Coon Rapids, MN – As SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members picketed on Wednesday, April 28 in front of Allina’s Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids Minnesota, they gathered up the crowd that included supporters from other unions and the community for a rally. At the rally, SEIU announced they were filing a 10-day strike notice, for a strike to begin on May 10, at all eight Allina hospitals, where SEIU represents over 4000 members.
St. Paul Park, MN – As of May 2, the Teamsters who work at the Marathon Refinery in Saint Paul Park, Minnesota will have been locked out for 100 days after a one-day strike unless a deal is reached before then to settle their contract negotiations. At this writing, April 28, by all accounts neither side appears ready to back down any time soon.
March ends by joining vigil for Yadhira Romero Martinez
Minneapolis, MN – On April 24, protesters took the streets for the second time here to demand justice for Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican-American boy who was shot to death by a Chicago Police Department officer while he had his hands up. The video footage of the murder was recently released, sparking a wave of protests in Chicago and around the country.
Appleton, WI – Over a dozen people gathered on April 18 and April 25 to continue voicing their outrage over the murders of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo who were gunned down by police this month. Body camera footage from both incidents quickly went viral, triggering protests around the country. Both incidents prompted local organizers and residents to hold a rally with signs, chants and music demanding action.
Jacksonville FL – On April 21, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) organized a rally, uniting with the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression call for protests to respond to the Chauvin trial and to demand justice for the countless number of victims of police crimes in Jacksonville and throughout the country.
Appleton, WI – On April 24, a coalition of seven local environmental and social justice groups assembled with more than 100 members of local communities to make demands for a livable future. The event was led by Sunrise Appleton, a youth-led movement that works to advocate the adoption of Green New Deal policies, reducing carbon emissions by building new sustainable sources of energy and infrastructure, and putting a stop to climate change.
Milwaukee, WI – On April 24, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression hosted a press conference to publicly announce their campaign to change the name of Lindbergh Park to Lucille Berrien Park and fund the renaming by defunding the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s overtime budget.
San Jose, CA – On April 24, the Northern California Unemployed Committee, or NCUC, marched in support of the fight against police crimes in the wake of the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.
Minneapolis, MN – Around 50 protesters gathered outside the John B. Davis Education and Support Center, the main headquarters for the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education, on April 25 to demand justice for Anthony J. Thompson, Jr., a 17-year-old Black youth who was murdered by Knoxville, Tennessee police on April 12, in his own school. The Knox County district attorney already declared that Jonathan Clabough, the officer who shot and killed Thompson, will not be charged. The protest to demand justice was organized by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) and the Student Movement Activists of South High (SMASH), an affiliate of Students for a Democratic Society.
Tears of joy and cries of justice spread from the family of George Floyd in the Minneapolis courtroom to people across the country and around world upon hearing the news that Floyd’s killer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted on all counts of murder.
Kenosha, WI – On the morning of April 23, despite the aggressive posturing of an entire building of public officials, community members gathered in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse in support of Clyde McLemore on his first court date. McLemore is a Black liberation activist from Lake County, Illinois who played a significant role in the uprising in Kenosha after the attempted murder of Jacob Blake by racist cop Rusten Sheskey. McLemore’s impact on the community was made clear by the comments made about him by those who attended the rally.
Tampa, Fl – Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a 20-person protest outside the University of South Florida’s (USF) entrance on April 20 opposing the university’s budget cuts and a state bill restricting the Bright Futures scholarship. Bright Futures provides 75 to 100% of an eligible student’s tuition. USF is implementing $36.7 million in cuts to areas such as student success, financial aid and health services.
Tallahassee, FL – A group of transgender students and community members gathered on Florida State University’s campus to demand changes to the campus housing policy for trans students. The student organization Gender Odyssey has been leading a campaign to adopt a new student housing policy that would, among other things, create an opt-in system for trans students to stay in dorms with fellow trans students, allow for students to change their name in the electronic housing registry system, and discipline students for transphobic harassment.
Minneapolis, MN – On April 18, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Los Brown Berets, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles and other groups organized a protest and car caravan to demand justice for Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Mexican-American who was murdered by the Chicago Police Department. The video footage of the murder was recently released, sparking a wave of protests in Chicago and around the country.
Tallahassee, FL – On April 20, in less than two hours after the Derek Chauvin verdict was announced, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee gathered at Cascades Park to celebrate this win but also to reiterate the fight for Black liberation is not over. They chanted, “Indict convict, send that killer cop to jail, the whole damn system is guilty as hell.”
Salt Lake City, UT – On April 20, about three hours after killer cop Derek Chauvin’s triple guilty verdict, hundreds of people gathered, relieved to hear the verdict and motivated to demand further action in combating police crimes. Marching in solidarity with Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and many other cities around the country, the people of Salt Lake City demanded further action and accountability for the entire policing system that terrorizes our communities.
New York, NY – At approximately, 5 p.m. Eastern time, April 20, Derek Chauvin, the cop who fatally jammed his knee on George Floyd’s neck for over to nine minutes, was found guilty on all three charges. The murder of George Floyd caused millions of people to take to take to the streets demanding justice.
Chicago, IL – 300 protesters showed up for the first in-person city council meeting in a year, April 21, to demand passage of an ordinance called Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS). Coming out of nine years of efforts by over 100 community organizations, labor unions, churches and other faith-based groups, the ordinance is a merger of two bills: CPAC (Civilian Police Accountability Council, proposed by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression), and one proposed by GAPA (the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability). ECPS combines elements of the CPAC and GAPA bills to create the most democratic police accountability system in the country.
To mark the 151st birthday, April 22, of the outstanding revolutionary V.I. Lenin, Fight Back News Service is circulating his famous article ‘Letter to American Workers.’
Dallas, TX – On April 18, about 90 people rallied at Dallas city hall to protest recent police killings such as the murder of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo. The rally was called by the Dallas Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression. Speeches were first held with DAARPR co-chair Jennifer Miller giving a passionate speech about her fears as a Black mother of an autistic child, “What happens when my son stops being a cute black boy and becomes a Black male threat. My son is Tamir Rice, my son is Trayvon Martin, and so many more.”
