Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Student Movement

By staff

SDS at Austin Peay State University receives award

Clarksville, TN – On April 16 Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Austin Peay State University was awarded recognition from the university for their efforts. They received the award at a ceremony that was attended by hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members. SDS President Julia Casteel said, “We are all very proud tonight to be recognized for the work we do. SDS is a leading force fighting racism, sexism and oppression of all kinds both here on our campus and around the country and we plan to continue to struggle and fight for a better world.

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #AustinPeayStateUniversity

By Chris Getowicz

Protest flyer

Minneapolis, MN – The University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are organizing an April 17 protest to coincide with a speech by Condoleezza Rice – a close aide of George Bush and a war criminal to boot.

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By Robbey Hayes

Florida students demand “Education for All"

Tallahassee, FL – Around 50 people from Florida Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), along with community members and other allied organizations gathered on the steps of the Florida State Capitol, March 20, to demand “Education for All.” They called on the Florida legislature to vote on and pass HB851 and SB1400, bills would charge undocumented college students in-state tuition as opposed to out-of-state tuition.

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By Matt Boynton

Students protest U of M President Kaler at Coffman Union second floor unveiling

Minneapolis, MN – On March 12, 35 students interrupted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the University of Minnesota to protest the lack of real diversity on campus. The protest was organized by a new student group called Whose Diversity? and was supported by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

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By staff

Dream Defenders protest in Florida Capitol building

Tallahassee, FL – About 150 members of Dream Defenders, an organization dedicated to fighting against racism while building the power of Black and Brown youth, marched into the Florida Capitol, March 3 to confront the Florida law makers and Governor Rick Scott with chants and protest on the first day of legislative session.

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By staff

Albany, NY – Students from campuses across New York rallied against education cuts in Albany on March 6. The students protested Governor Cuomo’s proposal to cut $1 million from the City University of New York (CUNY) and $2 million from the State University of New York (SUNY) budgets. The bill comes on the heels of Governor Cuomo, a Democrat, proposing $2 billion in tax cuts to benefit the wealthiest New Yorkers.

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By staff

FSU students march towards the president's office to demand tuition equity.

Tallahassee, FL- On Feb. 28, 35 courageous students gathered at the Florida State University (FSU) Integration Statues. At the very statue that symbolized the supposed diversity that Florida State claims, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and a broad array of organizations – including Advocates for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Dream Defenders and the Center for Participant Education – demanded tuition equity. This policy that would ensure undocumented students could afford the human right of obtaining an education and be granted in-state tuition like the rest of the Florida population.

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By staff

UW-Milwaukee protest against racial injustice and racial profiling

Milwaukee, WI – Dozens of students at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee rallied on campus to protest racial injustice and racial profiling, February 26, the second anniversary of the murder of Trayvon Martin.

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By staff

Florida students protest against verdict in Trayvon Martin killing

Members of the Student Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) met to sum up the past year of struggle and discuss strategies for building the student movement in the U.S.

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By staff

Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard speaking in support of student press confe

Tallahassee, FL – On Feb. 20, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Florida State University (FSU) held a press conference demanding “Tuition equity for undocumented students” on the school’s campus. Joining SDS was the leadership the Hispanic and Latino Student Union, Advocates for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the Center for Participant Education, and the Dream Defenders. Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard spoke about SB 300, a bill he drafted to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students in the state of Florida.

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By David Cid

Veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes speaking at protest for Ethnic Studies

Los Angeles, CA – Several hundred students and community members held a protest march and rally on the campus of Cal State University of Los Angeles (CSULA), Feb. 4. The protest was in response to the Academic Senate voting down, by 20 to 29, a proposal made the previous week by the Pan-African Studies Department to incorporate ‘Ethnic Studies’ as part of the General Education requirements, starting in Fall 2016.

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By David Cid

Growing fight for Black, Chicano Studies at CSULA

Los Angeles, CA – Over 100 students, community activists, faculty, staff and others jammed the Cal State University of Los Angeles (CSULA) faculty Academic Senate, Jan. 28, to demonstrate support for Ethnic Studies – Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies – becoming part of the General Education program.

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By Conor Munro

Gainesville, FL – This week Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) announced the launch of an education rights campaign for undocumented immigrant students. SDS is calling on all chapters to build the struggle for tuition equity and financial aid for students who graduate from U.S. high schools without documentation.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – In early November, Shannon Gibney, an English Professor at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC), was given an official letter of reprimand by the college’s Vice President of Academic Affairs Lois Bollman after two white male students interrupted a discussion on structural racism in her Intro to Mass Communication class. The two white students said they felt uncomfortable and “singled out” for being white. After class they, along with another white male student, issued a formal complaint of racial discrimination with MCTC’s Office of Legal Affairs.

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By staff

University of Florida SDS stands with Rasmea Odeh.

Gainesville, FL – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Florida held a sign holding on Wednesday, November 13, to demand that the U.S. government drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a Palestinian-American organizer and an international solidarity activist. Despite holding U.S. citizenship for the past 20 years, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and the FBI arrested her on October 22, and on the allegations of immigration fraud.

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By Michela

Conor Munro of SDS addresses the Student Senate.

Gainesville, FL — Students at the University of Florida successfully advanced their campaign of tuition equity for undocumented students. Leading student organizations joined together to pass a resolution through Student Government in favor of tuition equality.

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By Gage Lacharite

Student Government Senate meeting at USF

Tampa, FL – The Student Government Senate at the University of South Florida (USF) passed a resolution supporting in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant students from Florida, Nov. 12. Out-of-state tuition is three times more than in-state tuition. Currently, undocumented immigrant students who graduate from Florida high schools have to pay the higher, out-of-state tuition.

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By staff

Morales/Shakur Center at CCNY, photo 2006.

New York, NY – On Oct. 20, the City College of New York (CCNY) administration shut down the Guillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Student and Community Center in the North Academic Center (NAC) building. The Morales/Shakur Center is a hub of political and social activism at CCNY and the surrounding Harlem and Washington Heights communities.

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By staff

Chrisley Carpio of UF SDS addressing students in front of Tigert Hall

Gainesville, FL – On Oct. 17, student activists at the University of Florida (UF) officially launched their tuition equity campaign by having a demonstration at Tigert Hall, the University of Florida’s administration building. Around 40 students gathered in front of Tigert Hall to demand in-state tuition for undocumented students who have graduated from Florida high schools. The delegation made speeches calling for the university to implement DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process) at UF and live up to its claim of being a flagship university and open the door to undocumented students.

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By Stephanie Taylor

Participants in 8th National SDS Convention

Clarksville, TN – Over 100 student activists from across the country convened here the weekend of Oct. 12-13 to participate in Students for a Democratic Society’s (SDS) 8th annual National Convention. This year’s convention included a diversity of topics which included organizing to stop the U.S. war on Syria and fighting for affordable education. Of great importance this year was the participation of anti-war leader and International Action Center co-founder Sara Flounders and political hip-hop group Rebel Diaz.

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