Grand Rapids, MI – Spirits were high as Syd Loving, a member of the Central Committee of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke at two events in the Grand Rapids area on Monday, November 11. Loving had spent ten days during the summer in China as a part of the Friends of Socialist China delegation there – learning about Chinese history, the role of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in daily life and governance, and the technological advances the largest socialist country has made.

Grand Rapids, MI – On September 20, pro-Palestine protesters confronted Hillary Scholten outside of the Kent County Democratic Party headquarters during a pro-union fundraising event.

Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, April 19, 30 people gathered at Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids to commemorate Palestine Prisoners’ Day. The event began with a teach-in on the history of Prisoners’ Day and its importance to the national liberation struggle.

Afterwards, people began writing letters to two groups of recipients. First, letters were drafted to the Filton 18. This group of activists were arrested in Britain for targeting an Elbit Systems facility and have been subjected to solitary confinement and interrogation while they await trial.

Grand Rapids, MI – On Wednesday, April 9, 20 people rallied outside Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids to commemorate Palestine’s Land Day. Held on March 30, Land Day is commemorated around world. It marks the 1976 killing of six Palestinians, with hundreds more injured by Israeli occupation forces for protesting the theft of land in the West Bank.

Grand Rapids, MI – On March 5, outside of Corewell Health, the largest employer in Grand Rapids, 30 people rallied outside of the healthcare giant demanding their immediate divestment from Israeli companies and bonds.

Early this month, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids launched its “Corewell Health Divest!” campaign in response to the horrific destruction of Palestine’s healthcare system and the company’s connection to the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator – a nonprofit which proudly states itself to be “the only landing zone in the U.S. dedicated to supporting the growth of Israeli companies” and having “hosted 100+ Israeli companies in Michigan.”

Grand Rapids, MI – Facing snow and temperatures as low as 5°F, residents of Grand Rapids marched January 20 in support of immigrant rights and in opposition to the Trump administrations’ deportation plans.

Caledonia, MI - For 48 straight hours, from December 19 to 21, members of Teamsters Local 406 picketed outside the Amazon GRR1 Fulfillment Center in solidarity with the Amazon Teamsters on strike nationwide. Braving snow and temperatures as low as 23 °F, the trade unionists stayed outside passing out literature, leading chants and talking with community members from Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Caledonia. 

Grand Rapids, MI – On October 7, roughly 80 people in more than 25 cars drove from Grand Rapids, Michigan to protest at Woodward Zeeland, an engineering firm with locations worldwide which has been connected to the genocide in Gaza.

After the U.S.-funded attacks on Lebanon and Palestine, and the escalation of the genocide, organizers led by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) launched a campaign targeting local war-profiteers that culminated in the rally and die-in outside of Woodward Zeeland.