Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

tampafl

By Joseph Nohava

Tampa, FL – On an unusually windy Saturday, February 14 in front of Tampa city hall, the Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, along other groups, held a rally to shine a light on House Bill 419/Senate Bill 316, otherwise known as the Visible Act.

Read more...

By Chris Gibson

Participants in the “From The Classroom to The Shop Floor,” event at UCF.

Tampa, FL – UCF’s Students for a Democratic Society is taking steps to deepen its ties to organized labor and the working class by holding an event they dubbed “From The Classroom to The Shop Floor,” February 5, inviting representatives from local labor unions to explain their experiences organizing and labor solidarity to the students.

Read more...

By Gage Lacharite

Tampa high school students walk out to oppose attacks on immigrants.

Tampa, FL – Dozens of students from Wharton High School walked out on February 9 in protest of the Trump administration's vicious attacks on immigrants. Students chanted “No justice, no peace, no ICE in our streets” and other students cheered from buses as they left at the end of the school day.

Read more...

By staff

The Joseph Family being presented with a proclamation from District 63 State Representative Dianne Hart in support of their fight for justice against police violence.

Tampa, FL – This past weekend, the Andrew Joseph foundation held a benefit gala on the 12th year angelversary of Andrew Joseph III.

Lovingly known by family and friends as “Peewee,” Andrew Joseph, III was a 14-year-old student who was attending a school district-supported fair day with friends when he was struck and killed by a motorist as he tried to cross Interstate 4 on foot after being wrongfully detained, ejected, transported and then abandoned outside of the fair by local law enforcement officials, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with no call to parents.

Read more...

By Yunqing Zheng

Tampa high school students protest ICE.

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.

Read more...

By Victoria Hinckley

Tampa students protest against ICE.

Tampa, FL – On Thursday January 29 around 40 people attended a protest held by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society near the USF campus.

Read more...

By staff

Tampa protest following the ICE killing of Alex Pretti.

Tampa, FL – On a balmy Saturday evening at Tampa City Hall, January 24, the Tampa community came out for another emergency action after federal agents executed a Minneapolis man, Alex Pretti, for observing ICE operations.

Read more...

By Yunqing Zheng

January 20 protest against Trump in Tampa, Florida.

Tampa, FL – On January 20, hundreds of people gathered at Tampa City Hall to protest on the one-year anniversary of Trump's second term. The event was organized by the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee as part of a national day of action called by Legalization for All and 50501 National.

Read more...

By staff

Florida opponents of anti-labor legislation.

Tampa, FL – House Bill 995 is the most recent attack on public sector unions currently going through the legislature in Florida. This bill may be the most recent anti-union bill, but it comes with a history of bills destabilizing public sector unions.

Read more...

By staff

Tampa protest against ICE following the murder of Renee Good.

Tampa, FL – On January 13, approximately 70 people attended a rally at the intersection of USF Palm and Fletcher to demand ICE off campus and justice in the wake of the killing of Nicole Renee Good in Minneapolis.

The protest was organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society as a call to action against ICE.

Read more...

By Alvaro Montealegre

Tampa protest after the ICE murder of Renee Good.

Tampa, FL – Several hundred people gathered downtown Tampa in front of City Hall Saturday, January 10, to express their anger at the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by ICE agent Jonathan Ross and at Trump for unleashing ICE onto immigrants and the vast community who supports them. Protesters gathered as part of the 50501 National Day of Action: ICE Out For Good.

Read more...

By staff

Protest in Tampa, Florida after ICE shooting in Portland.

Tampa, FL – On Friday afternoon, January 9, the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee held a second emergency rally in front of Tampa City Hall in as many days to protest yet another ICE shooting, this time in Portland, Oregon. About 30 people attended the event.

Two Venezuelan immigrants, Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, were shot and injured when a Customs and Border Patrol agent fired into the car during a traffic stop. The activists demanded justice for those murdered by ICE and federal agents, as well as getting ICE out of their community.

Read more...

By staff

 Tampa protest demands justice for Renee Good.

Tampa, FL – On Thursday, January 9, over 100 Tampa community members rallied in solidarity and protest against the murder of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. The event was held at Tampa City Hall.

The event was organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society and the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee. The protest called for ICE out of everywhere, stop the deportations, justice for all murdered by ICE, and justice for Renee Good. The crowd chanted “ICE off our streets,” “Say her name! Renee Nicole Good!” and “No troops on the ground, no ICE in our streets, end 287(g)!” Several drivers passing by the event honked and cheered in support.

Read more...

By Yunqing Zheng

Tampa street corner, "No deportations!"

Tampa, FL – On Saturday, November 29, Tampa community members rallied in solidarity with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients impacted by a Texas ruling. They also rallied against the Trump agenda.

Protesters stood on the street corner and loudly chanted, “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state!” and “Trump escucha! Estamos en la lucha!” Many passersby and drivers shouted support and honked. People held signs in English and Spanish that read, “Stop the deportations,” “Legalization for all” and “Uphold DACA.”

Read more...

By Vicky Tong

Tampa students protest U.S. intervention in Venezuela.

Tampa, FL – On November 20, students and community members, including members from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied near the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa campus to demand no war on Venezuela. Slogans and speeches included demands including “Stop the missile attacks now!” “No more U.S. wars for oil!” and “Lift the U.S. sanctions off Venezuela now!” The energy was high, with students passing by taking fliers from the rally, and cars honking in support of the anti-war event.

Read more...

By staff

Tampa protest against ending TPS for Venezuelans.

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday November 12, Tampa protesters led by Tampa Immigrant Rights Coalition (Tampa IRC) rallied in front of the Federal Courthouse to demand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) be upheld for Venezuelans and to stop the deportations. They were supported by groups like Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, Tampa Food Not Bombs, and the New Era Young Lords.

Read more...

By Saba Indawala

Tampa protest demands release of Palestinian American teenager held in Israeli prison.

Tampa, FL – On Saturday, November 8, over 100 protesters gathered at Tampa City Hall to call for the immediate release of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian American from Palm Bay, Florida, who had been illegally detained by Israeli forces since February, while visiting family in the occupied West Bank.

Read more...

By Victoria Hinckley

Tampa students rally against Trump's attacks on higher education.

Tampa, FL – On Friday November 7, students at the University of South Florida rallied against Trump’s higher education compact, officially called his “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” This rally was organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) as part of a National Day of Action called by National Students for a Democratic Society.

Read more...

By staff

Graduate Assistants and supporters attending the bargaining session

Tampa, FL – On November 4, Graduate Assistants United (GAU) negotiated with the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees over the union’s pending contract. GAU’s stipend proposal was made on July 17. However, after months of stalling, the USF negotiations team returned with a measly 2% increase in their counterproposal.

Read more...

By staff

No Kings protest in Tampa.

Tampa, FL – Nearly 6000 people came to downtown Tampa, on Saturday October 18 as part of the No Kings day protests. The event began at the Tampa City Hall, before marching to nearby Curtis Hixon Park.

Read more...