San Francisco, October 18–1,300 San Francisco Bay Area (S.F., Oakland, Berkeley, etc.) students and some teachers walked out of ten schools demanding a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Most of the student protestors at many schools were non-Muslims of Black, white, and Asian backgrounds with many Muslim students in attendance, a great sign of unity.
This was in conjunction with walkouts in other parts of California, Florida, Illinois, and New York. At one school where 200 students left before the bell, the first speakers clearly called for unity between non-Zionist Jews and Palestinians being abused by Israel. Zionists had a field day, though, calling the students “terrorists” and sending many of them death threats. They also harassed the protesting students and teachers who peacefully protested. For a complete communist analysis about the increasingly volatile and fascist situation in Gaza and Israel, read the article and editorial in the 11/1 issue of CHALLENGE.
Also in the Bay Area, 97 percent of the United Educators of S.F. (UESF) voted in favor of a strike. Some members of the San Francisco Movement of Rank-and-File Educators and many, many certificated and classified members of our union helped to organize a great turnout of 3,300 certificated and classified school staff. Progressive Labor Party (PLP) teachers and other members passed out a “Capitalist Education Doesn’t Work” Party leaflet and ran out. Since this clear vote of the membership, the union bargaining team and the School District settled and have brought a tentative agreement (T.A.) to the membership. Two T.A. Informational Sessions were held just this week. A couple of PLP members in UESF tried to bring up the contradictions of this “historic” package in our breakout sessions. The vote on the contract will start on November 3, with the results to the membership on November 9. This might be another “non-strike,” folks! But whatever happens, once again this will be a school for a communist society. The fight continues!
