Lakeland, FL – On March 19, Kieanna Garrett was found guilty on the bogus charge of resisting arrest without violence and was immediately taken into custody. This charge is tied to the day that Kienna was stopped by a group of plain-clothed cops who threw themselves in front of her vehicle, guns drawn, yelling to, “get out of the fucking car.” This is the same day that Kieanna was brutalized by Dillon Cornn, a Lakeland Police Department Officer that has a recorded history of stalking, harassing, and terrorizing Lakeland community members and who is currently under a gag order for perjury in court.

This verdict was delivered by a six-person jury – majority of which were white – with over half of the jury having a connection to a law enforcement officer by familial or friendly association. This was not a jury of her peers, but rather, this was one moving part in this sham trial. Kieanna’s public defender failed her as does the U.S. justice system does for many oppressed nationalities and did not present a robust legal argument despite Kieanna’s attempts to get her public defender to fight for her. Although Kieanna was detailed, consistent, and accurate in detailing what happened on the day she was wrongfully arrested and horribly brutalized by Lakeland PD, it fell on deaf ears. This was intensified by the state’s shoddy legal argument and officer Thompson’s inconsistent narrative, lies, and deflection. It should also be said that even if Kieanna was found not guilty on the count of this charge, the state was intent on trying Kieanna on another charge after this split court proceeding; this is a blatant sign that the state didn’t care about “truth” or “justice.” They wanted Kieanna to receive a jail sentence one way or another.

As Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, we have worked closely alongside Kieanna throughout her fight to get her unjust charges dropped and hold Lakeland PD accountable for their heinous actions. Several months prior, we celebrated a major victory when Kieanna’s false felony charges were acquitted after a number of Lakeland PD officers were found to be committing perjury in a court of law. To say that we are shocked at this verdict and sentencing of this court proceeding would be a blatant understatement.

We also vehemently condemn Judge Dick Prince’s lack of care in regard to jury selection, cognizant compliance with the state’s sentencing known to be financially and personally detrimental to Kieanna, and willingness to impose harsh punishment on top of false charges that have been materially consequential to Kieanna and her family’s livelihood. Regardless, we see all this as a sign of weakness and cowardice on the part of Lakeland PD, the city of Lakeland, and the state as a whole; this is an attempt to silence Kieanna and TAARPR who have been working to expose the corrupt and rotted policing system that has historically worked to harm and disenfranchise Black communities in Lakeland and beyond. However, we are not deterred. We will continue to fight for Kieanna as we have all these years, and we refuse to back down!

#LakelandFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #TAARPR

Tampa, FL – On February 6, over 25 high school students from Blake High School in Tampa, Florida walked out to protest Trump's attacks on immigrants around the country.

As students rallied on campus ready to walk out, school administration locked the gates surrounding the campus to stop the walkout. Days before the walkout, Hillsborough County Schools sent out an email threatening disciplinary action against students partaking in walkouts – a clear violation of students’ First Amendment rights. Nonetheless, several students jumped the gates of their school and successfully walked out. More joined the rally at the end of classes.

From off campus, members of the Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, and community members chanted “Let the students walk,” until students were able to march off campus. Organizers helped lead the students along their march.

Chanting “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state” and “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA,” students marched around the block and gave speeches. Students spoke against Trump, deportations and ICE. Ashely Garcia said, “They call us illegal but eat from our hands.”

Students who attempted to march back onto campus to join with others who were unable to leave campus were confronted by police threatening to trespass them. Despite this threat, students continued their rally off campus in high spirits, receiving much support from passing drivers.

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #TIRC #TAARPR #StudentMovement #HighSchool

Tampa FL – On Tuesday, February 4, over 40 people came out to listen to a panel hosted by Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) and led by the families who survived police crimes.

The event was part of a weeklong series of events that honor the life of Andrew Joseph III – a 14-year-old boy who was killed in traffic after he was kidnapped by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies in February 2014 – and the struggle for justice and accountability being fought in his name.

The panelists speaking were Deanna Joseph of Tampa, mother of Andrew Joseph III and board member of the Andrew Joseph Foundation; Kieanna Garrett of Lakeland, who is currently fighting her charges after being stalked for months then brutalized by Lakeland PD; and Jasmine Smith, a member of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) , who flew from Chicago for the panel, and has been fighting to free her family and others who were wrongly incarcerated.

During the panel Joseph said “You don’t want to wait to be in the shoes that I’m in before you get involved. You don’t want it to knock on your door before you say, ‘enough is enough.’ You want to be at the forefront of whatever your passion is. Everybody should be doing something.”

One of the main fights of the Andrew Joseph Foundation is to end qualified immunity, which grants police and the officials surrounding them protection from the rule of law whenever they harm people in our communities.

“They are the criminals. The state attorneys and the judges and the police officers all have qualified immunity. They’re all protected by some type of qualified immunity where if they are to be caught up in corruption, they’re not being held accountable.” said Joseph.

In her time in CAARPR, Joseph played a role in helping pass the legislation which created a democratically elected board that is able to help decide police policy and leadership in the city of Chicago.

The panelists presented a message for greater police accountability and uniting to make that accountability a reality.

#TampaFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #NAARPR #TAARPR

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, February 5, over 300 people gathered for a protest against Trump’s agenda at Tampa City Hall to demand an end to mass deportations and to defend women’s and LGBTQ rights.

Attendees held up signs reading, “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Bans off our bodies!” as cars passed by and honked in support. The rally was organized by Tampa Activists United and went on for a few hours.

Members of organizations like Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Occupy Florida, and Voices of Florida attended gave speeches, leading chants such as “No fear, no hate, no deportations in our state!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Donald Trump, go away!”

“It was incredible to see so many people activated across the nation for the 50501 protests. Tampa’s protest had hundreds in attendance brimming with energy, which clearly shows we will not stand idle while Trump attempts to enact his racist, anti-immigrant agenda,” stated Emma Rice, member of Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

As rallies against Trump’s agenda continue across the nation, Tampa will continue to fight for the rights of immigrants, women, LGBTQ and more!

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #TAU #SDS #TAARPR #OccupyFlorida #VoicesofFlorida

Tampa, FL – On September 13, around a dozen community members came to a press conference, demanding justice for Pastor Carl Soto. A local pastor, activist, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Restoration Inc., Soto was followed and brutalized by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Alex Almaguer. He was falsely charged with resisting arrest without violence.

Deputy Almaguer brutalized Soto on August 29, 2024. As Soto was on his way to pick up his kids from school, the deputy tailed him for approximately three miles before pulling him over. With his hand on his weapon, Almaguer approached the vehicle and made the unfounded claim that Soto was driving with an illegal license plate.

Pastor Soto asked for a watch commander and communicated to Deputy Almaguer that he recently had major back surgery and needed a medically prescribed walker to walk. The deputy ignored Soto and escalated the situation even though Soto complied with his demands.

Deputy Almaguer opened the driver’s side door and pointed a weapon at Soto’s head, yelling for his driver’s license. When Soto complied, the deputy handcuffed and yanked him out of the car, brutalizing him on the side of the street. Ignoring Soto’s condition, Almaguer pinned him onto the ground with his whole body weight on his surgical incision, exacerbating Soto’s existing injuries and creating new ones.

According to hospital reports, Deputy Almaguer’s attack bent two of Pastor Carl Soto’s artificial discs, requiring a 10-day hospital stay. As of the time of this writing, Almaguer has yet to face disciplinary or legal repercussions for his actions.

Members of Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Poor Minority Justice Association, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, as well as community members gathered to share Pastor Soto’s story to the press and to demand that Deputy Alex Almaguer be suspended, charged, and fired.

Despite enduring and surviving a life-threatening event, Pastor Carl Soto and his wife Mrs. Nidia Soto spoke to the press alongside members of TAARPR, stressing the criminal actions of Deputy Almaguer and calling for police accountability and community control of the police.

TAARPR members emphasized that this behavior and ineptitude from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is not an isolated incident, but rather a “culture of police violence.” They also condemned Qualified Immunity and the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights for legally protecting violent police officers.

The morning of the press conference, Pastor Soto and TAARPR were notified that the body cam footage from Deputy Almaguer was finally released. The footage made no difference to the demands set forth by Soto and TAARPR.

Pastor Carl Soto, Mrs. Nidia Soto, and members of the groups in attendance stood resolute in their fight to demand justice and affirmed their commitment to continue this campaign until all their demands are met.

#TampaFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #NAARPR #TAARPR #Feature

Tampa, FL – On July 27, close to 100 members of the community came to a vigil remembering Sonya Massey. Sonya Massey was a Black woman murdered in her home by a police officer.

Since then, the officer was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, but that is not enough, as the murder of Black folks at the hands of the police is an all too common occurrence. As the community honored her life with a table of flowers and sending candles down river, they also called for a change in how policing is handled.

The Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR), Andrew Joseph Foundation, Poor Minority Justice Association (PMJA), and more came out. They called for protection of the Citizens Review Board (CRB) and bringing it further by establishing a Community Police Accountability Council for more oversight of the police.

The Tampa Police Department is pushing the city council to dissolve the CRB due to a House Bill 601, a law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis preventing cities from establishing civilian oversight of the police. House Bill 601 is a law in a long list of laws passed by DeSantis to repress protesters and freedom of speech in the wake of the George Floyd uprising.

Gareth Dawkins, a member of TAARPR at the vigil, stated, “The police will always push back against any form of accountability, which is why institutions like the CRB must be protected.”

Another demand pushed by the community was to bring an end to qualified immunity. This fight is personal to the Andrew Joseph Foundation and the Joseph family, as qualified immunity protects from being charged the officer whose actions resulted in the death of their son, Andrew Joseph III.

With these demands the Tampa community shows that they will not stand for police murders in Tampa or anywhere across the country.

#TampaFL #TAARPR #GeorgeFloydRebellion #GeorgeFloyd #SonyaMassey #PMJA #CRB #CPAC #PoliceCrimes

Tampa, FL - On Saturday, July 27, the pro-Palestinian community of Tampa held a rally on 56th and Fowler. Around 50 members of the community were present, including the organizations Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

The Palestinian community of Tampa has been vocal in their demands for the University of South Florida to disclose their investments and pull any funding that supports Israel in their ongoing attacks on Gaza.

The demands for USF to drop their suspension and expulsions against students Victoria Hinckley and Joseph Charry was also voiced at this protest as the university continues to issue conduct charges hold hearings months after the Gaza encampments.

In addition to conduct charges, USF recently proposed new, more restrictive policies surrounding protest and free speech on campus.

Victoria Hinckley, a member of SDS who was expelled after the encampment said that USF is , “banning statements being read by people who have been banned from campus, banning the use of fliers on campus, and limiting just about every function of student organizations.”

The rally included a march around the block near USF campus, halting traffic and chanting for divestment, a free Palestine, and directing calling out USF faculty members, “Dean McDonald shame on you, student voices matter too!”

McDonald is dean of students at USF and was a major witness to multiple student conduct charges as she was present on all three days of the solidarity encampments.

Simon Rowe, a member of FRSO, also called out faculty members Melissa Graham, dean of student conduct, and President Rhea Law. Rose asked the protesters, “Are you on the side of Melissa Graham, who prosecuted students for the crime of putting up pro-Palestine fliers on campus because one Zionist complained, or Rhea Law, who calls protests violent to justify police brutality and tear gassing?”

The crowd would shout back “No” in response, a sentiment that carried on through the event as people marched with the demands of divestment, conduct charges being dropped, and support for the Palestinian people.

#TampaFL #TampaBaySDS #SDS #StudentIntifada #USF #FRSO #TAARPR

Tampa, FL – On July 10, around 50 students and community members rallied and marched in support of students targeted by the University of South Florida (USF) for participating in a Gaza Solidarity encampment in April. Two students, Joseph Charry and Victoria Hinckley, were suspended and expelled respectively by the university, and now a third, Icarus Jaspard, was hit with code of conduct charges.

Hinckley, a member of Tampa Bay SDS, along with the other two students, was expelled only one assignment away from graduation. Charry was suspended for a year while being on an international student visa, endangering his status in the U.S. with deportation. The third student, Jaspard, was hit with code of conduct charges nine weeks after the Gaza Solidarity encampment, in a clear effort by USF to stop the ongoing student movement for divestment in apartheid Israel.

The event was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, whose members spoke on the demand for USF to disclose and divest from companies complicit in the genocide in Gaza, on the continued attacks on the student movement, and on each of the students’ conduct charges. Other community organizations such as the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression were also present and gave a speech on the U.S. government and Israel’s intention of starting a war with the people of Lebanon.

“Through protesting and resistance, we will see the charges on the USF 13 and the students dropped,” said Tampa Bay SDS member Saba Indawala, referencing the 13 people arrested during the Gaza Solidarity. Indawala continued, “The student intifada continues to grow stronger and stronger and we will get USF to stop its attacks on the student movement.” Community members cheered in support of the students.

Afterwards, the protesters marched to chants of “Protesting is not a crime, free free Palestine!” and “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!” At the end, members of Tampa Bay SDS shared a petition created in support of the charged students, and a national call-in flier organized by National Students for a Democratic Society to oppose USF’s attack on Icarus Jaspard.

#TampaFL #Palestine #GazaSolidarityEncampment #SDS #TAARPR

Winter Haven, FL – On Sunday, June 30, the voices of hundreds assembled at the Church of God the Bibleway echoed the demands for police accountability in nearby Lakeland, Florida as stories of abuses at the hands of the Lakeland Police Department were shared.

Attorney Bobby DiCello, representing the victims, moderated the press conference. Activists and victims spoke out about the abuse that Lakeland Police Department is responsible for. DiCello, on behalf of the victims, asked for a meeting between the victims and the Lakeland Chief of Police Sam Taylor, who has time and time again covered for the abuses and incompetence of his officers, as they beat, harass and invent bogus charges against African Americans in Lakeland.

The press conference included speakers from The Church of God the Bibleway, The Poor and Minority Justice Association (PMJA), Building Bridges, Black Lives Matter Grassroots, the Andrew Joseph III Foundation, and the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR). The assembled congregation cheered and yelled their support for the victims seeking accountability and justice.

Speaking on behalf of Building Bridges and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, Marquell Bridges summed up a large part of the problem, stating, “They kill us with impunity, because of qualified immunity,” referring to the doctrine of “qualified immunity” that shields cops from any accountability for crimes or misconduct they commit on the job.

Qualified immunity was the doctrine that another attendee at the press conference, Andrew Joseph, Jr. had to overcome to get some accountability for his 14-year-old son, Andrew Joseph III – who was killed by a driver after Hillsborough County Sheriffs illegally arrested him at the state fair and left him by the side of the interstate.

The Poor and Minority Justice Association, along with TAARPR, have been fighting with one of these victims of Lakeland PD, Antwan Glover, since his assault last December, when he was accosted, beaten, arrested and charged, for nothing more than sitting in his car in his family’s driveway. The charges against him were dropped after sustained pressure, and police incompetence, when they were faced with the reality that there was no crime they could charge Glover with.

But the joy of that victory was short lived as Lakeland PD hunted down another victim, a 16-year-old African American youth who was similarly beaten by the police for no other reason than being Black. Despite the fact that the police had to drop the charges on this boy quickly as well, he and his family joined the assembly to get justice so that he and other victims like Kieanna Garrett, Phillip Lightsey, DeAnthony Williams and others will no longer be targeted by the racist terrorists at Lakeland PD.

The Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has circulated a list of seven demands for the City of Lakeland, including:

“Establish an elected Community Commission for Community Safety and Accountability and extend the Powers of the Civilian Review Board.

Resignation of the current police chief Sammy Taylor.

Firing and charging all officers who brutalized members of the Lakeland community.

Resignation of the current Lakeland city manager Shawn Sherrouse.

Open investigation with public input into all cases of excessive police violence.

A pardon for all those falsely accused and incarcerated.

Lakeland Police must ensure all officers have working body cameras at all times.”

The press conference ended with a call from the speakers for all members of the congregation, but also the Lakeland community, to join a sustained campaign to pressure the city of Lakeland to accept these demands, and to not stop fighting until real police accountability comes to Lakeland and ends the reign of racist terror.

#WinterHavenFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #NAARPR #TAARPR

Tampa, FL – On June 18, students led a rally in protest of the University of South Florida (USF) suspension of Joseph Charry and expulsion of Victoria Hinckley. Both students, members of Tampa Bay SDS, were hit with conduct charges related to their participation at the solidarity encampments against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Palestine. Charry is an international student and Victoria Hinckley is a senior set to graduate.

A lively group of 40 people marched from a nearby rally point to the USF Bulls fountain in front of the Marshall Student Center. Students held signs reading, “Victory to Palestine!” “Defend student protests for Palestine!” and “Stop the suspension of Joseph Charry!”

Students delivered statements on behalf of Charry and Hinckley, as well as speeches denouncing USF administrators’ response to the student movement for Palestine.

Hinckley was unable to deliver her statement in person, as she was trespassed from the SFU campus. Another student read her statement aloud, “They cannot say they value free speech when the reason they do this is because I was at a protest on campus.”

Hinckley was expelled from USF during her senior year, just “an assignment away from graduating.”

“USF would rather deport its students and faculty for protesting, violating our First Amendment rights, than stop supporting a genocide and divest from it!” said Joseph Charry in his statement. Charry is an international student facing the risk of deportation as his U.S. visa is dependent on his university enrollment status.

Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society led chants, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!” This refers to the student demand for USF to disclose their investments and pull back from companies involved with Israel. They also chanted, “USF shame on you, student voices matter too!”

Democratic Socialist of America, Tampa Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization were present in solidarity with the students.

#TampaFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #PoliticalRepression #DSA #NAARPR #TAARPR #FRSO #Feature