Tampa, FL – On Sunday, March 1, around 25 protesters gathered near the University of South Florida to demand “No war with Iran” at an emergency rally held by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Protesters gathered after the U.S. bombings of a girls’ primary school in Minab, southern Iran, resulting in the death of 150 plus schoolgirls, and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US and Israeli military operation that occurred the previous day.

Tampa Bay SDS member, Connor Jaap, states that “It’s important to be out in the streets protesting the U.S. bombings of Iran because our government wants us scared and docile so they can do whatever they want to maintain control, and we can't let that happen! We must let the Trump administration know that we will not let them slaughter other people for no reason without holding them accountable.”

The protest was joined by the Tampa Immigrant Rights’ Committee and the Tampa District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. As protesters held signs with slogans saying, “Stop the missile attacks” and “No more oil wars,” cars passed by honking in support. 

“Trump may be pushing the narrative that he is saving the people of Iran, but we have seen this failed playbook time and time again. We see that this is just another strategic move in the U.S.’s and Israel’s plan to maintain white imperialist hegemony,” said Briana Beebe of Tampa Bay SDS in a speech against U.S. aggression in foreign countries.

During the rally, attendees chanted “They tell lies, and then they bomb, first Iraq and now Iran!” and “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!”

As U.S. aggression in Iran and the Middle East continues, Tampa will continue to organize against it.

#TampaBayFL #FL #SDS #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Tampa, FL – On Saturday, March 27, the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) and others rallied at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa to demand a guilty verdict for killer cop Derek Chauvin. Chauvin is charged with the murder of George Floyd, whose killing inspired an unprecedented uprising last summer.

“We need to come together to stand against any attempt to let this murderer off. We need to do it for the Floyd family, and the families of all others affected by police brutality,” said Jhosn Pena of TBCAC.

Protesters called attention to local cases of police brutality such as the case of Josiah Pinner, who was the victim of a hit-and-run by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. They promised to continue mobilizing to hold the police accountable.

#TampaBayFlorida #TampaBayFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #killerCops #GeorgeFloyd

Tampa, FL – On Monday, June 8, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) led a crowd of around 500 on a march through the historic neighborhood of Ybor City to demand community control of the police in the Tampa Bay Area. The march ended at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) building, where protesters demanded charges be dropped for the hundreds of protesters arrested by HCSO over recent weeks.

Elizabeth Kramer, an organizer with TBCAC, stated, “The vast majority of arrested protesters have been completely peaceful, and the manner in which HCSO and TPD have cracked down on these protests show that they are not interested in allowing peaceful protests. So, we have to demand that the charges for the many arrested protesters be dropped!”

This event comes during the huge movement around the country to demand justice for African American victims of police violence like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Various cities around the country have also demanded entirely new police accountability structures, such as Civilian Police Accountability Councils – a central demand of the protest. While most cities have police review boards, they are not democratically-elected and do not have disciplinary nor funding negotiating powers.

“Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd, had 18 official complaints on his record,” said Eithne Silva of Tampa Bay SDS. “The fact that he did not receive any real consequences for previous instances of violence against the community shows that the police department is incapable of policing itself. This is why we need community control of the police.”

The hundreds-strong march is an indication of the continuing fight for police accountability and people’s need for justice for police crimes in Tampa Bay and across the country.

#TampaBayFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TampaBaySDS #CommunityControlOfThePolice #TampaBayCommunityActionCommittee

Tampa Bay, FL – Over 200 students rallied at the University of South Florida to protest budget cuts and rising tuition costs. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) along with other groups, including Occupy USF and a local union with the American Federation of State, City, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), took part in a walkout to protest the attacks on students and education. This walkout came as part of the March 1st National Day of Action for Education Rights. Across the board, education continues to be cut and tuition is on the rise.

Last year and the third year in a row, the USF Administration and the State government raised tuition by 15 percent. SDS and other groups organized protests throughout Tampa and the state capital (Tallahassee) against them. As of this year, the state government plans to cut education by almost $2 billion. For students at the University of South Florida, this cuts the budget by almost 60%. With these budget cuts, University administrators will raise tuition yet again. With nowhere to turn and no money to spend, students will be forced to take out more huge loans. Currently, student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt in the U.S. Without access to money some young people are forced to drop out of school, while many pile up huge debt for years to come.

On campus, student protesters walked out of their classes at noon to protest the attacks on their education. Students, faculty, and staff represented by AFSCME rallied together. Catherine Lim of SDS spoke to the crowd, “We have decided to leave class, something we hold valuable, in order to show how seriously we are taking these blows to education”. As the crowd grew larger they marched off towards the Marshall Student Center shouting, “The students united will never be defeated!”

Marching through Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza the crowd's intensity grew. Upon reaching the doors of the Marshall Center, a hub for top university officials, the protesters gathered inside chanting, “Chop from the Top! Chop from the Top!” From there the crowd participated in a sit-in to talk about the cuts to their education. Speaker after speaker came forward to say how the cuts affect them. At one point USF President Judy Genshaft poked her head through the crowd only to be yelled at and booed by the crowd. The message was clear – the students want a school that works for them, not against them.

As Andrew Stapleton of SDS said, “SDS and myself stand firm on these issues and we will continue fighting for the right to public education for all students. I see strength in student unity and I refuse to go down without a fight.”

More attacks from the State Legislature are on their way, but students are standing together against them. SDS, with Occupy USF, Students Working for Equal Rights, and the Black Student Union, plan to continue the fight with another action soon.

#TampaBayFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #EducationRights #UniversityOfSouthFlorida