Chicago, IL – The families of a group of wrongfully convicted Black men – Michael Minnifield, Isaiah Brady, Omarr Parks, Chaz Thrailkill and Kenyatta Brown – who are incarcerated in Menard prison held a rally of over 100 people on Monday, August 1 outside the ABC TV headquarters in Chicago.

Chicago, IL – A series of victories was won in the past month by the movement to free survivors of torture and wrongful conviction at the hands of Chicago Police Department. Clayborn Smith, Marcellous Pittman, Juan Hernandez, Rosendo Hernandez, Arthur Almendarez, John Galvan, Eruby Abrego, Jeremiah Cain, David Gecht and David Colon have all had historic judgments in their cases.

Chicago, IL – The Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) Coalition held a press conference on July 20, to demand that Mayor Lori Lightfoot appoint the Interim Commission for Public Safety and Accountability immediately. According to the ECPS ordinance passed on July 21 last year, the Interim Commission should have been appointed in December.

Chicago, IL – 200 protesters marched in Chicago's Federal Plaza, Wednesday evening, July 6, to demand justice for Jayland Walker, who was murdered on June 27 by Akron Ohio police. Speakers at the rally connected the murder to similar police killings and other police crimes such as torture and wrongful conviction. The protesters demanded that the officers who killed Jayland Walker be convicted, and that community control of the police be enacted.

Chicago, IL – Approximately 7000 people rallied in Federal Plaza on the evening of Friday, June 24, to protest Dobbs v. Jackson, the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The crowd was composed of activists and supporters of diverse genders, nationalities and political tendencies united in their anger at the attack on reproductive rights, most prominently the right to an abortion.

Chicago, IL—Sarah Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, spoke on a panel with labor negotiator and author Joe Burns. They discussed how to fight the big corporate firms in the transportation sector in talk titled “Using the Railway Labor Act to Our Advantage.” They highlighted how different labor laws for the transportation sector benefit their ability to lead the flight attendant union in struggle with big corporate owners.

Chicago, IL- En un evento trascendental en Chicago, los fundadores de Young Lords (Jóvenes Señores) le pasaron la antorcha a una nueva generación. La ceremonia emotiva del 4 de Junio involucró al Comité Central de los Young Lords dirigido por José “Cha Cha” Jiménez colocando medallones sobre las cabezas de más de 50 miembros de New Era Young Lords (Jóvenes Señores de la Nueva Era). Los activistas jóvenes de siete ciudades y Puerto Rico llevaban con orgullo sus boinas moradas y sus distintivas camisas de los Young Lords. Los medallones dicen: “Tengo Puerto Rico en mi corazón”, con el logotipo original de Young Lords.

Chicago, IL- At a momentous event in Chicago, the original Young Lords passed the leadership torch to a new generation. The moving June 4 ceremony involved the Young Lords Central Committee led by Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez placing medallions over the heads of more than 50 New Era Young Lords. The young activists from seven cities and Puerto Rico proudly wore their purple berets and distinctive Young Lords shirts. The medallions read, “Tengo Puerto Rico en mi corazón,” with the original Young Lords logo.

Chicago, IL – On June 2, 250 students at Little Village Lawndale High School (LVLHS) in Chicago walked out of school to demand “Police out!” They marched through Little Village, which is the largest Latino neighborhood in Chicago, to the North Lawndale neighborhood, which is a Black community. The protest was organized by the LVLHS FightBack student group, which called for “Black and Brown Unity.”

Chicago, IL – Teaching artists and school office staff at Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) have voted to join the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), June 3. Three office staff voted to join the union, and later in the day, part-time arts teachers – who make up the backbone of the school’s programs in the visual arts, music, theater, dance and creative writing conservatories voted 75% (41 yes to 14 no ) to join the union.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following May 20 statement from Frank Chapman, Executive Director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Chicago, IL – Kobi Guillory will be the first feature guest on our new podcast Fight Back! Radio. Guillory is the co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and an executive board member of the National Alliance. Guillory was amongst the most visible leaders in the streets of Chicago in the aftermath of the police murder of Laquan McDonald by Jason Van Dyke.

Chicago, Illinois – The New Era Young Lords are hosting a “Celebration of Jose ‘Cha-Cha’ Jimenez,” the founder of the Young Lords in Chicago. On June 4, family and friends will join the Young Lords to honor Jose “Cha-Cha” Jimenez, who is currently in elder care.

Chicago, IL – Since 2018, Anthony Gay has become a symbol of the struggle against wrongful convictions in Illinois.

Chicago, IL – 40 people gathered in the office of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) to celebrate International Workers Day with Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Speakers included Maria Moreno, financial secretary of the CTU; Bassem Kawar, political director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Frank Chapman of CAARPR, and Roni Thrailkill, the mother of Chaz Thrailkill, a prisoner in Menard Prison who is suffering abuse at the hands of the guards in addition to having been wrongfully convicted.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine led a crowd of close to 1000 people, mostly youth from the Palestinian community in the Chicago area, to protest the attacks on the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, April 18. The Coalition includes the American Muslims for Palestine, United States Palestinian Community Network (UCPSN), Students for Justice in Palestine- Chicago (SJP), Al-Nahda, Palestinian American Community Center, and Palestinian American Council.

Chicago, IL – I just returned from eight days in Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, where the capital, Manila, is located. For many years, the movement for national democracy in the Philippines has asked for international solidarity, including human rights defenders to aid them in their struggle for economic and political rights. The presence of people from other countries can help diminish the violence of the Philippine military and national police against the movement. In addition, as national elections approach on May 9 there has been a rise in human rights abuses, and so the need for international solidarity is more pressing.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Transit Justice Coalition is a rank-and-file caucus of Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) workers in Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 and 308.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Transit Justice Coalition is a rank-and-file caucus of Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) workers in Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 and 308.

Chicago, IL – Almost two years after the rebellion that swept the country after the murder of George Floyd, people continue to come forward demanding an end to racist policing and mass incarceration. Despite the law-and-order backlash occurring in Illinois, a group of families from the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side are fighting for justice for their loved ones in Menard Penitentiary and other prisons in the Illinois Department of Corrections.