Tampa, FL – On Friday May 16, the University of South Florida (USF) and the Graduate Assistants United (GAU) had their second round of negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. Media and supporters from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society were in the audience as the GAU team bargained and argued against USF’s counterproposals and as they introduced their own.

Jacksonville, FL – Cientos de personas se presentaron en el rincón de Southside y Beach Boulevards, un centro vital de la comunidad inmigrante de Jacksonville, sábado, el 26 de abril, respondiendo la llamada a acción de la Alianza de Derechos de Inmigrantes de Jacksonville (JIRA) y una coalición de organizaciones religiosas y de base.

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, May 1, at 5:30 p.m., around 40 people attended a May Day rally organized by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The protesters demanded the city of Tallahassee end its attacks on immigrants in the city and denounce the 287(g) agreement with ICE.

Tampa, FL – On Saturday May 3, over 400 workers and community members gathered at Centennial Park in Ybor City to celebrate International Workers Day. The West Central Florida Labor Council hosted the event. For one hour, protesters listened to speeches and led pro-worker and pro-immigrant chants before a one-mile march through the streets of Ybor City.

Tampa, FL – On May 1, Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society held a rally in response to University of South Florida police’s plan to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The contract is an agreement between the University of South Florida Police Department and ICE that allows officers to enforce immigration laws under 287(g). This would allow police officers to detain, question and arrest students or faculty suspected of being undocumented.

Jacksonville, FL – On Thursday, May 1, more than 450 workers, immigrants, students and community members rallied in front of the Duval County Courthouse for International Workers Day.

Orlando, FL – A group of 20 community members gathered outside the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando to demand charges against a pro-Palestine student activist be dropped. Chris Gibson, a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), was arrested during a pro-Palestine demonstration that took place outside of Orlando City Hall in October 2024.

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, April 24, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a rally demanding the FSU administration stop allowing manifestations of white supremacy on campus.

Tampa, FL – On Friday, April 25, collective bargaining began between designated representatives on behalf of the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees and representatives of Graduate Assistants United (GAU). About 20 supporters were present in the audience, including members of GAU, United Faculty of Florida, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society.

Jacksonville, FL – Hundreds rallied at the intersection of Southside and Beach Boulevards, a vital hub of Jacksonville’s immigrant community, on Saturday, April 26, heeding the call of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) and a coalition of faith and grassroots organizations.

Tallahassee, FL- On Sunday, April 20, over 100 students and community members rallied at the Florida State Capitol building to stand against gun violence and white supremacist ideology. This rally comes mere days after Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student at Florida State University who had reportedly espoused racist and white supremacist beliefs, killed Tiru Chabba and Robert Morales and injured six others in a mass shooting at FSU.

Jacksonville, FL – On March 25, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) began their week of action in response to the passing of ordinance 2025-0147 by the Jacksonville City Council. This ordinance is designed to support the Trump administration’s terror against immigrants; it allocates the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office $75,000 for more equipment for them to harass people and collaborate with ICE.

Tallahassee, FL – On Saturday, April 19, Students for a Democratic Society held their Queer Rave fundraiser at The Bark. The event had been in the works for a couple of months, but after the mass shooting at Florida State University on April 17, SDS members were unsure of how to move forward. On that tragic Thursday, two non-students – Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba – were killed and six others were wounded by the shooter.

Tallahassee, FL – El jueves, 16 de abril, alrededor de 75 miembros de la comunidad se manifestaron en la cárcel del condado de León para exigir la liberación inmediata de Juan Carlos López-Gómez, un ciudadano estadounidense detenido ilegalmente por ICE. La movilización de emergencia fue convocada por la Alianza por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes de Tallahassee (TIRA, por sus siglas en inglés).

Tampa, FL – On Friday, April 18, 15 people, including Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), students and community members, rallied near the entrance of the University of South Florida in response to the University of South Florida (USF) Police Department’s recent signing on with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The rally was in collaboration with the National Day of Action for Higher Education, a coalition of student and professor groups organizing in response to Trump’s recent attacks on higher education.

Orlando, FL – On April 3, the Knights Against Genocide Coalition held its first day of action at the University of Central Florida (UCF) campus to present its demands to university administration and mobilize students against UCF’s continued support for the genocide and occupation of Palestine. The day of action began at Millican Hall with a delivery of the coalition’s demands to UCF President Alexander Cartwright.

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, April 16, about 75 community members rallied at the Leon County Jail to demand the immediate release of Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a U.S. citizen illegally detained by ICE. The emergency mobilization was called by the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA).

Lopez-Gomez, who lives in Georgia and works in Tallahassee, was detained by Florida Highway Patrol during a traffic stop after crossing state lines Wednesday morning. Despite presenting his U.S. birth certificate to the court, ICE formally requested that Lopez-Gomez be held in jail for pickup and processing, superseding Leon County Judge LaShawn Riggans’s assessment that the birth certificate was in fact legitimate.

Orlando, FL – On Tuesday, April 8, Orlando Against Police Crimes and UCF Students for a Democratic Society held a press conference in support of Chris Gibson, a pro-Palestine student activist and member of UCF SDS who is facing felony charges for protesting Israel’s genocide against Palestine. Gibson was arrested and brutalized by Orlando Police Department officers outside of City Hall on October 7, 2024.

Orlando, FL – On April 10, organizers with Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC) attended the Orange County Sheriff’s Civilian Advisory Committee to demand justice for Luis Lopez, a recent victim of a deadly police shooting in his own home.

“They killed an innocent person who was supposed to be helping,” explained David Porter, a member of OAPC. He continued, “if Sheriff Mina reached the absurd conclusion that deputies acted within policy, then your policy sucks, your training sucks.”

Jacksonville, FL – 250-plus people gathered on the steps of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) Memorial Building on Sunday, April 13, demanding justice for Charles Faggart and all other victims of police brutality.

Charles Faggart was a 31-year-old Jacksonville resident. He owned and operated the Chop it Up Charlie’s food truck. Faggart died from “catastrophic injuries” while in the Duval County Jail.