Newburgh, NY – In Newburgh, 120 gathered at the steps of the courthouse. In New Paltz, on Main Street, 100 stood in front of Elting Library. In Poughkeepsie there were 75. In Kingston, another 150. Woodstock 100. Across the Hudson Valley we took the streets. There were actions in towns, villages and hamlets as we joined the over 650 marches taking place across the United States.

Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of October 2, Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Wisconsin held a demonstration to protest Texas’ abortion ban. This was held in collaboration with the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racial and Political Repression and Students for a Democratic Society, and with coordination from a couple of individual organizers. The demonstration consisted of a march through downtown from Planned Parenthood to the Milwaukee office of Senator Ron Johnson, a noted reactionary and proponent of the same ideas encompassed by the Texas law. Once outside Senator Johnson’s office, organizers transitioned into a rally with guest speakers.

Minneapolis, MN – The Women’s March organized a rally and march as a part the National Day of Action on October 2 to protest the anti-abortion law passed in Texas in June. Up to 10,000 people of all genders gathered at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden holding signs and banners expressing their outrage over the Texas law SB 8.

Arlington, TX – On September 22, Progressive Student Union (PSU) rallied with at least 40 students over the University of Texas Arlington (UTA) administration’s failures in following through on Resolution 18-04, which was a student resolution involving greater access to women’s healthcare products on campus. This resolution was officially passed by student government in spring 2019, and little progress has been made in regard to dispensaries being put in women’s bathrooms or having affordable products being sold in campus stores.

On September 1, abortion became illegal in Texas, except in the very earliest stages of pregnancy. The handful of abortion providers in the state are now turning away most people seeking their services because they are not arriving early enough in their pregnancies. The law makes no exception for rape or incest, or for the age of the pregnant person.

Arlington, TX – On September 1, the Progressive Student Union rallied 50 people to protest the recent attacks launched by Governor Greg Abbott and the GOP against women’s rights, and democracy. The most egregious of these attacks came in the form of an anti-abortion bill that sought to restrict the access to abortion in Texas to only the first six weeks of pregnancy, and made it a liable offense to offer aid in a woman getting an abortion in any way if it was beyond the first six weeks.

Austin, TX – Around 100 people rallied at the Texas State Capitol on September 1 to protest against the statewide abortion ban that went into effect that same day. Texas abortion clinics have been forced to stop taking appointments in order to avoid what could be thousands of lawsuits against them. The new law especially affects low-income and working-class women who don’t have the resources to take time off work, since the ban forces women in Texas to drive an average of 248 miles one way to access an abortion clinic out of state.

Paez, Venezuela – Groups of mainly women stand with pride in front of Manuelita Saenz Bolivarian School and Community Center. The new center and school provide classes on music, culture, politics, feminism, sports, etc. Children and adults from all over the neighborhood attend to open their minds and improve their education.

Caracas, Venezuela – Images of men sitting in prison, looking down at their shoes, awaiting court for violating and committing acts of violence against women appear on the TV screen. Scrolling across the bottom of the screen are the words, “The most people in prison in Venezuela are men who have committed gender violence.”

Caracas, Venezuela – Groups of women, wearing blue hardhats, stand proudly in front of a five-floor building, surrounded by lush mountains. The community members are building 93 apartments for families in the area. 80% of the workers are women.

El Primero de Mayo empezó como una celebración de la clase obrera y su lucha heroica después de la brutal violencia de la policía en el año 1886. Los trabajadores que manifestaron en Haymarket lucharon en contra condiciones de trabajo bien peor y por una campana de un día de trabajo por ocho horas. Los atacaron la policía, con muchos trabajadores heridos y muertos, muchos de ellos eran inmigrantes, resultado de un evento infamoso llamado la masacre de Haymarket. El estado de Illinois tuvo un juicio y ejecutó cuatro líderes laborales, siempre recordado como los Mártires de Haymarket. Todavía, el espíritu de este día, el primer Primero de Mayo vive y está celebrado alrededor del mundo cada año.

Fight Back News Service is circulation the following speech given by Tracy Molm at Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s online International Women’s Day event.

Minneapolis, MN – Freedom Road Socialist Organization will hold an online International Women’s Day celebration on March 6.

Around the world, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. It’s a holiday that calls on everyone to recognize and honor the accomplishments of women in the struggle for a better world. The first Women’s Day was celebrated in the U.S. in 1909 to honor the heroic garment workers strike in New York. In 1910, acting on a proposal from the outstanding German revolutionary Clara Zetkin, the Socialist International adopted International Women’s Day. Over 111 years later, women continue to fight on the frontlines for peace, equality and our communities’ futures.

Por todo el mundo, el Día Internacional de la Mujer se celebra el 8 de marzo. Es un día feriado que apela a todos reconocer y dar respeto a los logros de la mujer en la lucha por un mundo mejor. El primer Día Internacional de la Mujer se celebró en los EE. UU. en 1909 para honrar la huelga heroica de las trabajadoras de ropa en Nueva York. En 1910, actuando en un propósito de la destacada revolucionaria alemana Clara Zetkin, la Internacional Socialista adoptó el Día Internacional de la Mujer. Más que 111 años después, las mujeres continúan luchar en las fronteras para la paz, la igualdad, y el futuro de nuestras comunidades.

El mundo está observando cómo los americanos votan por la derrota de Trump y de la agenda Republicana de racismo, discriminación, y opresión. Por supuesto, el sistema ya engañó a los americanos en 2016. Trump perdió el voto popular pero fue declarado presidente de los EEUU por el sistema elitista del Colegio Electoral. Ahora Donald Trump amenaza con robar las elecciones de nuevo, tratando de mentir, engañar, y robar su camino de regreso a la Casa Blanca.

The world is watching as Americans vote to defeat Trump and the Republican agenda of racism, discrimination and oppression. Of course, the system already cheated the American people back in 2016. Trump lost the popular vote but was declared U.S. president by the elitist Electoral College system. Now Donald Trump threatens to be at it again, trying to lie, cheat and steal his way back into the White House.

Poughkeepsie, NY – More than 100 people gathered in Poughkeepsie in upstate New York for a vigil and protest march, October 17, centered on the endemic violence facing Black women and Black trans women in the United States.

Milwaukee, WI – While Joe Biden shelters himself from COVID-19 and the movement for Black lives in Milwaukee, the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) will be in the streets. Regardless of whether Biden comes to Milwaukee or not, the Democrats will hear from the people on the front lines fighting police crimes, especially the families who have lost loved ones to killer cops.

Minneapolis, MN – On July 18, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis to demand justice for women lost to state violence. Organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the protest focused on Vanessa Guillen and Breonna Taylor. The dual focus on Vanessa Guillen, who was Latina, and Breonna Taylor, who was Black, aimed to build unity between Black and Latino communities as well as other communities in the struggle for justice.