Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (SDS at UWM) is a far-left student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The organization is a campus chapter of the national Students for a Democratic Society organization.

SDS at UWM has called for defunding the police at the UWM campus, and it criticized the Department of Justice’s decision to not charge the police officer who shot Jacob Blake after Blake allegedly reached for a knife. ^{1 2} The organization has also expressed support for Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and called for the release of Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman charged with money laundering by federal officials. ^{3 4}

Advocacy Positions

Defunding Police

Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee has called for defunding the police force at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The organization claimed that the department’s $3 million budget could be better used for other purposes. ⁵

The organization called on the campus administration to freeze hiring more officers, and repurpose the department’s personnel and assets. It said the police budget should instead go to programs like the ethnic studies department, Multicultural Student Services, and the LGBT Resource Center. ⁶

SDS at UWM held a rally with Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake. At the rally, Justin Blake claimed there is racial inequality in Milwaukee, and he criticized federal and local authorities’s decision to not charge the police officer who shot Jacob Blake after Blake reached for a knife. ^{7 8}  Speaking about the decision, one SDS member said, “It’s ridiculous. It’s frankly [expletive]. We wanted to host a rally to call attention to that, to demand justice for Jacob Blake.” ⁹

On November 21, 2022, SDS at UWM held a rally for Trans Day of Remembrance where it called for an “end to police violence against trans people!” ¹⁰

Support for Venezuelan Regime

SDS at UWM has supported the socialist government of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. The organization hosted an event where a speaker discussed alleged “oppression Venezuelan people face from U.S. imperialist efforts.” ¹¹ The speaker also claimed that the Venezuelan people had founded an “incredible democracy.” ¹² At the same event, SDS at UWM called for the release of Alex Saab, a friend of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro who was charged by U.S. authorities with money laundering after he made a trip to Iran. ^{13 14}

Venezuela has suffered widespread malnutrition and hunger mostly because of its socialist government. ¹⁵ This situation has occurred despite an abundance of fertile land and the country’s possession of the world’s largest proven oil reserves. ¹⁶

Opposition to Israel

SDS at UWM has supported anti-Israel campus activism by Students for Justice in Palestine. The organization said that “Zionism is a hateful ideology with the intention and the means to wipe out Palestinian people and take their land. In Palestine, Zionists have been attacking the Palestinian people for decades with US support.” ¹⁷ In an Instagram post, SDS at UWM expressed anti-Israel messages, stating “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” ¹⁸

Organization

Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee is a student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The organization claims 10 members and does not require members to pay dues. ¹⁹

1. Prochaska, Emily. “Jacob Blake’s Uncle Speaks Out Against Racism at UWM Rally.” Media Milwaukee, November 7, 2021. https://mediamilwaukee.com/uncategorized/jacob-blake-rally-at-uwm/.
2. Richmond, Todd. “Feds won’t seek charges against cop in Jacob Blake shooting.” Associated Press, October 10, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/us-news-us-department-of-justice-rusten-sheskey-jacob-blake-kenosha-4f8493dd0776ef6046e052a538cd1460
3. Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “We’re super excited to have…” Instagram, November 4, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkhppPUuDYb/.
4. Ellsworth, Brian. “U.S. court hears testimony on diplomatic status of ally of Venezuela’s Maduro.” Reuters, December 12, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-court-hears-testimony-diplomatic-status-ally-venezuelas-maduro-2022-12-12/.
5. Fish, Patricia. “’Chop from the Cops’ Petition Delivered at UW-Milwaukee.” Fight Back! News, December 22, 2022. https://www.fightbacknews.org/2022/12/22/chop-cops-petition-delivered-uw-milwaukee.
6. Fish, Patricia. “’Chop from the Cops’ Petition Delivered at UW-Milwaukee.” Fight Back! News, December 22, 2022. https://www.fightbacknews.org/2022/12/22/chop-cops-petition-delivered-uw-milwaukee.
7. Prochaska, Emily. “Jacob Blake’s Uncle Speaks Out Against Racism at UWM Rally.” Media Milwaukee, November 7, 2021. https://mediamilwaukee.com/uncategorized/jacob-blake-rally-at-uwm/.
8. Richmond, Todd. “Feds won’t seek charges against cop in Jacob Blake shooting.” Associated Press, October 10, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/us-news-us-department-of-justice-rusten-sheskey-jacob-blake-kenosha-4f8493dd0776ef6046e052a538cd1460
9. Prochaska, Emily. “Jacob Blake’s Uncle Speaks Out Against Racism at UWM Rally.” Media Milwaukee, November 7, 2021. https://mediamilwaukee.com/uncategorized/jacob-blake-rally-at-uwm/.
10. Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “Join us this afternoon…” Instagram, November 21, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClOuDjLrV0f/.
11. Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “We’re super excited to have…” Instagram, November 4, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkhppPUuDYb/.
12. Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “We’re super excited to have…” Instagram, November 4, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkhppPUuDYb/.
13. ^[1] Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “We’re super excited to have…” Instagram, November 4, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkhppPUuDYb/.
14. Ellsworth, Brian. “U.S. court hears testimony on diplomatic status of ally of Venezuela’s Maduro.” Reuters, December 12, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-court-hears-testimony-diplomatic-status-ally-venezuelas-maduro-2022-12-12/.
15. Otis, John. “Why the kids of Venezuela aren’t getting enough to eat.” NPR, January 11, 2022. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/01/11/1071485460/why-the-kids-of-venezuela-arent-getting-enough-to-eat#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20many%20kids%20here,neighborhoods%20reflect%20stunting%20or%20wasting.
16. Otis, John. “Why the kids of Venezuela aren’t getting enough to eat.” NPR, January 11, 2022. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/01/11/1071485460/why-the-kids-of-venezuela-arent-getting-enough-to-eat#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20many%20kids%20here,neighborhoods%20reflect%20stunting%20or%20wasting.
17. Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “From the land to the sea, Palestine will be free…” Instagram, October 11, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CjlL5ZDPajM/.
18. Students for a Democratic at UWM (sds_uwm). “Long live Palestine…” Instagram, November 29, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CljTFyAueeZ/.
19. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Students for a Democratic Society.” https://uwm.presence.io/organization/students-for-a-democratic-society. Accessed December 17, 2022.