La Frontera Nos Cruzó condemns the racist murder of Aaron Martinez and demands justice and accountability for his murderer, for law enforcement who allowed this to happen, and for the inciters of racial hate who bear moral responsibility.

In Forney, Texas, on May 1st, around noon, Aaron Martinez lost his life to hate. He and his family had moved to the small city two and a half years ago to start a horse training ranch. From the start, they faced hostility because of their ethnicity. Their neighbor, Trevor McEuen, had shown himself to be racist and outright violent to the family, following them around from the beginning and telling them that they weren’t welcome in the area. As the Martinez family planted roots, McEuen’s behavior escalated. Though they filed multiple complaints, no action was taken by authorities even when McEuess would drive around brandishing firearms at them. On Monday, May 1st, the threats reached a tipping point. Aaron Martinez was murdered on his way home for lunch. McEuess had shot at him over thirty times, and his truck was found riddled with bullet holes.

McEuen later admitted to the shooting, and currently has a $2 million bond, meaning that he could be released at a moment’s notice. As of now, he is only being charged for murder, but Aaron’s family demands that this hate crime be formally recognized for what it is. This murder is undeniably fueled by the rising tide of racist fervor that is actively being pushed forward by ideologues and politicians alike. To disconnect it from this is tantamount to lying by omission.

As Biden sends an additional 1500 troops to the U.S. – Mexico border and politicians spew anti-immigrant hate, Republican lawmakers in Texas are pushing legislation (HB20) which would not only make illegal border crossing a felony, but would install an additional police force on the border which would have the power to deputize private citizens. To this we ask the question: what type of person would be most enthusiastic to be deputized by this force? Would people much like this murderer, Trevor McEuess, not join it in droves? Such proposed legislation does not protect anyone. It instead opens legal channels for individual citizens to violently attack Latino people.

Trevor McEuess’ behavior was childish, violent, and cowardly. La Frontera Nos Cruzó denounces his criminal acts, the justice system’s attempt to cloud the nature of this murder, and the legislative attacks on all immigrants! We must battle racism, both systemic and individual!

#Texas #LaFronteraNosCruzó

Austin, TX – The Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a rally at the University of Texas at Austin on September 15 in defense of women's and reproductive rights, as a part of the National SDS Day of Action. About 35 students rallied at 6 p.m. at the corner of Speedway and 21st Street on UT campus. Speakers from six other organizations gave speeches condemning the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Texas Heartbeat Act.

The Texas Heartbeat Act (SB8) was passed in September last year in preparation for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. It bans abortions when there are cells that will later form a heart detected in the embryo, or about three weeks into a pregnancy.

“What is really needed in this fight is sustained mass movement building and activity in the streets that shows that we demand reproductive rights,” Jake Holtzman of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said. “We can’t sit around and wait for politicians, we need to act right now, because we refuse to take another step back!”

Austin SDS has been active over the summer and the beginning of the fall semester in defending the right to safe abortions and fighting SB8, both on campus and in the streets of Austin.

One Austin SDS member, Jules Lattirmore, spoke out during the rally: “Let’s also recognize how UT administration has been complicit in allowing the Texas abortion ban to pass without even making a single statement against it.”

Enraged by the actions of the unelected Supreme Court and the wildly unpopular SB8, students broke out in chants of “Hey hey! Ho ho! The heartbeat bills have got to go!” and “Pro-life is a lie, they don't care if women die!” During the rally, passerby students joined the rally in solidarity, participating in chants and erupting in applause for the student speakers.

#AustinTX #students #Texas #AbortionRights

In one of the richest countries in the world, mostly African American and Chicano residents of Texas found themselves without access to power, water or heating. Some resorted to melting and boiling large pots of snow to wash dishes and cook. A boil water advisory in effect, but many still do not have any power to even do that much.

The largely unregulated ‘nonprofit’ corporation Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) began doing rolling blackouts, blaming the Public Utility Commission for disconnecting power to millions of people. This was done for profit – avoiding the market price of natural gas from spiking, and thus making huge profits versus helping people. In one case a Texas resident has seen their electric bill rise to an unbelievable $17,000-plus.

Fight Back! interviewed Jennifer Miller, a resident of Dallas. Miller has a toddler son and organizes for African American liberation in Dallas. No stranger to the Texas government and authorities being racist and negligent, Miller has survived and took the time to answer some questions.

Fight Back!: You live in Dallas. When did you notice things were not improving?

Jennifer Miller: When the pileup of over 100 cars occurred in Fort Worth and subsequent pileups of multiple vehicles dotted the entire state, a few days prior to the winter storm. I knew it would be a really rough winter for us all. But when our power went out and our food started spoiling, I knew we were in serious trouble and I needed to figure something out, quickly.

Fight Back!: How prepared were people and the government in Texas for this kind of weather?

Miller: Not prepared at all. Many people in Texas don’t even own true winter clothing. One thing that a lot of people don’t understand is that Texas homes are not insulated for cold. They’re designed to make losing heat easier, as the summers are sweltering and can easily go above 100 degrees on a normal day. Our pipes are also buried in shallower depths because there’s no reason to bury them deeply for freezes.

Fight Back!: The power has been spotty and access to water nonexistent in countless places. How has this affected you and your son?

Miller: Our power went out really early Monday morning [February 15], around 2 a.m. It didn’t come back on at all and the temperature inside my home was at 45 degrees, and continued to drop. I had my son and I both bundled up but he continued to shiver and I could see our breath suspended in the air inside of the house. Luckily, I was able to stay with two friends who live closer to essential services, so their power was consistently on. However, they both had issues with their water. Their water took on a chlorinated, chemical smell and they were seeing videos posted online of other Dallasites whose towels were bleached by it.

As of now, Thursday [February 18], I have power, but my water is still unsafe to drink. The main water line broke and has leached bacteria into the water supply. We are unable to drink, cook, or wash dishes and clothing without boiling the water first. It’s really difficult to feed my son now because cooking things takes twice as long due to the need to boil the water I use first, and we’re having to conserve our bottled water for drinking so I can’t use it to cook as often as I would like to. Even if I wanted to go to a restaurant, we’re all under the same boil advisory, so restaurants are closed. It’s really difficult to listen to him whine about hunger and thirst knowing that by the time I finish cooking something he’ll be inconsolably hungry and I’m powerless to do anything about it.

Fight Back!: What have you seen the majority of residents in Dallas doing to survive the freeze?

Miller: The majority of people have taken to really dangerous methods to keep warm, like using their ovens as heaters, burning unsafe materials in their fireplaces, and warming up in vehicles. There have been multiple reports of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to people using last-ditch efforts to try to keep warm. The city of Dallas did implement warming stations, but they’re turning away homeless Dallasites.

Fight Back!: Senator Ted Cruz recently fell under public scrutiny for taking a trip to Cancún during this time. What do you have to say about that?

Miller: Frankly, I’m not surprised by his cowardly behavior. It’s still such a huge insult because his constituents are literally dying due to his and ERCOT’s lack of responsibility to winterize the equipment, knowing that this storm was coming. He had it in him to criticize California during the wildfires when there were major power outages, and look at his own state, millions of people in the dark because of his and the Texas GOP’s failed policies.

Fight Back!: Hurricane Harvey in 2017 showed the world that the U.S. government and local Texas government are not actually interested in helping victims of natural disasters. What are politicians doing this time in Dallas to help the people?

Miller: There are few if no politicians who are doing much to help Dallasites, at least none that I’ve heard of, besides career grifters who have always leeched off the work of local activists to help their campaigns. There are some local activists who I’ve known for a while that are stepping up to the plate to provide access to hotels, warm meals and clean potable water.

Fight Back!: What can the general public do to help the people of Texas right now?

Miller: So for the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex there are many organizations that are stepping up to provide help for vulnerable people who are still braving this storm. I do recommend either donating to these groups or posting on social media about them to drum up donations if you’re not able to do that yourself. We’re watching politicians go on vacation, post callous remarks about state and local government “owing us nothing” and turning a blind eye to our plight, this is an important time to show how community really is all we have. Two great organizations that come to mind are Black Royal Family ($BlackRoyalFamily20) and Not My Son ($NotMySonDallas). They’re putting people in hotels and distributing water, clothing, food, firewood and other resources to those in need.

If you can’t signal boost or donate yourself, please do keep us in mind and have compassion for Texans. I’ve seen a lot of callousness surrounding our situation and this true natural disaster we’re dealing with. Call out your friends. It’s not funny that your fellow man is cold, scared and hungry. Regardless of where they live.

#Texas #TX #PeoplesStruggles #weatherEmergency

On February 11 at least six people died on Interstate 35 due to a 130-plus car pileup. The pileup occurred due to slippery conditions on the interstate. This catastrophic accident occurred because of poor maintenance and a lack of a contingency plan to deal with sleet. Over the course of the week, snow and ice have piled up several inches, adding to an intense breakdown of state infrastructure.

ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) reported there are rolling blackouts across the state resulting as the state attempted to distribute power. Natural gas and coal plants that provide power across the state are breaking down. The instruments and equipment used to distribute power have apparently frozen over since they lack maintenance and are in general inoperable during freezing temperatures. The rolling blackouts have rendered millions across the state without electricity.

It should be noteworthy that Texas is the largest energy producing state in the entirety of the U.S. but ironically is in crisis. Some windmills and wind turbines have frozen over as well, which is another significant reason for the loss in power. ERCOT reportedly had to rely on the rolling blackouts because the national power distribution supply network disconnected the power supply to the natural gas and coal plants in Texas to avoid the market price of natural gas from spiking and hence avoid losses. The state was forced to open warming centres because of these rolling blackouts.

Across the state of Texas blackouts have ravaged households. Electricity, gas, water and internet are in short supply across homes in the state. These homes are poorly insulated, resulting in high heat loss. Older houses have also faced burst pipes. Austin, Houston and Dallas have reportedly had fluctuating power throughout this emergency, with uneven distribution between richer and poorer neighborhoods. The Dallas American Airlines Center called for a decrease in power conservation to allow the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks to continue with their games in the following days and have faced backlash from people online because of this.

Governor Greg Abbott tweeted that the supply network hasn’t broken down completely, which is contrary to the present scenario. The ERCOT’s board members reside out of state and have openly said that they do know when the power outages will be over.

The state of Texas must take action to deal with this crisis because about 4 million lives are at stake. Politicians must prioritize the lives of the people instead of profiteering during this time.

#ArlingtonTX #Texas

Houston, TX – On July 8, activists with Malaya-Texas and Bayan, U.S.-based Filipino organizations, held events across the state of Texas against the repressive legislation enacted in the Philippines – the Republic Act 1147, also called Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

In Houston, activists publicly spoke against the measure and handed out flyers condemning Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s July 3 signing of the law. The organizers, along with allies of the Philippine struggle for social and national liberation, including from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), then dropped a banner from Montrose bridge over US Highway 59, which read “Junk Philippine terror law.”

Malaya’s flyer stated the organization’s reasons for opposing the law. “What is now the ‘Anti-Terrorism Law’ (ATL) is the latest advancement of Duterte’s brutal security policy,” their statement said. “This new law grants the Philippine government unchecked power to define terrorism and extrajudicially punish its citizenry. Under the ATL, Philippine law enforcement is authorized to execute unwarranted arrests, a strategy intended to brutalize and silence political opposition.”

The Malaya statement also demanded that the “U.S. representatives in Texas champion and pass the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA) and release an official condemnation of the Anti-Terror Law,” and that they work to “halt all United States weapons and military equipment sales to the Philippines which are used against Filipino people.”

#HoustonTX #Philippines #Texas #JunkTerrorBill

Laredo, TX – Alec Martinez refused to be questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at his home in Laredo, Texas on June 8, 2020. Martinez, like tens of thousands of Chicano youth, is active in mass marches opposing police killings and in solidarity with the George Floyd uprising in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Three FBI agents approached Alec’s home speaking in Spanish, but only identified themselves when Alec asked his relative who was outside.

A video shows the lead FBI agent handing Alec his badge saying, “There’s no problems. We just want to talk to you, concerning you know, I know you’ve been pretty busy so, but again there’s no problems.” The FBI agent waves to the other men present, “They are also with the FBI, do you have a few minutes?”

Alec replies, “I’m happy not to speak to you guys. I would like to speak to an attorney before communicating with you all.”

The lead FBI agent says, “Alright, no problem.”

The second FBI agent jumps in, “There’s no issues, I guarantee there’s no problems with you. At all! That’s fine if you don’t want to speak.”

Then third FBI agent takes his turn, “There isn’t any sort of criminal investigation. Just so you know there is no reason for you to be looking for an attorney. We are not looking at you in that sense.”

Martinez, “Well that’s great to hear. Bye-bye”

“No good can come from speaking to the FBI”

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression wants to remind friends and comrades, “No good can come from speaking to the FBI.”

Alec Martinez did the right thing by refusing to speak, instead offering to have an attorney present. The FBI agents were taken off guard because Alec Martinez was prepared for them. The FBI agents all made backhanded threats, before exiting quickly.

Don’t be intimidated. Do the right thing. Confirm your name and address, give a lawyer’s phone number, but don’t speak to the FBI. If you are caught lying to the FBI it can be a five-year prison sentence. One case was prominent in the news recently.

Trump unleashing repression

Right now, the FBI under President Trump is stepping up political repression and attempting to intimidate leaders, new and old. The FBI is the political police in a vast system of repression. That system is in crisis as millions across the U.S. stand up against police crimes and killings of African American, Chicano and other people.

The FBI exists to repress our freedom of assembly and free speech. They act as the “thought police” in a society facing the biggest rebellion since the late 1960s. Today’s FBI is more diverse, more polite, and dressed in business casual, but their business is still racist and political repression. Don’t speak to the FBI.

Click to see the video of Martinez rejecting the FBI. For more information about the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, visit https://stopfbi.org/

#LaredoTX #PoliceBrutality #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #PoliticalRepression #CSFR #Texas

Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Montes, a longtime leader in the Chicano movement, spoke out about the vicious massacre in Texas, stating, “We must condemn this mass killing in El Paso as a hate crime against Mexicans and Chicanos. President Trump's racist attacks have emboldened white supremacists to commit violent crimes against Blacks, Muslims and now Brown people.”

Montes noted, “El Paso is a special city for Chicanos and the millions of Mexicans and Central Americans who have passed through el Paso al norte in traveling North. It is affectionately referred to as el corazon de Aztlan [the heart of Aztlan] in the Chicano nation.”

El Paso has a long history of resistance against racism and of labor struggles, like the two-year Farah strike in the 1970s. El Paso and Juarez city across the border share a common bond with familial, cultural and economic bonds.

Montes stated, “Stop white supremacist attacks.”

#LACA #PeoplesStruggles #CarlosMontes #Chicano #Texas #ElPaso

Oliver shot Edwards four times with a rifle while Edwards was a passenger in a car that was leaving a party in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs.

Oliver maintained from the beginning that he only fired into the car because he feared for the safety of his fellow officers, and that the car was driving towards another officer when he fired. He said the same in his testimony during the trial. Witnesses, including the other cops, disputed this claim, and body camera footage showed the car was moving away from the officers when Oliver fired.

Olinka Green, an organizer with the North Texas Action Committee, compared the Jordan Edwards case to the case of Emmitt Till. “August 28, 1955. 14-year-old Emmitt Till was brutally murdered because of racism and evil,” Green said. “Two white men were found not guilty of his murder by a jury of white men. Today, August 28, 2018 white police officer Roy Oliver was found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. 63 years of waiting for justice to be served in both cases. Today a small answer and a prayer was granted in the last case. Justice can be delayed but it never denied.”

North Texas Action Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Miller added, “We as a community must continue our fight from here. Yes, Oliver has been convicted, but we cannot let out a sigh of relief even if the jury decides to sentence him to the maximum sentence of 99 years, because this fight goes well beyond Jordan Edwards and Roy Oliver. This is a struggle that needs to be continually held against the racist power structures that allow police officers like Oliver to wield the power to take the lives of Black and brown people.”

Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott also appeared to welcome the conviction, writing on Twitter, “White Texas police officer found guilty of murder for fatally shooting black teen in car. This life should never have been lost.”

The prosecution was led by Dallas County First Assistant District Attorney Mike Snipes. Dallas District Attorney Faith Johnson also participated directly in some aspects of the prosecution. District attorneys in Texas are generally elected, but Faith Johnson was appointed to the post by Governor Abbott in 2016 to finish out the term of a district attorney who had resigned.

Dan Sullivan, a Dallas lawyer who says he has been involved in protests against police brutality for many years, said he found Abbott's comments remarkable. “If you had told me five years ago that in 2018 the Republican governor of Texas would be welcoming the murder conviction of a police officer I'd never have believed you.”

Sullivan continued, “Of course we still have a long way to go, but the fact that Texas Republicans have finally taken seriously the police murder of a Black child is stunning. And it is absolutely a response to Black Lives Matter, which has really caused a crisis in some political circles. Don't let anyone ever tell you protests can't work.”

#DallasTX #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #Texas #PoliceCrimes #JordanEdwards

Dallas, TX – About 40 people gathered in Dealey Plaza in Downtown Dallas, April 14, to raise their voices against Trump’s attack on Syria the day before. Signs were present with slogans such as “Hands off Syria,” “No war on Syria” and “U.S. out of the Middle East.”

Protesters chanted “No justice, no peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!” and “No war on Syria.”

Organizations that were present at the rally were the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Solidarity, and The Dallas Peace and Justice Center.

“We are here to say no to the U.S.’s increasing imperialist attacks on Syria,” stated Cassandra Swart of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, one of the organizers of the rally.

#DallasTX #AntiwarMovement #US #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #Syria #USWarsAndOccupations #Texas

Dallas, TX – Thousands of people turned out here, Jan. 20 for the second annual women's march and proceeded from Saint Paul Methodist Church to Pike Park.

The focus of the march was anger at U.S. President Donald Trump, with many signs calling for his impeachment or resignation. But other signs referred to issues such as ending police brutality and freeing Palestinian political prisoner Ahed Tamimi.

At Pike Park, speakers addressed the crowd from the gazebo. However, the turnout was so high that most marchers could not fit in the park and relatively few could get close enough to hear the speeches.

#DallasTX #PeoplesStruggles #Texas #Trump #WomensMarch

Angelica Hernandez, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, said, “Donald Trump and his henchmen in the White House have no right to bomb Syria. Trump does not care about the Syrian people; if he did we would not be going to war and we would be opening our borders to refugees.”

Hernandez also stated that SDS would be calling another emergency anti-war action on the local college campus on Tuesday, April 11.

The organizations that took part in this demonstration included Students for a Democratic Society, Lufkin Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the Communist Party USA.

#LuftkinTX #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #Syria #HandsOffSyria #Texas

She gave a speech denouncing the repressiveness of the police, and then joined the march. They marched through downtown chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go.” They stopped at every bar and night club so that everyone in downtown could hear them.

The police were being more aggressive that evening, with dozens of police horses and cops with batons. During the protest, there was an argument with a Trump protester near a bar, and the police on horseback rushed to defend the Trump backer. A few protesters were trampled by the horses, one of whom was a young child. The child was smashed into a metal table and injured.

Towards the end of the march, a Trump supporter assaulted one of the protesters. The cops rushed to defend the Trump supporter, and then arrested the protester, charging her with 'disorderly conduct'. While the police only arrested one person, they were threatening to arrest multiple people.

Rachel Dawlish, a student at the University of Houston, said, “The incredible repressiveness of the police is an indication of the brutality that is to come. This is Trump's America: a society ruled by a repressive state that silences all opposition. We refuse to allow Trump's thugs to silence us, and we will be out here every week in order to prepare against the offensive that is to come.”

The protest ended with a unity clap and chants of “All power to the people!” The demonstration was organized by the Peoples New Black Panther Party and Students for a Democratic Society. Students at the University of Houston are planning to walk out next week, and more protests are scheduled.

#HoustonTX #US #PeoplesStruggles #Texas #Elections #Elections2016

Houston, TX – Hundreds of people, many who were students, came out to protest the election of Donald Trump, Nov. 10. They gathered in front of City Hall and began chanting, “Hey Trump, you liar, we're here to say you're fired,” followed by a few speeches. The sentiment of the crowd was one of rage and anger.

They began marching through downtown on Main Street where many people were out at bars. They chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go,” which echoed loudly and could be heard everywhere on the street. They started marching in the streets and the cops became very aggressive. Dozens of cops on horses showed up and there was a brief confrontation with the police.

Marchers were angered by the aggressive cops, and a protester made a brief speech saying, “These are Trump's minions who are taking away our democratic right to free speech!” During this confrontation, the cops arrested five people, three of whom were major organizers for this event as well as other events in recent weeks, like the protests against police brutality and racism.

After this confrontation, the protesters marched to the police station and made some fiery speeches.

Ashley Hall, a student at the University of Houston said of Trump, “His misogyny is going to take us back to the 50s and negate all the victories of the women's liberation movement. We don't recognize him as our president and refuse to let such a male chauvinist pig run our country.”

Lee Parker, a student at the University of Houston Downtown said, “We cannot allow Trump to turn back all of the victories of the Black Liberation Movement. He wants to take us back to the era of Jim Crow. He will put more cops in the streets, which will lead to more killings of Black people. Down with Donald Trump!”

At the end of the rally, the protesters marched to the jailhouse to demand the release of all the activists who were arrested.

Samuel Gutierrez, a student activist, said, “These cops have been put here by Trump to silence his opposition. They are trying to arrest the leadership of our movement in order to weaken the forces of resistance. We demand that all who were arrested tonight be freed immediately.”

The march was organized by Students for a Democratic Society and Black Lives Matter Houston. More protests against Trump are scheduled for this weekend.

#HoustonTX #US #PeoplesStruggles #Protest #Antiracism #Texas #Antifascism #Elections #Trump

As the students marched through the campus they chanted “Black lives matter,” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police.” The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) action drew the attention of local news stations and newspapers.

“The brutality of the police comes from generations of systematic and institutionalized racism that dates back to a time when African Americans were in chains and enslaved,” said Katlynn Oleinik of SDS.

Angelica Hernandez stated, “SDS demands that the police be put under the control of the communities in which they operate, for only when communities have control of the police will progress be made.”

#LufkinTX #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Texas

Houston, TX – The neo-Nazi White Knights of America staged a “White Lives Matter” rally outside the Anti-Defamation League office in Houston on Oct. 1. This small hate group also protested outside of the NAACP headquarters with shotguns a few weeks ago. Over 50 people counter-protested the white-supremacist hate group and demanded that they leave.

Police stood protecting the white supremacists and their spokesperson, who wore a “Trump for president 2016” hat.

“We've come here today to let these fascists know that they aren't welcome anywhere. We will be wherever they show up, and reject their fascist message of racism, hatred and fear-mongering,” said David Smith, a member of the Houston Socialist Movement who organized the protest.

The much larger anti-racist crowd chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Nazi scum has got to go!” and “Black lives matter!”

African American activists with the Black Lives Matter movement gave speeches explaining the connections between the “White Lives Matter” and the KKK. One speaker said, “The struggles of Black people in the 1930s against lynch terror continues today against fascist hate groups like ‘White Lives Matter.’”

“People from different communities have come out today to show them that we aren't scared, even when they carry guns to intimidate us. Black lives matter!” a member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said in a speech.

Earlier this week a man dressed as a Nazi and connected to the “White Lives Matter” group shot and injured nine people in Houston.

The anti-racist protesters stood for four hours unified and strong in their message, facing off with the armed fascists.

#HoustonTX #PeoplesStruggles #fascism #Antiracism #Texas #Antifascism

Lufkin, TX – On Sept. 14, students at Angelina College painted a banner for a Black Lives Matter rally being organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

While the students were painting, a police officer from the Angelina County Sherriff’s Department approached and questioned the students about their actions. The police officer then harassed two women activists about the banner. He then forcefully took a flyer from the other SDS activist who was leafleting students on campus.

Angelica Hernandez of SDS said, “He was very overpowering in his tone of voice and was obviously trying to get us to respond to his questions. The police officer stated he was going to request more security on the day of the rally. It is clear they are trying to intimidate us to keep up from having our rally.”

“No matter the police presence, SDS will hold its Black Lives Matter rally at Angelina College. No racist police officer will stop the people’s voice from being heard!” Hernandez said.

The SDS rally will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 10:55 a.m. outside of the Angelina College Student Center.

#LufkinTX #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #Texas #Antifascism #BlackLivesMatter #PoliceHarassment

Houston, TX – On June 17 over 200 activists and community leaders protested Donald Trump in River Oaks, a wealthy area. Trump was holding a campaign fundraiser at the home of the right-wing lawyer Tony Buzbee. Supporters who attended the fundraiser paid $5000 dollars to have their photo taken with Trump, and as much as $250,000 to spend an evening with the Republican nominee.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) caused a massive disturbance. SDS marched from the corner of San Felipe and Claremont to the house Tony Buzbee. As they marched through the area where Trump supporters had gathered, they chanted, “When racist Republicans come to town, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” SDS then led the march to join another anti-Trump protest organized by the Houston Socialist Movement.

Angelica Hernandez, a member of SDS, stated, “Trump and his right-wing rhetoric are not welcome here. We have come here today to demand equality and an end to the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Trump and the GOP.”

Ian Cox, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization gave a speech to the crowd, calling for “the overthrow of the capitalist system in order to end all forms of oppression that are directed against the working class and oppressed nationalities within the U.S.”

#HoustonTX #US #PeoplesStruggles #Antiracism #Texas #Antifascism #Elections #2016Elections #Trump

Houston, TX — On May 21, right-wing groups attempted to intimidate the Muslim community in Houston by holding an armed rally outside of the Islamic Daw'ah Center. The fifteen white supremacists displayed racist symbols, including the confederate flag, and chanted racist and anti-Muslim slurs. However, scores of people came out to fight back and confront the white supremacists’ message of hate and fear.

Over eighty people showed up to protest the white supremacists Islamophobic hate speech. Arab-Americans, Chicanos and progressive white activists joined together to defend Muslim Americans. The activists guarded the Islamic Daw'ah Center so that the Islamophobes could not get near the building. A huge line of cops stood between the white supremacists and the protesters. The chants of the Center’s defenders could be heard for blocks, “When Muslims are under attack. What do we do? Stand up fight back!” and “Islamophobes go home!”

Angelica Hernandez with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “Wall Street, Trump, and his fascist supporters promote Islamophobia at home in order to wage their imperialist wars abroad. They create fear of the Muslim community in order to get the public to support their wars. These wars have one purpose, and one purpose alone: to expand US imperialist hegemony in the Middle East and gain access to new markets. To oppose Islamophobia is to oppose US imperialism and stand with oppressed peoples in their struggle for liberation”.

Ian Cox, with Students for a Democratic Society, said, “Islamophobia is designed to strengthen the State of Israel, which only exists so that the US can continue its wars and domination in the Middle East. These fascist crooks across the street are no different than the Zionists in Israel who create fear of the Palestinian people in order to legitimate their occupation.”

#HoustonTX #PeoplesStruggles #AntiRacism #Texas #Antifascism #Islamaphobia

Lufkin, TX – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in Lufkin organized a forum, April 20, to inform the community about the case of Palestinian activist, Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a 69-year-old Palestinian American activist who was brutalized and tortured by the Israeli government and is now being targeted by the U.S. because of her activism.

They opened the event with some background on the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and then discussed Rasmea Odeh's activism, as well as the U.S. government's attempts to silence her with a trumped-up immigration charge. Many people in the crowd were hearing about Odeh’s case for the first time. At the same time they were learning about the crimes committed by the U.S.-sponsored state of Israel and the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Afterwards there was a lively discussion that lasted for nearly 45 minutes, in which the students and professors in the audience expressed anger and outrage at the government's attempts to jail and deport her.

Angelica Hernandez, a member of SDS in Lufkin, said, “It is very clear that Rasmea Odeh is innocent of the crime she is accused and it is up to people around the U.S. and the world to defend her and help her receive the justice she so deserves. Long live Rasmea Odeh!”

#LufkinTX #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #Palestine #MiddleEast #Texas #RasmeaOdeh #Justice4Rasmea #PoliticalRepression

Houston, TX – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are organizing events in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh this week at University of Houston. Rasmea Odeh is a 68-year-old Palestinian American woman, tortured and imprisoned by the Israeli military occupation in 1969. For the past 20 years, she lived in Chicago, serving the Arab American and American Muslim community. She is beloved by many and won multiple awards for her work with women and children. The U.S. government is targeting Odeh for political reasons. She is being charged with minor immigration paper work offences, but the trumped-up case involves the judge and prosecutor talking on and on about terrorism.

On March 30, SDS is planning a rally and march at the University of Houston demanding justice for Rasmea Odeh. Later in the evening, they will hold a joint forum with Students for Justice in Palestine to educate students and the community about Rasmea Odeh’s life, activism and her struggle against oppression. The event on campus will also raise awareness about U.S. funding for the Israeli military.

The rally and march will be in front of the UH library at 5:00 p.m. on March 30. The forum will be held at 7:00 p.m. on campus in the Farish Hall, Kiva room.

Over the weekend, students went to Houston’s Menil Park make a banner for the event. Many people in the neighborhood of Montrose were interested and came to look at the banner. The students talked to many people about the anti-war movement, the Palestinian liberation struggle and Rasmea Odeh. This is going to be a large event and many people are expected to attend.

#HoustonTX #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #politicalRepression #Texas #RasmeaOdeh