Chicago ‘Black Xmas’ Protests Demand Mayor’s Resignation

Black Lives Matter activists in Chicago have announced that they will hold a major demonstration on Christmas Eve in protest of the police killing of Laquan McDonald and the subsequent cover-up by police, city officials, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The protest, dubbed "Black Xmas," aims to directly hit corporate profits on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

PhotoEssay: Minneapolis Protesters Take City Hall

"Minnesotans are tough. Even through the bitter, crisp cold air of winter, people will continue to march on until justice is served," writes Netsanet Negussie, a housing rights organizer and participant in the #Justice4Jamar protests since the start of the encampment at the 4th Precinct. Netsanet shares her photos and describes the events unfolding in Minneapolis.

The Truth About the COP21 Crackdown

In times of "social peace," the mainstream media may pretend to leave room for a plurality of opinions on current events; however, in times of social or political crisis and class struggle, despite the press’ appeals to "responsibility" for the sake of "national interest," the communication agencies reveal their true nature: to serve the government and the ruling classes in general. This Sunday, November 29, the disingenuous coverage of the crackdown against both environmental activists during the COP21 as well as those protesting the state of emergency says a lot about what government and media are willing to do.

Over a hundred arrested at climate change rally in Paris

On Sunday November 29, French riot police fired tear gas at activists protesting on the eve of the COP21 climate summit in Paris. Some demonstrators were also severely beaten with batons. Over a hundred people were arrested at the demo that was attended by more than 5,000 people.

The War at Home

Amid war mongering and escalating racist rhetoric, the murder of two black youths spur protests in Minneapolis and Chicago. The fight against the war abroad is intrinsically linked to the struggle for justice and equality at home.

For Renisha McBride and the Other Black women who Fight back after Death

Black women reside within both axes of white supremacy and misogyny. The capitalist media portrays us as "angry" and "irrational" to de-humanize and de-legitimize our self- defense against a multitude of systematic attacks. In doing so, we are perceived by mainstream white society as deserving of the oppression that we are constantly dodging or breaking through everyday. Manners, respectability and silence will never guarantee equal rights, respect or freedom from brutality. This poem is dedicated to the Black women whose murders inspired demands, uprising, and organizational resistance to racism, patriarchy, capitalism and all oppressive forces that bind our international struggle for liberation. In life, they inspired their families. In death, they inspire resistance. #SayHerName #RenishaMcBride

Peña Nieto proposes Forced Disappearances law in Mexico

Mexico has been going through a strong political crisis ever since the disappearance of the 43 students in Ayotzinapa a year ago. The army, especially Battalion 27, was directly involved in the detention and forced disappearance of Ayotzinapa students. A few days after a visit from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the presentation of its expert report, the Attorney General’s "historical" version is being highly scrutinized again. In the midst of this, the government attempts to divert attention from their own involvement by proposing a law dealing with Forced Disappearances.

Pigs Can’t Fly! LAPD Denied Funding Amid Community Protest

In a rare move, the Los Angeles Police Department was recently denied funding at a neighborhood council meeting in South Los Angeles amid applause from youth, community members, and activists.

In Baltimore, the Fight for Justice Continues

The last few weeks, Baltimore protesters have returned to the streets to call for justice as the criminal prosecution of the six police officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death begins. New developments in the trials and an out-of-court settlement raise questions about the path to justice through the legal system.