April 1, 2006

WASHINGTON — The surging movement for immigrant rights hit Congress like a political tsunami last week, splitting Republicans and pressuring Senate Democrats to fight back against harsh anti-immigrant measures in a hotly contested election year

OAKLAND, Calif. — All morning, it was the same. At each schoolyard stop through Oakland’s Fruitvale district, groups of children and teachers gathered outside their classrooms, waiting eagerly to greet the marchers who had walked so far to bring them a message of peace, respect and justice.

CHICAGO — The dynamic, grassroots character of Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution under President Hugo Chávez was vividly depicted at a forum here March 16 through words, music, slides and photos.

LOS ANGELES — The over half million immigrant rights supporters who rallied in Los Angeles March 25 sent their fellow Americans and their government a clear message: We are Americans, we are workers who build up this economy and society, we are not terrorists nor criminals, we deserve justice and equality with legalization!

DALLAS — Church leaders in North Texas participated in a press conference on March 23 at the Guadalupe Cathedral here. They spoke in favor of reasonable immigration reform legislation, and strongly against the “enforcement-only” proposal of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

With news from Iraq bleaker than ever, a new poll shows a large bipartisan majority of Americans want to begin pulling out U.S. troops, and strongly oppose permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. The University of Maryland Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) poll was conducted March 1-6.

DETROIT — Chanting “No layoffs, no cuts, Detroit won’t go to the back of the bus,” Detroit Water and Sewage Department (DWSD) workers braved cold winds March 21 to protest the city’s plan to lay off 5 percent of the workforce beginning the week of April 10.

CHICAGO — Broad unity is the key challenge facing the anti-ultra-right electoral coalition in the wake of Illinois’ March 21 primary. Victory in two congressional battleground races in suburban Chicago will also require winning independent and moderate Republican voters.

ST. LOUIS — On March 25-26 the Young Communist League hosted its first Midwest Regional Conference at Teamsters Hall here. YCL members and friends, old and new, came from all over the Midwest to discuss a draft action plan to be voted on at the group’s national convention on May 27-29 in Brooklyn, N.Y.