Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Women's Movement

By Fern

Chevara Orrin speaks about her outrage over the death of Sandra Bland

Jacksonville, FL – Over 100 activists and community members gathered here, July 26, to honor Sandra Bland. Bland, who supported the Black Lives Matter movement, became national news when she was found dead in her jail cell after being arrested for a minor traffic offense. Many doubt the official story that Bland committed suicide, especially after video evidence surfaced of Bland being handled roughly by the police.

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By Sarah Martin

Sharon Rice Vaughan

Minneapolis, MN – Sharon Rice Vaughan, a longtime and respected member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the Twin Cities peace and justice movements, died in a car crash in Havana, Cuba on March 24. Her sudden and untimely death leaves a big hole in our community.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 8 statement from the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.

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By Jared Hoey

Michela Martinazzi of FRSO talks about the history of International Women's Day

Tampa, FL – Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosted a discussion panel for International Women's Day, March 8, at the First United Church of Tampa. Groups that spoke at the event included the local immigrant rights group Raices en Tampa and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression-Tampa.

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By Joe Iosbaker

Chicago, IL – Rasmea Odeh celebrated International Women’s Day with over 125 supporters in Chicago, March 8. She appeared in strong spirits, as she prepares for her sentencing hearing in Detroit in just four days.

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By staff

Rasmea Odeh

Fight Back News is circulating Rasmea Odeh's March 8 speech at the Chicago International Women’s Day event.

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By Brad Sigal

Stephanie Taylor (standing) of Freedom Road Socialist Organization speaking at T

Minneapolis, MN – About 40 people came together here, March 8, to celebrate International Women’s Day. The program included speakers from the trade union, welfare rights, student and anti-war movements.

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By staff

A poster for the International Women's Day in Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI – For over 100 years, International Women's Day has been a day to celebrate accomplishments in the struggle for women's liberation.

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Build the fight for justice, equality and liberation

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate our accomplishments in the struggle for equality and liberation, to take stock of the situation we face and to plan for battles ahead. Nothing can hold us back.

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By staff

Protest vigil and live stream speaking event planned for Feb. 13

Minneapolis, MN – Protests, speaking events and fundraisers are being organized across the U.S. as part of the growing national movement to win justice for Rasmea Odeh. Two events will take place in the Twin Cities on Friday, Feb. 13. First is the weekly Palestine Solidarity Vigil to Demand Justice for Rasmea, 4:30 to 5:30 at the intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues in Saint Paul, followed by a speech by Rasmea Odeh, via live stream, which will be at the center of an event running from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 4200 Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Chicago Network is hosting a fundraiser Feb. 3 to celebrate the resilience of Rasmea Odeh. The event, at 8:00 p.m. at DePaul University, will include dinner, a comedy performance from Amer Zahr, spoken word and dance performances and a speech from a representative of the Rasmea Defense Committee. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Odeh’s legal defense fund.

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By Fern

Protesters rally outside the courthouse.

Jacksonville, FL – Activists, some coming from as far away as California, converged on the Duval County Courthouse bright and early on Jan. 27. Hopes were high, as Marissa Alexander was due for another day in court and faced the possibility of being released from jail.

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By Fern

Jacksonville, FL – Marissa Alexander took a plea deal offered by the State Attorney to avoid an upcoming trial on Dec. 8 where she would have faced up to 60 years in prison. Alexander was charged in 2012 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after firing a warning shot to defend herself from her estranged abusive husband.

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By Jonathan Waring

Students sign the pledge "not to rape."

Gainesville, FL – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a banner-signing event, asking students to pledge to stand against rape and sexual violence both on and off campus. SDS also provided literature on consent and ways for students to help prevent sexual assault. By the end of the day, around 50 students had signed the pledge banner.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Aug. 3 statement from the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees:

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By Meredith Aby

Minneapolis, MN – This has been a hard week to listen to the news – especially as a mother. I have had trouble sleeping all week thinking about the girls and mothers living in hell in Nigeria.

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By Chrisley Carpio

Michela Martinazzi of University of Florida SDS speaks

Gainesville, FL – On March 18, University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) filled a room with about two dozen students and community members to celebrate International Women's Day. They hosted an educational panel titled, “Celebrating Women's Solidarity and Palestinian Activism,” which addressed the history of the holiday, the Palestinian women’s movement, and the trumped-up immigration charges against Palestinian women's rights activist Rasmea Odeh.

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By Chris Manor

Participants at the Salt Lake City International Women's Day event

Salt Lake City, UT – Four women leaders spoke to a room full of activists, March 8, at an International Women’s Day event hosted by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Across the country, FRSO joined the Committee to Stop FBI Repression in demanding justice for Rasmea Odeh and is circulating a petition to drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh.

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By staff

Tampa, FL – Activists from Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the Committee to Stop FBI Repression and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) gathered here, March 8, to celebrate International Women’s Day. At this event, representatives from each group talked about the radical roots of International Women’s Day and spoke about Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian-American leader facing jail and deportation for on trumped-up immigration charges.

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By Cassia Laham

Some of the participants in Miami International Women's Day celebration

Miami, FL- Activists in South Florida celebrated International Women’s Day here, March 8, at the Wynwood Art Walk. The anti-war group People's Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR) organized the event, which included a spoken-word performance of speeches by women freedom fighters, past and present.

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