Orlando, FL – On January 20, organizations from around Central Florida rallied to protest the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

Jacob Muldoon, district organizer of the Orlando District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “We are here to begin the resistance to an agenda trying to take each of us down, from students and labor organizers to women and anti-war protesters.”

The group began with chants of “They say go back, we say fight back!” and transitioned into speeches by local organizers on how they will be fighting against the Trump agenda.

A member of UCF Students for a Democratic Society stated, “Thus, our focus should not be only Trump himself, but how he has emboldened universities, including our own UCF, to limit student rights in order to fit their own agenda. Just this year the UCF board of trustees moved to not only pass anti-trans policies on campus, but also multiple anti-protesting regulations on campus, as a response to the pro-Palestine encampments of Spring 2024.”

“What's particularly insidious about Donald Trump is how much he always has and continues to tout himself as an anti-war candidate,” said Cassia Laham from Orlando for Peace and the United National Antiwar Coalition. “We must continue demanding justice in Palestine, demanding the U.S. stop arming and funding the genocidal Israeli state, and demanding a world without U.S. wars.”

Edmund Anglero from Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC) talked about the connection between the Trump agenda and local police agencies, stating, “Racist trigger-happy cops patrolling our community will be more willing to take someone’s life without fear of any repercussions. This is why we need to fight for police accountability, especially after the city dissolved the Civilian Police Review Board.”

The rally ended safely with a final chant of “Hey hey ho ho, the Trump agenda has got to go!”

The protest was led by the Orlando district of FRSO, alongside Orlando for Peace, UCF Students for a Democratic Society, Central Florida Queers for Palestine, American Party of Labor, Orlando DSA, Space Coast DSA, and Revolutionary Marxists of Orlando.

#OrlandoFL #SDS #FRSO #DSA #UCF #QueersforPalestine #Trump #Inauguration #OAPC #CPRB

The rally began around 3 p.m. to coincide with SCAI’s preliminary conference with the student charged. The rally was opened with an introduction explaining the charges alleged against Chris Gibson. Gibson is currently facing a felony and misdemeanor charge for protesting against the Israeli genocide in Palestine this October at Orlando City Hall. Orange County is alleging one count of resisting arrest without violence and one count of battery on an officer.

UCF’s Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity then proceeded to allege student conduct charges against Chris Gibson even though his original charges are still not filed, the event was off UCF campus, and no UCF staff or faculty were involved with the event. Chris Gibson has two conduct charges: “3(g) Disruptive Conduct” and “4(a) Harmful Behavior.”

Nova Patterson, a lead organizer with the UCF Divestment Coalition, was the first to speak, “We are here to show that we know what is going on and we are not going to let it slide. We are not going to allow UCF to just slap conduct charges against students just for protesting against genocide. Shame on UCF!”

The preliminary conference itself consisted of the charged student meeting with their case worker to discuss what the university is alleging against the student. Gibson reported that, due to the severe nature of the allegations, SCAI has decided to skip the informal hearing and move forward with a formal hearing scheduled for Tuesday, November 26 at 1 p.m. Because of SCAI’s decision to skip the informal hearing, as of now Chris Gibson is set to face a panel of faculty and students (chosen by SCAI) without knowing what the potential sanctions are.

Patterson went on to discuss recent anti-protesting amendments that were passed unanimously by UCF’s board of trustees, such as banning the use of face masks at rallies, requiring registration if there is a possibility that an event will have 50 or more participants, and banning the posting of flyers to light posts and university property, to name a few. “No matter what, this is a public campus. We are going to continue showing up!”

These conduct charges come at a time when the UCF police department has surveilled pro-Palestine students painting banners in a public area on campus, interrogated students studying in the library over the banner making and trespassing a Palestinian graduate student for attending anti-genocide rallies.

Theodore Crouch spoke on behalf of UCF Young Democratic Socialists of America. “The university cannot continue to be hostile to anti-apartheid protesters. We are the students, we fund this university, and we make it what it is. Putting us in jail is not the solution. All the charges against Chris Gibson must be dropped.”

Despite the rain, UCF Students for a Democratic Society, Divestment Coalition, and Young Democratic Socialists of America led a successful rally to build pressure against administration and show the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity that Chris Gibson has the support of students.

The student protesters led several chants outside of Ferrell Commons and as they marched back to Reflection Pond. Some chants included: “Hands off the student movement,” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Drop the charges!”

The rally was closed out by Vanessa Christaldi, a lead organizer with UCF Students for a Democratic Society. “We are here to let administration know that they cannot silence the voices of students, that we are aware of the tactics they use, and that we as student protesters will not sit silently as they try to isolate and intimidate us.”

#OrlandoFL #ChrisGibson #repression #UCF #SDS #Palestine

The rally took place at Memory Mall facing the Addition Financial Arena, where UCF was holding a graduation ceremony.

Graduates and attendees walking out of the commencement ceremony were met with the sight of student protesters. Many walking back to their cars stayed and chanted with the pro-Palestine demonstrators. Some of the chants consisted of “Whose school? Our school!” And “45,000 dead and you’re arresting kids instead,” referencing the over 2000 student protesters who have been arrested nationwide for pro-Palestinian activism.

Lamia Moukaddam, an organizer with Healing Our Homeland, explained to the crowd, “When you go and call this a war and not a genocide, that’s a lie and it’s murdering people,” elaborating on what the chant “Every time the media lies, a neighborhood in Gaza dies” means, since the mainstream Western media consistently portrays Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people as a war between two equal forces.

Tamara Yousef, an organizer with the UCF Divestment Coalition stated, “UCF’s investment portfolios are incredibly hidden and difficult to find. We want them to divest from these companies that we had to seriously search for to even find that they were partnering with.”

Despite some initial rain and the presence of nearly 100 police officers of varying departments surrounding the demonstration, the rally continued as planned without incident for over two hours. This event was created by the UCF Divestment Coalition in collaboration with UCF SDS, UCF YDSA, Florida Student Power, CFL Queers for Palestine, and Healing Our Homeland.

#OrlandoFL #UCF #SDS #UCFSDS #FreePalestine #Divest #BDS

Orlando, FL – On April 26, an informal student conduct hearing was held at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the political repression case of Marcus Polzer, a UCF Students for a Democratic Society member.

While Polzer is officially facing two counts of disruptive conduct, police reports cite “larceny/property damage and criminal mischief” as reasons for the student conduct report. These charges stem from the organizer putting up UCF SDS meeting flyers and pro-Palestine leaflets on outdoor light posts and community spaces.

During the informal hearing, Polzer pleaded not guilty to the charges and expressed how they are being selectively enforced, exposing the political nature of the discipline attempts.

Despite Florida law expressly protecting free speech on college campuses, specifically in outdoor spaces, UCF Student Conduct and Academic Integrity has continued its campaign targeting pro-Palestine sentiment on campus like UCF SDS. The informal hearing was the first step in the disciplinary process, with a formal teacher-student meeting to be held on May 15 at 1:30 p.m.

UCF SDS demands, “Hands off the student movement!”

#OrlandoFL #SDS #UCF #UCFSDS #FreePalestine

Orlando, FL – 25 students gathered at the University of Central Florida, March 4, to protest the presence of Lockheed Martin on their campus. UCF Students for a Democratic Society organized the rally outside of what was meant to be a “Diversity Panel” hosted by the weapons manufacturer, which has supplied weapons to Israel for the ongoing occupation and war against the people of Palestine.

As they rallied outside of the Career Services and Experiential Learning Building, student protesters chanted, “Free Palestine!” and “Israel bombs, Lockheed supplies, end the Gaza genocide!” A large banner held be several activists read,” Lockheed Martin bombs hospitals.”

The group listened to various impassioned speakers who denounced the Israeli occupation, the ongoing slaughter of the Palestinian people, and the attempt by Lockheed Martin to pinkwash its reputation by recruiting a more “diverse” workforce to its blood-stained ranks. The students of UCF didn’t buy it.

“By selling weapon systems and aircraft to Israel, Lockheed Martin isn’t just complicit, but an active enabler of Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” said Marcus Polzer, co-founder and lead organizer with UCF SDS. “And if UCF actively help Lockheed Martin’s recruitment of employees thought the College Work Experience Program, then our university is complicit in genocide. Get these war profiteers off of our campus.”

Within an hour of the start of the protest, a major victory was announced.

It was confirmed that Lockheed Martin had moved its event off campus. It was not clear whether it was the University of Central Florida that gave in to the students’ demands and kept Lockheed Martin from meeting on college ground, or whether the weapons manufacturer itself was scared off by the students’ presence and promise of further direct action.

“This is a great victory for the students of UCF,” said Polzer. “And proof that direct action, ongoing protests, and organizing on the ground, work. And we will continue to agitate for justice on this campus, and for a free Palestine.”

#OrlandoFL #LockheedMartin #UCF #FreePalestine #HandsOffGaza #SDS #Pinkwashing #UCFSDS