Milwaukee SDS Condemns FBI Repression

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milwaukee SDS Condemns FBI Repression

September 24th, 2010 - This morning, several doors were broken down at homes of well known anti-war activists across the country in a large FBI raid. SWAT teams raided the home of a Minneapolis SDS leader, and the FBI has been intimidating SDS members in Milwaukee, Chicago, Los Angeles, and North Carolina. The FBI is looking for evidence linking activists to "material support of terrorism.” Several activists have had papers, CDs, and cell phones stolen among other items; as well as being issued subpoenas to appear before a federal grand jury.

No arrests have been made – make no mistake, this is a fishing expedition by the FBI. The activists involved have done nothing wrong and are refusing to be pulled into conversations with the FBI about their political views or organizing against war and occupation.
Grace Kelley, an SDS leader from the University of Minnesota, said “SDS at the U of M condemns the terror tactics used by the FBI to silence activists who organize against wars and for peace here in Minneapolis as well as across the nation.”

We urge all progressive activists to show solidarity with those individuals targeted by the U.S. Government. Activists have the right not to speak with the FBI and are encouraged to politely refuse - just say “No”.

Milwaukee SDS opposes U.S. support for the occupations of Palestine, Colombia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We ask for your support in standing against this absurd government intimidation of anti-war activists. SDS will not be intimidated as we continue to call for an immediate end to the U.S. occupations!

For more information contact; Kas Schwerdtfeger, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee SDS: 262.893.2806

http://www.startribune.com/galleries/103733819.html?elr=KArks8Lcac_QE77DyPDiUeLcac_jE77DyPDiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/9/24/activists-denounce-fbi-raids-anti-war-and-solidarity-activists-homes

Join SDS for the National Day of Action to Defend Public Education.

This is a follow up to the March 4th national protest where thousands of students, teachers, and school staff took to the streets and student unions to protest budget cuts and tuition hikes. Education is a right! Join us on October 7th at 12pm in Spaights Plaza at UWM

Time for a New Chancellor – An Open Letter from SDS

Chancellor Santiago’s surprise announcement that he will leave UWM comes in the midst of intense public backlash over his “Master Plan” to privatize education at UWM. While the growing movement against Santiago’s corporate agenda was not calling for his resignation, it unilaterally rejected his plan to further privatize the university, and to balance the budget on the backs of students and workers. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) views the Chancellor’s decision to leave UWM as a blow to the agenda of privatization, and an opportunity for the university to pursue free public education.

During his stay, Santiago stubbornly refused to meet with students and workers on serious issues such as racism, sexism, budget cuts, and his autocratic “Master Plan.” Over the summer, SDS led a successful campaign that pressured Santiago to drop the bogus charges against the 16 people who were arrested at a protest outside his office in March. In 2009, SDS pressured the Chancellor to sign onto an anti-sweatshop program for the UWM bookstore. We continue to be part of a growing student movement that has spread the education rights movement internationally, and we will participate in the October 7th National Day of Action for Education Rights with these demands for a new university Chancellor:

1 Fight for Free and Accessible Higher Education
- Reject the "Master Plan."
- End the privatization of our education.

2 Chop From the Top
- Budget cuts to UWM must come from the salaries, benefits, and perks of the Chancellor and high level administrators.

3 Transparency Now
- The Chancellor must hold quarterly open meetings with students, faculty, workers, and campus organizations.
- Have the approval of the AFSCME Local 82, MGAA, & TAUWP unions.
- The Chancellor’s tax records must be made available to the public.

4 Fight Racism & Sexism
- Side with students against openly racist, sexist members of the Student Association.
- Support the DREAM Act, and access to scholarships for undocumented students.
- Support a UWM Boycott of Arizona over the passage of SB1070 and HB2281.
- Protect resource centers for minorities, LGBTQ, women, and other oppressed groups.
- Protect ethnic studies programs and that were fought and won during the civil rights period.

5 End UWM Support for War
- No collaboration with war profiteering corporations such as Oshkosh Truck and DOW Chemical.
- Boycott university relations with apartheid Israel.
- No CIA, FBI, DHS, NSA, or Military recruiters on campus.

Education Rights Speak Out and Celebration

Join us as Monday as we celebrate the victory of the Milwaukee 16, and the continued struggle for Education rights! From 12-1pm SDS members will share their new demands for a chancellor, talk about recent cuts to our university, share plans for the national day of action for education rights, and celebrate the Milwaukee 16!

FREE FOOD
FREE MUSIC

Monday Sept 13th 11-2 in Spaights Plaza

Next SDS National Convention to be held in Milwaukee

Students for a Democratic Society will be having our next National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the weekend of October 22nd. SDSers and students and youth from around the country interested in forming a chapter are welcome, and encouraged to attend.

The October 22nd National Convention will be the first since the historic Education Rights protests of March 4th, 2010. Dozens of chapters in states all around the country led actions on their campuses to fight corporate takeovers and make Education a right for all. Discussion on this, as well as on the anti-war, environment, labor, anti-discrimination, and police brutality movements are sure to be a part of the weekend.

While the details of the Convention are still being planned, it will be a priceless opportunity to unite with others interested in grassroots student activism. Scholarships are being awarded to help those in need and/or from faraway places to attend.

Any questions? Write to us at: students4democraticsociety@gmail.com

Build the student movement! Help build SDS in the coming year!

Please join SDS for our first regular meeting of the semester.

SDS General Interest Meeting
Sept 13th - Union 260 - 7pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milwaukee community condemns Arizona's racist law SB1070

Students, workers and community members will protest against Arizona Senate Bill 1070, as the racist law goes into effect on July 29th.

Milwaukee, WI – July 29th, 2010 – A coalition of community organizations including Voces de la Frontera, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and The New Sanctuary Movement, will protest Arizona’s racist law, SB1070 this Thursday, beginning at Zeidler Park (3rd & Michigan) at 11:00am.

July 29th has been named a national day of action of non-compliance against Arizona’s SB1070 & HB2281. Marquette student and MEChA organizer Anahí Sánchez said “We’re protesting because we’re tired of the injustices towards Latino’s and immigrants. We can no longer sit back and watch these racist attacks against communities of color, whether it’s in Arizona or Wisconsin. We will not allow a law like SB1070 in Wisconsin!”

We demand that the Obama administration and congress put an end to all collaboration of programs of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) & police, which contributes to the criminalization of hard-working people of Milwaukee and the United States. We demand an end to the unjust deportations, an end to the separation of families, and an end to workplace raids. We do not support any form of racism, whether it is social or institutionalized. Included in our demands are the passage of just and humane immigration policy that does not criminalize immigrants and the passage of the DREAM Act.

We will not comply with racist laws like SB1070. We will stand up against hate and racism on behalf of those who have been intimidated to stay silent or who live in fear. We stand in solidarity with the people affected by this cruel law; they are not alone in this battle for justice.

Pass CIR & DREAM Act Now!
Boycott Racism! Say No to Arizona's SB2070 & HB2281

Contact:
MilwaukeeSDS at gmail dot com
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Protest SB1070 - July 29th

Thursday, July 29th
Zeidler Park, 3rd & Michigan
11am-1pm

As part of the national day of action against Arizona's racist law SB1070 community members will come together downtown to protest SB1070 and similar laws being passed around the country. 
We are demanding:
Pass CIR & DREAM ACT Now!
Boycott Racism! Say No to Arizona's SB2070 & HB2281!
End Police/ICE Collaboration!
Stop Separating Families and End the Raids!

Sponsors:
M.E.Ch.A de Milwaukee
Voces de la Frontera
New Sanctuary Movement
Students for a Democratic Society

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125860914122842#!/event.php?eid=139750592716633

Victory for the Milwaukee 16! UWM offers to drop charges!

Milwaukee March 4 protest for educational rights. (Fight Back! News/Staff)

Milwaukee, WI - The Milwaukee 16, the students who were arrested at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) on March 4, the National Day of Action to Defend Education, have achieved victory. On June 29, the University offered to drop the charges and the investigation into the conduct of the UWM campus police continues.

At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on March 4, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led the charge of nearly 200 students and workers at the Chancellors office to demand an end to wage cuts, tuition hikes and union busting. The UWM police responded by pepper spraying protesters, arresting a student based on racial profiling and aggressively detaining other students and workers. The university community, including faculty, staff and students, organized in outrage at the response of the police and the administration on March 4. As a result, the Milwaukee 16 will have their charges dropped. SDS member Molly Ubbesen states, “On March 4, the university tried to silence our voices by arresting protesters, but we will continue to fight for democracy and education rights.” 

After March 4, UWM Chancellor Santiago agreed to meet with members of the Education Rights Campaign regarding their demands. Students and workers accompanied their representatives, standing outside for hours in the rain to hear that some of their demands would be met. Santiago agreed to address their demands publicly, which led to the UWM Panel on Education Rights, where a group of professors, workers, students and administrators spoke about the issues to the media and an audience of nearly 200 people. At the panel, Santiago denied the request to drop the charges, so the Education Rights Campaign organized another protest where students stormed a Board of Regents meeting demanding that the charges be dropped. As a result of the demonstration and support from students, staff and faculty of the campus community, all of the charges will be dropped for the Milwaukee 16. 

Though the charges will be dropped, SDS and the Education Rights Campaign will continue to seek justice for those who were mistreated by the police on March 4, through a formal third party investigation. Rachel Matteson, one of the Milwaukee 16 states, “The investigation of the UWM campus police is an attempt to protect democracy on our campus from the people who have tried to take our rights away from us.” 

SDS began organizing the Education Rights Campaign at UWM in the fall of 2009, and now over 20 student and worker organizations are active in defense of their jobs and their education. They have worked in coalition with other SDS chapters and organizations around the country to demand an end to wage cuts and tuition hikes. SDS member Mary Rutkowski explains, “The goal of the education rights campaign is for our university system to educate students, not earn a profit.”

As tuition rises and wages are cut at universities around the country, the fight continues. SDS and others are organizing nationally to demand that the rich pay for their economic crisis, not students and workers. October 7 will be the next National Day of Action to Defend Education. Students and workers are already organizing to make this another historic day in the struggle for jobs and education.

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/7/5/victory-milwaukee-16-uwm-offers-drop-charges?utm_source=Fight+Back!+News+Service&utm_campaign=86dc2a538a-UA-743468-8&utm_medium=email

Arizona Freedom Summer

All out against White Supremacy! Be part of the Arizona Freedom Summer, July 23–August 5, 2010.

Join SDS this summer in the struggle against racism in Arizona! Come work alongside dozens of grassroots groups who are organizing against SB 1070 and other anti-immigrant laws.


Please join the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=app_2309869772#!/event.php?eid=107301169320209