At 1:30 a.m. in Turkey on the New Year night, an ISIS terrorist, or terrorists killed 39 people, and 65 people were injured in Reina nightclub, which is a well-known night club in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish security forces were not able to catch perpetrator(s) when this article was being written. Plus, we don’t still know who they are, or he is. Although we know that killer or killers will be arrested, or not, it is not going to bring our lost people back.
Two of the young African American activists who helped disrupt the Jeff Sessions confirmation hearing Jan. 10 talked to Fight Back! about the action that gained worldwide attention.
2016 has been a year marked by many important struggles for justice, and also by the ascent of reactionary right wing politics to the White House. All of our movements will face big battles in 2017 as Donald Trump and his band of billionaires and generals take the reigns of power. Here’s some new music from the past year that can help inspire us to carry forward and strengthen our movements for the struggles to come. These are only a sampling of songs from this year; if you want to add more that have inspired you, comment on the article on facebook.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Legalization for All (L4A) network.
On Friday, January 20, 2017 Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the United States. Trump ran a racist campaign, calling Mexicans “rapists, criminals, and drug dealers…” His plans for his first 100 days includes ending DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), deporting millions of undocumented, building a wall on the border with Mexico, further criminalizing the undocumented, cutting off Federal funds to sanctuary cities, and more attacks on immigrants. 70% of the undocumented are from Mexico and Central America, and these are the people that Trump is primarily targeting.
When the outcome became clear election night, activists in the fight against against police crimes and for Black liberation created a Facebook event calling for a protest Nov. 9. The event garnered near 6.5K invites in 12 to 24 hours of individual organizing. It wasn’t attributed to a single organization but occurred through the mass movement. Some of the organizations represented at the demonstration were Black Lives Matter Saint Paul, AR14, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, Black Liberation Project, Justice for Marcus Golden and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, along with many others not affiliated with groups.
Over 50 people gathered to protest the future foreign policy of a Trump administration on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge which spans the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Commenting on the outcome of the elections, Nov. 9, Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s Political Secretary Steff Yorek stated, “Trump is a toxic promoter of racist anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim attacks. He is an enemy of women. His right-wing populist campaign was a magnet that drew of everything reactionary and backwards in this county. As preacher of the gospel of greed, there is no doubt he will do everything in his power to improve the lot of billionaires like himself. He is not our president. We need to do everything we can to drown his administration in a high tide of struggle and fightbacks. We should aim to make this country ungovernable.”
Thousands of people are taking to the streets of Chicago tonight, Nov. 9, to express their outrage with president-elect Donald Trump. Trump is promoting racist anti-immigrant, misogynist and anti-Muslim attacks. Other protests are being planned across the country.
It's October, which means scary movie marathons are underway in living rooms and movie theaters across the country. Since the release of Nosferatu in 1922 to present day, horror films remain widely popular among audiences. All art reflects the social, political and economic conditions around it, and at its best, the horror genre allows us to work out our collective fears and anxieties about the world. I've found that horror flicks provoke some of the most interesting discussions, often serving as a springboard for exploring bigger political and social questions. Along those lines, this is the first of three horror movies I'll look at over the month of October in Fight Back! News.
Asheville, NC – With just a few days notice, 1000 protesters filled the streets on Aug. 12 to protest Republican nominee Donald Trump. “We wanted to make it clear that his bigotry and lies are not welcome in area code 828,” said community member Ken Hurley. “I am just appalled that this racist ass is considered a viable electoral option.”
Houston, TX – As part of their campaign to Stop Trump, over a dozen students at the University of Houston participated in a Trump piñata bash, Sept. 10. The students gave speeches denouncing Donald Trump and the Republican agenda of racist discrimination, hatred and fear. After their speeches, they took a few whacks at the Trump piñata. It was a busy Friday, and students from all over campus gave nods of support.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Aug. 23 statement from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).National SDS Stands Against Israeli Attacks on Gaza, Demands End of U.S. Aid to Israel and to Fund Education Not Occupation!
West Bend, WI – 75 people attended a protest outside a Donald Trump rally at the Washington County Fair Grounds on Aug. 16. Protesters held signs near the entrance to the Trump rally while thousands of Trump supporters walked into the event.
Jacksonville, FL – About 100 people gathered outside the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena to protest Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Aug. 3. Trump's campaign announced that the billionaire casino mogul would speak in Jacksonville with just three days notice. Local organizers and progressive activists immediately called the protest in response to Trump's openly racist campaign, which has targeted Latinos, Muslims, African Americans and others.
