Category Archives: Students for a Democratic Society

SDS Holds 5th National Convention, Lays Plans to Build Student Movement

The following article by Mike Gold is from Fight Back! News:

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) 5th National Convention, October 2010, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Fight Back! News/Staff)

Milwaukee, WI – On Oct. 23-24, around 100 student activists from across the country converged here for the fifth Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) National Convention.

From Diablo Valley and Los Angeles, California, Dallas, Texas, Gainesville, Florida and College Park, Maryland, SDS chapters came together to share their experiences organizing locally and to discuss the two major campaigns – education rights and anti-war – that SDS has been leading nationally and to talk about the next steps for the student movement in the U.S.

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Excitement Builds for SDS National Convention and Education Rights

The following article by Kas Schwerdtfeger is from Fight Back! News:

Milwaukee, WI — The new school year has started at many campuses and members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are preparing for this year’s important SDS National Convention. Set for Oct. 22-24 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the convention will be the first since the historic March 4 Protests for Education Rights that took place in 36 states around the country. Because of the greatest economic crisis since the 1930’s Great Depression, most state governments are now in budget crisis, with politicians trying to shift the burden onto working people and making cuts to public education. SDS is building the movement opposing cuts to public education and hopes their fall convention draws more new students to attend and coordinate plans for the school year.

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Gainesville: Video of Kofi shooting finally released

The following article is from Fight Back! News:

Gainesville, FL – The video of the March 2 shooting of Kofi Adu-Brempong has finally been released to the public. Students of the University of Florida and members of the community have been outraged about the shooting and have held demonstrations demanding justice for Adu-Brempong.

Justin Wooten, a member of Students for a Democratic Society and organizer for the coalition fighting for Kofi, said, “This is a big deal for us. This video shows just how outrageous the police response was. This video shows what happens when you hire racist thugs who want to play cowboy.”

SDS convention in solidarity with Quad City Die Casting workers

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution supporting the Quad City Die Casting workers. The resolution was passed by the July 11-12 National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). 

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The 2009 SDS National Convention Stands in Solidarity with Quad City Die Casting Workers

The students and youth of SDS stand in solidarity with the union workers of UE Local 1174 in their fight to keep Quad City Die Casting open. We condemn the Wells Fargo bank for refusing to finance the factory in Moline, Illinois. This outrage comes after Wells Fargo received $25 billion dollars of taxpayer’s money in a bailout earlier this year. Wells Fargo is sitting on the money. So now a locally owned factory employing over a hundred workers is being forced to shut their doors. However, the union workers are fighting to save their jobs!  

SDS is joining with the demand of the UE workers that Wells Fargo finance the company so they keep their jobs. Like the Republic Window and Door workers in Chicago this past December, it is unacceptable that a huge bank receives billions in bailout funds yet hangs the workers out to dry. Wells Fargo received $25 billion dollars from the recent bailout. 

We are calling on all students and youth to hold protests at their local Wells Fargo banks and to express solidarity with the workers in Moline. Support the Quad City workers and their jobs! Pressure Wells Fargo to extend a line of credit to the Quad City Die Casting factory.  

Further, we are asking students to go to the factory in Moline, Illinois and stand with the workers while they are fighting for their jobs.  

Make the rich pay! Keep Quad City Die Casting open!

SDS Holds 4th National Convention

The following is from Fight Back! News:

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by Chapin Gray

Murfreesboro, TN – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held its fourth annual national convention here, July 11 -12, bringing together around 100 students and youth activists from across the country.

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Protesters were right to shut down the racist Tancredo

The following commentary by Kosta Harlan is from Fight Back! News:

fight-racism-goodeStudents at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill made national headlines last week when they confronted the racist ex-congressman Tom Tancredo. 200 students marched, shouted down, or silently protested Tancredo. When 60 students chanted in the lobby of the building where he was to speak, police attacked the demonstration with pepper spray. Two women were thrown to the floor, another protester had her hair pulled by a cop and several people were pushed into the walls. The police drove the students out by threatening them with tasers. Shortly after we were pushed out, a window was broken and the event was shut down.

Thousands of articles, commentaries, and editorials have been written on this event. Most of it is a waste of everyone’s time. In typical mainstream media fashion, most of the coverage has completely turned reality on its head. Like Malcolm X would have said, they make the victim look like the villain and the oppressors look like the oppressed.

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Students Shut Down Racist Tancredo – Solidarity Pours In From Across The Country

Fight Back! is circulating the following statement issued by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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April 18

After the April 14th demonstration against former Republican representative Tom Tancredo, which involved two hundred students from numerous organizations, solidarity letters have poured in applauding the protesters’ actions. The statements have come from local, state and national social justice organizations — including notable immigrant advocacy groups.

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