Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Student Movement

By Tim Phan

San Jose SDS rally in solidarity with Chicago.

San José, CA – Despite midterm exams, San José State University students protested outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, October 16, against Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops into Chicago and other cities. Organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the action brought together university students and activists from community organizations.

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By staff

SDS letter writing campaign demands administration not cooperate with ICE

Denver, CO – On October 15, Denver Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) hosted multiple letter-writing events, encouraging students to write letters to demand that Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) protect students from the ongoing threat of ICE on their campus.

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By staff

Members of Students for a Democratic Society \[SDS\] gathered on Freret  Street near Tulane University to announce the organization’s campaign for an affordable campus.

New Orleans, LA – Together United Louisiana Students for a Democratic Society (TUL SDS) rallied on Friday, October 17 for an affordable campus. They demanded that Tulane lower attendance costs, increase Black and local enrollment, and protect DEI initiatives. They also pushed for more concrete actions against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and raised issues with the racial disparities between Tulane’s majority-white composition and the surrounding majority-Black city.

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By staff

Montana students stand with Palestine.

Bozeman, MT – On Friday, October 17, students and community members gathered with signs reading, “Blood money off campus” and “Pro-science anti-genocide” to protest against the presence of a U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Fund info session on campus, aimed at finding university researchers to do agricultural research for BARD.

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By Sarah Berlin

Seventy students and community members gathered outside of Tate Hall at the University of Minnesota to protest the “Abortion is Oppression” tour by Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life.  | Ashley Taylor-Gouge/watchmerisempls

Minneapolis, MN – On Monday, October 13, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) and University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (UMN SDS) organized an “Abortion is Freedom” protest against an anti-abortion event on campus.

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By Chris Van Valkenberg

MIlwaukee students rally against the deployment of federal forces in Chicago.

Milwaukee, WI – On Thursday, October 16, 30 UW-Milwaukee students and community members rallied on campus to demand hands off Chicago as a part of the National Students for a Democratic Society National Day of Action under the slogan, “No Trump, No Troops, No ICE and Legalization for All!”

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By Saba Indawala

Tampa rally against Trump's deployment of federal forces to Chicago.

Tampa, FL – On Friday, October 17, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held an emergency rally to demand “Hands off Chicago.”

This action was part of National SDS’s Day of Action on November 16, against Trump’s recent deployment of the National Guard of Texas into Chicago, Illinois due to growing dissent in the city against ICE agents racially targeting immigrants and brutally attacking protesters.

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By staff

Students are cheered on by workers and bystanders as they march down on campus.

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, October 16, over 40 students at the University of Illinois at Chicago rallied on campus demanding an end to Trump’s federal occupation of Chicago.

This protest was in response to a call made by the National Students for a Democratic Society for a National Day of Solidarity with Chicago. Across the country, chapters of SDS participated by holding their own protests on their respective campuses. 

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By staff

Protest in Austin, TX against Trump's attempt to control the university.

Austin, TX – On October 13, over 200 students, faculty, staff and community members at the University of Texas at Austin gathered at the main tower to reject the compact agreement that Trump’s administration sent to nine universities on October 2.

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By staff

Tampa SDS announces lawsuit to defend free speech at press conference.

Tampa, FL — On Thursday October 9, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society held a press conference to announce they had filed a lawsuit against the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees, the USF Police Department, President Rhea Law, Dean of Students Danielle McDonald and Assistant Dean Melissa Graham.

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By River Argyilan

Students march to University Hall to protest UIC administration complicity of deportations on campus.

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, October 9, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) at the University of Illinois Chicago organized an emergency protest after the ICE kidnapping of two women on campus. 

The day before, around 2:50 p.m., students and staff watched as ICE agents dragged the two women out of the car, slammed them onto the pavement and kneeled on their backs as they bound their arms. 

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By staff

Student protesters celebrate the release of Gabriela Juarez, center, from jail.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following October 5 statement by LSU Students for a Democratic Society.

On Wednesday, October 1st, LSU Students for a Democratic Society attended the second meeting of the LSU Presidential Search Committee to protest the corrupt and undemocratic presidential search process. Several SDS members gave public comments to voice their concerns and demands to the committee. After going over her allotted time by a mere 10 seconds, Gabriela Juarez was violently dragged out of the building by LSU PD officers Thomas Schiebe and Dayton Landry without warning, resulting in extensive bruising. LSU’s Todd Woodward stated that she was given lawful orders, but this was a lie. She was then arrested and placed in a police car.

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By staff

New York, NY – The National Security Agency (NSA) was set to participate in an upcoming career fair at NYU on October 8. Their participation prompted the NYU Students for a Democratic Society to launch an initiative to have them removed from the fair.

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By Victoria Hinckley

Tampa students stand in solidarity with Palestine.

Tampa, FL – On October 6, around 30 students and local residents gathered in a rally on the corner of 56th Street and Fowler Avenue to commemorate the two years that have passed since October 7 and the escalation of the genocide of Palestinians.

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By Owen Frassetto

Caption can read: Students rally in front of the GVSU sign on Allendale campus.

Allendale, MI – On Tuesday, October 7, the Grand Valley State University Progressive Student Union held a rally on campus to stand with the Palestinian people. After two years of genocide by Israel, and two years of bold resistance by the Palestinian people, students came together to hear speeches and give chants in solidarity with Palestine.

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By staff

Chicago students stand with Palestine on October 7.

Chicago, IL – On Tuesday, October 7, 75 student and community activists gathered at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Quad to speak out against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, call out UIC’s administration’s complicity, and demand the full liberation of Palestine – from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

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By Jo Pico

WSU march in solidarity with Palestine.

Detroit, MI – On October 7, around 50 students and community members walked out of class and their jobs in protest of two years of genocide in Gaza. Wayne State Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for a Democratic Society, Detroit Anti-War Committee, and several other organizations gathered on Gullen Mall to show that Detroit continues to stand with Palestine, the right of Palestinians to resist occupation, and to demand an end to Israel’s slaughter.

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By Xzavier Jones

Chicago, IL- On Friday, October 3, around 65 students gathered on campus outside of University Hall at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) to attend an emergency protest led by New Students for Democratic Society at UIC (New SDS at UIC), to oppose the attacks against immigrant and oppressed nationality communities.

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By Victor Silva

Students and youth take over streets for Gaza.

Chicago, IL – On October 2, 60 protesters disrupted Union Station to take a militant stand against the U.S./Israeli genocide of Palestinians. Momentum was high after the illegal kidnappings of 497 activists of the Global Sumud Freedom Flotilla from 44 countries. This is the first time since 2009 that a boat has made it into Palestinian waters and broken Israel’s siege of Gaza.

The emergency action was led by Students for Justice in Palestine-Chicago (SJP Chicago) and successfully disrupted traffic as well as people trying to leave and enter the Amtrak station.

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By staff

Student protesters celebrate after Gabriela Juarez, center, is released.

Baton Rouge, LA – On October 1, Louisiana State University Students for a Democratic Society (LSU SDS) gathered to protest the LSU presidential search committee. Students rallied outside the LSU Foundation Building and then gave public comments at the committee meeting inside.

The students were attending the presidential search committee meeting to protest the undemocratic nature of the process and the overbearing influence Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry holds over LSU.

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