BX: connect Gaza to campus struggles
Students and professors from two campuses in the Bronx took to the streets once more, this time to mourn the innocent victims of Gaza and call for continued fightback. It was a somber demonstration on the two-year anniversary of the genocide. A little over a dozen students and faculty members stood outside of the campus, holding in their arms replicas of babies in white burial shrouds, baby coffins, as well as very real images of parents holding their dead and starving children -the very same images that our news media would have us ignore.
“CUNY is complicit in genocide”, our sign read, and we refuse to let this go unchecked. Bullhorn in hand, we reminded everyone that the fascism that is ever more present in Washington, DC is rampant in our school system, as CUNY professors are being targeted and fired for supporting student protesters and speaking out against the genocide themselves (#reinstatethefiredfour). As the busy foot traffic of the Grand Concourse flowed by, we distributed 100 copies of CHALLENGE to students and other pedestrians. As they walked by, the brutal images of death we displayed caught everyone’s attention. The students going to and from classes were very receptive to our presence and began chanting with us as we marched down the block. They gave us high fives and fist pumps as we made the connection between the recent collapse of a building in the South Bronx and the war in Gaza. All the while campus security stood close by and kept a watchful eye on our group.
We stopped our mini march across the street on the steps of the old post office to engage Bronx commuters and workers. We read our statements again for those stepping on and off the MTA buses, even hopping on the buses ourselves and handing out CHALLENGE to the bus drivers! We wanted to communicate to the working people that the consequences of this genocide are not only being felt by the families of Gaza but also by families of the South Bronx. Monies that could be used to better the lives of Bronxites are being misdirected to murder innocent Palestinians. Congressman of the South Bronx, Richie Torres (Democrat), consistently defends Israel’s actions and agrees to sending billions of dollars and weapons to the illegal apartheid state, while accepting two million dollars in blood money from pro-Israel groups.
The demonstration was received well by students, workers and commuters alike. As we packed up and debriefed, we were excited to talk about all the students who were eager to join our group and fight for Gaza and against fascism and racism. We commented how a small but dedicated group of organizers could make a big difference. In only a week’s time our collective wrote a bilingual leaflet, had the photographs printed as posters, organized our group to wear white, created the coffins and shrouds, and got some faculty and students to stand with us. The main organizer closed our debrief by saying- “I feel very proud of how we always show up for each other.”
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Workers fight to find Abril
On September 17 2025 Abril was seen for the last time. She was a teacher who lived her whole life in Michoacán. She gave classes in Acambaro Guanajuato kindergarten. We want to keep fighting all this sexism and impunity the best way we know how until we find the teacher Abril. She is a treasured valuable person in our village. She often helps adults learn to read and tutors students in grade school and much more.
All we know so far is that we found her burned car, but there is no sign of her. The workers in the village have gone out to the streets to demand help from the government and to unite forces together to make an immediate search. The main class participating in this movement is the working class. Their jobs are mostly as teachers or day laborers. They stayed in front of the president of the municipality for almost two weeks.
The government initially helped with drones and dogs to search, but this help did not last long. The government forces left, and the workers are continuing the search on their own from Monday to Sunday in different communities. They are raising funds for gasoline and other costs.
The workers have already long felt that they cannot depend on the capitalist class’s state. We want to win them to consciousness for fighting as a working class against sexism. In the future we will try to win the workers to the idea of revolution instead of voting for more reformist candidates.
But also we have to keep looking at ourselves and demanding help from the right authorities until we arrive at a conclusion. Everything has a start and a beginning, and Abril is not an exception.
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Starbucks workers brew fightback
On the morning of October 1st, approximately 100 Starbucks workers and supporters from the Hotel Workers Union, retired teachers from the United Federation of Teachers, and Local 1010 of the Laborers Union– held a spirited picket line. The goal demonstrates their determination to get management back to the bargaining table for a better contract and benefits.
Picketers chanted “What do we want? A contract. If we don’t get it, shut it down.Who’s got the power? We got the power. If the contract isn’t nice, there will be no pumpkin spice.”
A couple of local assembly members gave speeches in their support, and a retired teacher addressed the crowd as well. Fight rising fascism was the theme of his remarks, letting the pickets know their fight was an inspiration to workers everywhere. Several CHALLENGEs were distributed to enthusiastic responses.
As the struggle accelerates, these sorts of actions are important, and Party members should get out to picketing workers, make contact and distribute CHALLENGE. Step by step we need to bring these militant workers the message of communism.
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