Washington, DC – On Wednesday, March 19, the Parkchester community came out to an impromptu event in support of Ronald Butler, Donte Butler, Donte Butler Jr., Frederick Simms and Jermaine Irving Jr. These five men were brutally attacked by the Metropolitan Police Department on March 11 after defending their family and are facing multiple charges, including assaulting a police officer.

The Butler family decades before lost a loved one to police murder, and this instance brought up the trauma they faced at that time. However, this time, they are committed to fighting back and ensuring justice.

They are working with the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) and demanding all charges are dropped against their family. They are also insisting the officers involved are fired and convicted, specifically Officer Evan Zelesnick, who was the prime instigator of the brawl, as well as the lieutenant who escalated the incident by arriving on scene and immediately starting to mace the handcuffed family members. The lieutenant’s name was conveniently left off any legal paperwork.

On Wednesday, Daniel Butler, son of Donte Butler Sr. and nephew of Ronald Butler, spoke on the incident and how police consistently terrorize his community, stating, “We been dealing with this pain for decades, generations. Drop all the charges, get all them police outta there. [MPD] looks at us as enemies, been that way for years. We need justice, real justice. You want me to be honest? The police department is the very first organized gang.”

Donna Butler, matriarch of the family, spoke as well, “This right here, this is my family. And this is how we come together when it’s needed. Release my son, he did no wrong. He protected his family, and as I always told my kids, stand ten toes. And right now, [MPD] got him in handcuffs, because he chose to protect his kids, his family, his cousins.”

#WashingtonDC #InJusticeSystem #Police Crimes #KillerCops #NAARPR #DCAARPR

Washington, D.C. – On March 14, Filipino and other community activists gathered outside of the Embassy of the Philippines to celebrate the arrest of the dictator Rodrigo Duterte, while also mourning the victims of his brutal regime.

The action began with organizers from Anakbayan DC leading the crowd in chants in both English and Tagalog, shouting, “Stop the killings in the Philippines!” and “Makibaka, huwag matakot!” The protesters then attempted to take the street, but the police present at the action verbally warned the crowd and began a kettling process, pushing protesters back onto the sidewalk.

Speakers from Malaya DC, Anakbayan DC, and the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), celebrated Duterte’s arrest and denounced the crimes he committed while in office. Connections were also drawn between repression seen locally and what is seen in the Philippines.

“Let’s be clear, today is a huge victory for the people’s movement,” said the speaker from DCAARPR, “The Duterte regime will try their best to sidestep the ICC ruling, but it is our job to be unrelenting and ensure that he is put away for his crimes against humanity”

The protest continued with calls for future mobilization against Trump, citing comparisons between his repressive regime and the Duterte era in the Philippines.

“The rollbacks against federal workers, the imminent ICE raids, and political kidnapping of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil, are all reminiscent of martial law in the Philippines,” continued the speaker for DCAARPR, “Our enemy knows it is in their best interests to be united around a common goal, now is time for us to unite the strands of the people’s struggles so that we become an impenetrable united front!”

#WashingtonDC #DCAARPR #International #Philippines #Trump

Washington, DC – On March 8, International Women’s Day, community members and activists gathered at Sankofa Cafe in downtown D.C. for a panel discussion on the struggle for women’s liberation.

The event, hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) DC, featured panelists that represented several sectors of struggle, including women’s rights, immigrant rights, anti-war and international struggles, oppressed nationalities movements, LGBTQ, and trans rights.

The panel featured Terra Martin from the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), Yan Tagalog Maunes of Anakbayan DC (ABDC), a speaker representing Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) DMV, and a trans comrade from FRSO DC. The flier for the event included the slogans “Defend Women’s and Reproductive Rights!” “Stop the Deportations, Keep Families Together!” and “Stand with the Women of Palestine!”

The panel began with chants of “When women’s rights are under attack, what do we do? stand up, fight back!” and “The people, united, will never be defeated!”

Kristen Bonner, the emcee for the event, gave a brief introduction on the history of women’s oppression, before introducing the panelists. The discussion opened with a dialogue on how Trump has affected the struggle for women’s rights, before turning to questions of how to combat this wave of renewed aggression against the people’s movements.

“It’s through the laws being passed that trans people are being oppressed,” said the panelist representing FRSO DC, “it’s because of those laws that all these reactionary tendencies are now being emboldened.”

“We want to avoid a repeat of the feminisms that we saw after the election of the Trump regime in 2016 that focused solely on the interests of white, cisgender bourgeoisie women,” said a member of PYM DMV.

“These movements are all connected intrinsically, they’re all interlinked” said the speaker from FRSO DC, “we need to join one struggle together, through a united front, because when we’re all together, we win.”

“They can’t take all of us out,” Terra Martin representing DCAARPR added, “we’re the village. If we go at them head on, they can’t stop us.”

The panel ended with the Assata Shakur chant and shared calls among the panelists for folks in attendance to get organized.

“My last question for today was going to be ‘What do y’all think is the key takeaway from today?’”

The emcee said in closing, “but I feel that y’all have already answered that resolutely – it’s organize, organize, organize!”

#WashingtonDC #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay #FRSO #PYM #NAARPR

Washington, DC – On February 26, Wednesday evening, community organizers and activists gathered outside of the Embassy of the Philippines in DC to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Peoples Power uprisings.

The action began with Tagalog chants of “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!” (Fight! Don’t be afraid!) and “From Palestine to the Philippines! Stop the U.S. war machine!” while speakers detailed the history of the EDSA uprisings and sacrifices of the Filipino people to oust the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Co-sponsoring organizations included the International League of Peoples Struggles Baltimore-DMV, Anakbayan DC and Montgomery County, Malaya Movement DC, and Katarungan DC.

After chants, a member of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression speaking on behalf of ILPS-DMV, stated, “The wave of political repression we’re seeing in the forms of ICE raids, police brutality, national oppression, and attacks on the rights of all oppressed peoples, draws parallels to horrors the Filipino people faced in their revolutionary struggle against the brutal dictator Ferdinand Marcos.”

The day before, Malaya Movement DC, in partnership with other organizations, held a panel discussion on the People Power anniversary at Cleveland Park Library. It included speakers from many Filipino organizations, as well as Tita Delia, an activist who organized during martial law in the Philippines.

Tita Delia spoke on how martial law and the decades- long occupation of the Philippines would not be possible without the backing and support of the United States government. When asked how Filipino consciousness has changed over the decades, Tita Delia answered that Filipino youth in particular are much more sensitive to gender and LGBTQ issues, but many are unaware of the fascist dictatorship that terrorized the Philippines, and that this is largely due to the Marcos regime’s revision of history.

A speaker from Malaya Movement DC also stressed the importance of the decades-long struggle waged by the New People’s Army in the Philippines in the countryside.

#WashingtonDC #International #Philippines #ILPS #Anakbayan #Malaya #Katarungan #NAARPR

Washington, DC – On Tuesday night, February 4, hundreds of protesters gathered at Lafayette Square, near the White House, to raise their voices and stomp their feet in opposition of the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.

Organized by Palestinian Youth Movement DMV, Md 2 Palestine, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the Muslim American Society, the organizers united around the demands to arrest genocidal Zionist Netanyahu, the end of all U.S. aid to Israel, and no normalization of relations between occupied Palestine and Israel.

Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit sitting President Donald Trump, met to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire that paused 15 months of relentless genocide.

In their flyer and press statement to the public, organizers called the rally and march to “wholeheartedly reject all war criminals responsible for the genocide in Gaza and attacks on the West Bank.”

“Whether it’s Trump or Biden in power, Republicans and Democrats shamelessly demonstrate their unwavering support for genocide and the zionist entity,” the press statement read. “Despite mounting global isolation of the zionist regime, the U.S. empire and its leaders continue to grant them total diplomatic immunity and billions of dollars in stolen taxpayer money.”

“Right now, there is an international fugitive housed by a convicted felon,” the emcee began. “These establishments fear the people. They are afraid of the power that the people hold. It is not a slogan, not a saying, but the truth!”

Protesters then took to the streets, chanting “Trump, Bibi you will learn, by the millions we’ll return!” “Netanyahu why are you here, the ICC was crystal clear!” “Say it loud, say it clear, Netanyahu you’re not welcome here” and “IOF, KKK, MPD, you’re all the same!”

The energy of the crowd was militant and in steadfast support of Palestine. Before dispersing, the emcee issued a call to action for participants to continue to stand in solidarity with Palestine and demand Palestinian liberation.

“Not only are the 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza determined to stay,” the emcee continued, “but the millions of Palestinians around the world in the diaspora are determined to return!” They added, “Ana Raja Raja!” Arabic for “I’m returning!”

#WashingtonDC #AntiWarMovement #Trump #Netanyahu

“Union contracts are enforceable by law, and the president does not have the authority to make unilateral changes to those agreements,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “AFGE members will not be intimidated. If our contracts are violated, we will aggressively defend them.”

President Trump’s return-to-worksite directive and initial guidance from the Office of Personnel Management explicitly stated that applicable law and collective bargaining obligations must be met. But on Monday, OPM issued another memorandum claiming that hybrid work arrangements set forth in union contracts are likely “likely unlawful” and should be ignored by agencies to meet compliance with Trump’s directive.

“AFGE will not let the lawless actions of this administration, or any agency go unchallenged, and we will use every option available to us to defend our contracts,” Kelley said.

#WashingtonDC #Labor #AFGE #Trump

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech that was given by Sydney Loving, member of Central Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, at the Washington DC protest coinciding with the inauguration of Trump.

Brothers, sisters, and comrades,

It is so good to stand here with all of you. As an organization last year, we spearheaded the massive marches on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that brought 30,000 into the streets – that was the first step, and here is the next. Inauguration day is day one, and we’re mobilizing all over the country. The message is this: we’re not just ready for a fight – we’re looking for one.

The situation in the world today is showing cracks in the U.S. empire. It’s in a period of decline, and the decline is accelerating. We saw the cracks during the George Floyd rebellion – where one man’s murder brought millions into the streets and set cities on fire. It scratched the depth of national oppression and the potential for mass resistance.

After 16 months of atrocities, the Palestinian resistance and its allies have not been defeated. Millions around the world have stood up against the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza and marched in solidarity with their heroic struggle for freedom. Things are sharpening.

Donald Trump and his gang of billionaires, bigots and corporate puppets are about to take power again. They’ve made their plans crystal clear: mass deportations, police and vigilante violence, attacks on workers, women, LGBTQ people, and immigrants. They’ll try to gut healthcare, roll back our democratic rights, and line the pockets of the rich while stepping on the rest of us.

There’s no one that Trump’s administration won’t try to pick a fight with. But we will bring the fight to him. When his forces come to town, we’re going to smash the event. When they try to provoke us, just like the students refused to leave the encampments for Palestine we’re going to hold our ground. If they’re looking for a fight, we’ll give it to them. Even if we don’t start the fights, we’re going to finish them.

Repression is nothing new to us. We’ve faced raids and FBI scrutiny; we’ve fought back and kept our people out of jail: Every. Single. One. We learned that the only way to win is not to shrink away; to face repression head on. The masses are the makers of history, and only by rallying together can we defend our movements and make real advances.

To those who feel overwhelmed or tempted to stay quiet – silence won’t save us. Solidarity will. We’re not scared of the idea of America coming apart – because this is our moment to fan the flames. We’re here to build movements, defend our communities, and turn up the heat.

Our work is expanding rapidly – we’re building a united front of everybody that has a bone to pick with Wall Street.

To this end, we invite everyone to join us. We’re not keeping our heads down and hoping the next four years blow over. We’re going to rise to every challenge we meet, stand up, fight back, and make the U.S. ungovernable.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #LGBTQ #Labor #FRSO

Washington, DC – On a windy Monday morning, January 20, protesters rallied and marched in opposition to Trump’s inauguration and his reactionary billionaire agenda. Organized by the We Fight Back coalition, organizations united around demands to defend the people’s movements from expected attacks by the Trump administration.

Heating the chill of the air with the fire of their spirits, protesters rallied in Malcolm X Park as speakers from endorsing organizations and coalition partners delivered their message to the crowd.

Coalition members and endorsing organizations included Bayan USA, Anakbayan, Migrante USA, Malaya DC, Kabataan Alliance DMV, International League of People’s Struggle, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (DCAARPR).

Sydney Loving, a leading member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “There’s no one that Trump’s administration won’t try to pick a fight with. But we intend to bring the fight to him. Even if we don’t start the fights, we are going to finish them.”

The organizing chair for DCAARPR said, “Unity is central to our struggle, and we must be united against Trump to defeat him and his reactionary agenda.”

“In the Alliance, we do not call ourselves allies,” the organizing chair continued, “We stand in solidarity with each other. Because we recognize that the same forces genociding our Palestinian family, deporting and attacking our undocumented brothers and sisters, and abridging our reproductive rights are the same forces that target, kill and oppress us as Black people.”

After rallying in the park, protesters took to the streets with chants such as “MPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same,” “Free Palestine,” and “The people united will never be defeated!”

The march stopped at the Philippine Embassy, where speakers denounced the collusion between the American and Philippine governments to oppress and exploit Filipinos and how the Trump presidency will continue and further human rights abuses in the Philippines.

“Our people should not be exploited,” said Norynne Caleja, of Malaya DC. “Our people should not be killed and our people should not be shipped out of the Philippines just for U.S. interests.”

The march wound up at Dupont Circle with speeches demanding an end to funding war and militarization by cutting budgets from people’s services; unity to protect immigrants and workers from attacks from the Trump administration, and an end to forced migration.

“The education system produces low-wage workers for export to be treated as commodities for other nations,” said Paolo Estrella, of Kabataan Alliance DMV. “Because of this, we see millions of Filipinos who left the Philippines to work overseas as migrants in the United States – who will be impacted by the Trump administration and their [plans for] mass deportations.”

Though the weather was below freezing, the people brought their passion and righteous anger at the billionaire bigots heading into the White House. The mobilization concluded with a call to action for attendees to get involved with and join organizations that will mount an organized fightback against the Trump administration and his reactionary agenda.

“They have the money, the media, and the power,” the organizing chair from DCAARPR said, “but we have the one thing they don’t: us. Our strength is our numbers, and when we are united, there is nothing the people can’t do. It's our job to make them tremble when we roar, all power to the people!”

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #J20 #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Washington, DC – On January 18, thousands of people flocked to McPherson Square in downtown DC to join the People's March to the White House. The action saw mobilization from every corner of the people's movements, with the common goal of protesting the incoming Trump administration. Popular slogans included “Black lives matter,” “Our body, our choice” and “Free Palestine,” among others that reflected the struggles and demands of the broad movement.

Locally, organizations demanded “Free DC,” and called for recognition of DC as the 51st state of the union. Groups participating in these contingent included members of FRSO DC and AnakBayan DC.

“The masses of people are the ones who change history,” said Jon Abraham of FRSO DC, “Thousands of people took the street today to send a message to the incoming Trump administration that they will not hide, but rather, stand up and fight back.”

FRSO DC and other local organizations will mobilize again on Monday, January 20, to protest Trump’s inauguration.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #WomensMovement #ImmigrantRights #Trump

Washington, DC — El viernes por la noche, 15 de noviembre, Anakbayan DC celebró su quinto aniversario con presentaciones culturales que incluyeron canciones, bailes, poesía, comida y más en la Universidad American.

Miembros de la comunidad, estudiantes y otras organizaciones, como Anakbayan del Condado de Montgomery, Movimiento Malaya DC, la Alianza de DC Contra la Represión Racista y Política, Occupation Free DC, entre otras más, también estuvieron presentes.

Armand Cuevas, un organizador con Anakbayan DC, comentó, “Anakbayan originalmente empezó en las Filipinas y el capítulo local de DC empezó en 2019, entonces tuvimos una noche cultural el 15 de noviembre para celebrar cinco años de excitando, organizando y movilizando nuestras comunidades locales. Esperamos muchos más años de unir a la juventud filipina y sus aliados locales, luchando contra el descuido del estado y el saqueo en las Filipinas, y poniendo fin al imperialismo estadounidense a través de nuestro trabajo aquí dentro la panza de la bestia.”

Anakbayan USA es una organización nacional de jóvenes y estudiantes filipinos luchando por la democracia nacional en las Filipinas. Los organizadores del evento declararon los tres aspectos que el Movimiento Democratico Nacional busca combatir en Filipinas son el feudalismo, el imperialismo y el capitalismo burocrático. Adicionalmente, un organizador de Anakbayan DC habló brevemente sobre su experiencia asistiendo un viaje de exposición donde viajaron a las Filipinas, se integraron a varias comunidades, y aprendieron de los organizadores en el terreno.

Cuevas declaró, “Anakbayan DC es una organización local de base anti-imperialista luchando por la democracia nacional en las Filipinas con una perspectiva socialista. Queremos ver una Filipinas justa y libre de intervención extranjera con un gobierno que sea realmente para el pueblo.”

#WashingtonDC #DC #International #Philippines #Anakbayan

Washington, DC – On Friday evening, November 15, Anakbayan DC celebrated their five-year anniversary with cultural performances including songs, dances, poetry, food and more at American University.

Community members, students and other organizations, such as Anakbayan Montgomery County, Malaya Movement DC, the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Occupation Free DC, and others were also in attendance.

Armand Cuevas, an organizer with Anakbayan DC, stated, “Anakbayan originally started in the Philippines and the DC localized chapter started in 2019, so we had a cultural night on November 15 to celebrate five years of arousing, organizing and mobilizing our local communities. We look forward to many more years of uniting the local Filipino youth and allies, fighting against state neglect and plunder in the Philippines, and ending U.S. imperialism through our work here in the belly of the beast.”

Anakbayan USA is a national organization of Filipino youth and students fighting for national democracy in the Philippines. The organizers of the event stated the three aspects that the National Democratic Movement aims to combat in the Philippines are feudalism, imperialism and bureaucrat capitalism. Additionally, an organizer from Anakbayan DC briefly discussed their experience attending an exposure trip where they traveled to the Philippines, integrated into various communities, and learned from organizers on the ground.

Cuevas stated, “Anakbayan DC is an anti-imperialist local grassroots organization fighting for national democracy in the Philippines with a socialist perspective. We want to see a just and free Philippines without foreign intervention with a government that is truly for the people.”

#WashingtonDC #International #Philippines #Anakbayan

Washington, DC – On Tuesday evening, November 5, over 200 community members, activists, and organizers flooded the streets outside of the White House, at Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC, to hold a protest of the election outcome. Slogans for the protest included “No matter who wins, the people lose!” and “No votes for genocide.”

The rally began with several chants, including some led by a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, with calls of “Free, free Palestine,” and “Harris or Trump, you will see, genocide’s your legacy!”

Representatives from organizations spoke about their specific areas of struggle. They were followed by several personal narratives from community members’ related to the protest’s demands, including speeches on police crimes, student repression, immigrants’ rights, reproductive and LGBTQ rights, and the genocide in Palestine.

“We understand that this election is a referendum on genocide,” said Jon Abraham, a member of the FRSO DC, “We will not betray the Palestinian liberation struggle by voting for the genocider Kamala Harris, and especially not by voting for her racist and reactionary opponent, Donald Trump.”

“No matter who wins tonight, queer people lose,” said the speaker on LGBTQ rights, “That’s why our only option is to join together and struggle for something better!”

“Through Democratic and Republican administrations alike, police budgets for D.C. and other major cities are in the hundreds of millions,” said by a member of DCAARPR. Speaking on police brutality, “We pay for their jobs, and we pay for their sins. The people deserve a voice and protection outside of the state.”

The rally was organized by a coalition of organizations, led by The DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (DCAARPR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization DC (FRSO DC). It was co-sponsored by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the International League of People’s Struggles Baltimore-DMV and Pan-African Community Action. The coalition also plans to protest Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

#WashingtonDC #DC #PeoplesStruggles #Trump

“It’s time to add pressure and urgency to these negotiations and raise the standards for Mesa flight attendants,” said Shannon Harris, Mesa AFA president. “Flight attendants at Mesa need relief now in order to make ends meet. It’s time to get this done and if United Airlines has ‘extra cash’ for Wall Street with a $1.5 billion stock buyback they certainly have cash to lift us out of poverty wages.”

While Mesa flight attendants work for the regional airline, airline management at United ultimately controls the pay and working conditions at Mesa, which provides a significant amount of United’s route structure. The exploitative “regional airline” business model allows United to reap massive profits, while suppressing wages and benefits for workers at regionals.

Passengers generally don’t know that they are flying with a different airline, one that pays almost half as much in pay and benefits for the workers.

“Passengers board these United-branded flights unaware that the flight attendants working them are paid nearly 45% less for the same work,” said Sara Nelson, AFA international president. “The immoral contract structure that locks in two tiers of employment for the same [job] has got to end. The greed that drives massive payouts for executives and hedge funds cannot leave flight attendants starving. Our union is demanding an end to tiers of employment in aviation.”

The National Mediation Board will oversee this week’s negotiations in New Orleans, as Mesa Air flight attendants continue to press for a contract that reflects their essential contributions as aviation’s first responders to United’s operation.

#WashingtonDC #Labor #AFA #FlightAttendants

Washington, DC – On Tuesday evening, September 17, over 50 community members gathered outside of the 7th District Police Station in Southeast DC to protest recent instances of police violence. Just two weeks before, in the early morning of September 1, 26-year-old Justin Robinson was found unconscious in his car after crashing into a McDonald's. As he began to regain consciousness, an officer held their gun just inches from his face. When Robinson groggily reached up due to the light shining in his face, Officers Vaso Mateus and Bryan Gilchrist shot Robinson ten times.

“I want to know how somebody can be a threat to you if they're passed out in their car,” asked , one of many local community members who spoke. “There's a hundred ways you could've figured that situation out.”

“We want justice,” said DC Alliance Co-chair KB Bonner. “We want the arrest, indictment and conviction of killer cops Vaso Mateus and Bryan Gilchrist.” According to an organizer, the protest's official demands also included the independent, community-led investigations of all police killings and the full, public release of any 911 calls related to those shootings.

After this recount, a brief moment of silence was held for all victims of police violence. Then, community members, local activists, poets, and representatives of the organizing groups gave speeches and calls to action on police accountability and community control.

“These killer cops are doing exactly what they’re supposed to,” shouted the speaker from FRSO DC, “to ‘secure DC’ by killing Black people and oppressing their communities.”

The rally was organized by a coalition of organizations, led by the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and featured speeches from activists and affected community members. Speakers included members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Anakbayan, Pan-African Community Action, and the International League of Peoples' Struggles.

#WashingtonDC #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #NAARPR

Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, September 14, hundreds of activists from across the country gathered at Union Station lawn for the Gender Liberation March. The action brought into coalition local organizations, East coast regional groups, and national forces from the queer liberation, reproductive justice, feminist and Black liberation movements.

Beginning at noon, the primary organizers of the march and some important local Washington organizations addressed the crowd.

“Fuck Project 2025!” said Raquel Willis, a Gender Liberation Movement organizer from Georgia. “They want to erase all discussions of queerness and trans-ness in public life. They want the government to track abortions and monitor our reproductive health. They want to criminalize us for making decisions about our bodies and for supporting each other and for defending our freedoms, just like we’re about to do today.”

Organizers of the march further emphasized that the alliance between the movements for women's rights, reproductive justice and queer liberation is critical in building a united front of resistance. This alliance, they said, is what it will take to challenge repression and legal attacks on gender oppressed folks, regardless of who wins the upcoming presidential election.

Organizer NeeNee Taylor with the D.C. Black liberation organization Harriet’s Wildest Dreams also spoke on the intersection of reproductive justice and the autonomy of Black bodies.

“I’m here to welcome y’all as a Black woman,” Taylor said. “As someone who deserves bodily autonomy, as someone who chose to have an abortion—so many around the country do not have that choice y’all—we must hold the line!”

At one o'clock, the march took to the streets from Union Station and marched towards the U.S Supreme Court holding signs that read “Our Bodies, Our Choices, Our Genders, Our Futures” and “Abortion is Healthcare.” Chants of “When trans rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “If we don’t get no justice, then they don’t get no peace!” filled the streets of downtown D.C. as the demonstrators took the roadway. They stopped in front of the Supreme Court’s steps to acknowledge the special threat the undemocratic and reactionary court has presented to gender liberation.

The protest then moved to the front of the Heritage Foundation offices, the far-right think tank that has engineered right-wing grand strategy since the Reagan Administration, including Project 2025. After some chanting, organizers blared loud Dancehall music at the building’s front facing windows, leading to an impromptu dance in front of the building.

The march concluded with more speakers, including movement veteran Miss Major, who spoke on the importance of uplifting the movement and continuing to grow the coalition into a national network of resistance against further attacks on women and LGBTQ people.

#WashingtonDC #LGBTQ #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights

Washington, DC – On August 28, flight attendants at United Airlines who are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) voted on whether or not to authorize a strike if needed in contract negotiations with the carrier. The flight attendants filed for federal mediation eight months ago, after working under what they call an amendable contract for the last three years. After not seeing the movement at the table that they needed, the flight attendants decided to take the next step let their members vote over whether to authorize a strike.

The results were loud and clear. A near unanimous majority of 99.99% of ballots cast voted to authorize a strike; over 90% of United flight attendants participated in the vote.

Flight attendants heard the news broadcast in real time at nearly 20 informational picket lines which were being held simultaneously across the country.

Ken Diaz is the president of the United Airlines chapter of AFA and said, “We deserve an industry-leading contract. Our strike vote shows we’re ready to do whatever it takes to reach the contract we deserve,” and went on to say “We are the face of United Airlines and planes don’t take off without us. As Labor Day travel begins, United management is reminded what’s at stake if we don’t get this done.”

In their negotiations, the flight attendants at United are demanding a double-digit base pay increase as well as paid time for time at work on the ground. They are also fighting for retroactive pay to the date the contract became amendable, as well as flexibility in scheduling, work rule improvements, job security and retirement, among other issues.

While the flight attendants have faced stagnant wages in recent years, they say that management has been giving themselves significant raises through the same period in time. About this, Ken Diaz said “The United management team gives themselves massive compensation increases while flight attendants struggle to pay basic bills.”

The last time that flight attendants at United took a strike authorization vote was in 2005. However, this year, flight attendants at American, Alaska, Southwest and other airlines have all voted to authorize strikes. The previous strike votes have shown management that the flight attendants are ready to fight for what they deserve and, as a result, have worked to move the bargaining process forward at each airline. Now with this historic 99.9% strike authorization vote, United flight attendants have sent a clear message to management that they are ready to take this fight to a strike if management doesn’t make significant movement to meet their demands.

Now that members have authorized a strike, at any point AFA could request a release from federal mediation, which would begin a 30-day cooling off period before a strike can take place.

In the past, AFA has used a strike strategy known as CHAOS which stands for “Create Havoc Around Our System.” Using the CHAOS strategy, a strike can be called that would affect the entire airline industry and travel or could affect just a single flight. The union decides when to strike, who to include and where to do it and is not required to give any notice to management or passengers under the Railway Labor Act.

Now that a strike has been authorized by a powerful 99.99% majority, eyes will be tuned to the AFA negotiations closely as a strike at United could severely impact the airlines, flight schedules and business as well as personal travel nationwide in coming months. While what will happen next is yet to be seen, from the near-unanimous strike authorization one thing is very clear: the AFA flight attendants at United are ready to fight and are themselves united.

#WashingtonDC #Labor #FlightAttendants #AFACWA #Strike

Washington, DC – On Thursday, August 22, over 300 people gathered at James Monroe Park in downtown DC to support the student intifada. Last semester, students and community members from across the DMV set up an encampment at The George Washington University (GWU), called “Shohada’ Square.” Those involved have been facing charges from the courts, repression from the university, and brutalization by the police.

August 22 marked the first day of classes for the 2024 fall semester at GWU, and student organizers planned a protest to remind administration that they will not back down.

Protesters took to the streets from James Monroe Park towards GWU’s main campus, stopping at the office of President Ellen Granberg, reminding her of her complicity in genocide and the repression of pro-Palestine students. Metropolitan Police Department formed a barrier between the office and the protesters. Student organizers with DMV Students for Justice in Palestine led the chants, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!” and “Granberg, Granberg, you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide!”

Speakers at the protest included representatives from The DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the Palestinian Youth Movement DMV.

The speaker from the DC Alliance stated, “Today, is a strong reminder to administration, that we will not back down in the face of repression. And that we will not stay silent, and that this whole upcoming school year will be miserable for them as long as they continue to support genocide. The DC Alliance stands with the valiant students currently being repressed by the university, we stand with all those facing charges in the courts for protesting genocide, and we stand with Palestine.”

A speaker from the Palestinian Youth Movement stated, “Any trespass against the students is an aggression against all of us. The isolation imposed on the student body is intentional and purposeful, don’t be fooled. Isolation is the main weapon used by our enemies in the ruling class. It’s one of the most potent weapons they have at their disposal, and they’ve used it against the student movement for decades.”

Negotiations with the GWU administration are ongoing, and the students are pushing for five demands: Drop all charges and sanctions against Pro-Palestine students and student organizations; protect pro-Palestine speech and organizing on campus and end the unlawful discrimination against Palestinian political expression; divest from all companies selling technology, weapons and logistics to fuel genocide in Gaza; disclose all of GWU’s investments and funding sources; and finally, end all academic partnerships with the genocidal settler state of Israel.

#WashingtonDC #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #NAARPR #PYM

Washington, DC – On Sunday, July 28, over 200 community members gathered at Freedom Plaza in downtown DC to hold a vigil for Sonya Massey. The vigil, organized jointly by the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DC Alliance) and community activists, featured prayers, stories, speeches and chants condemning the murder of Sonya Massey and other police violence.

The DC Alliance stated its purpose was to “join together in remembrance and demand justice for Sonya Massey and every other victim of racist police.” The press release listed several demands, including a call to convict Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson, the officer who shot Sonya Massey in the eye after she called the police for help; that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigate and fire all killer cops; and the demand for a Civilian Police Accountability Review Board with the power to control the police.

The DC Alliance, SPEAR, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO DC), Communist Party of the District of Columbia (CPUSA), and Claudia Jones School for Political Education (Claudia Jones) endorsed these demands.

The vigil began by recounting the details of the murder of Sonya Massey, followed by a reading of her obituary and a moment of silence in remembrance of all victims of racist police. Then, in a call and response with the vigil attendees, the organizers read the names of 60 victims of police violence, including 18 victims who were murdered by police in Washington, DC. After the reading, community members, local activists, poets and representatives of other groups, such as from Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Anakbayan DC, and Pan-African Community Action relayed personal stories and spoke on the history and condition of policing in Black communities.

Tino Venable, a DC native and organizer for the DC Alliance, spoke on his personal experience with police violence. “With deep sadness comes my emotional honesty, the honesty of which I have been to so many funerals, so many vigils in this city that I found trouble forming the words to bear my soul here,”

Venable continued, “Sonya Massey was a beloved mother, a young Black woman, and a person in need. She called for help, and in return was met with evil.”

“All these kids are my kids,” said Terra Martin, the mother of 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin, young Black man who was murdered by U.S. Park Police on March 18, 2023. “We shouldn’t come together when someone gets killed, we should come together every day to see how we can stop this.”

“The U.S. policing system was created to catch and punish slaves who were escaping to freedom,” said Paige White, of counsel attorney at Ben Crump Law. “At its foundation, policing is a tool to enslave Black and brown people and maintain a status quo of racism.”

Other speakers talked about the connections between the murder of Sonya Massey as an example of genocide and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. “It is important we continue to describe this as genocide, because as we see in Gaza, the ruling class’s policy is to not only murder citizens of another nation, but to murder their own,” Dante O’Hara from Claudia Jones said. “Genocide is part and parcel of the U.S. capitalist project.”

“The Arabic word for martyr also means ‘witness.’ Sonya Massey is a martyr,” said Anyssa Dhaouadi of PYM. “She was a witness to injustice. She was a witness to the struggle. And it is our duty to bear witness to the injustice done to her. Over 186,000 martyrs [in Palestine] and the [Zionist entity] have not won. Thousands of Black martyrs across Turtle Island and they have not won. They have only strengthened our unity!”

Between speakers, chants of “Indict. Convict. Send these killer cops to jail!” and “MPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same!” rang out in the square. Signs included “Community, not cops!” and “Black women’s lives matter!”

“I’m sickened by the murder of Sonya Massey, Dalaneo Martin, and countless others whose precious lives were cut short because of a racist and cruel policing system,” said Jon Abraham, a member of FRSO DC. “We in FRSO understand the national character of these killings. It is the result of the national oppression of Black people in this country, of which only benefits the imperialist ruling class.”

The vigil concluded with closing prayers and a call to action, urging attendees to join the DC Alliance and the fight for community control of the police.

“We are here to put America on notice,” said Victoria Ponnell, a community activist who co-organized the vigil. “We have to stand against human rights violations in America, in Palestine, and in [the Democratic Republic of] Congo, because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!”

#WashingtonDC #PoliceCrimes #DCAARPR #FRSODC #SPEAR #CPUSADC #ClaudiaJones #AnakbayanDC #PYM #PACA

Washington, DC – More than 10,000 pro-Palestine demonstrators marched in the streets of Washington DC, July 24. The demonstration coincided with the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress defending the genocide in Gaza. Police attacked the protest with clubs and pepper spray. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris denounced the protest as “unpatriotic.” Speakers at the large rally urged attendees to join the massive pro-Palestine protest set for the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, August 19.

#WashingtonDC #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #DNC

Washington, DC – On July 7, hundreds of activists from over 60 organizations mobilized to protest the 75th anniversary NATO Summit occurring July 9 -11 in the city. The protest, organized the Resist NATO coalition started at McPherson Square and marched to the White House, demanding an end to U.S.- NATO aggression and to defend peoples’ struggles.  

The Resist NATO coalition is made up of various groups including the International League of Peoples’ Struggle – US (ILPS-US), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Bayan USA, Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), International Action Center, and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR). 

A member of NAARPR spoke at the rally stating, “From the war-torn streets of Afghanistan to the devastated cities of Libya, we raise our voices in support of those who have been killed by U.S. military aggression. Instead of money going towards our military, why is money not going towards our community? Why is money not going towards education? Or mental health?” The U.S. is by far the largest contributor to NATO’s budget. In 2023, the U.S. represented 68% of the total expenditure of NATO, spending $860 billion.

An organizer in Palestinian Youth Movement stated, “It is not only important, but necessary, to resist NATO through a broad united front, in order to protect people’s just struggle for freedom in Palestine, in the Philippines, in Puerto Rico, in Washington DC, and everywhere in the world. The peoples’ resistance in Palestine threatens the interests of Western imperialism and for the first time in recent history, the tides are turning. The myth of Israeli invincibility, of U.S. supremacy, of the futility of resistance, and of capitulation being the only solution has shattered. People around the world are joining the fight for total liberation.”

The Resist NATO coalition had a successful weekend of actions to protest the NATO summit, and they plan to continue building out the united front against US-NATO military escalation and aggression.

#WashingtonDC #ResistNATO #ResistNATOCoalition #FreePalestine #Philippines #PuertoRico #Imperialism #ILPS #FRSO #NAARPR #IAC #BAP #NATO #NATOSummit #USOutOfThePhilippines