Fight Back News Service is circulating the following April 17 statement from the Twin Cities based Anti-War Committee.

Williams denying any links

Jacksonville, FL – On Friday, April 7, a Peace for Syria demonstration was brutally disrupted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) in downtown Jacksonville. Community members and activists have wondered about a connection between Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams and Gary Snow, the right-wing counter protester seen in several videos harassing and assaulting the five activists, now known as the Jax5, who were beaten and arrested by JSO despite committing no crime. Gary Snow was not interfered with in any way and was filmed sitting on a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office car after the event.

Salt Lake City protests police violence, calls for DA’s resignation

Salt Lake City, UT – Heavy winds blew and rain fell on Utah anti-police-brutality activists, April 8, but they stood defiant, refusing to let weather dilute their message that prosecutors must drop the ridiculous charges against Abdullahi “Abdi” Mohamed, who was shot and paralyzed by Salt Lake City police last year.

At least 4 arrested, 1 hospitalized

Jacksonville, FL – Police launched a vicious attack on a “No war with Syria” rally in Jacksonville’s Hemming Park, this evening, April 7. Eyewitness say at least four have been arrested, and that one protester was beaten so severely that he has been hospitalized.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Rasmea Defense Committee.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 25th, 2017, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (rally at 1:00 PM, hearing starts at 2:30 PM)

Houston, TX – About 20 people rallied in front of City Hall, April 4, to demand Justice for Alva Braziel and Vincent “Vido” Young, both of whom were murdered by Houston police. They passed out a leaflet to people at City Hall with the photo of the cops that killed Alva Braziel with the title “Wanted for murder.”

Zionists driven away

Houston, Texas – On March 27, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted a discussion at the University of Houston called “The Black Radical Tradition and Palestine” with Dr. Gerald Horne, chair of African-American Studies at the University of Houston (UH). Over 50 students and people from the community who showed up to learn about the history of Black activism and about the importance of solidarity between Black people and Palestinians in America.

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) just claimed their first Boyle Heights victim of 2017. A 36-year-old Chicano named Fred Barragan from the Boyle Heights neighborhood was killed by cops on March 25. Per local news reports, gunshots were heard around midnight. LAPD reports to the press that they saw Barragan run and an attempted to stop Barragan, leading to his killing. A witness disputes the LAPD version of events.

Minneapolis, MN – Two Latin American leftists, Gloría Inés Ramírez and renowned Marxist sociologist Atilio Borrón, were detained by Mexican immigration authorities based on information provided by the U.S. government.

St. Paul, MN – Dozens burst into the city council meeting here on Wednesday afternoon, March 22, to demand answers after the police killing of 29-year-old African American, Cordale Handy.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Rasmea Defense Committee.

Los Angeles, CA – Brock Turner is a 22-year-old white Stanford University swimmer jock who nobody cared about, until he decided to rape an unconscious woman (“Emily Doe”) behind a dumpster. His disgusting face should be familiar to all of you.

Detroit, MI – Michael Deutsch, Jim Fennerty, and the rest of the legal defense team for Rasmea Odeh are gearing up for trial, now scheduled for May 30. New motions filed this week put the question of Israel and its torturers front and center, and will be considered at a hearing on April 25 (moved from April 4).

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Rasmea Defense Committee.

Police detain pro-immigrant protester assaulted by Trump supporter

Salt Lake City, UT – One month after delivering demands for a sanctuary campus to the University of Utah administration, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) sat in and shut down their office on March 8.

Chicago, IL – Over 1000 people gathered at the headquarters of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8. Speakers from CTU, Fight For 15, the teachers union at the Charter School Aspira, AFSCME and other unions shared the stage with Rasmea Odeh, along with Filipino, Iranian and undocumented immigrant women.

Minneapolis, MN – I first met Lynne Stewart, and her husband Ralph Poynter, in the summer of 2008 at an anti-war conference in Ohio. When I met the famed “people’s lawyer,” she was in the midst of appealing her conviction for the bogus crime of vigorously defending her client. Lynne was humble and warm, and didn’t seem to notice that I was star struck as she signed on in support of the anti-war march I was organizing at the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul the coming September.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, a standing-room only crowd of more than 700 packed the San Jose Day of Remembrance event. Every year the San Jose Nihonmachi Outreach Committee (NOC) organizes this event to commemorate Executive Order 9066. Executive Order 9066 paved the way for the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II.

Minneapolis, MN – On Feb. 2 an outstanding lawyer for the people, Ted Dooley, passed away. Fight Back! extends our condolences to his family, many friends and all those who knew him through the struggles for peace, justice and equality.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today, Feb. 15, called on the Filipino people to protest the police and military crackdown after at least 19 individuals, mostly activists as well as civilians, who were arrested in Metro Manila and other parts of the country in a span of just one week since the Duterte regime terminated peace talks and declared an “all-out war” against the revolutionary forces last February 7.