Tallahassee, FL – Around 100 Dream Defenders and community members gathered in Lake Ella Park, Aug. 18, to speak out against the police murder of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown. The rally also focused on the injustice of police brutality and systematic racism perpetuated by the U.S. The crowd was tired of the criminalization of Black and Brown people.

Tallahassee, FL – Around 100 Dream Defenders and community members gathered in Lake Ella Park, Aug. 18, to speak out against the police murder of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown. The rally also focused on the injustice of police brutality and systematic racism perpetuated by the U.S. The crowd was tired of the criminalization of Black and Brown people.

Demands justice for victims of police terror

Milwaukee, WI – Over 250 people gathered for a rally here, Aug. 16, to stand in solidarity with the struggle in Ferguson, Missouri, where more than a week of militant protests have erupted since 18-year-old Michael Brown was murdered by a Ferguson police officer.

St. Paul, MN – The Wednesday peace vigil on Aug. 13 had 50 people on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul protesting new U.S. military intervention in Iraq.

Detroit, MI – Judge Paul D. Borman was forced to remove himself from the case of Palestinian community leader Rasmea Odeh, Aug 11. Late last month, Judge Borman stridently denied a defense motion calling on him to step down. The motion asserted that his lifelong support for the state of Israel – whose arrest, torture and conviction of Odeh for alleged Jerusalem bombings in 1969 is at issue in this case – would not allow for a fair trial. Odeh has pleaded not guilty to the charge of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization and vehemently refutes the Israeli convictions, which were based on a forced confession after extended periods of vicious physical and sexual torture.

Minneapolis, MN – About 70 protesters gathered on May Day Plaza in the West Bank neighborhood here, Aug. 11, to stand in solidarity with Gaza. The protest coincided with a three-day ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation forces. About 2000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza.

Chicago, IL – 8000 people marched here, Aug. 10, for Gaza. This march featured solidarity speeches from activists from many Latin American nations, including Mexico, Chile, and Ecuador, because of the stand their countries have taken in support of Gaza since Israel’s murderous assault began in July.

Minneapolis, MN – About 40 members and supporters of the Twin Cities-based Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) came together here, Aug. 9, to celebrate the two-year battle to raise welfare grants. Speaking to the crowd, members of the WRC talked about some of the key protests and actions from the past year and expressed determination to continue the struggle.

Minneapolis, MN – About 30 people came together here, August 9, to protest the escalating U.S. war on Iraq. Meredith Aby-Keirstead of the Twin Cities-based Anti War Committee told the crowd, “We are here today to say hands off Iraq. The U.S. needs to stop its intervention in Iraq and in the region. Immediately. There is no potential outcome where Iraq will be better off after more U.S.-sponsored death and destruction.”

Aug. 9 rally will demand ‘No new U.S. war in Iraq’

Minneapolis, MN – An anti-war protest will be held on Aug. 9 in Minneapolis to speak out against the new U.S. military intervention in Iraq. The rally is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m., on May Day Plaza, which is located at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and South 3rd Street.

Minneapolis, MN – A Twin Cities protest in solidarity with Gaza, Aug. 6, included a dramatic expression of solidarity with the people of Gaza – a die-in at the front door of the largest newspaper in Minnesota.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Aug. 3 statement from the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees:

Chicago, IL – Anti-war activist Kait McIntyre appeared in Cook County Judicial Circuit court on the morning of Aug. 1. McIntyre was one of five activists arrested in a civil disobedience protest action July 16 to oppose Boeing Company providing weapons to Israel for the siege on Gaza. She proudly pled guilty to trespassing at Boeing headquarters. “Hospitals, homes for the disabled and playgrounds are being bombed and more and more children die. As a citizen of Chicago, which has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the U.S., there comes a time where you cannot ignore your conscience and you know more drastic actions have to be taken.”

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Over 250 people gathered at the Federal Courthouse here, Aug. 2 to protest U.S. support for Israeli terrorism in Gaza. As the bombs continued to drop on the people of Gaza, people of South Florida joined together to stand in solidarity with Palestine and demand an end to U.S. aid to Israel. This was the third major rally for Palestine in South Florida in three weeks.

Tampa, FL – On July 31, two dozen protesters gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Ybor City, demanding President Obama extend protection to incoming refugee children from Central America. The protesters stood in front of the office doors, brandishing signs and chanting, “Liberation! Not deportation!” The ICE office directs the detentions of undocumented immigrants in the Tampa Bay area.

St. Paul, MN – 150 people gathered here for Women Against Military Madness’ weekly Friday Palestine vigil, Aug. 1, at the intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues. Protesters chanted “Free Palestine” and got honks from drivers. This was the third Friday vigil since the start of the recent upsurge in Palestine.

Tampa, FL – Local anti-war activists met in front of the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse on Aug. 1 to demand, “Drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh!” This was in response to her pre-trial hearing in Detroit the day before, on July 31. Rasmea Odeh’s defense attorney Michael Deutsch had made a motion for Judge Borman to step down due to his political and financial support for Israel. In the Detroit courtroom, Judge Borman responded by refusing to recuse himself from the trial, claiming he could be fair and impartial, and that his donations were purely charitable.