Chicago, IL – On October 15, students mobilized to the University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) University Hall to deliver an open letter demanding an end to UIC’s “open expression” form and a stop to the university’s restrictions on free speech for student organizations. The protest was put on by Students for a Democratic Society at UIC (SDS) as a part of the SDS’ National Day of Action and to fight back against recent attacks on progressive student organizations.

The “open expression” form requires UIC students to fill out paperwork through the dean of students when rallying or speaking out on campus.

“The administration thinks this university belongs to them but it doesn't. It belongs to the students! it belongs to the workers! To the community! To the people!” said Sanele Stewart, a member of SDS. Stewart continued, “The students of the past had to fight to make this university what it is now, and we aren't just going to fight to protect those victories, but to win new ones!”

“We should not have to fear consequences for peacefully challenging decisions made by those in power,” said Maria Perez of Mexican Students de Aztlan

Amir Hartt, a member of SDS and Students for Justice in Palestine at UIC (SJP), told the crowd, “If we face enough constant obstacles, admin thinks that we’ll either give up our organizing, scale it down, or something else that’ll shut us up for the semester. Our campaigns at their core are hostile to admin. Divestment from genocide is hostile to admin, it makes their investments into child-killing devices a sunken cost.”

In its open letter, SDS at UIC wrote: “We demand an end to the so-called Open Expression Policy, which has repeatedly been used by UIC to restrict the speech of political student organizations on campus. In particular we want an end to the policy of prior registration and administrative approval for free speech and assembly.” The letter also states: “We wonder what the point of being a registered student organization is if it only means handing over personal contact information which is then used by administration to discourage students from being active on campus?”

After hearing speeches from SDS and MeSA, the students headed inside University Hall to deliver their open letter to university administration, specifically UIC Chancellor Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda.

While the group of students planned on taking the University Hall elevator to the 28th floor and delivering their letter, administrators from UIC’s dean of students, without reason, told the students that they could not take the elevator up. The students pushed back against this, and, after negotiating, two students took the elevator up to Chancellor Miranda’s office and delivered the letter, not to the Chancellor herself, but to Elizabeth Fulmer from the chancellor’s office.

Students for a Democratic Society at UIC and their allies were able to successfully deliver their letter, but the students are not planning on giving up the pressure. Keep an eye on @sdsatuic on Instagram for more updates.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #SDS #MeSA #Featured

Atlanta, GA – On October 14, Atlanta Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) hosted an event at the Little Five Points Community Center to hear a report back from Chrisley Carpio on her recent trip to South Korea. Carpio, a member of the Central Committee of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, visited as part of the Jaju Solidarity Brigade this past August to participate in demonstrations against U.S. military occupation.

Carpio first gave a summary of the current political situation in Korea; about how the Korean peninsula was once united, but is now divided by U.S. imperialism at the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People' s Republic of Korea) as an independent, socialist state, and South Korea (Republic of Korea) still occupied by the United States.

She reported that the delegation visited military bases around the country and learned from local activists about Korea’s struggle for independence. She described that, for every horror inflicted by the US on the people of Korea, there has been protest and struggle, showing that the fight for reunification and liberation from U.S. occupation is very much alive.

Carpio also recounted how the delegation joined the annual National Liberation Day protest, the first international delegation to ever join, which mobilized 10,000 people at the march in Seoul.

To finish the event, community members asked questions about Carpio’s experiences and Korea’s political situation. One member asked if there was anything that U.S. activists could learn from the National Liberation Day protests. Carpio responded how inspiring it was to see so many different organizations from all sectors of the population all united under the same demand for peace, sovereignty and the reunification of the Korean people.

#AtlantaGA #GA #FRSO #Korea #PeoplesStruggles #JajuSolidarityBrigade

Portland, OR – On Tuesday, October 13, organizers with Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) rallied to oppose the recent surge of ICE detentions in the Portland area and demand justice for Oscar Bergal, shot by ICE in New York just days prior.

Bergal is one of 39 or more people shot by immigration agents during the second Trump administration, including Portlanders Luis David Nino-Moncado and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, who Customs and Border Patrol targeted and shot in January of 2026.

Just this week, between October 6 and 10, 48 ICE detainments in Oregon were reported to a hotline, meaning the actual number of detainments is much higher. This is more than double the average number of detentions per week in the prior months.

This comes after a DHS announcement of a surge of ICE activity in sanctuary cities like Portland.

PDXCD speaker Cass Cano spoke at the anti-ICE rally: “Immigration status should not be a death sentence. Our people are under attack, and we will not back down. We have to stand up to Trump and keep fighting ICE until we have won legalization for all, an end to the deportations, and ICE out of everywhere.”

Protesters chanted “ICE out of Portland!” “Killer ICE off our streets!” and “Revoke the permit!” to demand that local officials take action to shut down the detention facility in Portland, which is a key instrument of ICE’s operations in the area.

Despite the growing support for the campaign to revoke the permit, Portland city councilors and some “progressive” forces argue that the facility, leased to ICE by wealthy landowner Stuart Lindquist, should remain open so when immigrants are detained for processing, lawyers can get in contact before they are moved to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

However, a recent congressional oversight visit to the Portland ICE facility revealed immigration agents are no longer using the facility for processing. Instead, they are deploying all agents to the field to grab people off the streets and sending them straight to the Northwest Detention Center by “processing” detainees in the field.

These findings, along with the recent upsurge in abductions, negate the crumbling assertion that the Portland detention camp benefits immigrants by providing detainees an opportunity for legal intervention prior to transfer – a long-empty argument that city officials continue to hide behind.

Cami Saunders of PDXCD noted the contradiction in the “progressive” rhetoric against revoking the permit, stating, “We don’t want or need a concentration camp in Portland, and it’s time for our elected officials to stop pretending like we do. What we actually need is for our legislators to stop siding with Trump and protecting ICE.”

The embattled ICE facility heads back to court November 20, as landlord Stuart Lindquist challenges a land use violation for holding detainees over a 12-hour limit in court. PDXCD is calling on Judge Steffan Alexander to strike down the case.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Featured

Chicago, IL – On October 9, members of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC) successfully disrupted the performance of racist, Zionist Jerry Seinfeld at the Chicago Theatre.

Both organizations have targeted Seinfeld to ensure that there can be no business as usual ever since the U.S.-supported Israeli genocide exposed him as a racist, genocide apologist who proudly supports Israel’s war crimes against Palestine.

Six protesters disrupted Seinfeld’s show at different points by standing up and shouting that he was a “genocide apologist” and “a racist” for supporting the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.

The genocide is financed by U.S. taxpayer funds and over 74,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, including over 22,000 children, while independent mortality research indicates that the true death toll is significantly higher. Despite the so-called ceasefires, Israel continues to bomb Gaza, as well as Lebanon, and intensify ethnic cleansing and apartheid in the occupied West Bank.

Seinfeld’s Zionist supporters responded to the protesters with hostility, threats and physical violence. One supporter threw her drink at a protester and scratched her in an attempt to seize her phone until the protesters’ hands were bleeding from several places. Another tried to charge a protester until she had to be physically restrained to stop. Fans screamed at the protesters, called them slurs, and demanded that they be removed and violently beaten.

The Chicago Theatre’s security followed suit by brutally dragging out the protesters. Security pushed one directly into the seats, causing her to fall and be injured. They threw another protester against a wall despite her already being removed from the performance hall. While being dragged out, protesters chanted, “Jerry Seinfeld, you will see, Palestine will be free!”

Seinfeld danced and joked about genocide, saying, “it is a genocide and I’m into it” and that he would send money from their ticket sales to Israel.

“Shame on the Chicago Theatre for violently removing and banning organizers from returning to their theatre for protesting against a racist, Zionist, pedophile who publicly supports genocide,” said Elinor Keener with AWC. “Israel’s cheerleader Jerry Seinfeld has used his platform to support the Zionist and genocidal state of Israel, and even stated that he prefers Ku Klux Klan members to pro-Palestinian activists and those who say, ‘free Palestine.’”

Seinfeld has stated that he “doesn’t care about Palestinians,” regularly visits Israel, publicly expressed support for the Israeli military, and is often seen pictured with IOF soldiers. Seinfeld and his family visited a military-style training facility in the occupied West Bank, where they participated in shooting exercises and watched combat demonstrations at a facility offering simulated attacks depicting Palestinians as targets. His wife has also donated thousands of dollars to pro-Israel counter-protests at UCLA.

“With the Chicagoland area being the home of the largest Palestinian community in the United States, and Chicago being the only major large city to pass a ceasefire resolution, we reject the normalization of genocide and all who defend it,” said Nazek Sankari with USPCN. “Friday's disruption sent a clear message: Those who defend Israel's genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and throughout Palestine will be met with protest and are not welcome on Chicago's stages without opposition.”

Video of the disruption, made by USPCN, has gone viral, demonstrating that the world stands with Palestine in its just struggle against the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide and decades of brutal ethnic cleansing, occupation, and apartheid.

You can watch clips of the disruptions here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeS3ODutSlb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeWzmghR1pw/?psln=MWtvbWE4bTNwNXp4dQ==

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1M7F5z8XgT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

RECAP: USPCN-CHICAGO & AWC DISRUPT JERRY SEINFELD AT THE CHICAGO THEATRE!

On Friday, 10/9, USPCN-Chi & @AntiWarChicago disrupted the performance of racist, genocidal zionist @JerrySeinfeld at the @ChicagoTheatre over his support for Israel & the U.S.-backed genocide in #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/BTZqSjQlej

— U.S. Palestinian Community Network (@uspcn) October 11, 2026

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Seinfeld #USPCN

For workers, inflation was even higher, with prices for “Wage Earners and Clerical Workers” up 0.7% for the month, and 3.9% year over year. Either way, prices rose faster than wages, so that “real wages” which show the purchasing power of wages after inflation, fell 0.6% for the month. These numbers reflect the affordability crisis that more and more households are facing.

As seen every time one puts gasoline into their car, gasoline prices soared, rising 9.1% in one month alone. Gasoline prices across the country have gone up more than a third, or 34.2%, from a year ago. Households in the northeast that use fuel oil to heat their homes were hit even harder, with the prices of fuel oil up 15.3% in September, and a whopping 74.2% over a year ago.

Gasoline and other products made from oil have risen sharply even since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran. Oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz has been choked off, and production and transport facilities damaged. The Saudi conflict with Yemen also escalated, threatening an alternative transport route to the strait. President Trump has threatened to escalate the war on Iran after the elections in November and is also thinking of joining the Saudi war on Yemen too.

These rising prices of petroleum products are spilling over into other goods and services. Airline ticket prices rose 1.2% in September and are 22.4% higher than a year ago. Postage for mail rose 0.5% in September and are 12.7% higher than a year ago.

“Information technology” goods, such as computers, software and smartphones, rose 0.9% in September, as the artificial intelligence build-out drives up prices for chips and other parts also used in consumer electronics. One example of this was new Apple iPhones. Apple typically rolls out new models in the fall and drops the prices on the older models. This year, the more expensive new models were accompanied by higher prices on the older model phones too.

Higher inflation also drives down bond prices, since bond interest payments are fixed in dollar amounts, so that higher prices reduce the purchasing power of interest payments. These lower prices on bonds cause their interest rates to rise. Other interest rates will also go up. The standard, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage interest rate (which is not in the CPI) has risen from just under 7% when Trump took office to over 7.4% today. This is increasing the cost of buying a house. Home insurance costs, also not in the CPI, went up 6% in 2025, much faster than the overall rate of inflation.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation

Portland, OR – On October 5, pro-Palestine activists disrupted a debate involving Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, the incumbent for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. They confronted her over her lack of action on behalf of her constituent, Tareq Zakarneh. Zakarneh is a Palestinian man from the West Bank, currently held in ICE detention – he faces deportation to Israel’s ongoing genocide.

“It is unfortunately unsurprising Gluesenkamp Perez is unwilling to take action for Zakarneh,” said pro-Palestine activist Kacey Desantis, “she voted numerous times to provide arms and funds to Israel as it carries out genocide against Palestinians. Now, one of her constituents is being deported to the genocide she supports.”

The disruption was put on by local organization Portland for Palestine. One of its members stood up and questioned why Gluesenkamp Perez had taken no action. Police immediately escorted the protester out. Gluesenkamp Perez then stated that she required a signed privacy release form before intervening in Zakarneh’s case.

Gluesenkamp Perez claimed her office had not received the document until “very recently.” However, her office had possessed the form since September 9, almost a month before her remarks.

In light of this factual inconsistency, Portland for Palestine followed up with the congresswoman on October 7 as she left a televised debate. The group asked about the discrepancy and once again asked if she intended to act on Zakarneh’s behalf. They also questioned her continued support for Israel’s crimes.

Portland for Palestine first raised Zakarneh’s case with Gluesenkamp Perez at a campaign event on August 15. During that encounter, she and her staff first mentioned the need for a signed privacy release form. On August 28, the group delivered a letter to her office in Vancouver, Washington, demanding that she act. The office was locked, forcing activists to communicate with a single staffer by intercom. The staffer called the police at one point before finally allowing a member of Portland for Palestine inside to deliver the letter.

As Portland for Palestine increased its pressure on the congresswoman ahead of the October 7 event, in a brazen attempt to shirk responsibility, her staff went so far as to claim that Zakarneh was not even one of her constituents. Even the Department of Homeland Security’s own legal documents acknowledge Zakarneh lived in Gluesenkamp Perez’s district when he was detained.

According to Track AIPAC, Gluesenkamp Perez has received over $500,000 from pro-Israel political action committees. Beyond repeatedly voting to fund Israel’s military, she was one of 22 Democrats who joined Republicans to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib for allegedly “promoting false narratives” regarding the defiant act of resistance undertaken by the people of Gaza on October 7, 2023.

The U.S. currently has a policy of deporting Palestinians to Israel, as the U.S. government does not recognize Palestinian statehood.

Zakarneh spoke out about the fate he faces if deported to Israel: “Israeli authorities will target me directly because they are well-informed by the U.S. authorities I have been falsely categorized.” Zakarneh states that Israel has incorrectly labeled him as a member of Hamas, and says, “I will be arrested, I will be tortured. Israel will imprison me as long as they can. This is well known in the West Bank.”

Portland for Palestine continues to advocate for Zakarneh’s release from ICE detention, and for an end to the genocide in Palestine.

#PortlandOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #ImmigrantRights

Porto, Portugal – A protest encampment sprang up in the heart of Porto on October 10 demanding affordable housing and has now continued for many days. Inspired by the massive movement that brought hundreds of thousands of people out into the streets in Spain in recent weeks, on October 10 protesters rallied and then set up tents in Porto’s Praça Dom João I, with a banner reading, “Can’t afford rent? Bring a tent!”

After one night, police removed the tents from the plaza, and Porto’s Mayor Pedro Duarte said tents absolutely would not be allowed. Protesters continued occupying the plaza without tents.

Then on October 14 during an evening rally of around 1000 people, protesters again set up around a dozen tents in the plaza. Police quickly moved in to try to remove the tents but then retreated after the protesters refused to back down.

The demands of the Porto encampment are: Down with the new anti-tenant rent law that was just passed; stop evictions; halt the buying of housing stock by capitalist investment funds; more public housing; rehabilitation of vacant housing property, and put in place a rent ceiling

Portugal’s neighboring country of Spain has been convulsed since late September by mass protests demanding affordable housing and an end to evictions, after an 87-year-old woman named Maricarmen was evicted from the Madrid home where she had lived for more than 70 years, after an investment firm bought the property and jacked up her rent. In response, encampments and protests spread throughout Spain.

Then, about a week after her eviction, Maricarmen died, with most people placing the blame squarely on the government and naming her traumatic eviction as the cause of her death. Spain’s main unions have announced a general strike for November 11, and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called snap elections after an attempt to pass new housing legislation in response to the crisis failed. The new elections are coming up November 29.

Housing costs have skyrocketed in major European cities over the past decade, while wages have stagnated. Rent in Portugal’s main cities of Lisbon and Porto has gone up even more than in Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. So, it’s no surprise that the movement sparked in Spain has now spread to Portugal. The Porto encampment is one of several that have sprung up in cities throughout Portugal this week.

The movement seems poised to gain momentum this weekend, as Portugal’s largest and most militant union federation, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), is organizing mass demonstrations on Saturday, October 17 in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra protesting the high cost of living while wages stagnate. The CGTP’s protests are demanding higher salaries, better pensions and public services, an end to the increasing cost of living, and defending the national health care system (SNS) and social security.

#International #Portugal #PeoplesStruggles #Housing

In 2026, there have been massive uprisings globally against war and declining economic conditions, and India is no exception. The current round of mass demonstrations has shaken the country and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Narendra Modi, to their core.

Global shortages in oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) have had a series of repercussions in India, heightening existing problems during this time. But, while the U.S. war on Iran has worsened conditions in India, the people in India are also struggling amid declining employment rates, austerity and political repression created directly by the BJP.

The effects in India of the U.S. war on Iran

During retaliatory strikes from Iran, Saudi Aramco was hit in Ras Tanura, and Qatar suspended LNG production. India imports around 60% of all its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from other countries, and a large proportion of these imports are from Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. As a result, India is now prioritizing domestic LPG usage, creating a shortage and skyrocketing prices for industries that need it.

88% of India’s oil is imported. Before the war, crude oil prices were $69 to $70 a barrel. After the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, world Brent Crude futures prices topped at over $120 a barrel. At the same time, the Indian Crude Oil Basket price hit an all-time high of $142.69 a barrel.

The rising price of crude oil has put tremendous pressure on India’s foreign reserves and balance of payments. It has also resulted in an increase in inflation and reduction in economic growth. The CAD (current account deficit) has increased tremendously, meaning India spends more on imports than it gains on exports. This has resulted in depreciation in value of the Indian rupee compared to the dollar; currently one U.S. dollar equals 97 rupees, an all-time high.

To counter the inflation, the Reserve Bank of India has increased interest rates on loans and reduced the supply of money, making it harder for ordinary citizens and businesses to acquire loans. This has reduced economic activity, such as industrial output and job creation, particularly in oil services, construction and retail businesses, leading to increased unemployment. Large sections of urban youth now face joblessness.

Internal policy failures, misleading data, corruption

India has nearly 400 million people aged 15–29, and millions graduate on a yearly basis with STEM degrees but are met with only tens of thousands of jobs. Despite being some of the most educated in the world, Indian youth face the crisis of unemployment.

Despite showing growth on paper, the Indian economy reveals conditions of stagflation caused by large-scale imports of fertilizer and energy import costs. Industrial growth has in fact stagnated, leading to reduced job creation. Wages have also not grown enough to counter inflation.

A large majority of India's workforce remains trapped in low-wage work. Internal migration for jobs remains high. Indian government policy has moved the country away from the kinds of manufacturing that employ millions of workers. India is also still largely agrarian, and the population of youth graduating from colleges cannot find non-agrarian jobs to meet their needs.

According to the BJP government, the overall unemployment rate is between 4.6 and 5.5%. However, several independent economists assert that the unemployment rate is being inaccurately reported, pointing to outdated definitions of what is considered employment as a source of the distorted figures.

Recent events that have sparked protests

One example of extreme competition in jobs and college placements is the National Eligibility- Entrance Test (NEET). Over 2 million students sat for this exam to get enrollment at medical colleges, out of which only 6% had placement. The NEET exam also saw a major paper leak scandal, resulting in the cancellation of the exam. The cancellation resulted in mass demonstrations by student protesters citing systemic failures in exam conduction, corruption and favoritism. Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched to the parliament building demanding the resignation of the education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Pradhan was finally forced to resign amid massive pressure.

The BJP, however, has no desire to give up power, and has instead manipulated the Indian constitution and haphazardly introduced bills and enforced them through various arms of the state. From the farmers bill, which tried to smash the power of peasant farmers, to labor codes designed to weaken union power, the BJP in the last decade has brought the lives of working people to ruin. They have incited religious riots, heightened caste tensions, and pitted tribal communities against each other all throughout India.

In October 2025, the BJP regime introduced the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls through the election commission in a bid to retain and gain power in states where they historically had shortcomings. The SIR, alongside the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the past, was introduced to particularly target religious and caste minorities across India. The SIR came into effect in May 2026, leading to 130 million Indian citizens losing their voting rights. 9 million voters were affected by the SIR in West Bengal – a state where left parties were in power for 34 years – leading to a major electoral victory in that state for the BJP.

Since October 10, the deletion of voter rolls has resulted in massive protests in New Delhi and across the country, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyaneshwar Kumar, with the protests being led by unions such as the CITU (Center for Indian Trade Unions), communist parties, and youth and student organizations. Millions of people in New Delhi gathered to demand justice and the resignation of the election commissioner, with several thousand people from nearby areas and neighboring states traveling via train.

The repression against protesters has been remarkably high. 41,000 security personnel and police were deployed at the Jantar Mantar protest site. Between 2000 and 7000 protesters were either detained or jailed. People arriving via train or flight were detained before they even reached the Jantar Mantar.

Entire central leadership bodies of communist parties have been detained or jailed. Telephone communications and the internet were jammed throughout the city of New Delhi. The Delhi police even removed Jantar Mantar’s status as an official protest site.

The repression, however, has not caused a reduction in the number of protest attendees, but instead resulted in an overwhelming upsurge.

The conditions in India are rapidly declining due to internal policy failure and external imperialist pressure from the U.S. and Europe. The worsening of conditions is resulting in a cascade of never-before-seen mass demonstrations. The BJP are clearly shaken and are clutching at straws, increasing repression to retain their power. The people, however, understand that the BJP will use every avenue to trample democratic rights, and that the only way things will change is action in the streets.

#International #India #Opinion #Commentary

New York, NY – On October 8, protesters gathered outside of the Southern District Court to demand the release of Cilia Flores. Chants of “Cilia, listen! The people are resisting!” rang throughout the courthouse plaza.

Participating organizations included Brooklyn Against War, Workers World Party, Code Pink, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The small but steadfast rally of around 30 people lasted from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., closing with a press conference.

Briony Smith, an organizer with Brooklyn Against War and an Anti-War Action Network steering committee member, witnessed as the motion for Cilia Flores’ release to home detention was denied.

Smith stated, “Cilia Flores is facing immense gendered violence. What I witnessed inside the courtroom was a room full of men making medical decisions for a woman.”

Smith continued, “We heard in the arguments today that she has suffered a probable heart attack. Now the judge seems to be under the impression that a heart attack, a heart catheterization, and the procedures that will follow are something that can be recovered from in general population detention among 40 other women, when Cilia is getting three to hours of sleep.”

Tom Burke of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization was also in the courtroom Thursday morning. Burke stated, “Trump is trying to kill the first lady of Venezuela here. He doesn’t care about her life. He doesn’t care about President Maduro. Trump doesn’t care about the Venezuelan people! He just wants their oil. If you think you’re going to find justice in a U.S. federal courtroom, you better think again.”

Speakers at the press conference continued to emphasize the inability of the Trump administration to grant Flores a fair trial.

Not only was Cilia Flores’ motion to be released on house arrest denied, but U.S. prosecutors also brought forward new charges of “conspiracy to commit torture” against Flores and Maduro. The original indictment of narcoterrorism conspiracy, for which there is no evidence, was used by the U.S. government to justify the illegal kidnapping of Flores and Maduro on January 3.

The conspiracy to commit torture indictment alleged torture of U.S. citizens. Five of these citizens include oil executives who were arrested for corruption, and two of them were U.S. special forces members who attempted to raid and overthrow the Venezuelan government. They were all freed later in deals with the U.S.

Ignoring this important context, the court is content to paint Maduro and Flores as dictators who torture U.S. citizens, all while the U.S. is subjecting them to a notoriously inhumane prison and refusing medical treatment to Cilia Flores. It is the goal of the prosecution to obscure who Flores and Maduro really are – leaders who refuse to sell out the resources of their country to the United States.

Despite the second indictment and the outcome of the motion for house arrest, activists remain ready to take to the streets to defend Flores and Maduro, and plan to be at the Metropolitan Detention Center on November 3, for the tenth month in a row, to demand their release.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #CiliaFlores #NicolasMaduro #Featured

San Jose, CA – The San Jose district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization is launching their FRSO General Membership drive with an ambitious schedule of 30 tabling events in 30 days. Each week, members will set up FRSO tables throughout the community to educate people about FRSO and recruit them to General Membership. FRSO San Jose plans to table regularly in diverse locations including East Side San Jose, San Jose State University campus, the nearby city of Gilroy, and more.

Going into the first official day of the General Membership drive on October 15, FRSO San Jose has already held many lead-up tabling events to train and prepare. In the pre-drive lead-up period, San Jose has already surpassed 10% of its ambitious district goal for the entire month-long drive.

FRSO San Jose will be releasing weekly calendars on Instagram that detail the dates, times and locations for tabling events in the upcoming week. FRSO literature, including copies of the FRSO program, FRSO pamphlets and various other books, will be available for purchase at all tabling sessions.

The first week's schedule of tabling will include Monday, October 12, from noon to 2 p.m. at San Jose State University; Wednesday, October 14, from noon until 2 p.m. at San Jose State University; Wednesday, October 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Backesto Park in San Jose; Thursday, October 15, 5 to 7 p.m.at the intersection of Story & King in San Jose; Thursday, October 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. in front of San Jose City Hall; Saturday, October 17, from noon until 2 p.m. at the No Kings protest at Saint James Park in San Jose, and Sunday, October 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at El Roble Park in Gilroy.

Speaking about the importance and timeliness of the General Membership drive, FRSO San Jose member Drusie Kazanova stated, “More and more people are becoming disillusioned with monopoly capitalism and politics as usual with each passing day. Now is the time to win people over to socialism and build revolutionary organization. We have a world to win!”

To join FRSO, go to https://frso.org/join/

#SanJoseCA #CA #FRSO #PeoplesStruggles #Featured

Dallas, TX – Over 500 community members from across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex joined together Sunday, October 11, for a massive demonstration against the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

The protest started at Civic Garden Park in Dallas with community members chanting “Stand up, no fear, we don’t want no Zionists here!” aimed at two counter-protesters, who soon gave up and left. Attendees held large banners reading “We will return, hands off Gaza”, “Hands off Iran, hands off Gaza”, and “Hands off Palestine.”

The march was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement – Dallas, the Dallas-Fort Worth Anti-War Committee, DFW Shias for Justice, and others to “Honor the living, the martyred, and the land.”

As the march started off though downtown Dallas, Josh Rudd, a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Anti-War Committee, spoke on behalf of the Stop the Bombs Garland Campaign, remarking, “The Paligen bomb factory in Garland, Texas is responsible for decades of genocidal violence from Vietnam to Palestine. DAWC is working diligently to get our students out of this bomb factory and to shut down Paligen once and for all.” More information on the campaign at tinyurl.com/NoFamePaligen

The march continued to the Dallas Morning News headquarters, where representatives of the PYM called out the paper’s support for the U.S.-Israeli genocide on Gaza and for their biased reporting. The crowd chanted “DMN you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and “DMN shame on you, your hands are bloody too.”

Mohammad Khan from DFW Shias for Justice told the crowd, “We are here to show our unwavering support for Palestine and to let the Palestinian people know that we will never abandon them and will always stand by their side. We believe that the liberation of Palestine from the Zionist entity, along with the right of return and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination in their homeland, is fundamental to ending global arrogance and oppression. As the late Hezbollah leader and martyr, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said, ‘We, the Shia of Ali ibn Abi Talib, will never abandon Palestine.’”

Shane Prichard with the DFW Anti-War Committee, commenting on why they came to the protest, said, “I’ve been supportive of the Palestinian cause for a while now; but to learn most of the bombs dropped on Gaza are from here in the DFW, it makes me feel partially culpable, in a way. I hate that my tax dollars are killing helpless people, and I needed to make it clear by showing up.”

Nosayba Mahmoud of the Dallas Palestine Coalition concluded the protest, “We keep organizing. We keep challenging the narratives that make genocide acceptable. We keep demanding that our tax dollars sustain life rather than fund the killing of our brothers and sisters. We keep giving, teaching, protecting, remembering and returning. Again, and again. Our hope is disciplined, but it is also anchored in certainty. We believe oppression does not have the final word. We may not know when liberation will come, but we trust the promise of God that injustice is not eternal.”

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #DAWC #PYM #DSJ #DPC

A major demonstration took place on Sunday, October 11. It was promoted by social media influencers in the state, and the people of Guadalajara made it clear to the governor, Pablo Lemus, that they would show up en masse. The governor responded by assuring the people of the chance to voice their frustration, which came to be a false promise.

Around 10,000 protesters were met with violent repression on the streets, being both teargassed and hosed down. Families who came out to demonstrate were confronted by riot police. 39 people were arrested, which activists have referred to as kidnappings, due to Mexico's history of disappearing political prisoners.

The next day, during her morning Conferencia del Pueblo (a morning address that the president gives to the Mexican people), President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the police’s actions, calling on the governor of Jalisco to give an extensive report of Sunday’s events.

Governor Lemus countered by spewing false information about the events that took place, and he offered to hand this water service problem to private corporations, all the while appropriating progressive talking points of supporting the people to exercise their right to demonstrate. Sheinbaum responded, “We do not agree with supporting the privatization of the water service.”

How did this crisis explode?

Like the October 12 editorial in the progressive Mexican news outlet, La Jornada, states, this was an inevitable outcome of Lemus and his party’s (Movimiento Ciudadano) negligence of this almost 20-year-old issue.

The issue had been a priority of the MORENA (Movimineto de Regeneracion Nacional), the current governing party of Mexico) party for the past six years, through the completion of the El Zapotillo dam in the village of the same name. Only this time, it would include the indigenous and peasant communities of the village on the planning table, whose resistance movement against the dam caused its halt back in 2009. Former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says that the just resistance to the dam was sparked by corporate greed and polices of the neoliberal government that was in power at the time.

This lack of cooperation with the ruling progressive MORENA party from people like Lemus has caused the systemic violence of thousands of people in Guanajuato, taking away the human right to clean water.

#International #Mexico #PeoplesStruggles #Water

Grand Rapids, MI – On October 7, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids held a vigil and rally to commemorate three years of genocide and three years of resistance. Over 60 community members gathered in Calder Plaza to mourn those killed in Palestine and to celebrate their ongoing struggle for liberation.

During the event, Zionist agitators attempted to disrupt the vigil but were met by organizers who successfully pushed them out of the plaza; far away from those in attendance. While the agitators sang the U.S. national anthem while flying Israeli Defense Forces flags, community members chanted over them, blocked their view, and passed around portraits of Palestinian martyrs while observing Salat as the sun set.

“Three years ago, Israel launched its most brutal assault on Gaza because Palestinians dared to resist 76 years of occupations and 16 years of a brutal siege,” Julliette Kibby, an organizer with Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, stated. “Since then, the Palestinian people have suffered a genocide; the final culmination of the Zionist project!”

A Palestinian organizer from Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids focused on their home and the loved ones they’ve lost, stating, “I want to go home! I want to sit under that almond tree again. I want to see my cousins at the beach and say: ‘See! We’re all here now!’ But some of the people I imagine standing there won’t be!”

Organizers also focused on divestment and their campaign to get the Grand Rapids Retirement System to divest from Israel.

Sam Tunningley of the Freedom Road told the crowd, “The United States government, with the backing of the most powerful and moneyed interests, will stop at nothing to silence all of our organizations and leaders who challenge the U.S. stranglehold on the Middle East.”

As the event wrapped up, all those in attendance chanted and drowned out the eight remaining Zionist agitators still lingering at the corners of the plaza.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PSGR

Tucson, AZ – On October 7, dozens gathered outside of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to protest three years of Zionist genocide in Palestine. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held signs with slogans like “End U.S. aid to Israel” and “U.S. hands off Iran!” Vehicles passing by the protest honked their horns, and drivers rolled down their windows to shout in support.

During the speaking program, Moyheddin Abdulaziz, a Palestinian organizer with Arizona-Palestine Solidarity Alliance, spoke to the crowd, “The Palestinian people need your voice, need your power, need your determination. Three years ago, the Biden administration, with their junior partner called Israel, started a campaign for genocide and annihilation of our people that continues until today.” Abdulaziz then led the protesters in chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

“Today, October 7, marks the three-year anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood, a day of courageous resistance and a historic moment in the fight for the liberation of Palestine from their genocidal oppressor, Israel,” said Arlee Thwing, an organizer with Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “October 7, 2023, will be remembered as a day when Palestinian resistance exposed the weakness and vulnerability of Israel and their U.S. backers.”

Members of veteran organizations also joined the demonstration outside the Air Force base. One member of Veterans for Peace, Adrian Fernandez, led the crowd in shouting “Fuck Zionism!”

Maria Sohn-Hasman, an organizer with the Tucson Anti War Committee, said, “It’s the system of U.S. imperialism that is bombing children and families abroad and it’s the same system of U.S. imperialism oppressing us working people here at home.,” adding, “and we have way more in common with the people getting killed around the world by these evil fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles that are being sent from and built here in our city than we do with CEOs in the U.S.”

Defense contractor Raytheon’s facility in Tucson is the principal assembly site for Tomahawk missiles. It was a Tomahawk missile earlier this year that struck a school in southern Iran, killing 120 children and several teachers. The Tucson City Council recently approved conveying 212 acres to the U.S. Air Force to be used by Raytheon, the biggest employer in Tucson. This decision came after a $20 billion contract was awarded to Raytheon by the Department of Defense.

The rally was organized by the Tucson Anti-War Committee and sponsored by several progressive organizations including Arizona-Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (Tucson), Tempest Collective Tucson, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Veterans for Peace, Common Defense, and Communist Party USA.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #TAWC

Minneapolis, MN – Thursday, October 8, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota (SDS), and Women’s March MN Action Fund organized a rally and march starting at Van Cleve Park in Minneapolis to call attention to the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses and to demand justice for survivors.

Around 300 people gathered to hear organizers and community members speak on the prevalence of sexual assault against immigrant and Native American women, about their own experiences with their own sexual assault, and in support of Title IX. Speakers also condemned the actions of the Cornell 7, the entire Chi Phi fraternity, and Cornell’s administration, emphasizing that while the spotlight is currently on Cornell, they are the rule, not the exception.

Nationwide, one in four women (and one in 14 men) experience sexual violence while attending college.

MNAAC organizer Ashley Taylor-Gouge stated, “In 1989, the UMN campus abruptly shut down the sexual violence center on campus after publishing group-specific sexual assault statistics on campus.”

Taylor-Gouge continued, “The university president said fathers won't want to send their daughters here if they know these numbers.” Eventually, through militant actions like sit-ins and demonstrations, the students fought and won those services back, demonstrating how harshly victims are silenced and what lengths they must go to in order to fight for justice.

Jana Williams, the aunt of Allison Lussier, spoke about her niece’s death in 2024 at the hands of an abusive partner, as well as the inaction of the Minneapolis Police Department in both preventing her death and investigating it, a fate disproportionately common for indigenous women like Allison. Williams declared, “Our bodies are not public property, our bodies are not prizes, our bodies are not something a man gets to claim because he wants them. We are all human beings and we all deserve to be safe.”

Outside of the University’s Athletic Center, MNAAC organizer Envy Matisse told protesters “Back in 2016, ten Gopher football players participated in the gang rape of a female student on this campus. These players were suspended, but no criminal charges were ever brought against them. To make things even worse, the rest of the Gopher football team threatened to boycott one of their games to stand in solidarity with these rapists. The head coach at the time, Tracy Claeys, supported this boycott.”

The march route took protesters past several frat houses on the University of Minnesota’s Fraternity Row, while attendees shouted chants like “We believe survivors! The rapists are the liars!” and “Survivors united will never be defeated!” Instead of joining or chanting with the crowd, members of these houses retreated inside and closed their doors, further proving the necessity of the protest.

The Cornell investigation arises at the same time that the Trump administration is gutting the Title IX protections that are crucial for prosecuting discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual or gender identity. While the Trump administration has targeted transgender people in the name of protecting women, studies show that women’s safety is inextricably linked to the safety of trans people, and that improving the safety of trans and gender non-conforming college students reduces overall sexual violence on campus. Trans people are also more likely to face sexual violence than their cisgender peers and deserve the same protection and paths to justice.

“Freedom to provide or deny consent is an intrinsic part of bodily autonomy, and for too long sexual violence has been overlooked and tolerated—by colleges, governments, and society at large,” said MNAAC member Isabelle Wattenberg. “The bravery of survivors to bring their stories into the spotlight is powerful, and we owe it to them to expose, shame, prosecute and bring their perpetrators to justice.”

MNAAC is a reproductive justice organization that fights for reproductive and trans rights, including abortion access, bodily autonomy and gender-affirming care. SDS is growing the student movement at the University of Minnesota, from protesting for Palestine to fighting for a sanctuary campus. Women's March Minnesota fights for women’s liberation, and Thursday night’s action was part of a National Day of Action to stop sexual violence called by the national Women’s March organization, with over 150 actions across the U.S.

The organizers of the Minneapolis event called for perpetrators, who are almost always men, to face consequences commensurate to their crimes.

Beth Miller is a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC)

#MinneapolisMN #MN #WomensMovement #StudentMovement #Cornell7 #SexualViolence

Minneapolis, MN– On Saturday, October 10, hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis to join the Free Palestine Coalition (FPC) in marking three years of resistance to Israel’s genocide in Palestine.

Protesters demanded an end to the genocide and an end to U.S. aid to Israel. The crowd was energized by chants of “We will not stop; we will not rest! Boycott, sanctions and divest!” A choral group, Singing Resistance, led the crowd in resistance songs while the protest blocked an intersection downtown.

Meredith Aby, director of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), addressed the crowd, asking “How many of you feel like the news this week has gaslighted us? They claim there is a ‘ceasefire’. It’s not a ceasefire. It’s a genocide. Israel has killed a child in Gaza every 71 minutes for three years! Israeli attacks have killed over 1100 Palestinians in Gaza over the last year, with the total confirmed killed since October 2023 reaching over 74,000.”

Since al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, over 175,000 people have been injured, and 94% of health facilities and hospitals have been damaged. The impact of the attacks has meant nearly all of the schools in Gaza have been destroyed, leaving no real educational infrastructure. Israel continues to block access of most food, oil and medical supplies, committing genocide in more ways than just bombs and guns.

Nadiyah Salawdeh, co-chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network – Minnesota brought attention to the decades of attacks by the Israeli state, saying, “The Palestinian people have undergone genocide for nearly 80 years. Our villages have been ethnically cleansed. The Israeli settler-state has made Palestinians into permanent refugees and slaughtered them in their camps. They have been starved and jailed and denied basic medical access.”

The protest demands also called for an end to the war on Iran and Lebanon. Yossi Aharoni, member of the MN Anti-War Committee, told the crowd, “Palestine gives me hope. Yemen gives me hope. Lebanon gives me hope. Iran gives me hope.”

Aharoni continued, “Iran, a small, besieged country, cut off from the world, stood up to the United States and punched it right in the mouth and said, ‘No more!’ If Palestine can survive 78 years of unimaginable hardship; if Iran can stand up to the most powerful military force in the world, then who are we to give up?”

The protest was accompanied by many other protests throughout the Twin Cities earlier in the week, such as Students for a Democratic Society’s protest at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and WAMM’s protest at the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River, both on October 7.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #October7

Detroit, MI – Wayne State University students and community members gathered Wednesday, October 7, to defend Palestine’s right to resist on the third anniversary of Israel-United States’ genocide in Gaza.

The demonstration was organized by WSU Students for a Democratic Society. Endorsing groups in attendance included WSU Students for Justice in Palestine, College Democrats at WSU, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Beginning the rally with chants, students defended the right of Palestinians to resist Zionist occupation, as well as demanded WSU divest from war profiteers. Protesters could be chanting that no more of their tuition money should go to funding genocide.

FRSO member Jackson Robak told the crowd, “We are here today to stand with the Palestinian Resistance, who, on October 7, looked death in the eye and bravely fought back against Zionist occupation, showing the world that the Israeli occupation forces could be defeated.”

A member of WSU SDS stated, “History has shown the world that the Palestine movement is an inalienable part of the student movement, that the oppressed people of the world have an ally in the student movement, and that even though Palestine has taken up less and less space in the headlines, we are still here and still fighting.”

A march around campus was led by a banner reading, “Wayne State cut the ties,” and Palestine flags were held high. While protesters were in route, a professor and class of approximately 250 students joined the march in support.

A small group of five Zionists attempted to counter-protest the rally, trailing behind marchers. Police stood in front of the Zionists; however, the size of the march showed that WSU students stand with the Palestinian people, and chants of “From Wayne State to Palestine, resistance is justified” drowned out those in opposition.

On their way back to Keast Commons, marchers passed the patch of grass where an encampment was set up in 2024 to demand WSU divest from Israel. Since the genocide began, students have mobilized to support the Palestinian people’s struggle for liberation, and, three years on, the fight for a free Palestine is still alive at Wayne State.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #Palestine #October7

Portland, OR – On October 7, around 150 people rallied and marched in downtown Portland to demand an end to the genocide of Palestine, an end to the war on Iran, and to stop the attacks on Lebanon. Portland for Palestine organized the protest following the call to action from the Anti-War Action Network.

The rally started at Terry Schrunk Plaza , where Mutaz Alshawa, one of the founders of Portland for Palestine, told the crowd, “For us as Palestinians, the Zionists’ violence against us did not start on October 7, the occupation has been going on for almost 100 years.”

Alshawa continued, “We must take a stand. We must be strong. If you idle, if you do not take a side, you are a part of it. Our tax money is funding this. We are being affected here every day in America.”

Dan Shea from Veteran for Peace stated, “These are clear demands: Stop the genocide! End U.S. aid to Israel! No war on Iran! Hands off Lebanon!” Shea encouraged attendees at this protest to attend the upcoming No Kings: Vote Early protest on October 17 and bring these demands forward as we go into mid-term elections.

As the group marched through downtown Portland, many passersby joined in on chants and filmed the march on their phones. Chants included, “Money for homes and education, not for bombs and devastation” and “From Iran to Falastin, stop the U.S. war machine!” A lone Zionist confronted the group yelling obscenities and followed the march for several blocks. Eventually, the Zionist was confronted by multiple marchers and was forced to leave the area of the march.

The march ended where it started, at Terry Schrunk Plaza. Singer David Rovicks performed at the event as attendees mingled and spoke with the organizations present about future organizing efforts.

The event was endorsed by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Sunrise Movement PDX, Diaspora Pa'lante Collective, and Veterans for Peace.

#PortlandOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #October7

Minneapolis, MN – Students, families and educators of Minneapolis Public Schools have been busy over the past month organizing the community to reject the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) district’s “Transformation Plan.”

The district’s plan, announced on September 15, would close around 15 of the district’s best schools starting in the 2027-2028 school year. In response, the educators represented by Minneapolis Federation of Educators, Local 59 (MFE 59) have been holding rallies and feedback sessions, and using every public forum they can, to raise their concerns with the plan and educate the community around the impacts the plan would have.

School workers like Dino Schipper state, “Each and every one of these schools are a unique community full of people who love them. I just started working at FAIR High School for the Arts, and already I’ve come to love the community there. It’s so special that we have an arts high school in Minneapolis, and shutting it down would be a huge loss. It serves as a safe haven for queer and neurodivergent students, and any students that have a hard time fitting in and feeling safe anywhere else.”

MFE 59 has been leading the fightback against these closures, with a presence at all five of the district’s feedback sessions and a large rally in the rain, September 15, outside of the Davis Center, where MPS is headquartered. MFE 59 member organizers handed out hundreds of “No school closures!” buttons to community members on their way to give negative feedback on the plan to the district. Rallies have also been held by Minneapolis Families for Public Schools, featuring speakers like school board candidates Shannon Gibney and Christin Crabtree and MFE 59 Teacher Chapter First Vice President Natasha Dockter.

News that Minneapolis school board directors Greta Callahan and Sharon El-Amin introduced a resolution to pause the closures made the crowd hopeful at the Roosevelt High School rally. The resolution goes further to call on the superintendent to perform a “comprehensive alternative plan to increase enrollment, strengthen academic and programmatic offerings, improve district stability, and identify options for the sustainable use of district facilities,” including pre-kindergarten and bilingual programs.

The resolution also calls for the district to refocus on enrollment and expansion instead of divestment, echoing the vision long held by MFE 59. Only 53% of Minneapolis kids are enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools, and the proposed closures would continue the trend of decreased enrollment in the district, driving families out of MPS. The resolution will be voted on Tuesday, October 13, and Director Callahan has indicated optimism that she has the votes to pass it.

Pickets at sites targeted for closure are still planned in the upcoming weeks, as well as continued email pressure and actions at school sites by MFE members.

In a statement, Minnesota Workers United voiced support for the educators: “MWU sees this as another step towards the defunding of every public service working families rely on. It’s an attack on the people of Minneapolis and an attack on the future of high-quality public education in Minneapolis, fitting right in with the current billionaire agenda to attack Minneapolis and public schools.”

Follow MFE 59 and Minneapolis Families for Public Schools for action items and rally times.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Labor #Teachers #PublicSchools #MFE59

Tacoma, WA – Around 50 people gathered in downtown Tacoma on the evening of October 7 in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. The crowd gathered at 6 p.m. outside of the federal courthouse and chanted “Free, free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

“I'm here today because I believe in a free Palestine,” said Ryan Bell. “Since the beginning in 1948 up until now, there's been Nakba on Nakba and we can't stand for it anymore.”

The event marked the third anniversary of the beginning of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people. Despite the grim reality facing Palestinians, the mood of the action was inspired and hopeful. The crowd was determined to raise their voice and send a unified message.

“I came out because I’m Palestinian and I think it’s very important to speak up about what’s right,” said Yasmeen Juhar, president of the club South Asian, South West Asian, and North Africans at the University of Puget Sound (SSWANA at UPS). “Since 1948, the Palestinians have been experiencing oppression. And I think it's important for people to know what's happening and what the U.S. is funding.”

As the emcee introduced the event and the first speaker, the crowd continued chanting, including “We want justice, you say how? Stop arming Israel now!” and “From Palestine to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine!”

A lone Zionist counter-protester attended the rally and attempted to disrupt the program. However, his sign was snatched by attendees and destroyed while the crowd chanted. After losing his sign, the counter-protester resigned himself to quietly standing at the back while the program continued.

“What's happening in Palestine is just wrong and, you know, against everything that I believe in,” said Sarah Toole. “I think that [the Zionist] is on the wrong side and that he is just wasting his time.”

Event speakers connected the struggles of the Palestinian people with the broader anti-war and anti-imperialist movements, with speeches from organizations like South Sound Veterans About Face and Bayan USA. The mood was one of solidarity, with people of different backgrounds and national origins standing together against genocide and Zionist occupation.

“I'm here to support my Palestinian friend Yasmeen. I was born in Brazil, another country where the United States has major influence,” said Maya Welch. “I'm here today with her, for her, for us, for myself, for my people.”

After the speeches concluded, attendees taped names and photos of Palestinian martyrs to the front of the federal building as the crowd continued to chant “Israel you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!” and “Viva viva Palestina!”

“Under imperialism, we’re stuck in a cycle of exploitation that keeps oppressed nations like Palestine chained to the machine of imperialist greed,” said Abbie Baughman of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “As individuals, we can’t stop the US from funding Israel’s genocidal plans. Together, we can unite the multi-national working class under a political party that is capable of waging socialist revolution!”

The crowd dispersed around 8:30 p.m. after more chanting. Many lingered behind to make plans for further collaboration and actions related to the cause for Palestinian freedom.

“Palestine is on the path to liberation,” said Baughman. “And so are we!”

#TacomaWA #WA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine