Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

ChicagoIL

By Kobi Guillory

Frank Chapman speaking at funds, not feds protest.

Chicago, IL – Over 100 Chicagoans rallied outside the offices of Google and Valor Equity Partners in the West Loop on Saturday, October 11, demanding funding for public services through increasing taxes on large corporations, removing vacant police officer positions, and for all federal agents to leave the city.

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By staff

Hundreds march down to protest two years of genocide.

Chicago, IL- Hundreds of Chicagoans came out on October 4 in response to a national call for protests against the two-year anniversary of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, echoed by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP). They are continuing to demand an arms embargo, divestment from the Zionist entity, right of return, and the full liberation of Palestine – regardless of the ceasefire.

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By River Argyilan

Students march to University Hall to protest UIC administration complicity of deportations on campus.

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, October 9, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) at the University of Illinois Chicago organized an emergency protest after the ICE kidnapping of two women on campus. 

The day before, around 2:50 p.m., students and staff watched as ICE agents dragged the two women out of the car, slammed them onto the pavement and kneeled on their backs as they bound their arms. 

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By Gio Araujo

Thousands assemble on Michigan Avenue to fight back against the occupation.

Chicago, IL – On October 8, 7000 Chicagoans mobilized in the Loop to demand an end to the occupation of the city by ICE and the National Guard.

The thousands of people coming out on a Wednesday evening shows that the momentum of the resistance against Trump’s occupation is not slowing down. Chicago is in the center of this country’s fight back against Trump’s reactionary agenda, alongside LA and DC.

“We must build the largest united front against the invasion of our city and state. We need to escalate our defense and go on the offensive! To block the movement of the National Guard and shut down ICE operations,” opened Husam Marajda of the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). He urged people to join the movement and get involved with an organization.

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By staff

Chicago community confronts ICE.

Chicago, IL – On Saturday, October 4, the Latino immigrant neighborhood of Brighton Park confronted ICE and other agents in a massive show of resistance to the federal occupation of Chicago. Hundreds withstood teargas and drove the feds out of their community.

The day before, hundreds of people across the city mobilized to schools in the Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods to defend their communities as ICE and other federal agents ramped up their raids during after-school pickups. Rapid response teams coordinated with Chicago Teachers Union members among Chicago Public Schools staff to chase ICE out of neighborhoods, create “safe corridors” for children to return home, and to stand strong against the deployment of tear gas in residential neighborhoods.

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By staff

Chicago students stand with Palestine on October 7.

Chicago, IL – On Tuesday, October 7, 75 student and community activists gathered at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Quad to speak out against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, call out UIC’s administration’s complicity, and demand the full liberation of Palestine – from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

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By Xzavier Jones

Chicago, IL- On Friday, October 3, around 65 students gathered on campus outside of University Hall at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) to attend an emergency protest led by New Students for Democratic Society at UIC (New SDS at UIC), to oppose the attacks against immigrant and oppressed nationality communities.

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By Victor Silva

Students and youth take over streets for Gaza.

Chicago, IL – On October 2, 60 protesters disrupted Union Station to take a militant stand against the U.S./Israeli genocide of Palestinians. Momentum was high after the illegal kidnappings of 497 activists of the Global Sumud Freedom Flotilla from 44 countries. This is the first time since 2009 that a boat has made it into Palestinian waters and broken Israel’s siege of Gaza.

The emergency action was led by Students for Justice in Palestine-Chicago (SJP Chicago) and successfully disrupted traffic as well as people trying to leave and enter the Amtrak station.

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By staff

Chicago march against Trump's threats to send in troops.

Chicago, IL – On September 30, 1500 Chicagoans marched down Magnificent Mile to protest Trump’s threats of using the city as a military training ground. This past week has seen the effects of Operation Blitz in full force, with heavy presence of ICE and other federal agents conducting deportations. Trump’s speech to top U.S. generals the same day showed he intends to escalate the federal occupation with the military.

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By Gabe Miller and Richard Berg

Chicago protest against ICE.

Chicago, IL – The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) mobilized more than 500 people on Saturday, September 27, to protest and march against the Trump administration’s ramped up attacks from the Department of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE).

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By staff

SDS member speaking to the press against Gaza genocide.

Chicago, IL- On Monday, September 22, over 60 Illinois activists and the Illinois Divest From Genocide Network, which is made up of over 50 organizations, protested at the rescheduled Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) meeting to oppose the board and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerich’s continued investment in the genocide of the Palestinian people.

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By Alexandra Westberry

Husam Marajda of USPCN speaks outside ISBI’s offices.

Chicago IL – On Friday afternoon, September 19, over 50 people gathered outside the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) office in downtown Chicago to hold a press conference to declare a small victory. The ISBI quarterly meeting was abruptly cancelled just two days before, proving that Illinois State Treasurer (and ISBI Vice Chair) Michael Frerichs and the rest of the board are feeling the organized pressure from the Illinois Divest from Genocide Network.

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By Gabriel Miller

Chicago protest demands release of surviviors of police torture. | Fight Back! News/Kaya Rial

Chicago, IL- A dozen protesters gathered on Friday, September 19 outside the 50th Anniversary Gala of the Illinois Humanities nonprofit, a celebration for which Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker had been named an honorary co-chair. The protesters rallied and chanted to demand that Pritzker use his executive power to grant clemency for hundreds of petitioners with credible claims of police torture and wrongful conviction.

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By April Mxrie

Chicago protest against the U,S./Israeli genocide in Gaza.

On Saturday, September 13, over 100 protesters with the Coalition for Justice in Palestine shut down one of Chicago’s busiest streets to demand an end to the genocide and famine in Gaza and for an arms embargo on Israel.

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By staff

Cientos se manifiestan afuera del Centro de Procesamiento en Broadview, IL.

Chicago, IL – El 31 de agosto, 200 personas protestaron afuera de la instalación de ICE en Broadview. La protesta fue organizada por el Comité de Derechos de Inmigrantes de La Alianza de Chicago Contra La Represión Racista y Política (IRWC – CAARPR), quienes lanzaron una campaña a principios del verano con el objetivo de cerrar la instalación en Broadview.

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By staff

Massive protest against ICE deployment in Chicago.

Chicago, IL – On September 9, 3200 people from across Chicago came together to protest the heightened ICE operations in the area in what is dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz.” This protest was organized by both the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The mobilization showed a powerful resistance against ICE and possible National Guard in Chicago. 

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By River Argyilan

Progressive Student Conference in Chicago.

Chicago, IL – On Saturday, September 13, 60 students and youth from across Chicago met at Chicago Teachers Union Hall for the Progressive Student Conference. This conference brought together young Chicago activists to discuss their strategies for fighting the reactionary Trump agenda.

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By Gabriel Miller

A group of workers and supporters hold signs that say, "Mausers Teamsters on Strike!"

Chicago, IL – 150 striking workers at the Mauser Industrial Packaging facility in Little Village were joined on September 8 by activists from the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) to support the months-long strike campaign for a decent contract.

Stronger protections against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are top of the priority list for the striking workers of Teamster Local 705, 90% of whom are Latino immigrant workers. Other key demands include fair wages to keep pace with inflation, consistent hours and breaks on the job, and employer-provided uniforms to protect employees from bringing toxic chemicals home to their families.

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By staff

A mass of protesters hold "Got ICE? Crush it!" and red "Stop Deportations, Defend Immigrants!" signs.

Chicago, IL – On September 6, 8000 Chicagoans rallied and marched downtown to demand that no federal troops be deployed in the city.

The demonstration, led by the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) in partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), showed broad opposition to the incoming illegal military occupation and made clear that Chicagoans are not afraid to exercise their democratic right to resist.

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By staff

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