Orange County, CA – On Friday, October 27, over 30 students and community members gathered across two events to listen to Gia Davila of the Tampa 5 on her stop of the Justice for the Tampa 5 speaking tour. The Tampa 5 are a group of students, workers, and community activists who were violently arrested while protesting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ racist attacks on education at the University of South Florida. They are facing up to ten years in prison and are on a speaking tour to call for these unjust charges to be dropped.
New Orleans, LA – On October 26, over 250 students and community members gathered for a rally near Tulane University’s campus. Despite a counter-protest of obviously intoxicated students shouting Islamophobic and racist slurs, demonstrators outnumbered them and drowned them out. Chants like “Tulane, Tulane you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!” energized the crowd.
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, October 24 at noon, 350 University of Minnesota students walked out of class to join a rally organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), in front of the Coffman Memorial Union. They gathered to demand an end to the siege on Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel’s genocidal actions. A die-in occurred during which Palestinian students read the names of Palestinian victims of Israel's violence and ended with a moment of silence.
Appleton, WI – On October 25, Appleton Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) participated in the National Walk Out for Palestine and held a rally in support of the Palestinian resistance and to protest Lawrence University’s refusal to divest and condemn the apartheid state of Israel. Appleton SDS was joined by Lawrence University’s Young Democratic Socialists of America (YSDA) as well as close to 100 other students and multiple members of the faculty.
Wadsworth, OH – On October 23 and 24, dozens of people organized themselves to “phone zap” the county court and prosecutors of Wadsworth to demand that all bogus charges against Leif Autzen be dropped. They called the office non-stop to voice their anger. Within 48 hours of the beginning of the zap, all felony charges against Autzen were dropped and he no longer faced jail time.
Denver, CO – On October 25 at 11:30 a.m., approximately 150 students, led by the Denver Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), marched out of their classrooms on Auraria Campus in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. Student protesters staged a speak-out and rally at the former home of Zionist war criminal Golda Meir.
Chicago IL – On October 25, over 400 students at the University of Illinois Chicago walked out of their classes and rallied to demand that Israel end its genocidal siege of Gaza. The protest was coordinated with dozens of campuses across the country holding actions simultaneously.
UIC’s protest was called by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Students for a Democratic Society, Anakbayan, and Dissenters.
Oshkosh, WI – In a powerful demonstration of solidarity, over a dozen passionate community members gathered outside Oshkosh Defense on Saturday, October 21, expressing their vehement opposition to the company's contract with the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Atlanta, GA – On Saturday, October 21, the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a panel speaking event at Adams Park Library hosting Laura Rodriguez of the Tampa 5 and building the struggle against political repression.
New Orleans, LA – On Monday evening, October 23, close to 100 people gathered in a lecture hall at Loyola University of New Orleans to listen to Laura Rodriguez of the Tampa 5. The Tampa 5 are three student organizers, a community leader, and a union member facing up to ten years’ imprisonment on felony charges. The charges came after their brutalization and the arrests of four of them, while they participated in a protest against DeSantis’ attacks on education at the University of South Florida. The state later charged a fifth. Members of the Tampa 5 are touring the U.S. to raise support for their case.
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, October 24 at noon, 350 University of Minnesota students walked out of class to join a rally organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), in front of the Coffman Memorial Union. They gathered to demand an end to the siege on Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel’s genocidal actions. A die-in occurred during which Palestinian students read the names of Palestinian victims of Israel's violence and ended with a moment of silence.
