Washington, DC – On Saturday, August 30, the DC Alliance Against Trump Coalition (DCAT) hit the streets again, this time partnering with the Long Live GoGo Foundation to host a march and live GoGo concert on August 30, aimed at fighting the Trump directed occupation of DC.

Since Trump’s federalization of DC, starting on August 11, the presence of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), ICE, and National Guard troops has increased their assumed powers over the community with unlawful curfew zones, check points, and kidnappings of residents focused on the immigrant communities.

Saturday’s event, dubbed Defend the District, was a powerful and direct anti-Trump response from the DC community, declaring “End the occupation!”

The event kicked off with a rally, emceed by activist and founder of Long Live GoGo Justin “Yaddiya” Johnson, and included speeches from DCAT, Guns Down Friday, and community members.

The energy from the rally quickly spilled into the streets of 14th and U – the site of last week’s DCAT rally – as the ensemble march began. Chant leads from Freedom Road Socialist Organization the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) took to the front of the line to lead chants of “Racist, coward, crooked cops, get a fucking real job!” intermixed with dancing and song-like chants of “Fuck Donald Trump” to which the crowd shouted back, “Fuck ICE!”

The march ended at Sylvan Theater at the National Mall where a GoGo musical performance welcomed activated protesters. Before reaching their destination, protesters shouted down National Guard troops and MPD, with chants of “Troops go home,” interspersed with “Fuck the police” and “Chinga la Migra!”

At Sylvan Theater, live GoGo music played between speeches from community speakers such as Jawanna Hardy, founder of Guns Down Friday, DC Councilmember Robert White and DCAARPR’s Merawi Gerima speaking on behalf of the DC Alliance Against Trump Coalition.

“If you were out here last Saturday you saw that we shut down that racist curfew zone on 14th and U,” said Gerima, “that’s the power of the people, and that’s the power that we want to bring into a focused energy against Trump’s racist agenda in DC!”

The DC Against Trump coalition, an ever-growing coalition of local organizations aimed at fighting the Trump agenda and takeover of DC, announced plans for a mass cop watch event on Friday, September 5, at 7 p.m., at Navy Yard in Southeast DC.

#WashingtonDC #DC #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #Trump #DCAARPR #DCAT #LongLiveGoGoFoundation #GDF

Baton Rouge, LA – On Friday August 29, Louisiana State University (LSU) students and community members rallied on the steps outside of the student union building, despite poor weather, to stand up and fight back against Trump’s attacks on higher education. Students demanded that the LSU search committee, appointed by Governor Jeff Landry, not select another university president who will further attack DEI, immigrant students, and cultural centers.

Attendees held signs that read, “Defend DEI,” “Protect our cultural centers,” and “Money for education, not deportation.”

“What we need is an LSU president who actually puts students first, who actually represents us instead of Trump, Jeff Landry, or his wealthy donors. We want a president who cares about education and helping students achieve, instead of extracting more and more of our money into his bank account,” Gabriela Juárez of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said.

Between speeches, the crowd chanted “Not Trump, and not the state! Students decide their fate,” “Landry, we see your intent! No MAGA president” and “Trump hear us loud and clear, immigrants are welcome here!”

Library worker and United Campus Worker (UCW) member Amir Portier delivered a speech emphasizing that workers, professors, and students at LSU all stand united against the right-wing agenda being carried out by both Trump and Governor Landry. He urged students to continue standing up and fighting back.

“UCW will continue to support the student movement on campus and their fight to stop Landry from selecting another GOP yes-man university president,” Portier of UCW said.

SDS plans to mobilize for every search committee and administration meeting on campus.

“We can only win if we work together. United we stand, divided we fall. The Republicans are united. Let’s show them that we are too!” Zane Sutor-Benfield of SDS concluded.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #Trump #NoKings #SDS #UCW

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