Author: Fight Back

Fort Lauderdale, FL – On May 1 over a dozen people gathered in front of the U.S. Federal Building in downtown Fort Lauderdale to commemorate International Workers Day. Despite steady rain, protesters held banners reading, “May Day South Florida,” and “Money for jobs and education, not wars and occupation!” on the corner of a busy intersection.

May Day protests began in the late 1800s as part of an international mass struggle for the eight-hour day. It was revived in 2006 by the powerful immigrant rights movement. Protesters in South Florida are demanding that tax money spent on U.S. wars and occupations abroad be brought back home to fund jobs and education. May Day protesters also oppose the abuse faced by undocumented immigrant workers in a system where big corporations benefit the most.

Pamela Maldonado, a lead organizer for People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism (POWIR) explained, “It’s important to come together on May Day. POWIR speaks out against U.S. wars and supports labor and immigrants’ rights. These issues are connected because the U.S. government is the one deciding where to spend the money and what immigration reform looks like. The current immigration reform is trying to put more drones on the borders. We are strongly against this militarization as part of our anti-drone campaign. We want to see all undocumented immigrants legalized, not just a few.”

The different organizations involved came together to chant “When I say people, you say power!” As the drivers of cars, trucks and public transport passed, they honked and waved to show support.

Los Angeles, CA – The Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC) led a militant political march and rally in the heart of Los Angeles, May 1, with thousands of garment workers, students and a contingent from Occupy LA. The event was a political protest against the U.S. ICE/police deportations. The clear demand was for legalization for all. The majority of marchers were Latino wearing red shirts and carrying flags from Central America, Latin America, Mexico and the red flag of Aztlan. Many of the speakers expressed an anti-war and pro-worker view in support for people of the world who fight against the U.S. empire. Other May 1 events in L.A. were more like celebrations with music concerts – many wearing white with U.S. flags.

The SCIC kickoff rally started with FE Evaone. The Xicana/Indigene activist did her hip hop flowetry with her song “In-Dependence”. Next up was veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes, who denounced U.S. interventions and war as the cause of poverty, misery and mass migration. He also linked the fight for legalization to the struggle for equality for Latinos and self-determination for Chicanos/Mexicans in the southwest of the U.S.

The rally emcee Ron Gochez then introduced Werner Marroquin of the FMLN who call for workers of the world to unite against injustice. Next up the teachers Juan Ramirez and Betty Forester with United Teachers LA expressed their unity and solidarity with the struggle for immigrant rights. The United Teachers LA has a long history of uniting with the struggle of immigrants. Felipe Garcia of Roofers Local 36 talked about the hardships the undocumented workers face, from bad working conditions to exploitation by the big corporations.

The march entered the heart of the garment district and received the enthusiastic support of thousands of undocumented workers from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico as they left work. During the march, Mecha members, high school students from South L.A., spoke about undocumented students’ hardships in school trying to survive. Also CSULA Mecha representative Maria Xochicale spoke of the fight to expand Chicano Studies and the importance of students supporting the fight end deportations. More music and hip hop with el Comandante kept the energy high.

The closing rally included Daniel Montes of Union del Barrio who spoke of the need to keep fighting for immigration reform with justice. Father Solalinde from Oaxaca Mexico spoke of his work in fighting against the abuse and exploitation of migrants for Central America as they cross in to Mexico. These migrants face extortion, kidnapping and robbery by local police, the narco cartels and gangs. The Los Angeles Garment Workers Center member Jose Lopez exposed working conditions in L.A. and expressed solidarity to the garment workers of Bangladesh who died in a building collapse.

Lisa Median with the Alvarado Street Vendors denounced the police harassment of tickets and arrests for undocumented families who are just trying to survive. She called on the LAPD to stop harassing the street vendors. The International Action Center speaker called for international solidarity. The Occupy LA/Occupy Foreclosures Carlos Marroquin and Julie Levine talked about the victories in stopping evictions and home sit-ins in poor neighborhoods and denounced the big banks that make super profits from the misery of working people losing their homes. The Bayan International speaker talked about the struggle in the Philippines against the violations of human rights and the theft of land and mineral resources by the rich corporations with support from the U.S. The Filipino hip hop group Shining Sons did some great songs about the struggle in their homeland. Many other groups joined the march, including the Bus Riders Union, Workers World Party and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Closing the main rally was a short teatro skit exposing the killing of Mexican news reporters. A speaker from Resistencia Mexicana de LA denounced the human rights violations in Mexico by the army and criminal groups.

The Southern California Immigration Coalition calls on all to continue the fight for legalization for all and for an immigration reform law that does not separate families and that stops the mass detentions and deportations.

Tampa, FL – On May 1, a large crowd gathered during a rain storm to demand legalization for all undocumented people and overall genuine immigration reform. May Day, or International Workers’ Day, traditionally has been a day for demanding workers’ rights. In recent years, it has been a day for Latinos, immigrants and allies to demand legalization and full equality.

During a heavy Florida rainstorm, activists, undocumented immigrants and community members from the Tampa Bay area gathered under a pavilion in a local park. The different organizations and people united under a banner reading, “May Day: 11 million people need equal rights!”

The rally started off with a group of speakers talking to the crowd about the need for legalization and the different aspects of Congress’ proposed immigration bill. As the speakers opened up, Juan Rodriguez-Sosa of FLIC (Florida Immigration Coalition) announced to the crowd, “This May Day we honor the organizing victories by workers throughout history and bring particular attention to the most vulnerable workers in our nation – undocumented workers and their families – seeking full federal equality!”

The organizations present were: Dream Defenders, the Florida Immigration Coalition (FLIC), United We Dream, Young American Dreamers, the AFL-CIO, Students for a Democratic Society, the ACLU and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

During one of the speeches, Dustin Ponder of the West Central Florida Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO said, “Just as it stood 127 years ago, May Day is a day of new beginnings for workers in this country. Today we all must make the commitment that no longer will we buy into the fictions of corporations and politicians who use immigration policy to keep sections of workers in the place of second-class citizens in effort to drive down wages and rights of workers universally.” Between speakers, the crowd chanted “Indocumentado, sin miedo,” and “What do we want? Legalization! When do we want it? Now!”

Also among the speakers was Jesus Guevara, an undocumented immigrant who has lived in Florida for over 15 years. He is set to be deported on May 7. Guevara urged activists and the community to demand an end to deportations.

After the speakers, the rally moved into the streets carrying red flags reading “L4A,” or “Legalization for all,” and marched down the Tampa Ybor District’s 7th Avenue. 7th Avenue has seen protests for progressive causes and demanding equal rights for all workers and nationalities many times over the last 100 years. People on the streets cheered for the marchers.

Back at the park, the crowd opened up with an activity which showed how difficult the ‘pathway to citizenship’ is. It showed how immigrants have major setbacks and deterrents because of Congress’ proposed bill and that for most it is impossible to gain full legalization under this bill.

As Marisol Marquez, of Dream Defenders and the Legalization For All Network, explained, “There are a lot of good things in this bill, like only a five-year wait for Dreamers and farmworkers, without fines. However, there are many more bad things. Like creating temporary visas that don’t allow legalization or citizenship, creating more second-class people still without access to basic rights. It also doesn’t allow people to sponsor families for residency. It makes people wait over ten years just for a permanent status. And worst of all, it creates more militarization of the border and increases funding for the police to criminalize Latinos and the undocumented. We need more than what these corporate politicians want!”

The activists all came together to say one thing: more is needed for the undocumented to have equal rights in the U.S. They all said that groups and people cannot stop now, and that they must continue to struggle in order to win what the people need. The rally and activities ended with a vow to continue fighting for rights and legalization for all undocumented.

Milwaukee, WI – Thousands attended this year’s May Day celebration here. The May 1 event advanced the demand for immigration reform, including legalization for all undocumented immigrants in the U.S., as well as continued support for the nearly year-long Palermo’s workers’ strike.

Workers from labor unions including USW, LiUNA, AFT, UFCW and the Teamsters marched in the event with good contingents. Teamster Daniel Ginsberg-Jaeckle said, “We need to continue supporting the workers on strike from Palermo’s. The company has hired scab labor to try to break the strike. Many of the union workers out today are here in a show of solidarity with those workers.”

Students and youth came out in large numbers, with many of high school and college age representing the Vosces de la Frontera-affiliated organization Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES). Students for a Democratic Society at UW-Milwaukee also brought out a contingent in support.

Kennia Coronado, vice president of the UW-Milwaukee chapter of YES, said, “We’re here because we need to make sure we have a legalization process for all. We need to allow for the reunification of families.”

Coronado states that hundreds of youth from grade school to college level joined the rally and march.

The event closed with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, read in a speech by Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope, “‘A man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent.’ We’re showing today that our backs are not bent over!”

Tallahassee, FL – As the Florida legislative session comes to a close, workers racked up a couple of major victories at the capitol. After months of protest by labor unions and progressive groups, the Florida Senate defeated two bills that would have attacked pensions for public workers and allowed corporations to privatize public schools.

At the beginning of the legislative session, the Florida District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) outlined several bills that workers, students and oppressed people in the state should unite against to defeat. Nearly two months later, labor unions, student groups and progressive organizations have a lot to celebrate as Governor Rick Scott and the Republican legislature continue to lose major battles at the Capitol.

By a close vote of 20-20, the Parent-Trigger bill (SB 682) went down in flames on the Florida Senate floor, April 30. Teachers and other union members sitting in the gallery cheered as a visibly frustrated Senate President Don Gaetz announced the tie vote, which effectively defeated the legislation. Parent-Trigger was a major priority for former Republican Governor Jeb Bush and his Foundation for Florida’s Future because it would have allowed corporations to take over public schools and convert them into for-profit charter schools.

Last year, popular pressure from teachers and workers forced the Senate to defeat Parent-Trigger, also by vote of 20-20. Six Republican state senators broke from their party and voted against Parent-Trigger, which defeated it for a second year in a row. The continued dissent in the Republican ranks represents a major body blow to the right-wing’s assault on public schools and it demonstrates the growing resistance to corporate takeovers of education.

Reports from Sunshine State News indicate that Governor Scott feared backlash from teachers and parents and pushed several Republican lawmakers to vote against Parent-Trigger, many of whom were open advocates of the bill last year. This defeat is significant because it shows the growing people’s power outside of the legislature in Florida and it signals disunity in the ranks of the right wing. This is good news for all Florida workers.

Later that day, the Florida Senate also defeated a radical attack on state workers’ and teachers’ pensions (HB 7011) by a vote of 18-22. Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, a Republican from Central Florida, announced at the beginning of session that his major priority was closing the Florida Retirement System (FRS) defined benefit plan and putting all new state workers’ retirement into risky 401k plans. HB 7011 would transfer the hard-earned retirement benefits of teachers, firefighters and other public workers to Wall Street banks and corporations.

For months, unions held protests and press conferences outside of legislators’ offices to resist these attacks on their pensions. Thousands of phone calls from public workers across the state tied up office phone lines with messages against HB 7011. Despite the distance to Tallahassee, the Florida AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions brought hundreds of workers to the capitol every week of session to directly pressure legislators to vote against this bill.

Although workers should celebrate these people’s victories, the final two days of session promise even more battles. The Florida House remains vehemently opposed to expanding Medicaid coverage for poor and working Floridians and the few remaining days of the normal session makes a special session in the summer likely. Even worse, the Florida Senate will hear SB 1216 in the coming days, which would repeal the wage theft ordinances passed in several Florida counties to protect workers’ rights. These fights will continue well beyond the end of the legislative session and Florida workers ought to build on these victories in order to achieve more.

Chicago, IL – The largest immigrant rights march since 2008 took place here today, May 1. Ringing with the call for “Legalization for all,” the mostly Latino crowd took the traditional route from Union Park, and ended in Federal Plaza.

Los Angeles, CA – A major immigrant rights march is scheduled for here on May 1. Organized by the Southern California Immigration Coalition, marchers will demand, “Legalization for all.” The march begins at 4:00 p.m. at the corner of Broadway and Olympia.

The Los Angeles protest is one of the many that will take place across the country. Congress is currently debating a major overhaul of immigration policy.

Carlos Montes, of the Centro CSO (Community Service Organization) and the Southern California Immigration Coalition, urges people to attend, stating, “We need to be in the streets on May 1 to demand legalization for all. We need to build the struggle for immigration reform that is just.”