Ferguson, MO – It is shortly after midnight, Aug. 15, and easily at least a thousand members of the Ferguson community have taken the streets tonight in what it seems like a atmosphere of celebration. Residents said that they are overjoyed that the police, at least tonight, have withdrawn their militarized force from their streets.

Grand Rapids, MI – As part of a national call for vigils, over 50 people gathered for Michael Brown at Cherry Park here, Aug. 14. Michael Brown is the teenager who just graduated high school and was about to start college, but was murdered by a white policeman in Ferguson, Missouri. There are large and militant protests taking place every day and night in Ferguson calling for justice and to jail the killer cop.

Ferguson, MO – Early this evening, Aug. 14, at about 5:00 p.m., around 100 people from the area are protesting outside the QuikTrip gas station on West Florissant Avenue, the building razed to the ground by protesters days ago after the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The gas station is ground zero for a lot of the activity here in Ferguson.

Detroit, MI – Judge Paul D. Borman was forced to remove himself from the case of Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh, Aug 11. Late last month, Judge Borman stridently denied a defense motion calling on him to step down. The motion asserted that his lifelong support for the state of Israel – whose arrest, torture and conviction of Odeh for alleged Jerusalem bombings in 1969 is at issue in this case – would not allow for a fair trial. Odeh has pleaded not guilty to the charge of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization and vehemently refutes the Israeli convictions, which were based on a forced confession after extended periods of vicious physical and sexual torture.

Chicago, IL – Rasmea Odeh es una activista en la comunidad palestina en Chicago. Su historia es la historia de los refugiados palestinos aquí.

Chicago, IL – Rasmea Odeh is an activist in the Palestinian community in Chicago. Her story is the story of Palestinian refugees here.

Tucson, AZ – On the evening of July 31, a dozen activists rallied outside the Tucson District Court of Arizona in an emergency action supporting Rasmea Odeh and Palestine. Protesters demanded that charges against Palestinian-American activist Rasmea Odeh be dropped and that the U.S.-backed Israeli occupation and pillaging of Gaza cease now. Protesters held signs reading “Free Rasmea! Hands off Palestine!” and “Justice for Rasmea, justice for Palestine.”

Detroit, MI – As Rasmea Odeh appeared at the U.S. Court in Detroit here July 31, 120 supporters made a long picket line near the front steps. The crowd held big posters with Odeh’s photo saying, “I support Rasmea!” A number of large white SUVs from the Department of Homeland Security, with armed men loitering around them, lined the streets near the picket. Still, that could not stop Rasmea Odeh from smiling brightly as people chanted for dropping the case against her.

New York, NY – Eric Garner, an African American father of six, was brutally murdered at the hands of the New York City Police after an officer placed him in an illegal chokehold on July 17. Garner can be heard telling officers that he couldn't breathe in a video taken by a witness. After killing Garner, officers can be seen in the video searching his pockets instead of calling for medical attention. The officers have yet to be fired and charged for their crimes; instead have been placed on desk duty.

Grand Rapids, MI – Close to 100 people celebrated Nelson Mandela Day here over the weekend. Some gathered on July 18 to view posters from the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and the work of local artists portraying Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou. Local artist Paul Collins shared a large canvas of hands reaching across the world portraying King, Gandhi and Mandela. On July 19, the Institute for Global Education hosted a jazz band, church choir, African dance and the poetry of Maya Angelou.

Chicago, IL – In a major development, attorneys for Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh filed a motion July 14, calling for Judge Paul D. Borman to recuse himself from the case. The supporting brief argues that Borman, as a life-long and dedicated supporter of Israel, cannot play the “neutral and detached” role that the law requires.

Fight Back! reporter Fernando Figueroa sat down with Michael Sampson, one of the Nashville 5 arrested on July 12, to discuss what happened, how he was released from jail and what's next for the movement. Fight Back!: Can you tell us what happened?

Nashville, TN – On July 12, five people – Malaya Lynch, Marshawn McCarrel, Aaron Hayes, James Hayes and Mike Sampson – were arrested here without warning. Over 100 people held a protest that coincided with the meeting of the National Governors Association. The cops acted unjustly when they arrested the Nashville 5. The five people were booked by the Davidson County Sheriff's Office and a project is currently underway to raise bail for them.

Tampa, FL – On July 1, at the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse, activists and family of Sami Osmakac spoke against the verdict from his recent trial. They talked about how Osmakac's case, like hundreds of others in the U.S., was a result of pre-emptive prosecution. Pre-emptive prosecution is the prosecution of people who have not committed any crimes, and who pose no danger to people. Usually the FBI targets Muslims and Arab-Americans and uses informants and agents to push them into carrying out fake plots invented by the FBI.

Tampa, FL — University of South Florida computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian was set free today in Virginia. Federal prosecutors decided to finally drop his case today after his family waited in legal limbo for five years. The judge who delayed the ruling presides over a court nicknamed the “rocket docket” for its speed of settling cases.

Jacksonville, FL – On June 10, Circuit Judge James Daniel pushed back Marissa Alexander's retrial date from July 21 to Dec. 1. Alexander is a 33-year-old African-American mother facing 60 years in prison for firing a warning shot to fend off her abusive husband. Originally convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years in prison, Alexander received a new trial in 2013 when a District Court of Appeals judge overturned the decision.

Tampa, FL – On June 10, in one of hundreds of cases targeting Muslim Americans, a Florida family is in disbelief as the FBI successfully framed their son. Following years of FBI plotting and planning, a Florida jury found Sami Osmakac guilty. Osmakac, locked up in solitary confinement for the past two and a half years, is diagnosed with a variety of mental illnesses, including schizoaffective disorder.

San José, CA – On June 10, the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression (South Bay CAPR), the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, and Justice for Palestinians sponsored a rally at the Martin Luther King, Junior library in support of Rasmea Odeh. They called on the prosecutor to drop the charges and asked why the Obama administration was persecuting a victim of torture. In addition to those organizations, speakers from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), La Colectiva Justicia and the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS) gave solidarity statements and Kalila did a peace dance before and after the speakers.

Salt Lake City, UT – Activists gathered at the Salt Lake City Public Library on June 4 to hear Tom Burke, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Fifteen people listened intently as Burke recounted his experiences as a longtime political activist targeted for repression by the U.S. government. Burke is one of the Anti-war 23.