Milwaukee car caravan against Trump
Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, January 20, more than 150 protesters gathered in the frigid cold to mark one year of the second Trump presidency and one year of people’s resistance against his racist, reactionary agenda attacking immigrant, student, worker and reproductive rights.
The Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) organized the rally and car caravan, concluding their final event for their No War with Venezuela Month of Action. Before the rally, attendees decorated their cars with large car toppers and placed signs in their windows reading “Free Palestine,” “Trump, tiny hands off Gaza” and “Free President Maduro! No War on Venezuela.” Community members were also there with handwarmers and snacks.
The event began with a rally at Washington Park, where speakers talked about the various ways of organizing Trump’s attacks and the importance of standing united with one another.
Casey Serrano from Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) said, “Just like the people of Venezuela aren’t afraid of masked special forces, we are not afraid of masked ICE thugs! We will continue to build unity and get organized so that all of us in Milwaukee are ready for if and when ICE comes here. We won’t back down, because when we fight, we win!”
Eva Dickenson, of MAC stated, “In the last few weeks, the U.S. threats on Iran have intensified significantly as well. The U.S. and Israel see an ‘in’ in Iran, not to follow the needs of the people, but, similarly to Venezuela, to replace a government that has never bowed to the U.S.’s will with one that will get right in line.”
Dickenson continued, “The Trump administration and its lackeys, whether the U.S. military, or ICE, or the National Guard, should not be able to go in and take over, in opposition to the will of the people.”
After the speeches, attendees returned to their cars to begin the caravan. The car caravan, acting as a funeral procession, forced traffic to a halt with more than 150 cars participating. The caravan passed by the Milwaukee Public School Central Office, where Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), the youth arm of immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera, was holding a rally about protecting students with a policy that limits the power that School Resource Officers (police officers) have. Students cheered on the caravan as cars honked in support of their rally.
Throughout the route, attendees received supportive honks and thumbs up as stopped cars observed the caravan, with some cars even joining mid-caravan.
After the car caravan made its presence known in the Washington Heights neighborhood, attendees briefly gathered back at Washington Park. Attendees were reminded that we must continue to unite in action against the Trump administration, against ICE attacks, against the genocide in Palestine, against the attacks on Venezuela, and against political repression that protesters in the U.S. face.