Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Oppressed Nationalities

By J. Sykes

The purpose of Marxist analysis is so that we can know how to make revolution, so that we understand the terrain of struggle, formulate correct strategy and tactics, and identify our friends and enemies. We must understand the contradictions at work in society and unite all who can be united if we want to win. So, we need to be very careful and precise in that analysis.

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By staff

Oakland, CA – Oakland has long been a cornerstone of the country’s revolutionary people’s movements, from the founding of the Black Panther Party to the enduring fight for justice against systemic racism and police violence. On the evening of November 19, at the 510 Firehouse Projects, this legacy was revisited as Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) Oakland, in collaboration with East Side Cultural Center’s Community Archival Resource Project (CARP), hosted a film screening centered around some of these historical moments.

Roughly 25 community members came together to watch two films that spotlight the city’s pivotal role in the fight for liberation: Agnès Varda’s Black Panthers 1968 and Shola Lynch’s Free Angela Davis and All Political Prisoners. The films offered not only a window into the past but a mirror reflecting the struggles and solidarity still needed in Oakland today.

Agnès Varda’s Black Panthers 1968 is an on-the-ground documentary capturing the resiliency of the Black Panther Party as they rallied to free Huey Newton, co-founder of the movement. Filmed in Oakland at the height of the Panthers’ activism, the film is a testament to their ability to unite working-class people and oppressed communities against police violence and systemic injustice. Varda’s work doesn’t just document history; it brings to life the defiant hope of the movement and its roots in the city’s streets.

The second film, Free Angela Davis and All Political Prisoners, is an account of Angela Davis’s trial and the international movement to secure her release. Davis, a scholar, communist and activist, was charged with crimes related to a 1970 courthouse shootout. Lynch’s documentary recounts the global solidarity campaign that demanded her freedom, framing it as both a personal and collective story of resistance. It’s a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when movements cross borders and people stand united against oppression.

FRSO Oakland members led the program, situating these stories in Oakland’s broader revolutionary history. They reminded attendees of the Black Panther Party’s core mission – building unity between oppressed nationalities and working-class people to fight systemic inequality. They also illuminated the government’s counterattacks, particularly through COINTELPRO, the FBI’s covert program that sought to dismantle revolutionary movements.

The discussion didn’t stop with history. Participants connected the lessons of the films to ongoing struggles in Oakland, particularly the work of the newly formed Oakland Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (OAARPR). This group, a local chapter of the national NAARPR which emerged from the fight to free Angela Davis, works alongside families of police violence victims and pushes for community control of the police.

In this context, the group also critiqued the failures of Oakland’s Community Police Review Agency, highlighting its ineffectiveness as a key example of the city's ongoing systemic issues with police corruption and violence. This discussion tied the historical and contemporary struggles together, underscoring the urgent need for real change.

Adding a tangible connection to the past, CARP displayed a collection of artifacts that captured the spirit of the Black Panthers and the Free Angela Davis campaigns. Old political pins reading “Free Angela Davis and all political prisoners” and “Black Panther Party: All power to the people” sat alongside the Panthers’ iconic “Ten-Point Program”, photo books, and pamphlets from the 1980s. These materials bridged generations, underscoring the enduring relevance of these struggles.

The films and discussions drove home a powerful message: the fight for justice is as urgent today as ever. In a city shaped by revolutionary victories and ongoing battles, the event called on everyone to organize, educate and resist with renewed purpose.

Oakland's legacy as a beacon for liberation movements lives on – not just in history books but in the work unfolding right now. From the Black Panther Party’s bold defiance to today’s campaigns for police accountability, the message resonated loud and clear, the struggle continues, and our commitment must match its urgency.

#OaklandCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #BlackPanthers #NAARPR #FRSO #CARP

By Alex Carson

Atlanta, GA – Since August 2024, a dozen Black men at Virginia’s Red Onion supermax prison have set themselves on fire in a desperate attempt to escape conditions that amount to prolonged torture.

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization - Wisconsin District

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Wisconsin District denounces the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) decision to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipeline through the lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. We call on all progressives and revolutionaries to oppose this move and demand the immediate shutdown of Line 5. Motivated by profit, this decision infringes on the sovereignty of the Bad River Tribe and puts the ecosystems of the Great Lakes region as a whole in danger. The DNR, state, and federal government have made it clear that they are only paying lip service to indigenous people while upholding the interests of the ruling monopoly-capitalist class.

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By staff

Marchers carry signs and Palestinian and Lebanese flags behind banner that reads “Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine”

Milwaukee, WI - 700 pro-Palestine Wisconsinites gathered October 5 to honor the Palestinian resistance and condemn one year of Israel’s escalated genocide. The protest was led by the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine Janan Najeeb, co-chair and convener of the WCJP, kicked off the protest by affirming, “the resistance and the call for justice is not subsiding. It is growing.”

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By Drew Amelia

Protestors hold Palestinian flags and march behind a banner that reads “End the US War Machine”.

Green Bay, WI - On October 6, several dozen protesters marched through downtown Green Bay in an event marking one year of resistance to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Members of Green Bay Anti-War Committee and Hate Free Outagamie began the march with a rally at Leicht Park. From there the protesters marched in a loop through Washington Street and Broadway, chanting “Free free Palestine!” and “From Lebanon to Falasteen, end the U.S. war machine!” The chants resonated with passersby who joined the march. 

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By staff

Crowd marches holding signs with slogans like “nothing justifies genocide” and “stop arming Israel.”

Portland, OR - Over 100 people gathered Portland’s Sewallcrest Park on October 7 to protest one year of escalated genocide in Palestine. The date is marked the one year anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, an operation carried out by Palestinian resistance groups that targeted Israeli military bases just outside of the Gaza strip; a historic display of resistance against the, at the time, 75-year occupation of Palestine. The event was organized by Portland for Palestine.

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By staff

Crowd marches behind banner that reads “Victory to the Palestinian Resistance”.

Philadelphia, PA – On October 7, an energetic coalition of university students and community members gathered at Drexel Square Park in Philadelphia to commemorate one year of resistance against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The march attracted a sizable crowd of a couple hundred passionate participants, united in their call for justice and solidarity with the Palestinian people. As the group made its way towards the University of Pennsylvania’s “Pennovation Works” research facility, chants for liberation echoed through the streets, reinforcing the message that the struggle for Palestinian rights continues unabated.

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By staff

Large crowd gathers behind a banner that reads “BIDEN, HARRIS YOU WILL SEE! PALESTINE WILL BE FREE! END US AID TO ISRAEL! STOP FUNDING GENOCIDE! FREE PALESTINE NOW!”

Chicago, IL - 7500 rallied in Chicago to protest the one-year anniversary of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, and the bombardment of Lebanon. The protest then marched a mile to the home of billionaire Governor J.B. Pritzker, a well-known Zionist. The Coalition for Justice in Palestine went there to demand Illinois divest the $130 million in Israeli bonds held by the state.

This week, the movement in Chicago against the U.S./Israel war turned its attention to divestment as a tactic to escalate pressure on the Zionist regime. The Anti-War Committee-Chicago launched a petition and canvass campaign to pressure State Treasurer Michael Frerichs for divestment from Israeli bonds as well. Code Pink and other organizations also carried out protest actions aimed at Frerichs.

#ChicagoIL #FreePalestine #HandsOffLebanon #CoalitionForJusticeInPalestine #AntiWarCommitteeChicago #CodePink

By staff

Denver, CO – On August 31, nearly 20 people gathered at La Alma Park to commemorate the 54th Chicano Moratorium. This event brought together a diverse group of speakers to discuss pressing issues related to Chicano self-determination, community control, and solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

Organized by a coalition of groups, including Denver FRSO, the Chicano Liberation Committee, SDS, and the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee, the gathering highlighted the connections among these various struggles for justice.

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By Abraham Quintana

Long Beach, California protest demands return of indigenous land.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Long Beach, CA – On September 28, a crowd of about 20 people, including faculty, students and community members gathered near the Walter Pyramid at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) while the school started an event to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The protesters chanted “land back!” and made chalk art to advocate for the protection of Puvungna, a 22-acre site located on campus, sacred to the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples of California.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating this call from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression inviting organizers in the South to attend a regional organizing conference.

This December 6th-8th, the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (NAARPR) is convening our inaugural Southern Regional Organizing Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. This conference will bring together progressive forces in the South fighting for Black liberation, Indigenous rights and land sovereignty. We are fighting back against police crimes and political repression to free all those unjustly incarcerated as well as defending all progressive movements fighting for a just society. NAARPR, which arose out of the movement to Free Angela Davis, was refounded in 2019 with well over two dozen branches and affiliate organizations nationwide. Since the 2020 George Floyd uprisings, NAARPR has seen a growth in new organizing struggles in cities across the country; specifically, in the Black Belt Region of the Deep South, the historic homelands of Africans trafficked to North America, where the majority of their descendants still live today.

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By staff

Black August event in Jacksonville, Florida. | Fight Back! News/staff

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, August 24, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) held its annual Black August event, remembering the tradition of what Black August means to the struggle for Black liberation, along with spotlighting various struggles happening in the community. Around 70 community members attended the event, which took place at Cafe Resistance off Soutel Road, one of the centers of the Black community in Jacksonville.

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By Diana Terreros

Protest against police crimes in Fullerton, California.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Fullerton, CA – On Friday, September 6, over 30 family members, community members and activists joined a vigil to demand justice for Alejandro Campos Rios. The vigil was held outside of a McDonald’s restaurant where Rios was murdered by Fullerton Police Department on March 6 while experiencing a mental health crisis.

Connor Atwood with Dare to Struggle kicked off the vigil by stating, “For six months the killer cops have gotten away with it. For six months, they have not released the names of the officers that pulled the triggers. For six months they have not been fired from FPD. And for six months, while we should have been getting justice ,these killer cops have continued to walk the streets. We’re here to say no, we’re here to demand justice for Alejandro!”

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By staff

San Jose commemoration of the Chicano Moratorium.  | Fight Back! News/staff

San José, CA – On August 31, Silicon Valley Immigration Committee held San José’s 54th Chicano Moratorium commemoration at the San José Peace and Justice Center.

Around 50 people heard speakers on the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium and other issues related to the Chicano liberation and anti-war movements. The keynote speaker was Carlos Montes, co-founder of the Brown Berets, Freedom Road Socialist Organization Central Committee member, and co-chair of the FRSO Chicano, Latino and Other Oppressed Nationalities Commission.

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By staff

Los Angeles marks the 54th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.

East Los Angeles, CA – On Saturday, August 24, around 200 Chicano activists and community members came out to Rúben Salazar Park to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.

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By Jonathan Staub

Celebration of Chicano Moratorium in Tacoma, Washington.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Tacoma, WA – On Friday, August 30, about 20 people gathered in person and online to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the historic Chicano Moratorium, at an event hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization. The commemoration was held in a community organizing space shared by the Black Panther Party of Washington, 350 Tacoma, La Resistencia and other local groups.

The event kicked off with a presentation by local organizer Jami Cortez. During the presentation, the history of the events that led up to the moratorium where highlighted.

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By Ulises Ramos

Family and community gather to remember the Johnson brothers.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Dallas, TX – Around 50 people gathered early in the evening of Sunday, August 25, in front of the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the murder of two Black children killed at the hands of Dallas police.

The boys were brothers, George Johnson, aged 14, and Johnny Johnson, aged 13. The vigil was attended by three siblings of the Johnson brothers and organized by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Stop Cop City Dallas Coalition, and the DFW Anti-War Committee. Community members from all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area were present.

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By Emma Gottfried

Orange County commemoration of the Chicano Moratorium.   | Staff/Fight Back! News

Santa Ana, CA – On August 10, nearly 40 people packed into the Studio of El Centro Cultural de México to hear five panelists speak on a wide range of topics affecting Chicanos. This event, commemorating the 54th Chicano Moratorium, was organized by Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC).

Before the panel began, Diana Terreros, a founding member of CSO OC, led a chant to honor and remember the name of Abigail Lopez, who was tragically murdered at the hands of Anaheim Police Department in 2023.

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By Meredith Aby

Audience sits at meeting while protestors in audience hold up banner that reads "Walz: Want support? Stop genocide."

Saint Paul, MN – On August 14, members and supporters of the MN Free Palestine Coalition packed every available seat at the quarterly Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) meeting to demand divestment of state-managed pension funds and other public monies from Israeli weapons manufacturers, banks and bonds, and other entities, complicit in Israel’s apartheid system that contribute to the genocide in Palestine.

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