Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

tampafl

By staff

A speaker stands in front of a room and reads a speech in front of a banner that says, "Tampa Immigrant Rights Committee! No Deportations! Legalization For All!"

Tampa, FL – August 31 was the first celebration of Chicano Liberation Day in Tampa history. Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee marked the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium with a showing of the HBO film Walkout, starring Alexa PenaVega and Michael Peña, directed by Chicano actor and East Los Angeles native Edward James Olmos.

The celebration was held at a local bar, La Cantina. The film depicts the events of Spring 1968 East Los Angeles high school walkouts, or Chicano Blowout, where students walked out of five East LA schools to demand better conditions, like allowing Spanish to be spoken and an end to corporal punishment. People who attended the showing learned about both the walkouts and the history of Chicano Liberation Day.

The history of Chicano Liberation Day begins in 1970, when, as moderator Val Beron of TIRC explained, “over 20,000 Chicanos marched in Los Angeles to protest the Vietnam War, specifically the fact that Chicanos made up 29% of casualties despite being 5% of the total U.S. population. Chicanos felt that the true struggle wasn’t in the jungles of Vietnam, but the barrios at home.” This march, called the Chicano Moratorium, demanded an end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam, and an end to oppression at home, such as police violence.

As Florida and the nation experience a wave of anti-immigrant and anti-Chicano repression from the reactionary Trump and DeSantis administrations, the film and the Chicano Moratorium also resonate today. However, just as in the film, when the people organize and fight back, they win – as the concentration camp for immigrants in the Everglades was just shut down this past month due to legal efforts of the Miccosukee Tribe and political pressure from the people holding constant protests.

The Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee will be holding a know your rights training in the near future in an effort to further develop a rapid response network to ICE terror in the Bay area. They can be found on Instagram and Facebook at TampaIRC.

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ChicanoMoratorium #Chicanos #OppressedNationalities #TIRC

By Vicky Tong

A meeting takes place in a conference room between USF administration and the Graduate Assistants United.

Tampa, FL – On Thursday, August 28, at the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa campus, the Tampa Graduate Assistants United (GAU) continued negotiations with representatives of the USF Board of Trustees to discuss the rights of international graduate assistants and update their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society were in the audience.

After a month of GAU introducing Article 26, an article aiming to protect international graduate assistant (GA) rights, the USF bargaining team gave a shameful response to GAU’s proposal. After disrespecting GAU’s time and coming into this bargaining session late, the USF bargaining team, without providing a counterproposal, the proper method during bargaining, declined to negotiate Article 26 at all. The USF bargaining team spoke in a low quiet voice, refusing to make eye contact with GAU and the audience.

With approximately 40% of graduate assistants being international students, GAU’s goal has always been to fight for protections for international graduate assistants.

“Considering the political climate and the attacks that have been levied against international students more broadly, we felt that it was really necessary to introduce protections for international students,” Tessa Barber, the USF GAU president and member of the GAU bargaining team, stated. “Even if it's just keeping Immigrations and Customs Enforcement out of classrooms and private spaces.”

GAU was rightfully infuriated upon hearing this response from the USF bargaining team. “They’re [USF bargaining team] not even being neutral about it.” Morgan Amick, the membership chair of GAU, noted. “They’re taking a stance against international GAs.”

USF has a track record of attacking international students. Most recently, the USF police department signed onto the 287(g) program from ICE, giving the campus police department the authority to perform detentions and attacks on local immigrant communities.

Despite this shameful reaction from USF’s bargaining team, GAU refused to let this response stop them. Tessa Barber asserted that Article 26 “is of grave importance to us at the bargaining table, it’s not something we’re willing to back down on.”

The next bargaining session is tentatively scheduled for September 10 at 1 p.m., with the location to be announced, where GAU will continue to fight to protect the rights of international GAs. “GAU is committed to standing with international graduate assistants and staying strong at the table to advocate for support and protections for them,” Tessa Barber insisted.

#TampaFL #FL #LaborMovement #StudentMovement #GAU #SDS

By Gage Lacharite

Trabajadores del VA están resistiendo ataques del gobierno de Trump.

Tampa, FL – Alrededor de 20 trabajadores del Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos (VA, por sus siglas en inglés) y simpatizantes se manifestaron frente a la clínica del VA en Bruce B Downs Boulevard en Tampa temprano en la mañana del 4 de agosto. La manifestación fue organizada por la Federación Americana de Empleados Gubernamentales (AFGE) Local 547 y forma parte de una campaña nacional más amplia en contra de los continuos ataques a los trabajadores federales por parte de la administración Trump.

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By Gage Lacharite

Workers on a sidewalk holding signs.

Tampa, FL – About 20 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workers and supporters rallied at the VA clinic on Bruce B Downs Boulevard in Tampa early in the morning of August 4. The rally was put on by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 547 and is part of a larger nationwide campaign opposing ongoing attacks on federal workers by the Trump administration.

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By staff

Tampa, FL — On July 14, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a press conference in their Tampa office for Sayfollah “Saif” Musallet, a Florida-born Palestinian man that was killed by Israeli settlers on July 11 while on a trip to visit family in the West Bank.

Musallet was only 20 years old when he was beaten by settlers looking to steal his family’s land in the town of Sinjil, while the Israeli occupation forces stopped ambulances and help from coming through.

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By Victoria Hinckley

A group of people mourning.

Tampa, Fl – Around 100 people gathered at the Islamic Community of Tampa on Saturday, July 19, to have a vigil for Palestinian martyr Sayfollah Musallet.

Musallet was a 20-year-old Tampa resident and U.S. citizen. He was a well-known community member and owned a local ice cream shop named Ice Sssscreamin. He was visiting family in the occupied West Bank when he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family’s land on July 11.

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By Saba Indawala

A group of protesters holding signs.

Tampa, FL – On Saturday, July 12, over 200 people gathered for a protest at Tampa City Hall to say no to the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Student Action Summit that was held in Tampa over the weekend.

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By Vicky Tong

University of South Florida Graduate Assistants United negotiate for a union contract.

Tampa, FL – On July 10, the Graduate Assistants United (GAU) negotiated with the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees over their union’s contract. It was their seventh round of meetings with university representatives. Protection of international students continues to be a major issue for union members.

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By staff

Six people standing in front of a builiding.

Tampa, FL – On a loud and busy intersection in front of Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse on Friday morning, June 27, members of three groups – Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society – gathered to rally in solidarity with two Los Angeles activists targeted by the FBI for their political beliefs and for standing with their communities. They read statements in in solidarity with Alejandro Orellana and Verita Topete.

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By Gage Lacharite

Tampa, FL – The picket line outside the Breakthru Beverages warehouse near Tampa, Florida stood strong Monday, June 23, despite intense summer heat and torrential daily thunderstorms.

Truck drivers for Breakthru Beverages in Florida entered their third week on strike last Friday as they continue their fight for union recognition and the return of their coworkers fired for union activity. 160 employees across the state walked out on May 30.

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By staff

Graduate Assistants United bargain for new contract at University of South Florida.   

Tampa, FL – On Friday May 16, the University of South Florida (USF) and the Graduate Assistants United (GAU) had their second round of negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. Media and supporters from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society were in the audience as the GAU team bargained and argued against USF’s counterproposals and as they introduced their own.

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By Simon Rowe

Tampa, FL – On Saturday May 3, over 400 workers and community members gathered at Centennial Park in Ybor City to celebrate International Workers Day. The West Central Florida Labor Council hosted the event. For one hour, protesters listened to speeches and led pro-worker and pro-immigrant chants before a one-mile march through the streets of Ybor City.

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By staff

Tampa students demand ICE off campus!

Tampa, FL – On May 1, Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society held a rally in response to University of South Florida police’s plan to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The contract is an agreement between the University of South Florida Police Department and ICE that allows officers to enforce immigration laws under 287(g). This would allow police officers to detain, question and arrest students or faculty suspected of being undocumented.

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By Saba Indawala

Contract bargaining between University of South Florida Board of Trustees and the Graduate Assistants United is underway.

Tampa, FL – On Friday, April 25, collective bargaining began between designated representatives on behalf of the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees and representatives of Graduate Assistants United (GAU). About 20 supporters were present in the audience, including members of GAU, United Faculty of Florida, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society.

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By staff

Tampa SDS protest demands ICE get off the USF campus.

Tampa, FL – On Friday, April 18, 15 people, including Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), students and community members, rallied near the entrance of the University of South Florida in response to the University of South Florida (USF) Police Department’s recent signing on with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The rally was in collaboration with the National Day of Action for Higher Education, a coalition of student and professor groups organizing in response to Trump’s recent attacks on higher education.

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By Eithne Silva

Tampa protest against Trump's reactionary agenda.

Tampa, FL – On Saturday, April 5, over 3000 people protested Trump’s reactionary agenda in downtown Tampa. The protest, which covered three city blocks, was supported by labor unions, the local Democratic party, women’s rights groups, and more. The protest lasted for over three hours and received overwhelming support from passing cars, with many motorists stopping to join the protest.

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By staff

People hold a banner reading, "Demand Free Speech on Campus."

Tampa, FL – On Monday, March 31, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was joined by community members and fellow students to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia, and every other student protester detained by ICE. Additional demands included an end to Trump’s attacks on students and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

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By staff

Tampa, FL – On March 20, over 60 workers with the American Postal Worker Union (APWU) held a public demonstration in Tampa, Florida to bring awareness to attacks on the postal service. The Tampa APWU action was one of over 250 held across the country.

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By Gage Lacharite

A group of truckers hold signs that say, "No Contract, No Mail" outside of 10 Roads Express workplace.

Tampa, FL – Teamsters at 10 Roads Express, who are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have been on strike since February 18. The strike is a national effort which includes over 500 workers across eight states.

10 Roads Express is a trucking company which primarily contracts with the post office to carry mail. 10 Roads Express workers are on strike because they say that the company has refused to bargain in good faith with the union during their ongoing round of contract negotiations.

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By staff

Tampa students demand freedom for Mahmoud Khalil.

Tampa, FL – On March 12, Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society led a protest to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, who is under the threat of deportation as the U.S. pushes to revoke his green card.

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