shared lessons on building active student groups, conducting campaigns with clear demands and winning victories on campus. Together they summed up the successes of the big anti-NATO protest in Chicago, the Carlos Montes victory in Los Angeles and the march on the RNC in Tampa, where even a threatening hurricane could not hold them back.

Students from more than a dozen campuses considered how to share in the initiatives and campaigns of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). The Student Commission also discussed the importance of the African-American and Chicano national movements for social change. Florida students relayed the lessons learned from taking militant actions to demand justice for Trayvon Martin and they shared a new campaign to end “the schools to prison pipeline.”

FRSO is also attracting campus leaders and founding new groups in the student and youth immigrant rights movement nationally. Students came to the meeting from the Midwest and Florida, as well as the Rocky Mountains, the South and Southwest.

Stephanie Taylor, chair of the Student Commission said, “Even after the FBI raids and in the midst of ongoing heavy political repression, the FRSO Student Commission continues to grow because we are consistent revolutionaries. Both positive and forthright, we organize to end U.S. wars, fight racism and stop government cutbacks. Students with FRSO are making gains with campus campaigns to stop rape, end discrimination against queer people and to support labor unions and workers. In this period of war, austerity, and oppression, many serious activists who oppose imperialism and desire socialism are joining the FRSO.”

Sol Marquez, a student organizer with Dream Defenders in Florida said, “We debated approaches to the immigrant rights struggle. By organizing for the Dream Act, immigrant students and youth won a concession from President Obama – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is a small victory and something to build on, but we did not come here alone, so we must demand ‘Legalization now!’ for our parents, and for everyone.”

Marquez continued, “‘Comprehensive immigration reform’ is a tricky phrase, it is politician talk. With FRSO, we are organizing for economic equality and political power. Our group demands self-determination for Chicanos and African-Americans and full equality for others. We do not think it is easy, but revolution makes sense. 2013 is going to be a year for struggle, a good year for revolutionaries. We are embarking on a path to unite students, working class and oppressed people to liberate ourselves from this oppressive and exploitative system.”

Mike Raspanti of Milwaukee SDS said, “The meeting was great. I had no idea. Every person in the room raised their hand when asked if they helped organize emergency actions in solidarity with Palestine this past November. We are an organization of leaders and doers, not just talkers.”

A leader of the Revolutionary Student Union in Utah said, “Since joining the FRSO, our ability to mobilize people for protests is improving steadily. When the United National Antiwar Coalition called a day of protest against the U.S. war in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, we were happily surprised to hear Salt Lake City’s was the largest in the country.”

Students are gearing up for action this spring. First is the one-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s brutal murder on Feb. 26, 2012. Dream Defenders formed out of this struggle and led actions to demand police accountability. In solidarity, SDS is calling on students across the country to demand “Justice for Trayvon Martin!”

Another important date is the March 14 Education Rights Day of Action. Small groups of students continue to organize on their campus against tuition increases, education cutbacks and increasing student debt. SDS and others continue to demand an end to bloated administration positions and overpaid salaries for bosses, demanding, “Chop from the top!” and “Education is a right!”

SDS is also calling for April 11 anti-war events, with banner drops, teach-ins and protests to end the U.S. war in Afghanistan, stop U.S. covert operations and stop war moves against Syria and Iran, and to ban U.S. drone attacks.

The meeting provided the opportunity for members of the FRSO Student Commission to clarify their goals both nationally and on their own campuses. The student leaders summed up victories of 2012 and learned from mistakes, to plan an exciting year of struggle.

#UnitedStates #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #immigrationRights

Salt Lake City, UT – In response to brutal attacks by Israeli forces on the Palestinian territory in Gaza, Salt Lake rallied in solidarity on Friday, Nov. 16. Protesters called for an end to the violence and the ongoing Israeli occupation.

Organized by the Utah Anti-War Coalition, over 40 protesters gathered at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building with signs and banners, chanting, “Free, free, Palestine!” and “From Colombia to Palestine, solidarity is no crime!”

As the rally started, a Department of Homeland Security officer went through the crowd with a dog to sniff people's belongings. “This act of intimidation included children and older people,” said organizer Aren Hansen.

Hansen added, “The officer warned me to keep the crowd off of federal government property, effectively limiting the protest to the sidewalk.”

Despite the intimidation, the rally carried on and many drivers passing by honked and waved in support of the crowd.

“Here in our little town we have a really awesome group of people who are willing to do all these things – facing the cold, facing the noise, facing the harassment of the police here at the Federal Building,” said organizer and IWW member Victor Puertas.

Local anti-war activist Heather Hirschi spoke, listing the names and ages of Palestinians killed in the last several days, including those of several children.

Speakers included Hansen and Puertas, as well as Ariel Paz from the Revolutionary Students Union, Gregory Lucero from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression and Justin Kramer from the Salt Lake IWW.

Kramer said, “Even though it seems like it's on the other side of the planet, nine time zones away, it is here. We fund those bullets. We fund and supply the military machine of Israel,” speaking about the U.S. government using taxpayer money to arm Israel.

Lucero’s speech emphasized the right of Palestinians to defend themselves in the face of attacks by Israeli occupation forces: “It's vital as the people in America that we understand that oppressed people have the right to fight back with whatever methods they choose.”

Puertas stressed the importance of solidarity with the people of Palestine. “I identify with them as an oppressed nationality,” he said. “I identify with them as a person of color.”

Organizers say that further anti-war and solidarity actions will follow.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #Palestine #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #UtahAntiWarCoalition #IWW #MiddleEast

Salt Lake City, UT – On July 25, members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) arrived at the Natural History Museum for their annual conference. ALEC is the brain trust behind the Arizona anti-immigrant law SB1070 and the Wisconsin union busting laws of Governor Scott Walker. Two dozen protesters confronted the lobbyists at the entrance of the ALEC conference. The action was organized by the Revolutionary Student Union, a group that is a member of the ALEC Welcoming Committee.

Enraged by ALEC’s secretiveness and history of writing laws that benefit business instead of people, the protesters carried signs against ALEC policies, particularly demanding a halt to cuts on education. They chanted slogans such as “Shame on ALEC, shame on you,” “Money for jobs and education, not for wars and occupation,” and “Education should be free, not just for the bourgeoisie.” Several protesters, including students and teachers, gave speeches expressing their outrage at ALEC for attempting to turn the educational system into a money-making tool.

The protesters were restricted to a small area near the entrance of the building; however the ALEC members themselves showed no respect for the setup. On several occasions perturbed ALEC members physically moved the barriers set up by police, attempting to provoke the protesters. The protesters held their ground and continued to disrupt the ALEC conference with their chanting and picketing, shining a light on these right-wing lobbyists.

#SaltLakeCityUT #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #ALEC #AmericanLegislativeExchangeCouncil #RSU

Lucero is a founding member of the Revolutionary Students’ Union, a group with four Utah chapters affiliated nationally with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). In the past year he joined the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and is organizing to raise enough money to caravan across the country to the protest against NATO and the G8 in Chicago.

Lucero said, “I was very tired because I spent hours the day before phone banking in support of veteran Chicano leader and anti-war activist Carlos Montes in Los Angeles. Carlos Montes is going on trial this coming Tuesday, May 15. I was up late because I spoke at an immigrant rights meeting about the FBI frame-up of Carlos Montes.”

In response to a question about what to do when the FBI comes knocking, Gregory Lucero advises, “I think it is wise not to speak to the FBI, to give them the name of a lawyer they can contact, and to then ask them to leave. Nothing good can come from speaking to the FBI. They have a proven record of entrapping activists.”

The FBI agents asked questions about organizations and the people involved with them, but Lucero refused to give any names. They asked about the protest against NATO in Chicago and who was going to it. Lucero said, “It's not our job to turn in other activists to the police. It's harassment of the crudest kind and we should avoid talking to the police about our organizations.”

For many, this ongoing harassment of activists and organizers is something new, but for veteran activists it is the revival of repression seen in the 1950s and 1960s. U.S. government repression by the FBI and other agencies is expanding as the Occupy movement and protests against war and poverty are on the increase.

This FBI intimidation is related to 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists and Carlos Montes, raided by the FBI last year. The activists formed a group called Committee to Stop FBI Repression (www.StopFBI.net). When asked what he thinks the FBI is up to, Lucero said, “I think the FBI is harassing me because I fight for immigrant rights and educations rights, and they are ramping up harassment to intimidate activists to not go to Chicago and protest NATO on May 20. They are trying to get activists to give information about other groups and activists so they can incriminate and frame up people.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #ChicagoNATOSummit

Salt Lake City, UT – More than 1000 people marched through the streets of downtown here, March 31, with Trayvon Martin posters and peace signs waving. Marchers raised their fists in the air and shouted, “Justice for Trayvon, justice for everyone!”

Salt Lake City residents, led by organizers from the University of Utah Black Student Union, United for Social Justice, Occupy Salt Lake City and Revolutionary Students Union, marched to show support for the movement now building around Trayvon Martin, an African American teenager fatally shot by vigilante George Zimmerman while walking back to his father’s house in a gated community. Protesters called for the arrest of Zimmerman.

“We are doing a march for Trayvon Martin. May he rest in peace,” said protester Jay Bone Tha Young Savioso. “We feel that it’s not right. We’re all here together standing up for what’s right.” Savioso carried an iced tea and a bag of Skittles, items that Martin carried with him when he was shot. He also had his daughter, a toddler, with him.

More than calls for the arrest of Zimmerman, the march demanded action against racist police and government. “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” was chanted time and time again along the route. The shooting of Trayvon Martin outrages many activists. The strong stance of Martin’s family brought national attention and many hope to build a movement to stop similar murders, along with racist police brutality and misconduct in general.

“It is a case where the racism of the system seems very clear,” said Revolutionary Student Union organizer Kerem Cantekin. “I don’t mean just Zimmerman. I think it was not only Zimmerman who took Trayvon as the prime suspect, but the police, the investigation.”

Many African American protesters were concerned about the fact they are looked upon as suspect by default. Rally speaker Brent Jackson said that he had personally been stopped by Salt Lake City police simply for being Black and wearing certain clothes. He asked the crowd to “wake up.”

“A lot of Black people are scared now because any one of us can be next,” said a 17-year-old protester named Carl.

Annette Bankhead, a member of the Black Student Union, worried about her godchildren and how they would be treated. “I felt it was important to organize the march, because I am a godmother of a young boy, and I do not want him to have to walk down the street wearing a hoodie and be profiled.”

Organizer Victor Puertas said that he helped put together the march because, “I am tired of racism, of how this racist country treats people of color and then how they excuse this treatment.” He said that people in Utah feel the pain of police brutality every day, “even when it doesn’t make the news.”

Puertas specifically cited Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) officer Shane Conrad. It was recently ruled that he used “unjustified” force in the non-fatal shooting of Denzel Davis last year. There are other officers infamous in the community for targeting the homeless and people of color for arrest and harassment. Protesters also denounced the SLCPD gang unit for brutality and racial profiling, chanting, “Shame on SLCPD gang unit!”

Puertas also spoke about the murder of Iraqi immigrant Shaima Alawadi as an important example of the racist oppression in the United States. Alawadi was murdered in her California home after being harassed and called a terrorist a week earlier. She was given no protection by the local police department. Relatives sent her body home to be buried in Iraq.

Both Bankheab and Puertas also said that it was important to show that Utahns are against racism and to show solidarity with those fighting against it. “I did not want Utah not participating when the nation was coming together for justice,” Puertas said.

Utah is one of over 20 states that has a so-called “stand your ground” law, which allows for much wider latitude in using deadly force than simple self defense. The law has existed in some form in Utah since 1994.

Deb Henry from Occupy Salt Lake City spoke about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), citing them as partly responsible for introducing “stand your ground” legislation in Utah and called for protests against them. ALEC will meet in Salt Lake City in July.

“This law has got to go and we all have to be together on this,” said immigrant rights activist Archie Archuleta.

#SaltLakeCityUT #AfricanAmerican #AfricanLiberation #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #TrayvonMartin #OccupySaltLakeCity

These reforms come in response to a vicious campaign against a gay student at Utah Valley University (UVU). During the most recent student election, an anonymous person emailed every club officer demanding they not vote for a student presidential candidate because he is gay. This caused outrage amongst students on campus who believe in equality and fairness. The mobilization in response was both quick and effective.

The Coalition Against Discrimination is composed of the Revolutionary Students Union (RSU), Spectrum Club – LGBTQI/Straight Alliance, Philosophy Club, Peace & Justice Club and SHAAFT (Secular Humanism, Agnosticism and Free Thought). The Coalition presented President Holland with a statement prepared by members of the coalition and concerned UVU faculty and staff which expressed three demands: the inclusion of “gender identity/expression” and “sexual orientation” as protected classes in policy; the retention of “sexual orientation” in “Non-Faculty” hiring policy and the immediate recommendation and implementation of aforementioned policy change.

The coalition prepared a statement that insisted, “Protection against discrimination should not be open to interpretation, rather it must be stated explicitly.”

President Holland scheduled another meeting with the Coalition but refused to commit to any further action. After the meeting, a rally was held with more than 20 students and faculty members holding balloons and donning different slogans such as “Join us in the 21st century” and “Equality in policy.” A member of each club addressed the crowd before chanting and marching through the Administration Building.

“We are making demands and will hold the president accountable,” said Steven Broadbent, Vice President of the RSU.

The Coalition will keep pressure on the president to accept equality for the LGBTQ students, faculty and staff. Students are planning another rally before the next negotiation meeting. They are demanding equality both through on campus representation and equal protection on the campus.

#SaltLakeCityUT #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion #UtahValleyUniversity #MatthewHolland

Salt Lake City, Utah – Activists gathered here, July 16, for an emergency action outside the National Governors’ Association Conference, protesting the Grand America Hotel’s attack on immigrants. Last year Utah legislators passed SB 251, which requires all businesses with more than 15 employees to use the E-verify system to track workers. However, the Utah state government refused to include any penalties for businesses that refuse to use E-verify, in part because the politicians did not want to hurt big corporations that exploit immigrant labor. The Grand America Hotel bosses set a July 6 deadline for all of the employees. The bosses require that all workers reapply and either show the necessary documentation or face immediate termination. However, the bosses extended this deadline one month, to Aug. 6 in order to ensure staffing at the Governors’ Conference.

United for Social Justice, an immigrant rights organization, learned of the situation and put out a call for an emergency action to protest Grand America’s unfair policies and the E-verify bill. A small crowd of people showed up, including members of United for Social Justice and the Revolutionary Students Union. Lead organizer Gregory Lucero explained, “We think it’s totally unfair that Grand America has used these immigrant workers for years and is suddenly threatening to fire some of them. This shows what hypocrites corporate America and the governors all are.” Protesters came with signs saying “Grand America unfair to immigrant workers,” “Boycott Grand America,” and “Drop E-verify.” Chants of “Grand America’s policies a lie, you must drop E-verify!” and “Shame on Grand America” could be heard blocks away.

Grand America’s bosses responded by calling the police to remove the protesters. The protesters stood their ground and the police told the Grand America bosses there was nothing they could do. Grand America turned on the sprinklers. Undeterred, protesters outlasted Grand America’s sprinkle shower.

The protesters vow to continue to fight Grand America and E-Verify, demanding legalization for all undocumented immigrants. Kristin Lambert, the vice president of Utah Valley University Revolutionary Students Union said, “Defending workers, especially those who are immigrants is a top priority. Grand America is attacking the right to receive a living wage and enforcing racist systems of verification. An attack on one worker is an attack on all of us.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #UnitedForSocialJustice #everify #NationalGovernorsAssociationConference #GrandAmericaHotel #RevolutionaryStudentsUnion