Ben Becker

Socialist & inveterate optimist | Ph.D History | Editor-in-Chief of @btnewsroom

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

We stand in total solidarity with @AliAbunimah and our friends at Electronic Intifada. An absolutely outrageous arrest, and a dangerous attack on all journalists who speak up for the rights of Palestinians

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

BREAKING: The water system of the Amazon warehouse in Queens, NY gushes out onto the striking workers' picket line. It appears the company is intentionally flooding the area in below freezing temperatures.

Amazon worker: "They're being petty right now. But that's not going to stop us"

@amazonlabor @amazonteamsters

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

After losing their homes to Hurricane Helene, residents are now pitching tents on their property in freezing 24 degree temperatures.

Volunteers groups are helping to bring in pop-up campers in place of tents, but residents tell BT that they feel forgotten by the government.

[Eisner Dictor & Lamadrid, P.C. @EDL_Law]

Our firm is proud to have spent another week working alongside the incredible rank-and-file members of @UAWRegion9A — from their negotiations with NYC movie theaters to their contract enforcement with universities.

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

Oh no! 😢

We’ve lost a true marathon runner in the struggle for justice, and one of the most powerful anti war voices of our time. To carry forward Mahdi’s spirit means only one thing: keep fighting

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

12,000 more workers on strike

Organizing a strike for Palestine is nothing like calling a protest based on shared politics. You have to 1 by 1 convince ALL co-workers to give up a month of wages & here w/ little chance of immediate tangible “gains”

Salute to all the organizers!

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

Academic workers at UCLA and UC Davis join the @uaw_4811 strike. The administration’s repression of Gaza solidarity encampments resulted in the arrests of workers and violated their labor rights, according to the union which represents 48,000 workers. The strike began first at UC Santa Cruz and threatens to spread to all 11 campuses.

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

BREAKING: UAW workers at UC campuses have voted yes to authorize a strike. They said they are standing with the students and workers that were recently attacked at the Gaza solidarity encampments.

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

That shows how afraid they are of the organized working class using their collective power to expand/escalate political fights to stopping production. The ultimate leverage

A way forward for both labor and social movements, breaking down the silos between them created in 1947

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

Many people aren’t seeing how historic this is. UAW 4811 has brilliantly declared that the treatment of campus protesters is an issue of workers’ rights & safety, but this objectively is a POLITICAL STRIKE — which marks a huge turning point for labor.

More👇

[Party for Socialism and Liberation @pslnational]

🚨🇵🇸BREAKING — In a vote by more than 20,000 workers across the University of California, UAW 4811 has authorized a strike defending the right to protest for Palestine.

The decision to call for a strike authorization vote was made by the union in response to the brutal state-sanctioned assault on the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at UCLA, where a mob of Zionists assaulted a peaceful gathering of students and workers with tear gas, mace, explosives, and blunt objects.

Various law enforcement agencies stood by for hours as the attack continued unabated, only to conduct a violent sweep on the encampment the following day, firing rubber bullets and flashbangs at protestors.

Over 200 students, workers, faculty and community members were arrested for exercising their right to free speech and protest.

At the University of California, San Diego, dozens of students and workers were also attacked and arrested by law enforcement during a peaceful encampment protest on May 6.

The authorization of a strike in defense of workers rights to protest in support of Palestine is a major step forward for the U.S. labor movement and its ability to take clear anti-imperialist positions. Palestine is a moral issue, yes, but the actions and words of UAW 4811 show clearly that it is a worker’s issue as well.

➡️Read the full article: https://t.co/FfUfiHnH3t

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

That we associate labor in the U.S. only with wages and conditions is not some accident. In 1947, the ruling class responded to the largest strike wave ever by making it ILLEGAL to organize solidarity strikes and political strikes and requiring all union leaders be non-Communist

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

No room for cynicism or defeatism

The mass movement for Palestine and the student encampments have created for the ruling class a serious political crisis, which won’t go away. In the imperialist core, our main point of leverage to stop the genocide is to deepen that crisis.

[Party for Socialism and Liberation @pslnational]

No matter how intense the repression, the youth movement for Palestine will continue to expand! All PSL branches have mobilized to support this historic struggle -- ahead of its next chapter, now is the time for the movement to draw lessons & press on

https://t.co/74bqs4RZZR

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

Just saw Columbia Journalism students, with active student IDs and wearing press lanyards, get turned away at the gates of campus. Their IDs beeped the wrong color at the sensor. Perfect

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

The struggle can’t be put it in a box or bottled up, no matter how much the state tries. When one group stands up, it gives confidence to others to do the same. Columbia students stood strong. And now it’s going to spread

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

LIVE From Columbia University Palestine Encampment https://t.co/4R66iSH237

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

The whole world can see clearly how the Empire starves, blockades and economically strangles whole nations and peoples that dare resist. It’s not a conspiracy. They put it in black and white. #LetCubaLive

[Manolo De Los Santos @manolo_realengo]

US Blockade of Cuba = Genocide

The UN Convention on Genocide includes “any action that’s deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”

Creating hunger & desperation are the literal aims of US policy since 1960

[Ben Becker @benbecker_]

Out of control police last night — after about 30 mins of marching they spent the whole night trying to intimidate, entrap and kettle the action. Even followed and arrested organizers as they were getting on the train after dispersal. Truly the biggest gang in NYC

[Josh Pacheco (they/them) @JP_OTG]

@PeoplesForumNYC @jvpliveNY It seemed as if NYPD were gearing up to blockade access to Atlantic Barclays. Protesters in a hive minds dashed to the left and are continuing g their march down 5th Ave

[ANSWER Coalition @answercoalition]

Yet another NYPD attack, this time on an International Working Women’s Day march in solidarity with Palestine. Hundreds are gathered for jail support at One Police Plaza & will stay until all are released.

The movement will not be intimidated & isn’t going away. Free Palestine!

[Vijay Prashad @vijayprashad]

Discussions about how to report on imperialism. Great meeting of these and other fellow reporters in Tunisia.

[Party for Socialism and Liberation @pslnational]

🚨🇵🇸✊🏽On March 2, millions across the world will march for Gaza!

Gaza is facing famine, its hospitals are besieged, threats of ground invasion in Rafah loom near & Israel continues its onslaught on the over 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The mass movement for Palestine has led to the isolation of the US & Israel on the world stage. With growing internal divisions & heightened political pressure, Israel & the US are backed into a corner. Our mobilizations in this moment can be more decisive than ever, & we must show our full strength now to ensure a lasting ceasefire & an end to the siege on Gaza.

ACT NOW! Mobilize in your communities & institutions, everyone must be on the streets March 2nd! All out for Rafah! All out for Gaza! Stop the genocide!

🔗https://t.co/91lT1bkZuN

[ANSWER Coalition @answercoalition]

🇵🇸 THE MOMENT IS URGENT 🇵🇸

✊🏽 See you in the streets on March 2.

🔗https://t.co/mMSrD1vl2P

[BreakThrough News @BTnewsroom]

Police closed the case of Breonte Johnson Davis in Palmetto, FL after repeatedly tasing him to death during a mental health crisis.

Police are blaming his death on a heart condition and drugs.