Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

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By staff

San Jose rally demands the release of Leonard Peltier.  | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – Over two dozen people gathered in San Jose to demand the freedom of political prisoner Leonard Peltier on the 49th anniversary of the shootout at Pine Ridge, June 26. Peltier is a leader of the American Indian Movement who has been wrongfully imprisoned since 1978 after being framed for the killing of two FBI agents during the shootout.

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By staff

Peoples' Pride in San Jose, California.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

San Jose, CA – On Saturday, June 22, around 200 people gathered in Saint James Park to celebrate the first San Jose Peoples’ Pride.. The event focused primarily on reclaiming the radical militant origins of Pride.

Drusie Kazanova of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization emceed the event and started the program by saying, “We are here today to take back the radical, militant origins of pride. We do not align with the corporations and politicians who try to co-opt our movement while they enable the genocide that Israel is committing against Palestinians.” She emphasized the importance of calling out mainstream Pride celebrations’ ties with genocidal politicians and corporations, such as Lockheed Martin and Nancy Pelosi.

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San Jose, California protest against weapon makers that arm Israel.  | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – On Monday, June 24, over two dozen protesters gathered in Sunnyvale to protest against weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman and to demand that the war industry be shut down. The protest was called by San Jose Against War as part of Anti War Action Network’s national Week Against Weapons.

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By Masao Suzuki

San José, CA – The February 2024 employment report released by the Department of Labor on Friday, March 8 continued to show signs of weakness. While total job creation seemed healthy, with 275,000 net new jobs reported by the survey of employers, there were significant downsides to the overall report.

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By staff

San Jose vigil for Aaron Bushnell. | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – On February 27, over 100 people gathered at a candlelight vigil in San Jose to honor the life and sacrifice of Aaron Bushnell.

Aaron Bushnell was an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force who self-immolated on Sunday in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. His death was an act of protest against the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

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By staff

Day of Remembrance marked in San Jose. | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – On February 18, over 300 people gathered in San Jose to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of Executive Order 9066, the directive that facilitated the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II.

The Nihonmachi Outreach Committee has been holding annual Day of Remembrance events in San Jose since 1981.

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By Masao Suzuki

San José, CA – The January 2024 jobs report was labeled “Blockbuster” by the New York Times, “Hot” by the Wall Street Journal, and “Shockingly Strong” by the Washington Post. Yet the headlines of three of the national newspapers failed to capture the weaker side of the report.

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By staff

Group of activists hold Palestinian flags and signs in support of the Palestinian and Yemeni people

San Jose, CA – On January 13, over 100 people gathered at San Jose City Hall to oppose the U.S. war on Yemen and demand an end to U.S. intervention in the Middle East.

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By staff

Hundreds pack the San Jose, California city council meeting to demand passage of a pro-Palestine resolution. | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – On Tuesday, December 5, hundreds of Palestine supporters attended the San Jose City Council meeting in person and online to demand that the council pass a resolution in support of Palestine.

Community members waved Palestinian flags, wore keffiyehs, and brought signs with messages such as “End the genocide.” City staff intentionally blocked off half of the available public seats in the council chambers and diverted community members to overflow rooms. Many attendees were taken aback by this blatant restriction on their right to civic engagement.

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By Jennifer Lin

San José, CA – On Black Friday, November 24, over a 1000 pro-Palestine protesters took over San Jose’s Westfield Valley Fair Mall, the largest shopping mall in Northern California, to disrupt business as usual on this massive consumer holiday.

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By staff

Palestine solidarity demonstration in San Jose, CA. | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – A diverse crowd gathered at San Jose City Hall on Sunday, November 19 to demand an end to the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people. Over 1000 people were in attendance, including families and children. The goal was clear: to demand an end to the atrocities faced by the Palestinian people and to call out the U.S. government's support for Israel's actions.

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By Andy Schaefer

San Jose event to defend the Tampa 5. | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – Student activist Gia Davila of the Tampa 5 visited San Jose on October 26, as part of the Justice for the Tampa 5 national speaking tour. She spoke at two events about how the Tampa 5’s struggle against systems of repression became personal when they were brutalized by the police and betrayed by the justice system.

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By Alexander Woolner

Massive Palestine solidarity action in San Jose, California.

San Jose, CA – On October 15, around 3000 protesters in San Jose gathered at the intersection of Winchester and Stevens Creek, waving Palestinian flags and signs. With heavy traffic on the road, they yelled chants like “Gaza, Gaza don’t you cry, Palestine will never die.”

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By staff

San Jose, CA – On October 12 around 100 students gathered on San Jose State University's campus to support Palestine. The protest began near the Olympic Black Power Statue and was organized by the SJSU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Protesters brought Palestinian flags, keffiyehs and homemade signs.

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By staff

Carlos Montes speaking at San Jose FRSO event commemorating the Chicano Moratorium

San Jose, CA – On August 29, the San Jose Freedom Road Socialist Organization and other groups held a commemoration for the 53rd anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium, with veteran activist Carlos Montes as a guest speaker.

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By Masao Suzuki

San José, CA – On Friday, September 1, the Department of Labor’s report on the job market in August showed continued signs of cooling. Only 187,000 net new jobs were created, and the Labor Department adjusted down the new jobs for June and July by 130,000. This meant that the three month average was only 150,000 new jobs. In contrast, in the first three months of the year, employment grew on average by 312,000 jobs, so that the rate of job creation has been cut in half.

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By staff

San Jose protest demands justice for the Tampa 5.

San Jose, CA – On August 9, members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), along with community members and other organizations rallied to demand dropping the charges against the Tampa 5. The protest was primarily organized and hosted by SDS.

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By staff

San Jose event celebrates removal of Thomas Fallon statue.

San Jose, CA – On August 4, around 70 people gathered to celebrate the removal of the Thomas Fallon statue that had stood at the corner of West Julian Street and Notre Dame Avenue in San Jose for over 20 years. Fallon was a captain of the U.S. military during the Mexican-American War and captured San Jose in 1846. In the 1850s, he returned to the area and began a political career, culminating in a one-year term as mayor of San Jose in 1859. His time in public office took place during a period of genocide against the indigenous peoples of California, as well as the oppression and disenfranchisement of Mexican people in California.

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By staff

Speakers representing SDS, FRSO, Silicon Valley Unemployed Committee, and the Ma

San Jose, CA – 20 activists and community members held a rally, June 9, to demand dropping the charges against the Tampa 5, the five University of Southern Florida of protesters who were brutalized by police and wrongfully charged.

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By staff

San Jose rally demands freedom for Leonard Peltier.

San Jose, CA – On June 26, around 35 people gathered at Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park in San Jose to honor political prisoner and American Indian Movement leader Leonard Peltier. The event was organized by Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley and Indian Health Center Silicon Valley on the 48th anniversary of the historic shootout at Oglala on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The rally was emceed by Donna Wallach, chair of Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley and longtime community organizer.

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