Fight Back News Service is circulating the following April 5 statement from Prof. Jose Maria Sison, Chairperson, International League of Peoples’ Struggle.

Chicago, IL – The corporate media has missed what is most important about Chicago’s April 2 elections. Its focus on the uninspiring mayoral contest between Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot helped contribute to the lowest voter turnout ever. Only 29% of registered voters went to the polls.

Oshkosh, WI – On March 31, local activists and members of United Action Oshkosh (UAO) held a vigil to honor and commemorate the life and work of activist Amber Evans.

Tampa, FL – Over 40 custodians, teachers and concerned community members rallied outside the Hillsborough County School Board meeting, April 2, to stop plans to privatize the custodial staff at all Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS). The rally was hosted by the Hillsborough State Employee Federation and Hillsborough County Teachers Association. Chants at the rally included “It’s time to stop the greed, give custodians what they need!” and “Up up with education, down down with privatization!”

Los Angeles, CA – Several families of young Chicano men killed by the LAPD joined a militant protest in front of the LAPD headquarters, March 30. A large banner with the slogan, “LAPD, stop killing Black and Brown people,” was displayed at the protest.

Minneapolis, MN – On March 30 around 100 people gathered at the busy intersection of Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis to participate in the national call for action issued by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). UNAC’s original call was to draw attention to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) 70th anniversary but as the United States’ attempts to force Juan Guiado into power in Venezuela became more aggressive, the focus of the protest shifted more to #HandsOffVenezuela.

Minneapolis, MN – On March 27, 80 people filled 4200 Cedar to witness a report on the conditions in Venezuela delivered by Sarah Martin. Martin, a longtime peace activist and member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), joined members of organizations such as International Action Center, Veterans for Peace, Canadian Peace Council, and United National Antiwar Coalition as part of an international peace delegation organized by the U.S. Peace Council and Black Alliance for Peace. The delegation's stated intention was to bring a message of solidarity to the Venezuelan people, to witness firsthand the effects of the United States’ political and economic war on the country, and to see the ways that the Venezuelan people resist the constant onslaught.

Tucson, AZ – On March 30, the Legalization For All Network completed the first day of an immigrant rights delegation to Arizona and the U.S.-México border.

Washington DC – Hundreds of people gathered in Lafayette Square, a park opposite the White House, March 30, to respond to the call to action against NATO, racism and war. The organizers also strongly emphasized the slogan “Hands off Venezuela” to protest the Trump administration and NATO’s attempts to overthrow the democratically-elected government of Nicolás Maduro.

Minneapolis, MN – In the shadow of President Trump’s declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Legalization for All Network is organizing a national delegation of immigrant rights activists to go on a fact-finding and solidarity delegation to the border. The delegation will include activists from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Milwaukee’s Young People’s Resistance Committee (YPRC) and from the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.

Jacksonville, FL – On March 24, over 50 people from the community, along with members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, gathered to remember the life of Vernell Bing Jr., an African American man gunned down by Officer Tyler Landreville of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 2016. Along with members of Take Em Down Jax and the Northside Coalition, the Bing’s mother, Shirley McDaniel, thanked attendees for coming. Vernell Bing would have been 25 this year.

Jacksonville, FL – With 58% of the vote, Republican Mayor Lenny Curry outright won re-election as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida on March 19. Sheriff Mike Williams, also a Republican, garnered about 62% of the vote, easily trouncing Democrat challenger Tony Cummings. Republicans also won Property Appraiser and Tax Collector by sizable margins.

Minneapolis, MN – On March 17, 50 people filled Mayday Books to hear Sean Orr, a Latin America solidarity activist, trade unionist, and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), speak about the current crisis facing Venezuela. In a presentation entitled, “The U.S. Orchestrated Coup in Venezuela: A Marxist Perspective,” Orr highlighted the leading role of the United States in the destabilization of Venezuela as well as its efforts to foment regime change.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

St. Paul, MN – On March 15, the mother of Cordale Handy, members of the community and other families who lost loved ones to police violence gathered here to remember Cordale Handy, who was murdered by police on this date in 2017.

Minneapolis, MN – On March 10, 30 people gathered at Mayday Books for a program presented by Katrina Kozarek, a longtime Venezuela resident and an audiovisual reporter for Venezuelanalysis.com. In the presentation entitled “Eyewitness in Venezuela,” Kozarek detailed the grassroots people’s movements that created the current political infrastructure in Venezuela, as well as the current threat to Venezuelan sovereignty posed by the United States.

Tampa, FL – On February 28, the Tampa Bay chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a Black Lives Matter rally at the University of South Florida for the seventh anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death. In 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, after returning from a nearby gas station. The trial of Zimmerman became a national phenomenon with him walking free due to Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law. The shooting is still fresh on Florida’s mind, with many questioning the judicial system that let a man off with murder.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following message from the Communist Party of Cuba.

Tallahassee, FL – Over twenty people gathered at the steps of Wescott at Florida State University, February 18, to demonstrate against Trump’s so-called ‘National Emergency.’

Dallas, TX – On February 19, about ten people with the Dallas Palestine Coalition gathered at the SMU Cox School of Business to protest an event titled “Texas’ Looming Water Crisis: How Israeli Tech Could Save the Day.” The tech event was meant to encourage sales of Israeli technology – products built on stolen and occupied Palestinian lands.