Tampa, Fl – About 50 people from across the country gathered here June 16, on the University of South Florida campus, for the Coalition to March on the Republican National Convention Organizers Conference. There were representatives from more than 30 labor unions, student organizations, anti-war groups and immigrant rights groups from Florida, Minnesota, Illinois and North Carolina, including the Graduate Assistants United at the University of Florida, Students for a Democratic Society, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, the United National Anti War Coalition, and Students Working for Equal Rights.
On June 1, the Labor Department reported that only 69,000 net new jobs were created in May, less than half of what economists had expected and less than a third of the relatively strong job growth of the December through February period. Immediately the Republicans and the Romney campaign blamed President Obama and his policies, especially the health care reform act. The Democrats and the Obama administration quickly fired back, blaming the Republicans for blocking their economic stimulus proposals in Congress.
Tampa, FL – Over 30 supporters rallied here, April 10, in Joe Chillura Park to demand permits to march on the Republican National Convention and to slam the “Clean Zone” ordinance. The Clean Zone ordinance proposed by the city government of Tampa would place massive restrictions on any sort of demonstration against the RNC in August. Restrictions include what sort of everyday items protestors could bring to protests and would place any and all actions against the RNC far away from the convention center – effectively silencing any opposition to the Republican agenda of war and poverty.
Charlotte, NC – Over 60 activists converged here, April 14, holding a conference at the Charlotte School of Law to discuss the upcoming week of protest at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Charlotte, a prominent center of banking, will be hosting the convention where Democratic Party elites and delegates will establish the party platform and select Barack Obama as their candidate for President of the United States. The DNC will be held Sept. 3-6.
Tampa, FL – Organizers for the Coalition to March on the RNC held a press conference today, April 10, outside City Hall in Tampa. Leaders are organizing a national protest on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, to be held in Tampa, Florida on Aug. 27. Protesters will demand jobs, healthcare, education, equality and peace.
Revolutionary activist and scholar Joel Olson passed away on March 29, 2012. He was 45 years old. His passing came as a shock to friends and comrades and as word spread there was an outpouring of grief and memories on facebook. A fund was quickly set up to support his wife and three children. Memorials are planned for his home of Flagstaff, Arizona, as well as New York and other cities where he had close friends and comrades.
Tampa, FL – The Coalition To March On The RNC showed up in force at the Tampa City Council April 5, to demand permits and oppose Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s ‘Clean Zone.’ Many spoke in opposition to the mayor’s attempts to repress protests. They included Coalition representatives Dave Schneider of Fight Back Florida – a multi-city group that demands jobs, income and public spending – and Corey Uhl of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
Un grupo de manifestantes se reunió el 17 de septiembre del 2011 en el Parque Zuccoti, en el distrito financiero de la ciudad de Nueva York, EEUU. Su intención era exponer la avaricia y dominación de Wall Street sobre las vidas de la gente de la clase media y la clase obrera, que forma el 99% de la población. Casi inmediatamente la policía respondió con represión y gas pimienta. Esto provocó que miles de habitantes de Nueva York, en solidaridad, inundaran el Parque Zuccoti dándole inicio al movimiento Ocupar Wall Street [Occupy Wall Street en inglés].
Minneapolis, MN – A large number of protests and events are planned for this upcoming week, March 26 through April 1, to demand “Justice for Trayvon Martin.” A few are listed below.
*Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement of support in defense of veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes from the State Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE).*
All around the U.S., people are taking action to denounce the racist murder of African American teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. We demand justice!
Ron Paul is attracting a lot of attention, including some attention from some people in the anti-war movement, because of his views on foreign policy. Paul has demanded that the president “bring the troops home.” He reflects popular opinion when he says that President Bush overstepped his powers in starting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without a declaration of war. In general, Paul is known as an isolationist, rather than a pro-war candidate. However, Ron Paul supports assassinations and other ‘covert actions,’ acts, which are both illegal and anti-democratic, against other countries. In the Republican debates, his campaign tends to put little emphasis on his anti-war stances. Still, to find a candidate of either party who is against the wars is viewed by some as refreshing.
Tampa, FL – 300 protesters rallied and marched against the Republican Party at the primary debate in Tampa, Jan. 23. The protest began with a rally at the University of South Florida's Administration Building. The groups, part of the Coalition to March on the RNC, included Students for a Democratic Society, local affiliates of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Occupy Tampa, Fight Back Florida and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
On Sept. 17, 2011, a group of protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park in New York City. Their intention: to expose Wall Street greed and corporate domination over the lives of working and middle class people, the 99%. Almost immediately, police responded to the protesters with repression and pepper spray. This caused thousands of New Yorkers to flood to Zuccotti Park. Occupy Wall Street was on. Protesters camped in the park and did not leave for 59 days. Support for the protest built quickly and spread across the country and around the world. Within weeks, almost a thousand cities had Occupy protests. U.S. cities big and small had Occupations, including Chicago, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oakland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Tampa and Winston-Salem.
Minneapolis, MN – Speaking to *Fight Back!* Jan. 2, Steff Yorek, the political secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, condemned President Obama’s signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (the NDAA), which includes provisions that allow for indefinite military detention without trial.
It’s an old saying – oppression breeds resistance. In 2011, we saw that it’s still true. In 2011 there were massive new outbreaks of resistance around the world, from Egypt’s Tahrir Square to mass upsurges in Greece, Chile and Spain and to the Madison, Wisconsin capitol building and Occupy Wall Street in the U.S. In 2011 long-standing resistance struggles continued to push forward too, from Palestine to the Philippines to Nepal to Colombia.
The United States and its Western allies, along with reactionary pro-U.S. Arab regimes in the Middle East, are doing everything in their power to bring down the government of Syria. They have imposed sanctions that harm the Syrian people. They interfere in Syria’s internal affairs, with the aim of spreading disorder and chaos. Behind these attacks there is the steady drumbeat threatening foreign military intervention.
