News and Views from the People's Struggle
Austin, TX – On the afternoon of March 8, International Women’s Day, around 400 people rallied in downtown Austin in front of the Texas State Capitol building.
Milwaukee, WI – Over 1200 people joined the 4th annual International Women’s Day celebration organized by the Milwaukee IWD Coalition, a broad coalition consisting of numerous grassroots organizations.
This year’s event began with a rally, followed by a brief march to the Milwaukee Turners, an historic building with a progressive socialist history that is located on Vel R. Phillips Avenue, named after a trailblazing civil rights leader from Milwaukee. At the Turners, the event transitioned to a panel discussion with various organizers, and a keynote address by Alondra García, a public school educator and immigrant rights activist.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
On International Women’s Day: A Salute to the Steadfast Palestinian Woman Standing Against Genocide and Displacement Plans
The Palestinian Woman: A Song of Freedom, Homeland, and Anemones
Por la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad
A través del mundo, el Día Internacional de las Mujeres siempre ha sido más que una celebración – es un día de lucha. Fue forjado en la lucha de las obreras textiles de Nueva York, quienes salieron a las calles en 1908 para protestar contra la superexplotación que sufrían en los talleres clandestinos mientras intentaban mantener a sus familias: condiciones laborales peligrosas, horas extenuantes, trabajo infantil y el robo de sueldos. Marcharon brazo a brazo con las suffragettes que luchaban por el derecho al voto de las mujeres. La heroína revolucionaria Clara Zetkin designó el 8 de marzo como un día global de acción para unir a las mujeres del mundo en la lucha por el socialismo y la liberación.
Across the world, International Women’s Day has always been more than a celebration – it is a day of struggle. It was forged in the fight of New York City garment workers who took to the streets in 1908, to protest the super-exploitation they endured in sweatshops as they tried to support their families: dangerous working conditions, back-breaking hours, child labor and wage theft. They marched shoulder to shoulder with the suffragettes fighting for women’s right to vote. The revolutionary hero Clara Zetkin marked March 8th as a global day of action as a way to unite women worldwide in the fight for socialism and liberation.
Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, February 5, over 300 people gathered for a protest against Trump’s agenda at Tampa City Hall to demand an end to mass deportations and to defend women’s and LGBTQ rights.
On Thursday, February 6, at 5 p.m. Pacific time (6 p.m. Mountain, 7 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Eastern), Freedom Road Socialist Organization will be hosting an online meeting “Building the Movement to Fight Trump’s Agenda.”
Featured speakers include Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), Marisol Márquez of Legalization for All, and Sydney Loving, a member of the Central Committee of FRSO. Fight Back! asked each of these leading organizers why they thought this upcoming meeting was important in building the fight against Trump. Here’s what they had to say.
Madison, WI – On January 18, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) stood at the forefront of the fight for reproductive freedom, participating in two powerful marches held simultaneously in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These events were part of the People’s March National Day of Action, which drew thousands to the streets, united in their support of women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights, global solidarity, and immigrant rights.
San José, CA – On MLK Day, upwards of 600 San José residents came out to protest Trump's inauguration and fight back against his anti-immigrant agenda.
The protest mobilized a broad array of progressive organizations in the South Bay, all united against Trump. The Silicon Valley Immigration Committee and Papeles Para Todos coordinated the rally and march.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech that was given by Sydney Loving, member of Central Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, at the Washington DC protest coinciding with the inauguration of Trump.
Brothers, sisters, and comrades,
It is so good to stand here with all of you. As an organization last year, we spearheaded the massive marches on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that brought 30,000 into the streets – that was the first step, and here is the next. Inauguration day is day one, and we’re mobilizing all over the country. The message is this: we’re not just ready for a fight – we’re looking for one.
Washington, DC – On a windy Monday morning, January 20, protesters rallied and marched in opposition to Trump’s inauguration and his reactionary billionaire agenda. Organized by the We Fight Back coalition, organizations united around demands to defend the people’s movements from expected attacks by the Trump administration.
Heating the chill of the air with the fire of their spirits, protesters rallied in Malcolm X Park as speakers from endorsing organizations and coalition partners delivered their message to the crowd.
Tampa, FL – On January 20, over 50 people gathered in front of City Hall in downtown Tampa to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump. Protestors held signs reading “Abortion is a human right,” “No deportations” and “Protect trans students,” showing the range of groups affected by Trump’s unpopular policies.
Olympia, WA – Hundreds gathered at Heritage Park in Olympia, on Saturday, January 18, to protest against the second inauguration of Donald Trump. People of all ages, genders and nationalities from dozens of organizations made up the Peoples’ March on a brisk, sunny afternoon.
Washington, DC – On January 18, thousands of people flocked to McPherson Square in downtown DC to join the People's March to the White House. The action saw mobilization from every corner of the people's movements, with the common goal of protesting the incoming Trump administration. Popular slogans included “Black lives matter,” “Our body, our choice” and “Free Palestine,” among others that reflected the struggles and demands of the broad movement.
St. Paul, MN – On the afternoon of Saturday, December 14, Twin Cities community members came together to protest outside the offices of Pro-Life Action Ministries, an anti-abortion Christian organization. The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee held a vigil to remember those who have passed away due to restrictions on abortion care, then transitioned into a rally to show that the community does not welcome Pro-Life Action Ministries and its hateful rhetoric.
Minneapolis, MN – Around 50 people rallied for reproductive rights outside Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office on the brisk afternoon of Sunday, November 24. The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) organized the protest, which came at a pivotal time given the re-election of Donald Trump, whose first-term Supreme Court appointees voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Since the election, organizers with MNAAC have emphasized the need to take action against a familiar administration, one which promises to further do away with abortion rights. Addressing the situation in Minnesota, MNAAC member Maggie Moynihan told the crowd, “Clinics that offer real help and healthcare are few and far between in Minnesota, but the people who need their services are many.”
Organizers chose Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office as the location for the rally to draw attention to the bipartisan failures of politicians to codify abortion and to end the genocide in Palestine. While Klobuchar has a commendable track record speaking in favor of reproductive rights, she has failed to meaningfully pursue her campaign promise of “reinstating Roe.” She has also failed to uphold human rights at large, voting to continue military aid to Israel as recently as November 20.
Other groups at the protest included the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Climate Justice Committee and Anti-War Committee, as well as many supporters in the movement for women’s and reproductive rights.
While the rally primarily focused on the right to safe access to abortion, speakers also drew connections to the fight for a free Palestine. Crista Ocampo of the Anti-War Committee phrased this solidarity well, stating “The politicians who are sending bombs and military aid to uphold apartheid occupation are the same politicians who are stripping our rights away here in the states.” Ocampo went on to say, “It doesn’t matter if it’s here in the U.S. or in Gaza or the West Bank, when our rights are under attack, we will use everything we have to fight back.”
#MinneapolisMN #MN #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #Abortion #Trump #MNAAC
Milwaukee, WI – Reproductive rights supporters took to the streets, Saturday, November 9. Roughly 300 people gathered to hear speeches and speak out against the outrageous abortion restrictions in Wisconsin and across the U.S.
So, it happened. The racist, reactionary fool Donald Trump is returning to the White House, and Republicans will dominate Congress. The polarization of American political life is sharpening and deepening. Revolutionaries and progressives have some heavy lifting ahead of us.
There is going to be plenty of time to analyze what happened in the election, but on the morning after, some things are clear. The leadership and wealthy backers of the Democratic Party have only themselves to blame for the outcome. The Harris/Walz campaign was tone-deaf to the needs and aspirations of working people. In fact, the two words that they seemed unable to work into any of their speeches were “working class.” Instead, they offered a sad mixture of genocide in Palestine, combined with an appeal to college-educated, “never Trump” Republicans. And they failed.
Minneapolis, MN – On Thursday, October 4, 30 abortion rights organizers, allies and community members gathered to mourn the deaths and celebrate the lives of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller. Thurman and Miller tragically passed away because they were unable to access lifesaving reproductive care, as a result of Georgia’s draconian anti-abortion laws. Their stories just recently came to light after the state’s maternal mortality review committee ruled both of their deaths preventable.
Minneapolis, MN – On September 10, 40 people rallied to protest predatory anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” First Care. This marks the fifth protest of a First Care facility organized by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) as part of their campaign to expose the deceptive and manipulative practices of these facilities.
During the protest, Jay Belsito, a member of UnRestrict MN and Gender Justice, recalled their experience with an anti-abortion center as a pregnant teenager in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They were misled about how far along they were in their pregnancy and given fake ultrasound images, a common tactic used to prevent people from making informed choices about their bodies and their health.