Tampa, FL – Over 100 protesters gathered here, Aug. 31, demand no military attack on Syria by the U.S. Members of the Syrian American community as well as many others assembled at a busy intersection in South Tampa waving signs at motorists who went by. The crowd received many supportive honks from cars and tractor trailer truck drivers. As the number of people grew, the crowd chanted, “No justice no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!” and “Bush, Obama, same old drama”

Tampa, FL – In the wake of intense Justice for Trayvon protests, community members gathered in front of a police substation here on July 22, the one-year anniversary of Javon Neal's murder by Tampa police. Neal, a 16-year-old African American student, was shot more than 19 times by the police.

Tampa, FL – Two protests demanding justice for Trayvon Martin and that the Department of Justice (DOJ) charge George Zimmerman with violating Martin’s civil rights occurred here July 19 and 20.

Tampa, FL – On July 14, 200 protesters gathered in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park downtown here, demanding justice for Trayvon Martin. The day after Zimmerman was found not guilty people came together in outrage throughout the country to demand justice and an end to the oppression of African Americans.

Tampa, FL – Rank-and-file members of the Teamsters union dealt a blow to corporate greed by blocking the implementation of a substandard contract negotiated between United Parcel Service (UPS) and union officials. Under Teamster rules the national contract cannot take effect until all the local as well as regional supplements and riders are passed.

Tampa, FL – Around the country, 250,000 Teamsters are voting on a proposed 5-year contract between the Teamsters and United Parcel Service. With the ballots already out in the mail, rank-and-file Teamsters are doing what they can to reject the agreement. All ballots are due by June 20. Around the country, UPS workers have been organizing a “Vote No” campaign urging fellow Teamsters to vote against the contract.

Tampa, FL – Protesters gathered in front of Senator Marco Rubio’s Tampa office May 31 to criticize the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill currently being debated in the U.S. Senate and to demand, “Legalization for all!”

Tampa, FL – On June 1 over 50 activists rallied at the MacDill Air Force Base, calling for the release of whistleblower Bradley Manning.

Tampa, FL – On May 1, a large crowd gathered during a rain storm to demand legalization for all undocumented people and overall genuine immigration reform. May Day, or International Workers' Day, traditionally has been a day for demanding workers' rights. In recent years, it has been a day for Latinos, immigrants and allies to demand legalization and full equality.

Tampa, FL – On April 18, immigrant rights activists, community members and students demanded that the city of Tampa allow drivers licenses for undocumented people. In the morning, activists with Dream Defenders marched into city hall demanding that the city council pass a resolution in favor of the state of Florida passing a law granting licenses for the undocumented. The Tampa City Council attempted to shut down speakers for demanding licenses for all. After the council meeting, the activists left with council members inviting them to meet again on a personal basis.

Tampa, FL – Activists came together here, March 29, to announce a campaign under the demand “Licenses for All” undocumented people in Florida. Members of Dream Defenders, Hondurenos Unidos en Tampa, Mexican American Student Association (MASA), and Latin American Student Association (LASA) at the University of South Florida will be pushing the Tampa City Council to allow drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. The number of undocumented immigrants in Florida is estimated to be 1 million people. Many of the undocumented end up being deported after being pulled over from driving without a license.

Tampa, FL – Eleven activists with the Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) occupied the University of South Florida's Kiran C. Patel Center, March 29. From noon until the school's top administrators left their offices at 5:00 p.m., students erected signs denouncing tuition hikes, perused a stack of books by leftist authors and gawked at how much more luxurious the building was, than the buildings than don't house the University's top administrators.

Tampa, FL—Students, anti-war activists and community organizers gathered at the First United Church of Tampa on Sunday, March 24 to demand an end to U.S. government political repression. 35 people discussed ways to oppose political repression and gain freedom for the Holy Land Five.

Tampa, FL – Students gathered in the Marshall Student Center, on the University of South Florida's (USF) campus, on March 6 protesting budget cuts and tuition hikes. The average USF student's debt is over $22,000 from loans. Meanwhile, the school's Board of Trustees – those who cut the budgets and raise tuition – are made up of representatives of corporations like Tampa Electric Company and Fifth Third Bank. Last year the Board voted to raise tuition by 11%. On top of this, Florida Governor Rick Scott has cut $300 million from the eleven state universities' budgets. Now, the USF administration is threatening to raise tuition yet again.

Tampa, FL – Feb. 26 marked the one-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin's murder. Students and community members met in front of the student union on the University of South Florida campus demanding justice for Martin and an end to Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' Law. This law legalizes murder on the grounds of self-defense. The state government and judges use it to let white murderers go free for killing African-Americans and Latinos. The same is true for George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin’s murderer, whose lawyers are attempting to get his charges dropped.

Tampa, FL – Student groups from the Tampa Bay area and neighboring Polk County came together, Jan. 24, to demand answers from Congressman Dennis Ross and protest his anti-immigrant record.

Tampa, FL – Part-time Teamsters working for United Parcel Service (UPS) are angry because the starting pay has not changed in over 15 years. It is back breaking work, yet the starting wage rate is only $8.50 per hour. Part-time Teamsters are demanding their union fight for a substantial wage increase in its current contract negotiations with UPS. T-shirts reading, “End part time poverty” are springing up in UPS hubs around the country.

Tampa, FL – Around midnight Jan. 10, the home of well-known Arizona immigrant rights activist Erika Andiola was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE agents asked Andiola who the other people in the home were. One of them was her mother. During the raid, Erika's brother, who had been staying at neighbors for the night, came over and was asked if he was related to the Andiolas. Both Erika's brother and mother are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and both have lived in the U.S. for many years. Shortly after the questions, ICE handcuffed and transported Erika's brother and mother to the Florence Detention Center.

Tampa, FL – 287(g) is a racist law that was created on Sept. 30, 1996. For 17 years this law has been terrorizing, racially profiling, oppressing and breaking our immigrant families apart. 287(g) gives permission and training to regular police officers to do Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) work whenever ICE is unable to be around. Specifically 287(g) gives permission to local police to ask people in our neighborhoods and on the streets about their immigration status. Since 1996, 287(g) has been responsible for the arrests, abuses and deportations of over 400,000 of our hard-working and exploited immigrants in the U.S.

Tampa, FL – 30 students gathered outside of the University of South Florida's Marshall Student Center, Dec. 1, to mourn the murder of 17-year-old Jordan Davis. On Nov. 23, Jordan Davis was racially targeted by a 45 year-old bigot named Michael Dunn in a Jacksonville gas station. Dunn shot eight or nine times at the vehicle Davis was in, with the excuse that Davis and his friends had been playing their music too loud. Dunn claims he saw a shotgun and feared for his life. This fear Dunn claims, drove him to not only shoot at these four high school students' vehicle and murder Jordan Davis, but to also flee the scene of the crime. When authorities searched the vehicle Jordan Davis was shot in, there were no signs of a weapon.