News and Views from the People's Struggle
Austin, TX – Over 70 people attended a speakers panel and social to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium on August 29. La Frontera Unida (LFU) hosted the event featuring local Chicana musicians and vendors. This marks the first time Austin observed the Chicano Moratorium and was met with enthusiasm by the community.
Tucson, AZ – On Saturday, August 29, a dozen people attended a brief presentation and documentary screening of Chicano! A Quest for Homeland to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. Hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the event was held at Southside Presbyterian Church, known as the birthplace of the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. The Church served as a home for volunteers who provided aid and shelter for thousands of Central American immigrants. The Church continues to be an important pillar in the immigrant rights movement.
Minneapolis, MN – On August 30, the newly-formed U.S. Out of Africa Committee of Women Against Military Madness hosted its first event, “Understanding the Tools of Empire: A Panel on Mass Incarceration, Police Violence, and Extraordinary Rendition.”
Dozens of community members packed the main room of the Lucy Parsons Center. They wanted to learn about the relationship between racialized policing and mass incarceration inside U.S. borders, and U.S. intervention and state-sponsored abductions in Africa.
Seattle, WA – On August 19, members of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (SAARPR) walked into the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to demand answers from the top cop lawyer, Leesa Manion.
For months, SAARPR has been asking first the county sheriff and then the county prosecutor for transparency and accountability regarding the Seattle Police Department (SPD) shooting and killing of two Black men, Jack Palelei and Christian Nelson, in the last months of 2025.
Aurora, CO – On Saturday, August 29, 70 community members and activists gathered at Del Mar Park in Aurora, Colorado for the anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium and to oppose deportations. The event commemorated the anniversary of the original Chicano Moratorium in 1970. This anniversary, observed yearly by communities across the country, is also known as Chicano Liberation Day.
San José, CA – On Saturday, August 29, around 200 attendees and vendors came out to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium in San José.
The 56th Chicano Moratorium was held in Backesto Park, where a new mural that featured local San José activists had been put up by Alfonso Salazar, after a long fight for Chicano representation in the park. Activists say it was important to hold it at Backesto Park to continue the Chicano struggle in San José.
Minneapolis, MN – Dozens of community members gathered at New City Center on August 30 for a screening and discussion of the documentary 20 Years, ¿Y Qué?. Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) hosted the 58-year commemoration of the Chicano Moratorium, when 30,000 Chicanos marched against the Vietnam war in East Los Angeles on August 29,1970.
Atlanta, GA – Community members gathered to watch and talk about the documentary Finally Got the News. The documentary was about the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, who fought against racism and for better conditions in the Detroit auto factories.
Brooklyn, NY — On Thursday, August 27, activists led a protest in front of the 71st Precinct of the NYPD to demand, “Justice for Eudes Pierre!” Undeterred by rain, community members stood outside the precinct responsible for Pierre’s murder and chanted, “NYPD kills on patrol! How do we stop them? Community control!”
Los Angeles, CA – On August 29, 250 community members gathered at Mariachi Plaza to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. Over 30 organizations and small businesses joined the celebration, which included a folklorico dance, rap performance, speakers and free food. Carlos Montes, longtime Chicano revolutionary, was the keynote speaker.
In the midst of record-high summer temperatures and a months-long drought, the people of San Juan, Puerto Rico have endured a water crisis that has seen the resource rationed. By August 1, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans had already gone 100 days without reliable access to fresh water.
As reported by Reuters, more than 180,000 people in San Juan and surrounding areas must face 48 hours without running water for every 48 hours with it. Although many officials in the U.S.’s colonial administration may want to refer to this crisis as an “act of God,” in reality, it is anything but. While the drought preceding this crisis had San Juan facing its driest July on record in 2026, it is not an isolated incident. It is simply the newest trigger-point for a much larger issue facing Puerto Rico that has gone on since the United States first began administering the island in 1898.
Colorado Springs, CO – On August 29, community members gathered with signs outside of an unmarked immigrant holding facility for the 56th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium, and its second annual commemoration in Colorado Springs.
Members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), About Face, and the wider community held up signs reading “No ICE! Stop the deportations!” and “Killer ICE off our streets!” Angry chants rang through the air as the crowd pointed a megaphone at the holding facility, joined by supportive honks from drivers passing by.
Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 29, approximately 80 people gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. As the event kicked off, the crowd chanted, “Chicano power!”
Griselda Ruiz, a member of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) started, “This event is held every year to commemorate the Chicano Moratorium of the 1970s in East LA. On August 29, 1970, over 20,000 Chicanos and Chicanas marched peacefully to protest the Vietnam War and the large number of Chicanos dying in it. The protest turned violent when sheriff's deputies attacked, causing chaos, several injuries, and three deaths, including journalist Ruben Salazar, who was killed by a tear gas canister fired by police. So, we are united here and throughout the Southwest to honor all the past Chicanos and Chicanas who have fought for our rights.”
By Joe Iosbaker and Manzili Kokayi
Chicago, IL – Kenneth Boudreau was nervous. The retired Chicago Police Department (CPD) detective talks like a tough guy, but his voice sped up and got louder under questioning by Russell Ainsworth, attorney for Johnny Plummer.
Fortunately for Boudreau, he has attorneys funded by Cook County taxpayers who were ready to jump in to help him clarify his answers.
Boudreau was on the stand in a third stage hearing at the Cook County courthouse on August 26. Recently, new evidence emerged in Plummer’s 35-year-old case of wrongful conviction.
Minneapolis, MN – On August 22, at 11:30 a.m. the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT) organized a counter-protest to the Jake Lang hate rally. More than 100 protesters showed up in opposition to Lang’s white supremacist hate speech, aimed this time at the Black community. Lang has also called for the reinstitution of Jim Crow laws, calls to deport all immigrants from the U.S., and anti-Muslim hate speech.
When counter-protest organizers arrived at city hall, Minneapolis Police Department officers threatened to tow away their sound and medic vehicles. But when Jake Lang and his band of less than ten supporters showed up with two vehicles, MPD allowed them to drive onto the sidewalk. Officers surrounded Lang’s vehicles as they moved forward, effectively providing them with an armed escort.
Tallahassee, FL – On August 17, the Leon County Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed Historic Harms amendment to the county charter. From the pressure of about a dozen speakers and the presence of dozens more, the commission voted 5-2 to advance the amendment to the November ballot for all county citizens to vote on. Commissioners Brian Welch and Christian Caban voted against the amendment.
The Historic Harms amendment, if passed, would require the county to periodically investigate past county policies and determine what kind of harms were caused to certain geographic areas due to those policies.
The state of Florida’s SB 1134, which would end funding opportunities for programs based on diversity, equity, and inclusion or any programs that even seemed that way, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis this past April. The original language of the Historic Harms amendment drew concerns from the Charter Review Committee and from the county attorney due to potentially coming into conflict with the new law. The amendment was rewritten to fit within these bounds – the new language looks purely at geographic neighborhoods regardless of the demographics of who was affected in those areas. This approach did get at least a tacit approval from the county attorney and did get voted through by the review committee.
Members of the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR), the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), Capital Area Justice Ministry, the League of Women Voters, and Tallahassee ALERT, which wrote the amendment, spoke out in favor on Monday.
“I believe there are many communities in Tallahassee that have been left behind, and this amendment is the first step to really looking at the problems with the city and attempting to rectify them,” said Delilah Pierre with the Tallahassee Alliance.
Brandon Beckett with TIRA said, “I think we need to leave it in the people’s hands to address their futures,” adding, “This amendment is addressing community members that have been left behind through the development of Tallahassee.”
Beckett continued, “It’s their community as well. We need to make sure every member of this community feels respected and doesn't feel as if they’re left behind.”
The amendment will now appear on the ballot in the November elections. State Representative Angie Nixon won an upset victory for the Democratic nomination and will appear on the ballot. As well, there are three Tallahassee city commission seats in the runoff election. The Tallahassee Alliance will spread information about the amendment to educate the public and get people to vote in favor of it.
#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #InjusticeSystem #HistoricHarms #OppressedNationalities
Oak Lawn, IL – 50 people filled the chambers of the Oak Lawn Police and Fire Commission during its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, August 5. They demanded the firing of officers involved in incidents of racism and an independent investigation by the attorney general into the police department.
Commissioner Jim Baker began the meeting by telling members of the public to “maintain order and respect.” He asked community members not to disrupt, referring to protests which have happened at every commission meeting since July 2022.
“You talk about respect and order, but where was the respect and order when your officers beat an Arab teenager nearly to death?” Nadiah Alyafai, organizer with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) stated in the public comments part of the meeting. She asked the commissioners about the beating of Hadi Abuatelah in 2022, which sparked monthly protests against the OLPDs racism.
“Where was the respect when you let a white woman get away with murdering Murod Kurdi?” Alyafai continued, referring to Leanne Cusack, who ran Murod Kurdi over after she had been drinking in 2023. Cusack's only consequence has been a $750 fine.
“Is that what the life of an Arab man is worth?” a 17-year-old AAAN member questioned the commissioners.
Several AAAN youth members spoke on the racism of OLPD and how the commission refused to hold the police accountable. All of them called on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to investigate and clean out OLPD.
“It's not just Arabs. Black and brown people experience the corruption of the OLPD too,” one AAAN youth member said.
“Our community has always come in with peaceful intentions and we're treated like criminals,” another youth member said, pointing out the irony that Oak Lawn police have inflicted racist violence on people protesting their racist violence in past meetings.
Ten minutes later, Commission Chairman Jim Baker sicced the police on a 14-year-old Arab boy.
“You forfeited your right to speak,” Baker said after the teenager called him a “fucking jackass” for his ongoing failure to pronounce Arab names.
Baker then motioned for police to remove the boy. Other community members, including the boy's mother, voiced their disapproval at this blatant violation of free speech. Police shoved the teenager, his mother, and other protesters out the meeting chambers and down the stairs. One officer held the boy in a chokehold and slammed him against a counter, and another twisted his mother's arm.
The 14-year-old sustained injuries to his neck, chest, arm and ankle and had to get treatment at a nearby hospital.
Commissioners adjourned the meeting without hearing any further comments. Protesters banged on the outside windows while chanting “Justice for Murod Kurdi!” and “How do you spell racist? OLPD!”
“OLPD assaulted a minor, choked him, slammed him. His only crime was saying the f-word,” AAAN organizer Muhammad Sankari addressed protesters after the chants. “If we don't stand up, the injustice that happened to Hadi and Murod is gonna keep happening over and over again.”
“We need to show up stronger at the next meeting and even stronger at the one after that,” Sankari said, and encouraged protesters to bring friends to the next commission meeting on September 2.
AAAN organizers also urged people to sign and share the petition demanding Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul investigate OLPD: bit.ly/investigateOLPD.
#OakLawnIL #ChicagoIL #IL #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem #AAAN #ArabAmerican #Police
This statement was written by Joe Iosbaker on behalf of the Labor Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression – caarpr.org.
Carol and Aaron Ammons are African American elected officials in Champaign, Illinois. Trump’s Department of Justice has come after them, trying to drive them from office and to stop their efforts against racism and their support of the democratic demands of the Black community.
I believe Carol and Aaron Ammons
Aaron Ammons is my union brother. He’s a fighter for workers’ rights, for Black liberation and social justice.
He has the great fortune to have a soul mate who is also a freedom fighter: his wife, State Representative Carol Ammons.
Orlando, FL – On Saturday, July 18, about 50 members of the Puerto Rican community and allies in Orlando gathered on the corner of Semoran and Curry Ford to demand Puerto Rico’s independence from the U.S., the dissolution of the fiscal oversight and management board, and an end to the United States’ colonial occupation. The rally and march coincided with the annual Marcha Por La Independencia happening in San Juan.
The event was organized by Floriboris – a local group that represents the interests of the Puerto Rican community in Florida and aims to unite Puerto Ricans across the state through culture, education, community-building and action.
Orlando, FL – On July 9, the family of Milagros “Millie” Ortiz, alongside attorney Ben Crump, announced plans to file a $92 million lawsuit following a t-bone collision by an Orlando Police Department officer on January 18, which resulted in her death.
This comes after the state attorney’s office for Orange and Osceola Counties declined to charge the officer responsible with vehicular manslaughter.
“I am here to say that we will not stop saying my grandmother's name, Milagros B. Ortiz, until justice is served,” her granddaughter Ashley Rodriguez said.