Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

In-Justice System

By staff

Jose Mendez (right) with family members

Los Angeles, CA – On Feb. 6, a 16-year-old Chicano teen, Jose Mendez, was shot and killed by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) by cops from Hollenbeck Division in the Boyle Heights community, located in the East Los Angeles area.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – Members of the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition and other community organizations are mobilizing for protests against Florida State Attorney Angela Corey later in February. Corey is responsible for incarcerating more Black youth than any other state attorney in Florida and for failing to serve justice in several high-profile cases. Corey's record includes failing to convict George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin, and locking up Marissa Alexander for defending herself against her violent estranged husband. In 2015, Corey also failed to deliver justice in the case of D'angelo Stallworth, a UPS employee murdered by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO).

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – Members of Jamar Clark’s family, community activists and artists will join together for the “Break the Silence! Honoring Jamar Clark Benefit Show,” on Feb. 9, 7:00-10:00 pm, at the Capri Theater, 2027 W. Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis.

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By Dan Sullivan

Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, TX

Austin, TX – Over 300 students and activists marched at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Austin on Jan. 30. The large crowd of both students and community activists rallied at the University of Austin campus to hear speeches and then marched to the Texas state capitol building.

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By Vera Lynn

Houston protest demands justice for Sandra Bland.

Houston, TX – Over 60 people gathered in front of the library at the University of Houston, Jan. 29, to protest against police brutality and demand justice for Sandra Bland, an African American woman who was murdered at the nearby Waller County jail last summer. The protest was organized by Students for a Democratic Society and participants included members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Houston Anti-War Committee, the Student Feminist Organization, the New Black Panther Party, Workers World Party and a few other groups.

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By Tom Burke

Tampa, FL – Tampa anti-war activist Jessica Schwartz says a family member handed her an FBI agent’s card. The card was stuck in the front door of the family home and belonged to FBI Special Agent A. Brett Fears.

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By staff

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Minneapolis, MN – Around 40 people marched in Minneapolis on Jan. 26 to mark the date 16 months ago when 43 student activists were forcibly disappeared from Ayotzinapa, México. The marchers demanded that the Mexican government account for the still-missing students, echoing the demand of the families of the 43 students in México. The students were last seen when police detained them in Iguala, México in September 2014. The Mexican government still has not provided a credible explanation of what happened to them or where they are.

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By Loretta VanPelt

Minneapolis, MN – Over 100 people braved sub-zero weather, Jan. 18, to demand justice for Jamar Clark and Marcus Golden in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Black Lives Matter Saint Paul and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar Clark organized the event.

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By Rasmea Defense Committee

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call for action from the Rasmea Defense Committee.

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By Tom Burke

Rev. Osagyefo Sekou and Rasmea Odeh.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Teachers Union invited Rev. Osagyefo Sekou as their guest of honor and keynote speaker for a Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast on Friday, Jan. 15. Reverend Sekou became well known across the country when he travelled to Ferguson during the rebellion in August 2014, after the murder of Mike Brown. He defended the movement, and especially the youth, in their opposition to the militarized police repression.

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By Katherine Draken

FSU students demand justice for Tamir Rice and Sandra Bland

Tallahassee, FL – A group of students gathered on the Florida State University (FSU) campus, Jan. 12 to demand justice for victims of police murder, Tamir Rice and Sandra Bland. The students also demanded “No more grand juries – jail killer cops.”

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By Loretta VanPelt

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St. Paul, MN—Dozens braved near zero temperatures to demand “Justice for Philip Quinn”, a 30-year-old White Earth Ojibwe man killed by St Paul police last September.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Protesters gather outside the Waller County Courthouse in Hempstead, Texas.

Hempstead, TX—Twenty-five activists protested outside the grand jury at the Waller County Courthouse on January 6. The grand jury met to determine whether or not to indict Texas Trooper Brian Encinia for the unlawful arrest of Sandra Bland. Trooper Encinia lied about forcefully removing Bland from her car while yelling, “I will light you up!”

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Protests in Chicago have been occurring for weeks in reaction to a mass cover-up by the Chicago Police Department, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State Attorney Anita Alvarez. LaQuan McDonald was a 17-year-old African American teen who was murdered – shot to death by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in October 2014. Shortly after the murder, killer cop Van Dyke and the Chicago police tried to claim that McDonald had threatened the officer’s life. However, recently released police cruiser dashcam footage showed McDonald walking away from police officers as Van Dyke fired 16 bullets into his body. Many of those shots occurring as McDonald lay dying on the ground.

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By Joe Iosbaker

Chicago community vigil for Quintonio LeGrier.

Chicago, IL – A silent crowd of nearly 200 gathered across the street from Gwendolyn Brooks Academy in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood tonight, Dec 29, to remember Quintonio LeGrier, killed by the cops the morning after Christmas.

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By staff

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Chicago IL – 200 people gathered, Dec. 27, in the rain for an emotional vigil in front of the West Side home where a Chicago cop murdered Bettie Jones and Quintonio Legrier. The protest was called by Action Now, the community group that Jones had been active with.

#ChicagoIL #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Antiracism #policeKillings

By staff

Frank Chapman

Chicago, IL – Bettie Jones and Quintonio Legrier are the names of the latest victims of the Chicago Police Department.

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By Loretta VanPelt

Jigme Ugen, Alex Clark (shortly before his arrest), and Jess Sundin.

Bloomington, MN – Just two days before Christmas, Dec. 23, and despite a failed lawsuit that asked courts to force organizers to cancel, Black Lives Matter protesters descended on the Mall of America (MOA) to protest the police murders of Jamar Clark and other African Americans.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – In an unprecedented attempt at halting the upcoming Black Live Matters Minneapolis gathering, the Mall of America has sued eight activists to compel them to immediately” post messages on social media and send out a mass text message announcing their Dec. 23 event is cancelled.

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By Brad Sigal

Dec. 19 march demanding justice for Jamar Clark.

Minneapolis, MN – Chanting, “If Jamar don’t get it, shut it down!” hundreds of people marched Dec. 19 in frigid weather from the Fourth Police Precinct in north Minneapolis to city hall demanding justice for Jamar Clark. Clark, a 24-year-old African American man, was shot in the head and killed by the Minneapolis police on Nov. 15 on Plymouth Avenue in north Minneapolis, sparking an 18-day encampment at the Fourth Precinct to protest his killing. Today’s march was the largest protest since police dislodged the occupation in front of the Fourth Precinct on Dec. 3.

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