Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

The Milwaukee Chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) sends our love and solidarity to the people of Occupy Wall Street. Although many of us cannot afford to travel to New York, Milwaukee SDS stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in New York who are taking our message to Wall Street for us, and we will support you however possible.

We understand that Wall Street is the enemy of the people of the world. Wall Street is responsible for ten years of occupation in Afghanistan, from which the Wall Street elite have made billions In profit for themselves. Wall Street is also the enemy of students and young people, workers, women, people of color, disabled people, and LGBTQ people. Together we are the 99%. Wall Street Banksters and their hired thugs always try to divide the people by race or gender. But Occupy Wall Street is actively healing those divisions and uniting the 99% against our class enemies, the top 1% of the ruling class.

All power to the people
Milwaukee SDS
SDSMKE.com

Students Struggle Against Walker’s Cuts

UWM students and workers have been hit hard by Scott Walker’s budget cuts which will slash approximately $250 million from the UW system. Over the summer, the UW Board of Regents raised our tuition another 5.5%. As tuition continues to rise, and campus resources are cut, many students are struggling just to stay in school.

5,000 university members walked out for two massive protests in Spaights Plaza last semester demanding an end to budget cuts, tuition hikes, and union busting. Milwaukee SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) united with campus unions and student organizations to organize the historic walkouts. As the largest grassroots student organization in the country, SDS believes education should not be a privilege for the wealthy elite, but a right for everyone. We know that education is a keystone to successful democracy and personal success, but students and youth must fight for free higher education if we want to make it a reality.

While hundreds of millions of dollars are cut from the UW system, taxpayers have spent over $400 billion on a decade of war in Afghanistan, and $800 billion on the occupation of Iraq. For students and workers, a new war on Libya means there will be even less money available to fund public sector jobs and education as we struggle to deal with the effects of the deepening crisis of capitalism.

This semester SDS asks for your support as we expand the fight for a more just and democratic society where students and workers are guaranteed their rights. Join us as we build the recall efforts against Governor Scott Walker, protest ten years of U.S. occupation in Afghanistan, and demand an end to budget cuts and tuition hikes at UWM. Another world is possible, and we can build it together.

SDS meets every Monday at 7pm in room 240 of the Union.

All power to the people,
Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society

General Interest Meeting

Join Milwaukee SDS for our General interest Meeting
September 12th, 7pm, UWM Student Union Rm. 181
Join the Facebook Event

School is starting again, the board of regents has decided to raise tuition another 5.5%, we are nearing the tenth anniversary of the War in Afghanistan, and Scott Walker has left our campus without any unionized workers. Now, more than ever, it is important for students to rise up and make their voices heard, and SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) is the largest and most respected student anti-war and activist group in the nation.

Since it's creation in 2006, SDS has led students across the country in the struggle for Education Rights, against War, and for many other causes, including immigrant rights, palestine solidarity, sex and gender issues, the fight against racism, and economic fightback. SDS in Milwaukee is one of the most well established chapters in the country. We've led massive walkouts (including two this last spring) held huge anti-war rallies, and have made UWM campus one of the most important battlegrounds in the nation for Education Rights following the historic protest on March 4th, 2010, which led to 16 arrests (the charges were dropped after a long battle with the administration) and eventually led to the resignation of Chancellor Santiago.

If you want to be a part of all this and more, if you want to work to create a better world and fight against injustice, please join us in Union Room 181 on September 12 for a full presentation on our organization.

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win!

SDS New Chapter Kit

Since SDS is in a time of growth nationwide, Milwaukee SDS has put together a kit of files that will help new chapters get started. Variations of the SDS logo are included, as well as templates for general interest meetings, surveys, workshops, etc.

Download the SDS Chappter Kit

(If you dont have one, you will need free compression software like Winrar to open this file.)

This is a work in progress, so feel free to send us feedback or additional materials if you have anything in mind!
Please share this with anyone who might be interested in trying to start a SDS chapter!

Milwaukee SDS recently celebrated our 5th anniversary. Thank you for your continued support, as we wrap up an outstanding school year.

Milwaukee SDS Events 2010-2011

June 4th - SDS organizes emergency protest of the Freedom Flotilla Massacre
June 10th – SDS protests UW Regents meeting as Regents vote unanimously to raise tuition 5.5%
June 22-24 - SDS at U.S. Social Forum 20,000 leftists meet in Detroit!
July 4th - SDS radicalizes Independence day celebrations
July 20th - SDS builds for rally for Adam Hernandez Stop the school to prison pipeline
July 29th - SDS cosponsors rally against SB1070 in Arizona
August - SDS and the ERC win a huge victory for the MKE 16! Charges dropped!
September 13th - Education Rights Speak-Out Celebration of MKE 16 victory & open mic
September 25th – Emergency Protest of FBI Raids
October 5th – National Day of Action Stop FBI Repression
October 7th – National Day of Action to Defend Public Education
October 23-24 – Milwaukee hosts the 5th SDS National Convention
October 28th – Tom Burke: U.S. Intervention in Colombia
November 3rd – Movie: Norma Rae
November 18th – Movie: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
November 24th – SDS cosponsors Ali Abunimah: One State Solution for a Democratic Palestine
Nov 29th – SDS Launches Palestine Solidarity Campaign with checkpoint for Palestine solidarity
December 2nd – S.T.O.P: Grassroots Organizing in an Era of Economic Crisis
December 3rd – Stop FBI Repression National Day of Protest
December 16th - Hatem Abudayyeh and Maureen Murphy: FBI Repression of Palestine Solidarity
January 22nd – 3rd Annual SDS Winter Skillshare and Potluck
January 25th – Protest to Stop FBI Repression
January 30th and 31st – Egypt Solidarity Rallies
February 20th - Inga Muscio: Love in Violent Times
March 4th Commemorative Financial Transparency Act passed in the Student Association
February 14th – Protest Union Busting with MGAA
February 17th – UWM WALKOUT led by SDS numbers 3,000
February + March - SDS Student Contingents at Madison
March 2nd National Day of Action – UWM WALKOUT II
March 2nd – SDS helps launch UWM OCCUPIED
March 9th – SDS occupies State Capitol, helps lead emergency sit-in at assembly
March 16th – SDS cosponsors Honoring Rachel Corrie
March 19th – Iraq War Anniversary Protest
March 30th – SDS protests and disrupts CIA on campus
March 31st – Meredith Aby: FBI Repression and the Anti-War Movement
April 7th – Masao Suzuki: Causes and Effects of the Economic Crisis
April 11th – Protest at State Budget Hearing
April 25th – Protest Karl Rove at UWM II
May 1st – SDS Student Contingent at May Day Rally
May 2nd – 3rd Annual SDS Celebration of International Worker’s Day
May 3rd – Movie Night: The People Speak
May 4th – Checkpoint for Palestine Solidarity

Milwaukee SDS Supports UW-Milwaukee Occupation

Milwaukee SDS Supports UW-Milwaukee Occupation

Students Stand in Solidarity with State Capitol Occupation

Over fifty students and youth are currently occupying the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) and the numbers of occupiers are still growing.  Milwaukee students are occupying UWM in solidarity with the global resistance to capitalism that is spreading the globe from Egypt to Madison.

From UWMoccupied.wordpress.com:  “We stand in solidarity with the workers and students striking and occupying the Wisconsin State Capitol building.  We demand immunity for all occupiers and strikers involved in these actions.”

On February 17^th, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UWM organized over 3,000 people to demonstrate in opposition to Governor Scott Walker’s “Budget Repair Bill,” which proposes to destroy the rights of workers unions and Wisconsin citizens.  This is the largest rally that UWM has seen since 1971.

On the March 2^nd National Day of Action to Defend Public Education, Milwaukee SDS organized another walkout to continue the opposition to Walker’s attack on workers and students.  2,000 university students and staff walked out and took over streets around the campus.

Last week, SDS chapters from around the country travelled to the occupied Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, where they led a student contingent in the 100,000 strong rally against Walker.

At the end of our rally in solidarity with the 3^rd National Day of Action to Defend Public Education, which over 2,000 people attended, UWM community members began an occupation of their university.

Education is a Right!  Students and Workers Unite and Fight!

Wisconsin SDS: All Out to Defend Education on March 2nd

The occupied Wisconsin State Capitol building stands as a testament to student and worker power in the face of attacks on education and public services. Tens of thousands of students, teachers, workers, and families have rallied at the state capitol for a week straight to stand up for their rights to a living wage, education, and collective bargaining. In addition to the occupation of the state capitol, there have been walkouts at high schools and universities across the state. Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a walkout of 3,000 college students, faculty, and staff. In dozens of Wisconsin cities, students walked out or teachers called in sick, shutting down entire districts for days.

Wisconsin SDS and The United Council of University of Wisconsin Students (UC) have endorsed the national call to action on March 2^nd.  SDS is planning actions in over 20 cities across the country, and Wisconsin SDS is calling all students to take action on March 2^nd.

All eyes are on Wisconsin as hundreds of thousands of students and workers fight cuts.  Wisconsinites anticipate Governor Walker to announce massive, devastating cuts to Wisconsin public schools on March 1^st, while teachers and students prepare for the national day of action.

Now is the time for students to stand up for our teachers, our education, and our future!  Wisconsin SDS chapters stand in solidarity with teachers and workers everywhere as they fight for the future of public education.  Wisconsin SDS calls on students everywhere to protest, walk out, occupy, and strike in defense of our rights to public education on March 2^nd!

In Solidarity,

Wisconsin SDS

UMN SDS: Solidarity with the Workers & Fighters of Wisconsin!

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Students for a Democratic Society (UMN SDS) sends our solidarity to the tens of thousands of workers and fighters throughout Wisconsin demanding an end to Governor Walker’s union-busting bill.

Wisconsin’s struggle sheds a light on what is to come next for working people throughout the country if we do not stand up now to unite together and fight this bill. Everyday, thousands of people are being laid off and being forced to face the brunt of failing “benefits” systems like Unemployment Insurance or having their pensions slashed. Now, Governor Walker wants to annihilate collective bargaining rights for public-sector workers. Unions are one of the only ways that workers still maintain control over the decisions that affect their livelihoods. This anti-worker legislation must be stopped! For too long, those in power have been balancing the budgets on the backs of poor and working people; now, to say that workers won’t even have a seat at the table in deciding the future of their work is an outrage!

At the University of Minnesota, SDS has struggled side bye side unions workers long and hard to demand an end to involuntary furloughs, lay-offs, tuition increases, and a right to shared governance. As students, we are impacted by these critical decisions since most of us will also soon be workers. Public sector employees make our educations happen through answering our questions about classes to posting our grades. In a flailing economy, workers need to have the right to collective bargaining. We must fight back to ensure that collective bargaining is still available for generations to come.

Kill the bill!
Defend the rights of working people!

Students for a Democratic Society – University of MN Twin Cities
http://umnsds.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/umn-sds-solidarity-with-the-workers-fighters-of-wisconsin/