Fight Back! News is circulating the following statement from the New Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Illinois Chicago (New SDS at UIC).

We are calling on students and youth from the Chicagoland area to attend the Progressive Student Conference on Saturday, September 13th  from 12pm-4pm at the Chicago Teachers Union Hall (1901 W Carroll Ave).

The conference will bring together student and youth groups from various areas of the movement to talk about lessons and ongoing struggles under the reactionary Trump administration. From Black liberation, Palestine/Filipino solidarity, fights to defend and fund education and cultural centers/studies, labor on campus, and much more!

Since it has taken power, the Trump administration has brought down heavy attacks on the people of Chicago. It has continued to greenlight the genocide in Gaza, find ways to conduct mass deportation in sanctuary cities, and committed to “strengthening and unleashing” police against black communities. Chicago politicians and followers of Trump’s agenda have tried to overturn Chicago’s welcoming city ordinance, restrict free speech on campus, and continue to criminalize black youth with racist curfews.

The attacks on the people of Chicago are heightening. Trump has promised the deployment of the National Guard, and increased ICE raids in the city. 

Trump’s particular hatred for Chicago is a reaction to the progress that has been made over the past decades. But in Chicago these things were not charitably brought down to us. It came about through people getting organized, demanding, and fighting back. This same strategy will be used to defend what we have won, and fight back against the Trump agenda!

Students and youth play an important role in fighting back. Our education, our democratic rights, and our futures are under attack. An occupation of the city is on its way.

As society becomes more and more hostile, our action is powerful and necessary to building a better future!

Register for the conference here. 

Come out to the Progressive Student Conference!

Build the student movement against Trump!

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #Trump #SDS

Chicago, IL – 10,000 Chicagoans gathered at the West Loop Haymarket Memorial on Monday, September 1, for a “Workers over Billionaires” protest called by the Chicago Federation of Labor for a militant Labor Day demonstration.

The protest was a response to Trump’s sweeping attacks on working and oppressed people, with particular focus on his attacks on federal workers’ bargaining rights, Immigrant rights, and his threats to send federal troops into Chicago.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to strip collective bargaining rights from almost 1 million federal workers. In recent weeks, he has made consistent threats to send military forces into cities run by Black mayors, with particular malice toward Chicago’s mayor and the union city that elected him.

To open his remarks at the Labor Day protest, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson fired up the crowd with chants of “No federal troops in the city of Chicago!” The mayor took a fighting stance with regards to Trump’s attacks on Chicago, describing his administration’s efforts to defend and invest in workers, especially Black and brown workers. Johnson spoke with pride about helping abolish the sub-minimum wage, ratify a transformative Chicago Teacher’s Union contract, and invest in affordable housing units on the South and West sides.

“We have stood up for the interests of workers before and we will do it again Johnson said. “We will always be a labor town.”

Johnson’s emphasis on the role of unions and working class people in mobilizing against Trump’s attacks to come was clear. “I need you all to stand firm and stand strong,” he said.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates matched Johnson’s words, stating, “In Chicago, we reject a billionaire’s tyranny in our city,” she said. “Solidarity is the antidote to white supremacy. Solidarity is the antidote to anti-immigrant fever. Solidarity is the antidote to transphobia and homophobia.”

“It is because of unions that there are no children who are working underage, and because of unions that we have health benefits, sick leave and vacation time,” said Reverend Jamal Bryant, a senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. He called for labor forces to fight back once again. “There are more labor workers than there are billionaires.”

After the initial program at the Haymarket Monument, the protesters began marching west, chanting and holding signs promoting workers’ and Immigrants’ rights, and opposing Trump and his threats to send in troops to Chicago.

First stop: Workers over billionaires!

The march stopped at the corner of Fulton and Sangamon, outside the offices of Valor Equity Partners, a company founded by Chicago billionaire Antonio Gracias.

Toni Frazier, a childcare professional and SEIUHCII member, has worked in childcare for more than 34 years. She called out Gracias for not only hoarding billions off the backs of workers but also working with Musk to cut Social Security. These attacks hit close to home for Frazier, whose granddaughter needs special services for autism and whose niece is disabled and struggles to access healthcare. “We are here to take care of those who need help the most,” Frazier said. “That ain’t the billionaires.”

Second stop: Boycott Target!

The march reached its second stop outside a Target store, where Reverend Bryant spoke about the nationwide boycott against the corporation since it ended its DEI programs and goals early this year. The campaign’s efforts have seen Target’s stock drop by $52 per share and the CEO’s salary cut by 42% since the start of the boycott.

Bryant attributed the campaign’s progress to the same unity that helped build the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the Civil Rights movement. Labor unions, teachers and faith leaders all have to work together, he said. “Don’t let nobody turn us around!”

Final stop: We must defeat Trump in the streets!

John Miller, local president of University Professionals of Illinois Local 41 and a member of the American Association of University Professionals, called out the cruel disinvestment in education and all aspects of society orchestrated by Trump and the billionaire ruling class, including Governor Pritzker. Miller emphasized the need for an organized, militant response from the movement.

“All of higher education is under attack,” Miller said. “We’ve filed lawsuits, but we must defeat [Trump] in the streets.”

“We can play defense, or we can go on offense,” said Nico Coronado, chief negotiator for Teamsters 705 in their fight with Mauser. Over 100 members have been on strike since June 9. They are demanding better wages, workplace quality standards as well as protections from immigration enforcement. “We need to organize to bring in more members and have more militancy.”

No Trump, no troops!

In the coming days, an illegal military occupation of communities may come to Chicago as ordered by Donald Trump. The National Guard is being deployed, like in Washington DC, to continue the attacks on working and oppressed people, under the guise of fighting crime.

Chicagoans, in particular Black people and immigrants, have an inalienable democratic right to resist through whatever means of resistance needed. The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) is ready to mobilize as soon as troops hit the ground. Follow CATA on social media at coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org

#ChicagoIL #IL #PeoplesStruggles #Labor #Trump #ImmigrantRights #CATA #AFLCIO #SEIU #CTU

Chicago, IL – On August 31, 200 people protested outside the Broadview ICE facility. The protest was organized by the Immigrant Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (IRWC – CAARPR), which launched a campaign earlier in the summer with aims at closing the Broadview facility.

Kayla Nguyen of the IRWC opened the rally, stating “The so-called Broadview Processing Center has no beds, no showers and no hot meals. They are holding people in there for days. That’s not a processing center, that’s a de-facto detention center. Today we’re protesting to call on State Attorney Eileen Burke and Attorney General Kwame Raoul to launch an investigation into these injustices, uphold the Illinois Trust Act, and close the Broadview facility!”

The Broadview ICE facility has been a key location for federal immigration operations around Chicagoland, and where many kidnapped community members have been taken for processing. Under Illinois law, ICE can operate processing centers for very brief holding times, but is restricted from operating detention centers, including local jails. Many people kidnapped by ICE are taken to such processing centers and then shipped off to another state to await deportation. However, the Broadview facility has been holding people for prolonged periods of time, sometimes up to a week, which has made it into a de-facto detention center.

The Broadview facility lacks beds, meals, kitchen, showers, access to communication and basic dignities for those held there.

“I have seen firsthand the horror within this facility. I have worked within immigrant rights for almost ten years. We have never seen these kinds of conditions in the Chicago area. It’s important that we note them and that we stand against them because we cannot allow this to be our norm,” said Louise Carhart, a lawyer and member of the IRWC.

Carhart continued, “We have laws against detention in Cook County. We have laws against detention in Illinois. We need to enforce our laws and make sure we are showing up for immigrants like Tito Ernie who was released this past week. Tito Ernie was originally detained at the Broadview ICE Facility and at O’Hare. Chicago and Illinois are leaders in this fight and we need to show them why that is.“

Upon arrival, organizers and protesters were met with a significant response from local Broadview police, who eventually closed down the street to block additional traffic due to the amount of people. ICE agents hid inside the building, periodically sending out third party contractor security to pester and provoke those gathered. This protest took place just days after several protesters from an unaffiliated group were arrested for civil disobedience while blocking the entrance of the facility.

Outside the facility, protesters heard from various speakers in the immigrant rights movement, joined in chants to raise their demands, and blocked the entrance of the facility for two hours before departing.

The protest was attended by many people from the community who had heard or seen flyers online or in their neighborhoods, and by many members of endorsing organizations such as the Casa Dupage Worker’s Center, the Arab American Action Network, Tanggol Migrante, and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.

Readers can take action by calling and emailing the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Illinois Attorney General to demand they investigate the Broadview ICE facility and shut it down. An automated message can easily be sent to these elected officials by using the form at: https://www.caarpr.org/irwc#send-letter-to-close-broadview

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #IRWC #CAARPR #CPWC #AAAN #TanggolMigrante #USPCN

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine held another protest against the genocide in Gaza on Saturday, August 30, as Israel’s campaign of destruction and famine nears its 23rd month. The coalition mobilized about 100 Chicagoans to the riverwalk near Trump Tower even as many Chicago-area activists and organizers were attending the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, Michigan the same day.

The protest demanded an immediate end to the genocide, sanctions imposed on and divestment from the state of Israel, an arms embargo, the right of Palestinian return, and justice for journalists martyred while covering the genocide. Many protesters held signs honoring the Al-Jazeera crew that was murdered by Israel three weeks before.

In addition to targeting journalists, Israel’s war crimes include the indiscriminate, forced starvation of the people of Gaza as the Israeli occupation forces block the flow of food and essential aid into the occupied territories. On Thursday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that the known number of people who have starved to death reached at least 317, including 121 children.

With the “looming threat of an intensified military operation in Gaza, any escalation will further devastate Palestinians already living under famine conditions,” said Nadia Alyafai, a leader with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network who spoke at the protest. “And we know who will suffer the most: the sick, malnourished children, the elderly and people with disabilities who can’t evacuate, who continue to be displaced, and now have nowhere to go.”

“The media, the US, and the Zionist entity continue to lie about access to aid — but we have the pictures, we have witnesses on the ground — this is a man-made famine,” Alyafai said.

Alyafai then stated, “A few hours ago, the genocidal Zionist entity targeted my homeland, Yemen, killing the prime minister alongside several other ministers in the Yemeni government,” Alyafai continued, “This comes after the people of Yemen have continued to stand for the Palestinian people by any means necessary: blocking ships and cargo in the Red Sea, and taking the streets to resist the genocidal Zionist entity.”

The crowd cheered in response and chanted “Yemen Yemen stand your ground! They will never break you down!”

Alyafai closed her remarks by calling out Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and the Illinois Board of Investments for investing state tax dollars in Israeli Bonds, despite Israel’s genocidal war crimes.

“We have been fighting and marching every week demanding the very basic rights guaranteed to all of humanity – Palestinians are not lesser than any other human being on Earth,” said Tarek Muhammad Khalil with American Muslims for Palestine, who was next to speak. “If anything, I would venture to argue the people of Gaza have shown us that they are better than us – that their face is stronger than us. They have renewed our faith by giving us strength. We should not be looking down to them but we should be looking up to them, because they have shown us the way!”

“We call for an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands by the illegal Zionist entity – and in Chicago we also call to an end to the occupation of Black and brown working-class neighborhoods by a police force who was trained alongside the racist IOF soldiers,” said a member of the Chicago Alliance against Racism and Political Repression (CAARPR). “Our Palestinian comrades gave unwavering support to us during the George Floyd rebellion, and have always stood with us in our fight for community control of the police – and just as they have stood with us year after year, I can promise you that CAARPR will always stand shoulder to shoulder with you until we see a free Palestine.”

After the rally, the protesters took Michigan Avenue and marched south, past the Art Institute of Chicago. Demonstrators called out to the shoppers to join them, chanting “Out of the sidewalks, into the streets!”

Protesters will be back out again in Chicago next week on Saturday.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Gaza #CCJP #CAARPR

Chicago, IL – On August 28, New Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Illinois at Chicago (New SDS at UIC) led a rally of over 50 students in the UIC Quad and marched through campus chanting “Donald Trump you racist clown – you’re not welcome in this town!” and “When cultural centers are under attack – stand up and fight back!”

This protest was UIC students’ answer to National SDS’ call for a National Day of Action to stand up to Trump, demand no cuts to cultural programs, and no deportations.

Ariana Vega opened the rally on behalf of New SDS at UIC, “If you don’t already know, UIC is an incredibly diverse campus with more than half of its demographic consisting of minority students. We have seven centers for cultural understanding and social change – the Black Cultural Center, Latino Cultural Center, Arab American Cultural Center, Asian American Resource and Cultural Center, Gender and Sexuality Center, Disability Cultural Center, and the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center. These centers exist because of activism of the student movement of previous generations.”

Referring to the lack of funding for cultural centers, Vega said “But UIC administrators and the University of Illinois System as a whole have made it abundantly clear that they will bend to Trump and his administration!”

“As Filipino youth, we must not stay on the sidelines. We must organize,” said Gabby Abacan from Anakbayan at UIC.

Abacan continued. “While education is being cut, while tuition and fees are rising, billions are poured into ICE and the machinery of deportation and detention. Instead of classrooms and community resources, our tax dollars go to tearing families apart.”

“We must fight to keep our culture alive by advocating for Filipino Language Classes at UIC, so that we can communicate and build connections with our families back home and fellow migrants!” said Abacan.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Ángel Naranjos said, “Trump’s ultimate goal is to dismantle public education. At the end of this mission, education truly will be only for the rich. But don’t get it twisted – there are real things that we can do to stop this.”

Naranjos continued, “Real resistance will come from people power – from students, faculty, campus workers and unions. The last few years have proved it: Youth and students are ready to fight. If you haven’t joined the student movement yet, there is no better time to start than now!”

Then, Valerie Domrzalski from New SDS at UIC closed the rally by reading a statement from National SDS regarding Trump’s recent attacks on education.

“On July 14, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trump's layoffs of about half of the workforce, 1400 employees, in the Department of Education. National SDS sees these layoffs as an attack on students and federal workers, and are moves made to weaken public education,” she read.

Domrazalski continued, “Since coming into office, Donald Trump and his Secretary of Education Linda McMahon have carried out an agenda that will weaken public education in favor of the privatization of education.”

“Education that is accessible, affordable and meaningful to students is a right that students must be ready to fight for this fall. This incoming school year, National SDS, calls on all students to rise up to defend their education and to protest Trump's agenda!”

The students ended the protest in a militant mood by marching towards the University Hall where the office of UIC’s Chancellor, Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda, is housed. Their march caught the eyes of administrators, campus police and hundreds of students. Many students expressed their appreciation of the protest by chanting along and pumping their fists in solidarity as the activists marched on by.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #Trump #SDS

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine continued with its weekly protests on Saturday, August 23, mobilizing 150 Chicagoans to the riverwalk near Trump Tower. Protesters continue to demand an end to both the genocide and famine in Gaza, as well as an arms embargo, divestment of Illinois bonds from the Zionist entity, and justice for martyred journalists.

This protest came days after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which works with the UN, has officially declared that Gaza is in famine.

“The violence the Zionist entity has inflicted on Palestine before is unlike anything we have seen in modern history, shaking every person to their core,” said Lara Hadadin, an organizer with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, who opened the agenda for the rally.

“We have witnessed the murder of 250 journalists, the death of over 63,000 Palestinians, and the injury of at least 150,000 Palestinians,” Hadadin said. “And we know these numbers are vastly undercounted because people are still buried under the rubble from 2023.”

Hadadin criticized politicians who are only now starting to denounce the famine in Gaza, despite having supported the entity perpetuating it for nearly two years.

“Though it is true [Netanyahu] doesn’t care about the settler hostages in Gaza, most of Zionist society supports the genocide, and regularly, sexually, verbally, and physically assaults Palestinians in their daily lives,” Hadadin continued.

“Just as South Africa didn’t have the right to exist as a racist white supremacist state, the Zionist entity does not have a right to exist — as a racist, white supremacist, apartheid, settler colonial Zionist state!” Hadadin then demanded the Palestinian right of return, a major demand of the Palestinian liberation movement.

To close the program, the organizers read aloud the final message of Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif’s before his assassination by Israel. The protesters then took Michigan Avenue and marched down the Magnificent Mile, disrupting weekend commerce to remind shoppers of the genocide their own tax dollars being used to fund.

Some of the shoppers raised their fists in support or chanted along with the protesters as they marched past boycott targets such as Starbucks and Zara.

“I never want to hear a Republican talk about pro-life and support this genocide,” said Tarek Muhammad Khalil with American Muslims for Palestine, as the crowd marched. “I never want to hear a Democrat talk about free and universal healthcare and supporting the quality of life of the citizens here — while they send bombs, to bomb children in Gaza. These are hypocrites representing us!

“So tell your representatives, whether it's Sean Casten, Jan Schakowsky – or whether it's any senator, such as Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth – you tell them, your days are numbered if you continue to support this genocidal regime,” Khalil said.

As the march concluded, the organizers encouraged protesters to register for the People’s Conference for Palestine 2025 from August 29 to 31 in Detroit, Michigan.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine