Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

ChicagoIL

By Joe Iosbaker

Chicago, IL – Today, Sept. 24, is the seventh anniversary of the 2010 FBI raids targeting 7 homes of anti-war, international solidarity and Palestinian-American activists. Subsequent grand jury subpoenas were served to nine additional activists in December of that same year.

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By Jess Sundin

Palestinian American hero  Rasmea Odeh speaking shortly before her deportation.

Chicago, IL — About 150 people gathered outside the international terminal, Sept. 19, at Chicago's O'Hare airport in support of Rasmea Odeh. The send-off rally was the last chance for supporters to say goodbye, as Rasmea was forced to depart the U.S. after an almost four-year legal and political struggle. Speakers applauded Rasmea and a defense campaign that put Israel on trial for its crimes, and lifted up the cause of Palestinian liberation.

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By Joe Iosbaker

Alderman Carlos Rosa at 2016 press conference with the CAARPR.

Chicago, IL – Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is a member of the Chicago City Council who is well known to every progressive activist in Chicago. Brought to office in a 2015 wave of insurgent candidates opposing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s pro-business agenda, the 28-year-old Rosa has become a fixture at labor rallies, protests against Trump’s attack on the undocumented Dreamers, as well as community meetings fighting gentrification.

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By staff

Nataki Rhodes and Tyrone Williams.

Chicago, IL — 1000 protesters gathered in Chicago to protest the murder of Heather Heyer and the injuring of 19 others by American Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12.

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By Danya Zituni

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Chicago, IL – A standing room only crowd of over 1200 people packed the International Union of Operating Engineers hall for the August 12 farewell event in honor of Palestinian liberation icon Rasmea Odeh. The hosts were those forces that had worked tirelessly on her behalf for four years: the Rasmea Defense Committee, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), and the Coalition to Protect People’s Rights.

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By staff

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Chicago, IL – Over 100 protesters marched on the Cook County Court building for a pretrial hearing in the murder proceedings against Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke. Dash cam video showed Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager, 16 times.

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By Danya Zituni

All out for Jason Van Dyke court hearing!

Chicago, IL — At 8 a.m. on August 11, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) will lead a rally outside the Cook County Courthouse before the court hearing for Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.

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By staff

Teacher Sarah Chambers, fired for leading the fight against the attacks.on Speci

Chicago, IL – Teachers and parents fighting Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s attacks on public education scored a concession from the city. In April, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) fired Sarah Chambers, the teacher who chairs the Special Education Task Force for the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). The fightback to this latest attack got the administration to end a budgeting practice implemented last year known as “comingling.”

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By Jazmine Salas

Karen Lewis, president of CTU, speaking in support of Sarah Chambers.

CHICAGO, IL- The movement to ‘Let Sarah Chambers Teach’ has grown since her May termination from Maria Saucedo Academy. An online petition calling for her reinstatement has gathered nearly 4000 signatures; a support rally organized in April drew a crowd of over 100, and 28 aldermen have re-leased letters of support for the educator.

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By Danya Zituni

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Chicago, IL – On July 13, over 75 Palestinian and Arab women gathered at Jerusalem Banquets to celebrate the release of Towards the Sun, a book written by members of the Arab Women's Committee (AWC).

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By Danya Zituni

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Chicago, IL – On July 13, over 75 Palestinian and Arab women gathered at Jerusalem Banquets to celebrate the release of Towards the Sun, a book written by members of the Arab Women's Committee (AWC).

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By Tom Burke

Chicago, IL – John Coli, president of Joint Council 25 of the Teamsters Union, was indicted July 12 on federal charges that he extorted $100,000 in cash from a local business.

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By staff

Chicago protest demand justice for Minnesota's Philando Castile.

Chicago, IL – 500 people gathered in Chicago’s Washington Park June 18 to protest the acquittal of the cop that killed Philando Castile in Minnesota. The marchers began with a rally at the location where Ronald “Ronnieman” Johnson was shot in the back by Chicago police in October 2014.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – In an historic vote, members of ChiACTS Local 4343, the union of charter school educators in Chicago, voted overwhelmingly to unify with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), June 9. CTU members will vote on unification with ChiACTS this fall. Ballots from union charter schools were counted after the close of the Friday school day. Final vote counts of the 1,000-strong union were 671 in favor and 130 against unifying – or about 84% of voting members supporting unification.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – Union educators at Passages Charter School signed off on a tentative agreement Wednesday night, May 24, for their first contract since unionizing a year ago, narrowly averting what would have been the first strike of a charter operator in U.S. history.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – Union educators at Passages Charter School announced that they will formally strike – and hit the picket lines, on May 25, if they are unable to reach a decent contract agreement with charter management by midnight, May 24. Teachers voted unanimously to strike on May 4, but held off from setting a date in the hopes that management would move from a hardline stance that includes rock-bottom wages, elimination of maternity and paternity leave, opposition to greater financial transparency, and insufficient resources to support classrooms.

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By Joe Iosbaker

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Chicago, IL – El 18 de mayo en una manifestación en la ciudad de Chicago, Rasmea Odeh le dio la bienvenida al ex-prisionero político Oscar López Rivera. Oscar López duró 35 años en una prisión de los EE.UU. Fue encarcelado injustamente por haber luchador por la independencia de su patria Puerto Rico. Al igual que él, Rasmea Odeh también enfrenta represión y deportación por parte del gobierno de los EE.UU. debido a su activismo por la liberación de Palestina.

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By staff

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Chicago, IL – AT&T workers in Chicago walked off the job and hit the picket lines today, May 19. Not minding the rain and recent cooler weather, many workers chanted, “No contract, no phone!” and “No raises, no peace.” The strike which involves AT&T workers across the U.S., is set to last for three days.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #Strikes

By Joe Iosbaker

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Chicago, IL – Rasmea Odeh embraces former political prisoner, Oscar López Rivera, at a rally in Chicago, on May 18. López Rivera spent 35 years in a U.S. prison. He was unjustly imprisoned for fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico, his homeland. Like him, Rasmea Odeh is up against repression – deportation by the U.S. government for her activism for a free Palestine.

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By Joe Iosbaker

Sara Ortiz, madre de William Negron, lee una declaración

Chicago, IL – La Alianza de Chicago contra la Represión Racista y Política llevó a las familias de 17 hombres condenados injustamente a reunirse con el Fiscal del Condado de Cook, Kim Foxx, en febrero. En la reunión, Foxx se comprometió a investigar cada uno de los casos y donde hay pruebas de inocencia, dijo que los liberaría.

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