On Wednesday morning the police, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) security and construction crews showed up a La Casita, the field house on the grounds of Whittier Dual Language Academy in the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest side. As the construction workers setup up fencing that blocked access to La Casita from three sides, the police tried to prevent Whittier moms from entering La Casita. True to form, the moms ignored the police and marched right past. Soon after word was sent to the majority of Whittier Parents Committee members who were at that moment supporting the teachers at a rally at a school board meeting downtown. Suspicions are high that CPS was deliberate in their choice to show up with a demolition team on the very morning that La Casita would be least defended. But once again, CPS underestimated the Whittier moms and their determination to defend their community center. Things had been heating up for a couple weeks. Ever since CPS announced its intentions t...

I have received a urgent request from the Whittier Parents Committee. The police tried to prevent access to La Casita today and a fence has been constructed around two of three entrance to the school grounds. It appears as if an attempted demolition might be imminent. The Whittier Parent's Committee is calling on all allies to show up at La Casita tonight. They need as many people as possible there to possible prevent demolition. Here is the statement from their Facebook page... UPDATE: PRESS CONFERENCE @ 7:30PM TODAY. PLEASE COME THROUGH! We need as much support as possible. More info will be available at the press conference And... UPDATE: Call Alderman Solis NOW @ 773.523.4100 to make sure the TIF money allocated for Whittier is used for the renovation of La Casita as he committed to. Solis stated the following during a meeting at La Casita on October 21, 2010 “the money from this district’s [Pilsen Corridor] Tax Increment Financing that would have been used to demolish the ...

This months edition of the Industrial Worker, the newspaper of the IWW carried a powerful statement of solidarity with the workers of Cuba, as they now face not only repression at the hands of a Stalinist state apparatus but also "economic reforms" which will likely mean an even greater lowering of living standards for some in a country in which outside free health care and education, living standards are already precariously low. Unfortunately the Industrial Worker is no longer available online, but the statement, issued by a long list of supporting unions and anarchist groups around the globe was available on one of the anarchist websites... Statement in support of Cuban Anti-Authoritarian/Horizontalist organizers, workers, activists, artists, musicians y mas in Cuba. Scroll down to see current list of endorsements and the original statement in Spanish. YOU ARE NOT ALONE The Communist Party of Cuba's VI Congress has just closed with an endorsement of the liberal reform...