Dallas, TX – Over 300 community members marched through the Dallas Oak Lawn “gayborhood,” Sunday, March 23 to protest the spread of anti-LGBTQ bills and laws sweeping the country. Attendees gathered at the Cathedral of Hope in Oak Lawn for speeches calling attention to the diverse needs of the queer and trans community in this political moment. The rally, called by Texas Latino Pride, spoke to the heightened attacks faced by trans women, disabled, Black, and brown queer and trans folks.

At the rally, Emmy-winning drag artist Lushious Massacr lifted up the contributions of trans women to the queer movement and condemned the heightened demonization of the trans community, saying, “We will never be ourselves the way they see us.” After the march in a post on Instagram, she commented, “Today was truly memorable as our community came together in solidarity, standing up for what is right. It was an honor to be surrounded by so many passionate individuals who believe in the power of unity.”

Stacey Monroe, co-lead of the Trans Empowerment Coalition, spoke, remarking, “In Texas, these state-level attacks – from book bans to bathroom bills to criminalizing healthcare to criminalizing our existence – are part of a calculated, coordinated strategy to push us back into the shadows. But we are ungovernable in the face of injustice. We are unstoppable when we organize, when we care for each other, when we refuse to back down.” She also called the crowd to attend an upcoming Trans Day of Visibility rally at Dallas City Hall on March 30 at 11 a.m.

Attendees marched from the Cathedral of Hope to the center of the gayborhood, chanting slogans such as “We are queer, we are here, we are going nowhere” and “No hate, no fear, trans people are welcome here.” Community members also highlighted previous decades of queer activism with signs and shirts emblazoned with the pink triangle of the Act Up movement, and led the crowd in chants of “Act up, fight back!”

#DallasTX #TX #LGBTQ #Trans #TEC

Richardson, TX – On March 18, community members gathered to protest in front of the Raytheon company’s building in response to Raytheon’s complicity in the Israeli genocide in Palestine. The Dallas chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement called the emergency protest after Israel broke the recent ceasefire agreement and continued bombing the Gaza strip.

Raytheon, second to Lockheed Martin, is one of the world largest weapons manufacturers, and has been targeted by anti-war activists in north Texas. Aside from Raytheon, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has seen protests and actions against local Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics plants.

Hundreds of community members shouted chants, “No more ships, no more cargo, we demand an arms embargo” and “Ron, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” The demonstration lasted from 3 to 6 p.m. Volunteers were out and about helping community members and directing people towards the front of the Raytheon building.

Omar Suleiman, a local imam serving at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center stated, “We know that this evil will come to an end inshallah, we know that it is a matter of time. We know that the days of the oppressors are numbered.”

It has been 17 months since October 7 and countless Palestinians continue to lose their lives. Just within the first 12 hours of the breaking of the ceasefire, over 400 were murdered; of those, over 170 were children.

Besides Palestinian Youth Movement, the action was endorsed by many community organizations such as the Dallas Anti-War Committee, MAS Peace, Dallas Palestine Coalition, as well as Dallas chapters of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jewish Voices for Peace, Democratic Socialist of America, and multiple Student for Justice in Palestine chapters.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWC #PYM #DPC #JVP #SJP

Grand Prairie, TX – Members of the DFW Anti-War Committee on did a banner drop March 1 in front of the local Lockheed Martin Fire and Missile Control Center to protest against Lockheed’s annual coding competition, Code Quest.

Jo Hargis with the DFW Anti-War Committee said, “This action was part of our campaign against weapons manufacturers within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. One aspect of this campaign is tackling the influence of weapons manufacturers on students. At previous actions we have protested job fairs where weapons manufacturers were tabling and handed out flyers to educate students on the military industrial complex at campuses such as the University of Texas at Arlington.”

Another member of the DFW Anti-War Committee, Josh Rudd, said, “Weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin have contributed to U.S. imperialism around the world, particularly in the genocide on Palestine. The goal of students should be to gain an education, and companies that play a role in contributing to genocide should have no part in our education system.”

Attendees chanted slogans such as “Lockheed Martin you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” and “We know what your factory’s for, occupation, endless war.”

According to Lockheed Martin’s website, “Each year, Lockheed Martin hosts Code Quest, an annual computer programming competition where teams of two to three high school students work together to solve problems by using Java, Python, C#, and/or C++ programming to complete the ‘quest’. The problem set consists of 20 to 30 challenging problems created by Lockheed Martin engineers and computer programmers.” Aside from Grand Prairie, Texas, competitions were in a total of 19 cities, including Denver and Orlando.

#GrandPrarieTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #WeaponsIndustry #DFWAWC #LockheedMartin

Dallas, TX – Despite rainy weather, over 300 participants came out to Civic Garden Park to commemorate International Women's Day. Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) partnered with several organizations to put together the rally and march.

The rally began at 2 p.m. It was emceed by Freedom Road member and student organizer, Seraphine Pecson who began the rally with chants, such as, “Not the church, not the state – women must decide their fate!” and “Half the sky, we hold it up, half the world, we’ve had enough.”

Kyra from the FRSO, told the crowd, “stripping women’s bodily autonomy, tearing down workplace protections against harassment and discrimination, they’re inciting violence against trans people – giving a free pass to bathroom vigilantes, and even though multiple court rulings blocked the executive order, trans women have been transferred to men’s prisons, left to face the worst violence with no escape or end in sight.”

Brinda Gurumurthy from the Young Active Labor Leaders and the Democratic Socialists of America, stated, “I think about teaching, I think about nursing, home health care aides etc., all of these professions fall under the umbrella of care work and our capitalist society expects us to do these jobs without being compensated fairly. I'm a high school math teacher and the phrase we hear a lot is that we do this for the outcome and not the income. But does the outcome pay for the income? Absolutely not.”

Despite the pouring rain the crowd of people mobilized behind a banner that read “Women hold up half the sky.”

Led by Seraphine from Progressive Student Union, the rally became a march circling downtown Dallas with participants chanting. “Stand up with the women of Palestine,” “Stop the deportations keep families together” and “Stand up fight back!”

The march was stopped at the intersection of a busy street, and Ebonee Taylor from National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression – Dallas stated, “Women have always been in the fight alongside the working class to stand up against sexism, exploitation and white supremacy.”

The march stopped again and Jumana Deh from the Dallas Fort Worth Anti-War Committee and CODEPINK-Dallas spoke to the crowd, “I am speaking to you as a nationally oppressed woman indigenous to Palestine.

“We have to remember that International Women’s Day is more than a celebration, it is a struggle. It was forged in 1908, when garment workers took to the streets in New York City to protest the exploitation in sweatshops.

“It was fought for by Claudia Jones, a Black communist who organized during the height of the anti-communist Cold War hysteria, who in 1950, on this day, gave her historic speech that was rooted in the contemporary moment of the class struggle in the long history of the fight for Black liberation, women’s emancipation, peace, and socialism.

“We find stories of resilience from Vo Thi Thang. In 1968 she was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in a prison camp by the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese government. When the judge delivered that harsh verdict? She smiled and faced the judge and calmly said, ‘20 years? Your government won’t last that long.’

“We look for the unwavering spirit and defiance of Palestinian women, like Leila Khaled of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who hijacked an airplane to defy the Zionist Israel, and Ahd Al Tamimi, nicknamed the lioness, a 13-year-old Palestinian activist, who confronted Israeli occupation forces and slapped an IOF soldier across his face.”

The march was led back to Civic Garden Park, with the crowd still in high spirits. The organizers of the march then directed people to a panel on International Women's Day hosted by FRSO at Pan African Connection bookstore.

At 5:30 p.m., 30 people arrived for the panel discussion. It covered a range of topics, from the history of International Women’s Day to the material needs of the present day as well as means to stay connected to the movement.

#DallasTX #TX #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

Austin, TX – On the afternoon of March 8, International Women’s Day, around 400 people rallied in downtown Austin in front of the Texas State Capitol building.

The rally kicked off with co-emcee Minx Leal calling out to the crowd, “All right, are y’all ready to scream?” Met with loud cheers, Leal led the crowd in a round of chants, including “Gay, straight, Black, white, one struggle, one fight!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Greg Abbott go away!”

As the rally continued, strong gusts of wind brought a chill in, but that did not dampen the energy of the crowd. People both young and old, students and families, huddled together to listen to passionate speeches given by Austin students and community members.

Jules Lattimore, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, gave a speech that received many cheers throughout, stating, “Our system is unable to make real progress. Even when women and LGBTQ+ folks have won legislative victories, millions of women all around the world have been killed by U.S. bombs, starved by U.S. sanctions, suffered under U.S. puppet regimes, shoved into U.S. sweatshops, and exploited and trafficked by wealthy American men. Capitalism is unable to bring about the liberation of women.”

Lattimore continued, “It’s not all doom and gloom, however, and it is not hopeless. International Women’s Day was created not only to expose the dysfunctional evils of capitalism, but to fight for a better world. We need socialism.”

Later in the program, a group of women sang a Mexican song, Canción sin miedo (Song Without Fear), slightly changing the lyrics to honor the women of Palestine, Congo, and all immigrant mothers whose families are threatened by Trump’s call for mass deportations. The crowd cheered as the women sang:

“Que tiemble el Estado, los cielos, las calles,

Que teman los jueces y los judiciales.

Hoy a las mujeres nos quitan la calma.

Nos sembraron miedo, nos crecieron alas.”

(May the State, the sky, the streets tremble,

may the judges and policemen be afraid.

Today, peace is taken away from us women.

They sowed fear in us, we grew wings.)

Co-emcee Aidan Magner, of Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), closed the rally with a call for everyone to continue the struggle by joining an organization, such as SDS, that is fighting back against the many attacks from the Trump administration.

#AustinTX #TX #WomensMovement #StudentMovement #InternationalWomensDay #SDS

Arlington, TX – On February 26 students gathered to demand an end to deportations and for the protection of immigrants. The event brought attention to ICE presence around the UTA campus. The protest was hosted by UTA Progressive Student Union with support from National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression – Dallas and Austin SDS, each of whom brought out a speaker. The rally also received wide support from the student body.

The message of the organizers was clear as chants of “No ICE in our state” and “Immigrants are welcome here” rang out across the library plaza. The students proved that power was in their hands, and they were going to use it to fight. Despite attempts by several cowardly administrators to shut down the rally, the students stood strong and admin slithered away.

Luca Reyes, the president of Austin SDS, drove over four hours to speak at this event. Reyes stated, “Not just as activists but as human beings we have the duty to say that no human being is illegal on stolen land.”

Speeches were also made by a member from the UT Arlington PSU and Justin Bent from NAARPR Dallas who each shared Luca’s message and energy.

Student organizers vow to fight until UTA administration recognizes the rights of its students on campus and provides sanctuary for all.

#ArlingtonTX #TX #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights

Austin, TX – 100 University of Texas students and community members rallied on February 12 in front of Littlefield Fountain, calling for protection of immigrant rights and demanding that ICE not be allowed to operate on campus. Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the rally in response to Trump’s plan for mass deportations and sightings of ICE agents on and around campus.

Protesters kicked off the rally by chanting “¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” and “¡Sí se puede!” before speakers addressed the crowd.

The rally featured several student speakers who denounced the Trump administration and the bigoted Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In between rounds of chants, Luca Reyes of SDS said, “They want the food and culture of Mexico, but don’t want the people or language of Mexico.”

Another SDS member, Daniel Ramirez gave a speech, saying, “Trump has convinced Americans that if enough immigrants go away, these problems will magically disappear. We know that is not true.”

Ramirez continued, “We know these economic and political anxieties are really caused by the very people in his cabinet. The billionaires, those becoming filthy rich while there are still Americans on the street!”

As Austin continues to fight Trump’s agenda and defend immigrant rights, SDS is following up the rally by starting a campaign to declare UT Austin a sanctuary campus.

#AustinTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS #Trump

The event was well attended and discussed systemic racism, historical repression and solidarity efforts in Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas. Topics spanned education inequities, Confederate symbolism, police violence, and grassroots resistance, linking past injustices to modern struggles.

Speakers detailed Fort Worth’s segregated education history, including I.M. Terrell High School, the sole secondary school for non-white students before Brown v. Board of Education, and contrasted it with today’s diverse Trinity High School. Discussions about UT Arlington centered on its Confederate past, including the “Johnny Rebel” mascot, and pro-segregation university presidents like E.E. Davis and Jack R. Woolf. The speakers also addressed the 1921 lynching of Fred Rouse, which underscored Fort Worth’s legacy of racial terror.

Presenters a talked about the history of the Little Mexico barrios, established during the 1910s Mexican Revolution and the 1954 Hernandez v. Texas ruling that extended 14th Amendment protections to Mexican Americans, but noted that police violence yet persisted. The 1973 killing of 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez – abducted without a warrant, tortured and executed by officer Darrel Cain – sparked outrage. Cain served just two and a half years.

“We see that there are points where history repeats itself,” said a speaker at the event, linking Santos Rodriguez’s murder to modern cases like Atatiana Jefferson’s killing by Fort Worth police. “The state chooses to put their weight behind these wrongdoings. This is why we must demand community control of the police.”

The town hall closed with a call for united action against systemic racism, emphasizing that collective struggle, not isolated efforts will drive change.

#DallasTX #TX #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #InJusticeSystem #ImmigrantRights #NAARPR

Arlington, TX— Teamsters of the shop floor committee at the UPS hub in Arlington conducted an anti-harassment workshop, February 2, to highlight the protections afforded to workers under article 37 of the UPS national contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The workshop was led and primarily attended by rank-and-file members, with participants including stewards and union staff.

Article 37 contains the rights won by UPS Teamsters that protect workers from harassment; but workers are often unaware of their rights protecting them from such harassment or often do not realize the mistreatment they are enduring from management constitutes harassment at all.

What constitutes harassment under article 37? Harassment is “over-supervision, coercion, intimidation, or retaliation taken against workers in performance of their duties or enforcement of their rights.”

It is important to remember that it is more effective to file a grievance on article 37 in conjunction with other articles, for example article 52 (suspension), article 36 (discrimination), 21 (attempting to prevent union protected activities), and article 18 (safety).

A group activity was conducted to help each participant hone their skills in writing grievances to enforce their rights in fighting harassment, with participants sharing strategies for how to make their grievances most effective.

The militant rank-and-file unionists that led the meeting plan to continue to conduct workshops informing workers of their rights and how to enforce them, with a workshop planned to cover the rights afforded workers to protect them from the heat in the coming months.

#ArlingtonTX #TX #Labor #Teamsters #UPS

Plano, TX – Dozens of community members gathered north of Dallas on Sunday, February 2, for a protest against Chevron’s complicity in the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. This protest marked the launching of a local campaign against the oil and gas company by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) – North Texas Chapter.

Speakers highlighted the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields off the coast of occupied Palestine, which are used to provide energy to Israeli military and prison facilities. They also called out the theft of indigenous land and resources around the world and Chevron’s central role in the global climate catastrophe.

During a speech, Sean Byrne of DSA North Texas called on participants to boycott Chevron gas, stating that Israel “is a laboratory for how the nations of the imperialist world will deal with the waves of human beings displaced by the very climate catastrophe that they themselves have sown, with corporations like Chevron being among the worst culprits of this capitalism-driven environmental and social crisis.” Byrne condemned comments by Chevron CEO Mike Wirth during a shareholder call the previous Friday, where he called for peace while simultaneously uplifting energy extraction projects that have helped enable the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza.

A member of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Dallas-Fort Worth, William Josef, called out the “energy apartheid” practices of the Israel Electric Corporation, which bans many Palestinians from accessing the electrical grid and charges higher prices for electrical services to Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank than to the illegal Israeli settlements nearby.

Speaking in solidarity with the local campaign launch, Jumana Saadeh of the Dallas-Fort Worth Anti-War Committee (DAWC) and Code Pink Dallas said, “Today, we say ‘no’ and stand against one of the many companies supporting and aiding in the oppression and genocide of the Palestinian people. Chevron has supplied and continues to supply energy and millions of dollars of tax revenue to a genocidal, apartheid racist state.”

During the protest, hundreds of cars passed by with many honking and waving in support. Simultaneously, many members of the organizations present, including the DFW Anti-War Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation were assisting with a large protest in downtown Dallas against the Trump administration’s attacks against immigrants.

#PlanoTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Chevron #DSA #DFWAWC #JVP #CodePink

Dallas, TX – 3000 people Marched through the city of Dallas, February 2, in response to Trump's recent attacks on immigrant rights, including the raids by ICE that have increased deportations around the country, especially in Texas.

The rally and march were called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression-Dallas (NAARPR-Dallas) and La Frontera Nos Cruzo (FNC) in collaboration with high school students, Joselin Ibarra and Ximena Basilio. The high school students previously worked with NAARPR in organizing a high school walk out at Sam Houston High School-Arlington.

At 1 p.m. the crowd settled in at City Hall in Dallas, and began chanting, “Ci se puede,” ” No que no, si que si, los inmigrantes se quedarán jaquí!” “Arriba! ¡Adelante! La gente inmigrante!” “No fear; no hate. No ICE in our state!” and “Trump, escucha, estamos en la lucha.”

At 2 p.m. speeches began, with Xavier Velasquez from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, co-chair of the Legalization for All Network and member of NAARPR stating, “First, let’s give it up for all the high schoolers that walked out on Friday and brought this movement together! Trump and the right like to talk about immigration, but never the causes of why people go through such perils to come and live here. The truth is that this country stole this land from the indigenous peoples, built up the country with slave labor, and devastated Latin America.

Velasquez continued, “We immigrants come here looking for opportunity because they took ours from us. This is why we say no one is illegal on stolen land. If you want to fight for yourself and your community, then talk to one of the many organizers at this event. Join the movement to change our society for the better!”

At around 2:45, the crowd began marching through the city of Dallas, where they met with raucous support from onlookers and passersby. People on the streets joined the rally and began chanting with the crowd. The march passed through Civic Garden Park, to the historic West End Station and briefly stopped the train from passing through.

Lesly Torres Guerrero, from NAARPR and FNC addressed the crowd from the truck leading the march by saying, “La energía del pueblo se siente. No pensé que tanta gente saliera y tomara las calles el día de hoy. We took back our streets and let all of Dallas know that we will not stop fighting for immigrants’ rights, now more than ever.”

At 4:30 the crowd returned back to City Hall. Joselin Ibarra, one of the high school students, presented closing remarks: “We did the protest for our people. I want to be an influence for people my age, the youth have power and we will not stop till justice is served. I’m proud of our people, they stood up for what they believe in and I'm proud that they're here today. I strongly believe that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power and I believe that we can win.”

At the end of the protest, people went to NAARPR’s social event at City Hall, where Yolanda Cruz and the Daydreamers, a Dallas-based band played music for the crowd, followed by a DJ playing Cumbia music, a popular genre in Texas and Mexico. The crowd danced along with the music and rejoiced. The event concluded at 6 p.m.

#DallasTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #Trump #NFC #L4A #NAARPR #FRSO

The large rally was organized by high school students Ximena Basilio and Joselin Ibarra. Basilio commented, “It doesn’t seem fair seeing how families are getting separated from their loved ones. It doesn’t seem fair to see people getting broken up.”

Ibarra continued, “This protest started as a small conversation we had that turned into a TikTok that got a lot of shares and was eventually shared all over social media.”

The crowd gathered at 3 p.m. and quickly filled the park to chants of, “Trump escucha, estamos en la lucha” and “Sí, se puede!” Energy was high in spite of gray skies and wet weather, drawing the attention of both local news and Dallas police. The crowd took to the streets, eventually blocking a major bridge across the Trinity River just before 6 p.m. as law enforcement was seen preparing to escalate against them with pepper ball guns.

Four years earlier, during the George Floyd uprising, the same Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge was the site of a kettling operation at the hands of Dallas PD that saw hundreds of protesters detained.

Members of La Frontera Nos Cruzo, the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression and Freedom Road Socialist Organization were in attendance, with attendees from NAARPR addressing the crowd themselves and using their sound system to guide the crowd safely back to Trinity Park just off the bridge.

Jose Rodriguez of NAARPR led the crowd, chanting “Yo no soy criminal, Donald Trump es criminal” as protesters regrouped. Police closed in until 7:45 p.m. but they held off as the crowd settled in the park.

Elizabeth Velasquez, mother of one of the young organizers, shared her pride in her daughter’s work putting this rally together, stating, “I am very proud of them because they had the courage that many of us adults do not. They are 16 years old and have made their voices heard where many others cannot speak up.”

Near the end of the action, one speaker, Xavi Velasquez of La Frontera Nos Cruzó, said, “We have to take the word ‘illegals’ out of our vocabulary book. We aren't illegal. We aren't criminals. We aren't terrorists. We are regular, everyday working-class people trying to go to school, trying to go to church and trying to go to work. The real criminals are the corporations and politicians who spread these lies about us.”

A second rally was called for the following week at City Hall as the crowd eventually dissipated into the night. Dallas has seen this before and will see it again, and the people of Dallas will again be prepared to rise to the occasion.

#DallasTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #Trump

Arlington, TX – Student organizers carried out an anti-Trump banner drop and mass recruiting event at a club fair hosted on UTA campus, January 22.

Members of the Progressive Student Union at UT Arlington arrived early at a club fair to secure a table which we are often denied. Admin and university staff do everything in their power to block student outreach. Many organizers came out and dedicated a large part of their day to flyering and tabling around the event. This effort attracted a large number of students to the cause, which was shown in the meeting the organization had later that night.

The action which generated the most attention was the noon time anti-Republican banner drop. Over the main section of the fair, two organizers held a banner reading “Fight the racist reactionary Republican agenda.” As soon as the banner was up, administrators tried to shut it down, citing non-existence policies that they couldn't back up. Organizers held fast, demanding proof of the policies. Soon admin fled, unable to back up their claims.

The drop also generated attention from students, many of whom came up to talk with organizers about what they would do during the upcoming Trump administration. As said by a PSU member, “We're here to fight to maintain the piecemeal liberties our school gives us, and to push our cowardly administration to expand those rights in the face of Republican attacks, because if their behavior under previous legislation is anything to go by, they sure as hell won't stand up for us on their own.”

Students were overall receptive to this message and the organization received several signups from the banner drop alone.

It is more important now than ever that we have an organized front of students who can fight against the Trump administration's backward policies. The Progressive Student Union will continue to host actions which push back against administration, unite the student body, and show that no matter how much resistance they face, they will continue to fight.

#ArlingtonTX #TX #StudentMovement #PSU #Trump

Austin, TX – On Wednesday, January 22, around 20 students, faculty and community members gathered outside the Perry–Castañeda Library on the UT Austin campus as a part of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) National Day of Action to resist Trump’s right-wing agenda.

Starting with a couple rounds of chants, the rally quickly gathered a number of onlookers, with several passing students joining in to chant and hold signs.

Jules Lattimore, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization gave a speech, saying, “The way forward, to defeat Trump’s agenda, is to unite the struggles of everyone who is under attack, which is damn near everyone, to not only protect our communities, but win real victories. Now is the time to be bold, to stand up and fight. We must build a broad coalition, win more people over to the struggle against Trump, and build the power of the people by growing fighting organizations.”

SDS and other activist organizations in Austin are preparing for the storm of racist attacks as Governor Greg Abbott is emboldened by Trump’s election.

Trump has listed Austin as one of the first cities he wishes to send his gang of ICE thugs to harass, intimidate, arrest and deport immigrants. In addition, schools and churches are no longer officially exempt from ICE raids, meaning the situation in Austin – with large working-class Chicano and Mexican communities – will become very dangerous in the coming weeks.

Arshia Papari, a member of Austin SDS, gave a speech to the crowd, saying, “We stand at a crossroads. On one side is the path of complacency, of division, of allowing those in power to dictate our futures while exploiting our labor, our planet, and our dignity. On the other side is the path of solidarity – where we recognize that our fates are bound together, that your liberation is my liberation, and that justice for one is justice for all.”

He then closed his speech with a round chanting “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!” which echoed off the nearby buildings and was audible down the street.

#AustinTX #TX #StudentMovement #Trump #ImmigrantRights #SDS

Denton, TX – Activists from Freedom Road Socialist Organization organized a local resource fair to rally against the incoming Trump administration, January 20, drawing hundreds from the community to engage local organizations and learn about the about the efforts to change the political landscape.

Event volunteers showed up in the early afternoon to set up at the historic Denton Courthouse square. Nearly two dozen organizations from Denton and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex showcased their campaigns and work, from the University of North Texas and Texas Women's University to local art collectives like Spider Web Salon and INKtifada. Colorful tables lined the sidewalk with art, banners and information. A growing crowd arrived throughout the afternoon as speakers addressed the issues that faced the Denton and Dallas communities, with no illusion as to the dangers another Trump presidency poses.

A second Trump administration presents a wide, hostile landscape for all workers and oppressed communities across Texas, many already failed by the outgoing Biden administration. Trump signaled his movement’s intent to target our state’s most oppressed through over 70 executive orders on the first day of his presidency. Tension on Inauguration Day was high, but the crowd was spirited.

Groups in attendance came from a wide swath of north Texas communities. Student groups from around north Texas shared the courthouse lawn with immigration and police accountability advocates, queer and anti-war groups. Speakers addressing the crowd included City Councilperson and Jewish Voice for Peace representative Deb Armintor, activists from UNT’s Eagle Dreamers, PRIDenton, DFW Anti-War Committee and local Teamsters.

Rick Majumdar, a member of Teamsters Local 767 addressed the crowd, stating, “The fires that are destroying the chains of imperialism across the world from Palestine to western Sahel are here too, inside of the belly of the beast. That fire is in the hearts and minds of the working class, who know that they have no choice but to fight back.”

The afternoon closed with a simple chant – “The people, united, can never be defeated,” true today as it has been for decades.

#DentonTX #TX #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS #FRSO #Trump

Dallas, TX – On January 16 a crowd drawn from around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex convened in response to the newly-brokered and fragile ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel.

Community members met at Main Street Garden Park after the announcement that the Israeli Security Cabinet would accept the latest ceasefire terms. The terms include an exchange of hostages that could release over 1500 Palestinian civilians arrested since October 7, 2023, over a first phase that will last six weeks.

The night began with speakers from Palestinian Youth Movement who proclaimed that the impending ceasefire is owed to the steadfastness and perseverance of the Palestinian people around the globe and the resistance of their supporters. It is hard not to emphasize the numbers at play, that a fighting force in the dozens of thousands, in a space like Gaza roughly the size of Philadelphia, has withstood constant siege and famine from one of the most advanced occupying armies in the world, numbering over half a million troops.

But the impending relief does not come without strings – both the genocidal Biden administration and Netanyahu have already spent 15 months stalling any relief to the Palestinian people. The incoming Trump administration had already secured their victory on the campaign trail saying they would allow Israel to “finish the job.” taking $100 million dollars Zionist billionaire Miriam Adelson.

A hostage release still relies on a 24-hour appeal period over the weekend and there are no illusions of trust where the Zionist occupation is concerned. Ultranationalists in Netanyahu's coalition have already taken to social media to openly brag about past attempts and future intentions to sabotage this agreement. Though hope is there, it must be acknowledged that it is an uneasy kind of hope.

The crowd took to the streets, chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free.” Spirits were high. Night prayer was held at an intersection before the crowd made its way back up Main Street.

Jo Hargis of the DFW Anti-War Committee addressed the crowd, stating, “Of course it took less than a day for the criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to go back on his word and hold up the deal. Of course, the Zionist occupation, once again, is murdering as many Palestinians as possible before the deal goes into effect. There are many questions about whether this agreement will go through and if it goes through, if it will be implemented.”

People cheered at the news that the occupying Zionist force and its imperialist partners in crime had publicly and repeatedly failed to accomplish its stated military objectives since the Operation Al-Aqsa flood began in October 2023.

The crowd returned to Main Street Garden Park with high spirits, but with no doubt that the struggle is not over.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Dallas, TX – On December 23, four north Texas Starbucks locations joined the national strike led by Starbucks Workers United (SBWU). The next day, December 24, ten north Texas locations were on strike.

Pickets began at each location, then converged in Denton for a march between striking locations. Starbucks management called police on strikers at the Rayzor Ranch location, but police came and went without arrests.

Chants included “No contract? No coffee!” “3, 5, 7, 9, don’t cross a picket line!”, and “H-O-T-T-O-G-O, Brian Niccols got to go!” Brian Niccols is the new CEO of Starbucks.

On December 24, despite heavy rain, workers braved the weather to picket outside a Farmers Branch location with scabbing workers inside. Picketers wore ponchos and held umbrellas as they chanted “Hail or sleet, rain or shine, don’t cross a picket line!”

Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a strike captain and a five-year Starbucks partner, stated, “Not only do we want to come back to the bargaining table and secure a not just livable, but thriveable, contract to work under, we are also demanding a resolution to all unresolved unfair labor practices.”

Bre Byrd, a rank-and-file member of SBWU, spoke to their experience as a pregnant worker, saying, “I returned to Starbucks in 2023 because I was promised family expansion benefits, really competitive pay. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. So 25% of my pay goes to health insurance right now, which is really rough, and then it still took our entire life savings and a lot of debt for one round of IVF. So this contract really means everything to me and the future of my family.”

In Arlington, Starbucks workers held a picket outside of their store. Rhea Lanawant, a union member and strike captain of the SBWU, said, “We need to consider whose wallets those billions are lining. We are being choked. We cannot pay rent while their CEO makes more than $50k an hour.”

#DallasTX #TX #Labor #SBWU #Starbucks #Strike #Feature

Dallas, TX – Teamsters Locals 745 and 767 held solidarity pickets for Amazon workers in support of the national strike demanding the shipping giant recognize the right to unionize and come to the table to negotiate a contract for better working conditions. Across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, there were multiple solidarity pickets on Thursday, December 19 and Friday, December 20.

On Thursday, pickets were held at the DAL3 (Chalk Hill), FTW6 (Grapevine), FTW2 (Coppell) and FTW5 (Forney) Amazon fulfillment centers. Picketers showed up in shifts to hold a steady line while passing drivers from UPS, Amazon, and its contractors honked their horns and stopped outside the warehouse in solidarity.

At the end of the day, spirits were high as Friday’s pickets included five different north Texas locations from Forney to Fort Worth, adding IAH1 (Southlink) and AFW1 (NE Loop) to the list of solidarity picket locations. Food and hand warmers were brought out as the temperatures dropped in the evening and the pickets continued through the night.

At the picket Amazon drivers and Teamsters from UPS -who had shown up in support – were comparing their trucks, pointing out that to the Amazon workers that air conditioning was not a luxury during Texas summers. For these workers, the strike isn’t a tool for luxuries but for basic amenities to survive the job.

#DallasTX #TX #Labor #Teamsters #Amazon #Strike

Garland, TX – Organizers and activists held a large teach-in and town hall meeting, December 1, just outside the gates of General Dynamics, one of the largest ordnance suppliers to the Israeli genocide in the United States. The facility and surrounding neighborhood are no stranger to controversy, with others having held protests, disruptions and rallies outside its gates before.

DFW Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Free Palestine Denton, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, and Palestinian Youth Movement organized the events.

The coalition engaged the community by canvassing the surrounding streets to bring the neighborhood into conversations about the roles of weapons manufacturers like General Dynamics across north Texas communities, taking into careful consideration the makeup of the neighborhood and preparing canvassers to meet residents where they were. Organizers who did not have experience knocking doors were trained by others who had prior experience and paired together. The community reception was warm.

Planners spent a month engaging the rest of their DFW communities for food, music, art and cultural workshops to share with the neighborhood, from embroidery and crafts for children to music workshops and a town hall to field questions from local residents. As the day moved on, community members of the neighborhood came from across the street to find an enthusiastic crowd.

Participants of all ages joined in to learn, chant and sing. Leaflets were handed out with information about local organizations’ campaigns, alongside songs and chants from the last 90 years. An activist from Jewish Voice for Peace shared a particularly impactful Yiddish song from the 1930s We Will Outlive Them featuring the line “The world will grow more beautiful, love greater, hatred smaller.”

The event shifted into a town hall meeting, fielding questions from participants and community members about the weapons manufacturer, and heard from the organizers about their groups’ campaigns against General Dynamics.

Organizers stressed the importance of working with a long strategy in mind against weapons manufacturers. Amid the many roles weapons manufacturers play in American life, from our education to our families’ careers, General Dynamics has held its place in this neighborhood for generations and family stories from these factories are not uncommon in north Texas. The fight against them is certainly not a short one.

Once a boat factory before 1952, this General Dynamics facility is a direct legacy of the United States’ long history of suppressing the labor movement by forcing communities to compromise for quality industrial jobs by pushing them into weapons production. General Dynamics supplies 80% of the MK-80 and BLU-109 bombs dropped in Gaza.

General Dynamics facility is tucked grimly between a community college and a high school football stadium, the surrounding area is a quiet, working-class neighborhood where you can sometimes hear the football games and marching bands on weeknights. Israel’s own Elbit Systems is similarly located across the street from another quiet suburb and high school in Fort Worth. Communities like Garland, Texas and others across the state send their children to school right next to bombs that kill children abroad.

#GarlandTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WeaponsIndustry #DAWC #FRSO #PYM #CodePink #JVP

The town hall featured presentations from three members of NAARPR to an audience of about 20 people. Concerns around the Black liberation struggle, the struggle for immigrant rights and the future of the queer community were addressed by the three members in an interactive format. After the presentations, the audience was invited to engage in a question and answer portion where they offered questions and commentary around the topics covered by the speakers.

“They have the money, but we have the numbers.” said NAARPR member Ulises Ramos who MCed the event. “We must fight them with unity not division.”

#DallasTX #TX #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #NAARPR