Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Legalization for All Network.

Saint Paul, MN – In one of the first known protests organized since the widespread implementation of ‘social distancing’ and ‘shelter-in-place’ with the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, a car caravan lined Summit Avenue outside Governor Tim Walz’s mansion in Saint Paul to demand immediate release of all immigrant detainees in Minnesota jails.

Federal Reserve takes extreme measures to protect wealthy

San José, CA – Last week the financial news was dominated by the falling stock market, which had its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. But behind the scenes the U.S. Federal Reserve, or Fed, was working feverishly to prevent another financial crisis, taking actions not even done during the 2008 crash.

Portland, OR – The Portland Rent Freeze Coalition, made up of concerned people and progressive organizations, disrupted a COVID-19 response press conference on March 17 here in Portland to demand that all rent payments due during the statewide shutdown be cancelled.

Washington, DC – According to a March 20 report from the Korean Central News Agency, the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has formed the Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The headquarters is also tasked with summing up experience and popularizing achievements in the fight against the illness.

Caracas, Venezuela – A Freedom Road Socialist Organization labor delegation toured the Canaima laptops and tablets factory in Caracas, Venezuela on March 12. The Canaima plant is located within walking distance of the bridge where U.S. puppet Juan Guaido launched a failed coup d’état April 30, 2019. Upon arrival, leading representatives of the Canaima assembly plant greeted the American Teamsters with genuine smiles and warm handshakes.

Tidal wave of layoffs growing

San José, CA – On Thursday, March 19, the Department of Labor reported a surge of applications for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits as the COVID-19 pandemic began to bite into the economy. For the week ending March 14, a seasonally adjusted 281,000 claims were filed, up 70,000 (or one-third) from the week before and much greater than the predicted 220,000. A National Public Radio poll also conducted last week showed that 18% of all households had already lost income from layoffs or reduced work hours.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) condemns the brutal government murder of the prominent Filipino communist Julius Giron, his wife Lourdes Tan Torres and their aide. We extend our condolences to his family, friends and our comrades of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Minneapolis, MN – Hennepin County union workers keep fighting for worker and community safety. AFSCME Local 2822 has led the charge, alongside sister Hennepin County AFSCME locals. AFSCME Local 2822 represents almost 1300 clerical workers, including service center representatives, office specialists and library specialists, who do work that cannot be done from home.

Minneapolis, MN – As the number of confirmed cases of the viral illness COVID-19 approaches 200,000 worldwide, we can already see how differently issues of public health and human needs are treated in socialist countries vs. capitalist countries.

An in-depth look at two very different responses to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States and China

Guangdong, China – There is chaos in America right now surrounding COVID-19. Americans are receiving conflicting information every day about the virus, with no direction from the Trump administration. The Trump administration has decided that the best course of action is to do nothing, with Trump himself declaring “I don’t take responsibility at all.” When the Center for Disease Control (CDC) releases a report, Trump will directly contradict their findings in an attempt to downplay COVID-19’s immediate threat and bolster his own image. The resulting pandemonium has left Americans without guidance on how they should protect themselves and their families against this very deadly disease.

Maracay, Venezuela – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) labor delegation toured a large printing factory on March 13 in Maracay, Venezuela, about two hours outside Caracas. As the delegates bus pulled up to the factory gates, a huge sign welcomed them, “We don't speak ill of Chavez here!” The head of the factory and a group of workers excitedly gathered around to greet the American members of the Teamsters union.

San José, CA – The fall in stock prices gained speed on Wall Street on Monday, March 16. By the closing bell, U.S. stocks had the largest drop since the crash in October 1987, with prices down almost 13%. The headline Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3000 points to end just above 20,000, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ fell almost 1000 points. A circuit breaker kicked in within minutes of the market opening as the broad S&P 500 fell 7%. This led to a short-lived attempt to bounce back but in the end, stocks were just short of another trading halt at 13% down.

The following statement was written by the Labor Commission of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), representing trade unionists across the United States.

Chicago, IL – In a statement delivered to Lori Lightfoot. March 13, 31 law professors from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University law schools are calling on the mayor to pass the Civilian Police Accountability Council, or CPAC, ordinance. CPAC would give communities in Chicago the democratic right to elect police accountability representatives with the power to control the Chicago Police Department (CPD), including having final say over discipline in misconduct cases and setting department policy.

Stock market futures trading halted after 5% drop

San José, CA – On Sunday, March 15, the Federal Reserve bank hit the panic button, dropping interest rates by a full percentage point to near zero. The last time that Fed did this was in December 2008 during the financial crisis. The Federal Reserve also pledged to restart the Quantitative Easing or QE program of longer-term bond buying, first started in November 2008. Trump’s Secretary of the Treasury Mnuchin also vowed to go to congress this coming week to restart emergency financial powers for the federal government in addition to the Fed’s actions.

Socialist China restarting its economy

San José, CA – From the corporate magic of Disneyland in California to the bright lights of Broadway in New York City, to the famous tourist sites of Paris, France and Rome, Italy, lights are literally going out as more and more businesses shut down, as of today, March 15. Meanwhile, in socialist China, where the COVID-19 pandemic initially hit first and hardest, the economy is starting to recover as enterprises start to reopen and more and more people go back to work. One is struck by the irony of Apple, one of the capitalist world’s most valuable corporations, shutting all of its retail stores around the world even as it reopens its stores in China.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech by Sarah Martin. Martin is a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Prison health is public health!

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 14 statement from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 13 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.