Tampa students rally against Trump, call for community control of the police

Tampa, FL – On November 4, the day after the election, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and students from University of South Florida gathered to protest against Donald Trump stealing the election and an end to police crimes. The event was a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s (NAARPR) Post-Election Protest for a People’s Mandate.

As Trump makes comments about recounting ballots and winning states he clearly did not win, SDS called for an end to the Trump presidency and his attacks on the working people of this country. Speeches also demanded an end to racist police crimes and for community control of the police.

David Jones, member of Tampa Bay SDS, stated, “We must defeat Trump and demand accountability and justice for victims of police brutality. We have to go out and fight for community control of the police.”

The protest also included speeches and chants against Trump’s racist attacks on immigrants. Laura Rodriguez, another member of Tampa Bay SDS, discussed the presence of ICE, “Immigrants in the United States are subjected to the brute force of fascism when they are detained in ICE facilities. ICE facilities are concentration camps littered with human rights violations from torture to forced sterilizations. ICE must be abolished and reparations must be given to the people it terrorized.”

The event called for a continuation of the fight against racist inequality and police brutality no matter who wins the election, and to hold Biden accountable if he were to become president. Jones states, “This election is a push to defeat Trump. At the end of the day that’s why we voted. Now we’ve gotta stay in the streets to make sure the people’s voices are heard and the real change can happen in our communities.”