News and Views from the People's Struggle
Minneapolis, MN – Over 125 people gathered together for the Twin Cities Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s annual International Worker’s Day program, April 28. The night started with dinner and conversation. Childcare was provided.
Salt Lake City, UT – Shouts of “Stand up! Fight back!” echoed off the buildings of downtown Salt Lake City April 28 as more than 40 people gathered to celebrate working-class victories on May Day.
Los Angeles, CA – This spring has brought a rising tide of protests in the in the primarily Chicano communities of East Los Angeles (ELA) and Boyle Heights. The community has taken to the street to protest privatization of public schools, for student rights, and against police terror. Preparations are underway for a powerful May Day protest that will unite the community on the many issues, with the main demands being “Legalization for all” and “No deportations.”
Labor and immigrants vs. billionaires and bigots
This year, International Workers Day on May 1 is important for the labor and immigrant rights movements. For over a year now, the people have faced an onslaught of attacks from President Trump’s right-wing administration. Trump’s White House wants to enact the agenda of billionaires and bigots at all costs, whether through tax breaks for the rich, or through cruel raids and deportations of immigrants that rip families apart.
Este año, el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores el primero de mayo es importante para los movimientos por los derechos laborales y de los inmigrantes. Por más de un año, las personas se han enfrentado a los ataques de la administración del presidente Trump. La Casa Blanca de Trump quiere promulgar la agenda de los ricos a toda costa, a través de exenciones impositivas para los ricos, o por redadas crueles y deportaciones de inmigrantes que destrozan a las familias inmigrantes.
Annual International Workers Day march on Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, May 1, a broad coalition of unions, workers organizations, immigrant rights groups, and other community organizations will have a unified march and cultural program in South Minneapolis. The unified march will begin at 3:30 p.m. with short speeches at Lake and Nicollet. At 4 p.m. the march will leave. The march will culminate in a Cultural Program at the Powderhorn Park building at 5:15 p.m. with speakers, music and dance performances.
Oshkosh, WI – On April 21, United Action Oshkosh (UAO) held its first workshop for the community on its campaign to push for Oshkosh to become a sanctuary city.
Minneapolis, MN – On April 21, around 100 protesters rallied at the busy intersection of Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, holding signs that read, “No Muslim ban ever,” “No U.S. bombing Syria,” and “Stop the war on Muslims at home and abroad.” The rally was organized by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) to send a message of support to the Muslim community in anticipation for the upcoming Supreme Court hearing on the Muslim ban.
Chicago, IL – Maya Arcilla was angry as she opened the protest rally at the Federal Plaza in Chicago. A human rights activist from the Philippines, Jerome Succor Aba, had been held by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and then subject to psychological torture during a 28-hour period inside the San Francisco airport.
Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, April 13, in the City Hall rotunda, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) held their third press conference with their coalition partners since the launch of their campaign for ‘Sanctuary Now’ in Minneapolis. Before the meeting of the city council, they demanded urgent action to implement a Municipal ID for Minneapolis residents – one of 13 points in MIRAC’s Minneapolis Sanctuary Platform unveiled on Sept. 20, 2017.
Milwaukee, WI – Immigrants and community members gathered March 5 on Milwaukee’s south side, where the Young Peoples Resistance Committee (YPRC) led a rally, demanding that President Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress introduce legislation to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Minneapolis, MN – On Feb. 28, students from multiple Minneapolis middle and high schools walked out of classes to demand a clean Dream Act. More than 75 students rallied briefly at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park before travelling to the University of Minnesota campus and marching to the office of Senator Amy Klobuchar. Once they arrived at Klobuchar’s office, students stormed into the building and refused to leave until the senator agreed to meet with them.
Oshkosh, WI – On Feb. 24, a group of over 40 people gathered at the Opera House Square in downtown Oshkosh for a demonstration and march in support of DACA and immigrants who are under constant attack by the reactionary policies of the federal government.
Los Angeles, CA – Over 50 angry people protested in front of the Los Angeles Police Department Boyle Heights Hollenbeck police station, Feb. 17. Cardboard signs with slogans like, “Justice for Christian Escobedo,” “Stop police brutality,” “Stop killing our youth,” and “De-escalation not violence” were waved at the people driving by and at the LAPD.
Tampa, FL – Student activists gathered Feb. 12 to demand the University of South Florida administration make USF a sanctuary campus and push local Representative Kathy Castor to support a Clean Dream Act in Congress. The event was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and featured several speakers. Some of the topics addressed included why people immigrate here, Trump’s attacks on the undocumented and Muslim communities, and how to make USF a sanctuary campus. Students stopped to listen to speeches and join in the chanting.
Denver, CO – More than 50 people gathered in Denver’s Civic Center Park, Feb. 7, and marched to U.S. Senator Michael Bennett’s office. The protesters are frustrated over his lack of action to defend DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Milwaukee, WI – On Jan 20, the Young People’s Resistance Committee (YPRC) attended Milwaukee’s Women’s March. Around 20,000 people were in attendance to counter the Trump administration’s continuous attacks on women, queer people and other oppressed communities.
Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, Jan.14, immigrant rights activists, including students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, held a protest and community outreach action on the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, a busy intersection in the heart of the Minneapolis Latino immigrant community. They demanded that Congress pass a clean Dream Act before the Jan. 19 congressional budget deadline.A clean Dream Act means permanent protection for immigrant youth with DACA status who were brought here as children, without pairing that with repressive anti-immigrant measures like the border wall, ending family-based immigration and the diversity lottery or increased raids and deportations against other immigrants like President Trump is trying to do.At the busy intersection, the protesters held signs and chanted demanding a clean Dream Act. Some signs also supported Salvadorans, Haitians and others for whom Trump has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS), exposing hundreds of thousands of families to the threat of deportation. Some of the group’s signs also made pointed reference to Trump’s recent racist statement calling El Salvador, Haiti, and African countries “shithole countries.” Many passing cars honked and signaled their agreement with the anti-Trump and pro-immigrant message.The action was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Interracial Student Movement (ISM), as part of a series of efforts to pressure Congress to act now to pass a clean Dream Act.After protesting outside in the bitter cold for a half hour, the group went inside a popular Latino immigrant marketplace. There, American Indian Movement (AIM) leader Clyde Bellecourt spoke to the group, expressing support for immigrant youth. Bellecourt put the struggle in the context of European colonization of the Americas and the struggle of the indigenous peoples of the Americas for unity and justice, and emphasizing the importance of young people in leading the struggle forward.Then, in a visual and participatory action, the group shared balloons with messages supporting immigrant youth written on them with people in the marketplace. The organizers called on everybody to pop their balloons at the same time to symbolize that President Trump and Congress are trying to destroy young people’s dreams. Three organizers from the group spoke to the gathered crowd, sharing information with people about the struggle of DACA youth and the need for the community to get involved in the fight for a clean Dream Act.In September 2017, President Trump abruptly announced the end of DACA. A federal court ruling has temporarily forced the administration to keep DACA alive while court cases about it are still being heard. But this is a temporary situation, not a real solution. The need for action for immigrant youth is as urgent as ever. As soon as the court cases end, every day around 122 more immigrant youth will lose their legal status and face the threat of being deported and uprooted from the only life they have ever known. Having put 800,000 immigrant youth in jeopardy of deportation by ending DACA, President Trump and anti-immigrant Republicans in Congress are now cynically using these young immigrants as bargaining chips for their anti-immigrant agenda.Democrats in Congress have given lip service in support of immigrant youth, yet enough of them voted before the new year in support of the continuing resolution to fund the congressional budget for it to pass, temporarily keeping the government open until the fast-approaching Jan. 19 deadline. With that deadline upon us, another congressional vote on the budget is here, and the Republicans can’t pass it without some Democrats’ votes. So immigrant rights activists around the country are demanding that congressional Democrats turn their lip service into action and all vote no on passing any congressional budget unless a clean Dream Act is passed, even if that means a government shutdown. That is one of the strongest kinds of leverage they have to force a clean Dream Act through despite the opposition of anti-immigrant Republicans in Congress and the administration.
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Los Angeles, CA – Over 1000 Salvadorians and allies marched in downtown LA, Jan. 13, to demand Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and residency. The loud and enthusiastic rally denounced Trump for his racist and insulting comments against Africa and El Salvador, pointing out that U.S. interventions have caused misery, poverty and the mass displacement of millions in Central America and Africa.
Demands are to pass Sanctuary City Platform and create a Minneapolis Police Accountability Council
Minneapolis, MN – On Jan. 12, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) made their presence felt at the first meeting of the newly-elected Minneapolis city council.