On Monday, March 30 DHS and ICE took Salah Sarsour into custody. While driving, he was pulled over by ten ICE agents with no just cause.

Salah has been a lawful permanent resident in the United States for over 32 years. Salah serves as the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee (ISM), board member of the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), and has been a prominent advocate for the Muslim and Palestinian communities for three decades.

Members of these communities understand that Sarsour is being targeted due to his leading roles locally and nationally. Like the targeting of Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia, Mohsen Mahdawi and other pro-Palestinian people of conscience, Sarsour is being subjected to the same treatment. Just as in their cases, the people are calling to mobilize!

A press conference will be held today, April 2, at 4 p.m. in the Islamic Society Milwaukee Community Center (815 W. Layton Avenue).

Solidarity to Sarsour, his family, the Palestinian, Muslim, and immigrant communities. Opposing the genocide in Gaza is not a crime! Fighting for Palestinian liberation is not a crime! Free Salah Now! Join the movement to free Salah!

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #ICE #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement #FRSO #ISM #AMP #Palestine

Chicago, IL – On October 2, 60 protesters disrupted Union Station to take a militant stand against the U.S./Israeli genocide of Palestinians. Momentum was high after the illegal kidnappings of 497 activists of the Global Sumud Freedom Flotilla from 44 countries. This is the first time since 2009 that a boat has made it into Palestinian waters and broken Israel’s siege of Gaza.

The emergency action was led by Students for Justice in Palestine-Chicago (SJP Chicago) and successfully disrupted traffic as well as people trying to leave and enter the Amtrak station.

Escalating for Gaza

Protesters gathered on a corner across from Union Station. A member of SJP set the tone, chanting defiantly, “Gaza must have food and water! We won’t pay for Gaza’s slaughter!” As momentum built up, members of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC (New SDS at UIC) and more took to the streets.

As the march proceeded, protesters rushed inside of Union Station. They progressed downstairs as the racist Chicago Police Department (CPD) attempted to isolate and intimidate young activists. Rather than freeze and look away, protesters surrounded said officers chanting, “Back up, back up, we want freedom, all these racist ass cops we don’t need em need em!” and “Move cops get out the way, we know your Israeli trained!” leaving officers no choice but to stand idle and concede to their demands. Protesters continued, rushing to the lower level and catching people there by surprise.

Protesters gathered at the center of the station as Jinan Chehade, from American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), expressed the urgency of the situation in Gaza, stating, “We are here today to make some noise! Over the last 24 hours, 500 activists from 44 countries have been kidnapped by the Israeli military for delivering baby formula and medicine to Gaza. The global Sumud Flotilla showed us that Israel is not invincible. That the siege can be broken and will be broken.”

The final vessel made it through to Palestinian waters despite the seizure of 44 boats. This is the first time a boat has entered Palestinian waters since 2009. Chehade continued, “This just shows, two years later, that our movement is strong, it is not weak, we are strong, we get louder every single day! They are calling this week the global crossing to Gaza, from Naples, to Rome, to Italy, to Malaysia, to Chile, these people have taken to the streets to protest against Israel.”

Chehade concluded, “Finally I want to end by saying this showed us that even though Israel has U.S. backing and billions of dollars it is not invincible, their navy is not invincible. Let a thousand flotillas sail next time, while a thousand conflicts still happen, we will keep sailing, we will keep marching, we will keep screaming, until we break the siege on Gaza.”

As protesters continued further into the station, attempting to reach the railroads, CPD proceeded to continue grabbing protesters, brutalizing them, smashing megaphones, threatening arrests and stealing megaphone batteries in the process. Through this hectic confrontation, it was clear the police were caught completely off guard by the youth.

Protesters proceeded outside, marching in downtown Chicago, chanting and creating a spectacle of green smoke that gained support from onlookers. The march ultimately landed in front of the Israeli consulate. Protesters gave full energy as Farah Chalisa, an international human rights lawyer for a U.S. Freedom Flotilla member, spoke, along with a member of the Malcom X Grassroots movement.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PYM #SDS #AMP #SJP #MXGM #StudentMovement #Feature

Minneapolis, MN – On August 28, approximately 50 protesters rallied outside Senator Amy Klobuchar's office to protest U.S. support for Israel's forced starvation of Palestinians. The rally drew much attention from onlookers on what was a day of multiple protests in the city. This action was organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC).

On August 22, the UN officially declared a famine in Gaza. In recent months, Israel's intentional starvation campaign has produced countless images of malnourished, skeletal Palestinians, shocking people around the world. In response, MPAC speakers expressed disgust at Israel's actions and at those who have contributed to the bombing and starvation, not least of which is Amy Klobuchar.

Taher Herzallah, director of outreach and community organizing for American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), told the crowd, “They hope – as Smotrich stood on the pulpit and said today – that the mass murder of Palestinians, the large scale, engineered starvation of an entire population, [will] teach them a lesson so that they never rebel again. The only thing that Smotrich will accomplish, him and his government in Israel today, is to cause more people, millions and millions more people around the world and in Palestine, to hate them even more.”

This growing worldwide revulsion towards Israel has placed politicians like Amy Klobuchar under significant pressure. Klobuchar, a staunch Zionist who continues to affirm the genocidal colony's right to “defend” itself, recently gave a speech on the Senate floor where she actually criticized Israel's starvation policy. While this concession can be seen as a minor victory for the pro-Palestine movement, Trent Fast, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), made it plain that Minnesotans are not taken in by empty posturing, stating, “Where was this outrage when you were posing and smiling with Netanyahu not a week before your speech to the senate?”

CeCe Maves, another AWC organizer, gave an agonizingly detailed description of the effects of starvation on the human body stating, “Starvation can cause permanent brain damage and, with children under the age of two, severely alter brain development. The psychological impacts of this will be seen for years to come.”

Nadiyeh Salawdeh of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network closed out the event by stating, “Like all liberal Zionists, Amy Klobuchar is doing all that she can to extend the life of the collapsing U.S. empire and its proxy in Israel. She wants to redeem the irredeemable. The world sees the fascist entities for what they are, and they see you as a foot soldier for genocide. You can no longer hide. It is our job to make sure that people like Amy Klobuchar are always held accountable for their role in genocide.”

#MinneapolisMN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MPAC #AMP #AWC

Chicago, IL -The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine held another weekly protest on Saturday, August 16. Around 100 protesters came out to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza, an arms embargo, and justice for Anas al-Sharif, the martyred Al Jazeera reporter who the Zionist entity bombed outside of a hospital.d

Protesters banged pots and pans and held signs that read “Justice for Anas” as well as a list of the names of the recently martyred Palestinian journalists. Then they brought out a casket to represent and honor the martyred Palestinian journalists.

“The genocidal state of Israel deliberately targeted the Al Jazeera tent, murdering Anas Al-Sharif — he fought with nothing but a lenses and his words,” said Nadia Alyafai with the US Palestinian Community Network.



Alayafai continued, “He stood against the bombs and the occupation armed with billions of dollars and global complicity. And he never stopped telling Gaza’s story. They feared him because he revealed reality,”
adding, “They believed if they silenced reporters, they could silence Gaza, that the world would forget their war crimes — but they are wrong, because we remember.”

Alyafai told protesters that they must live to tell the stories of the reporters and highlighted the importance of disrupting representatives who are guilty with perpetuating this genocide — such as Congressman Sean Casten of Illinois, who refuses to support the Block the Bombs Act.

A member of American Muslims from Palestine (AMP) stated, “Gaza’s fight is our fight, and while we may not be in Palestine, Palestine lives in every single one of us. Those bombs over Gaza, they bear our fingerprints. We are part of the story, so we must continue protesting and talking about Gaza in every single conversation we have.”

“Right now, we have to continue the legacy of resistance, and unite with people all around the world, from Yemen to Puerto Rico; from Palestine to the Philippines,” said Kobi Guillory with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR). “When Trump attacks DC, Chicago, Rafah, immigrants, Mexico, South Africa – we have to stand up, fight back – and loudly – in solidarity with oppressed people in the fight against oppression.”

The crowd then took to the streets and marched around the Loop area chanting, “Hey Israel what do you say? How many reporters did you kill today?” As they marched, it began to rain, but that did not stop them.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCN #CAARPR #NAARPR #AMP

Minneapolis, MN — On May 17, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), American Muslims for Palestine — MN (AMP), and the Free Palestine Coalition held a march to remember Al Nakba. They were joined by more than 250 community members in a march that shut down several of Minneapolis’ busiest downtown arteries. The action was a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s week of action.

Nakba Day, the commemoration of Al Nakba, Arabic for “the catastrophe,” marks the 1948 expulsion of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homes by militias that would later become the formal Israeli army.

Demonstrators marched with signs that read, “Victory to the Palestinian Resistance!” and “End the Nakba.” They carried a banner demanding “Trump: Hands off Gaza!”

While those in Minneapolis were commemorating Nakba Day by demanding an end to Israel’s apartheid laws and genocide in Gaza, Israel is currently carrying out a continuing Nakba. Hundreds have been massacred since Thursday, May 15, as Israel intensifies its aerial bombing and ground invasion in Gaza.

Speaking at Saturday’s march, Sana Wazwaz said, “I don’t want to give a speech today. The people of Gaza were saying their goodbyes the other night. And honestly, I’m sick of the sound of my own voice. But we’re here to say we’ve heard their goodbyes and yet Palestine will never say goodbye.” Wazwaz led the crowd in a series of call-and-response chants, the crowd responding with chants of “Never again!” as Wazwaz listed atrocities that have been carried out by the Israeli military.

The U.S. Palestinian Community Network-Minnesota (USPCN) was represented by Nadiyah Salawdeh, who emphasized that Israel’s crimes against humanity aren’t limited to Gaza. They described the apartheid conditions faced by Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, including the 793 military checkpoints that Palestinians must navigate as they live their daily lives, the land theft that has accelerated in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, and the 40,000 Palestinians who have been driven from their homes in the West Bank in the past few months.

Salawdeh stated, “As genocide continues in Gaza, don’t turn away and forget the escalations happening in the West Bank. It’s no secret that what Israel is doing in Gaza, Israel hopes to one day do in the West Bank as well. We are here to remind you: the Nakba never ended. It has evolved, shifted, and changed, but the goal of the Israeli regime has always been the same: permanent displacement of the entire Palestinian people.”

Layna Crandell, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, spoke as a Jewish anti-Zionist, saying, “This genocide is our modern-day Holocaust. I could talk about how Jews can’t be safe while Palestine is under attack, until Palestine is free, but ultimately this isn’t about us. Our solidarity is with Palestinians and their liberation. Our solidarity is with Palestinian resistance, who have fought for decades for their people and land.”

Crandell continued, “It’s not just Netanyahu or Ben Gvir or Smotrich. Israel has been a strategic pawn for U.S. imperialism for decades and continues to exist through U.S. economic and material support. Israel has been a stable ally throughout the U.S.’s destabilization efforts in the Middle East in pursuit of their own economic interests. Israel has also allied with the U.S. through supplying weapons to paramilitaries and far right governments in Latin America, collaborating with apartheid states in Africa, and supporting U.S.– led invasions in Asia. The IDF even trains our own police!”

Vash Lamp of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) spoke on the necessity of the movement for immigrant rights standing up for Palestine. He summed up the sentiment of the demonstrators when he said, “My friend shared with us the posts made by Palestinians in Gaza sharing their final goodbyes, because they didn’t expect to make it through the night. In these times, it’s hard to remain hopeless when we have the means of forging the future that we’re fighting for. Despite how bad this week has been, I’m not feeling hopeless, I’m feeling like I want to fucking fight!”

Organizers ended the march by emphasizing the need for all those standing for justice in the U.S. to show solidarity across movements, calling for marchers to attend an upcoming demonstration against Trump’s empowerment of police departments.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MNAWC #AMP #FPC #Nakba

Minneapolis, MN – On March 11, over 300 people protested in front of the Federal Building downtown Minneapolis to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and an end to the Trump administration’s criminalization of the pro-Palestine student movement at U.S. The protest was a part of Student for a Democratic Society’s call for a National Day of Action in solidarity with Khalil.

On the evening of March 8, the Department of Homeland Security detained Palestinian Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil. This was the first detention after Trump ordered the State Department to deport students for pro-Palestine activism. Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a green card holder, and his arrest is an unlawful violation of freedom of speech and immigration laws.

Trump’s Executive Order 13899 requires “the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with each other […] report activities by alien students and staff relevant to those grounds and for ensuring that such reports about aliens lead, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to investigations and, if warranted, actions to remove such aliens.”

On February 28, The Department of Justice announced that a federal task force to “Combat Antisemitism” would visit ten college campuses that “experienced incidents of antisemitism.” Trump’s administration conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and criminalizes students, staff and faculty who have protested a deadly genocide that has killed over 48,000 people in Gaza. This is a discrimination against Muslim, Palestinian and Middle Eastern students, faculty and staff. Columbia University and University of Minnesota are among campuses under investigation.

Crista Ocampo, an organizer with the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, spoke to the crowd, “We condemn this egregious case of political repression at the hands of ICE. ICE officers have terrorized communities across the country for far too long and now they are being used as a tool by Trump to further repress the Palestine movement. Shame! We won’t let them get away with this. Just look at the hard fought battle SDS put up and won against their administration to get the suspensions dropped for the Halimy Hall students. When our oppressors’ attacks become more blatant, it only makes it easier for us to unite with each other on the path to justice. We will never stop fighting because we know that that’s how we win.”

Lina Jebara, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, closed out the protest, “These acts of political repression – of plucking community leaders from movements, of threatening organizers with unconstitutional deportations or with phony felony charges, as we’ve seen here in our community – are not new for this country. These are deliberate actions taken to make us fear retaliation for standing up against depraved injustices, to push us towards acquiescence. We’re out here today, after witnessing months of harrowing genocide in Palestine carried out by Israel on our dime, to say that these tactics do not and will not work on us.”

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee, UMN Educators for Justice in Palestine, UMN Students for a Democratic Society, and endorsed by UMN Students for Justice in Palestine, Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, and American Muslims for Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #Trump #SDS #MNAWC #SJP #MIRAC #JVP #AMP

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, December 8, the Minnesota Anti War Committee held their annual Human Rights Day action. 200 protesters gathered in Minneapolis’s Washburn Fair Oaks Park and marched down the busy Nicollet Avenue, shouting demands for human rights for all and calling on the Minnesota State Board of Investment to divest from apartheid Israel and weapons manufacturers.

Every year, Human Rights Day is celebrated internationally to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that protects the inalienable rights of every person. During this Human Rights Day, protesters connected different struggles, including healthcare and abortion access, immigrant rights, police abolition, climate justice, land back, and anti-imperialism, to call for an end to human rights abuses in the U.S. and those sponsored by the U.S. abroad.

Abdullah Muhammad, a member of the Minnesota chapter of American Muslims for Palestine said, “Our unity today underscores a profound truth, the struggles for justice are interconnected.”

This protest heard speeches from the Anti-War Committee, Health Care Workers 4 Palestine, Climate Justice Committee, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, American Muslims for Palestine, Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, and Minnesota Workers United.

Robyn Harbison, a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, stated, “Countries are not playgrounds, nations are not chess pieces, nations are the people.” Connecting abortion access to the broader fight for human rights, Harbison asserted the “commitment in demanding better for the working class, our trans family, undocumented sisters, and victims of police violence.” Harbison is an outspoken Palestine solidarity activist and is fighting felony charges for protesting for Palestine at the University of MN.

Nicholas Tolliver, a member of the Anti-War Committee, stated that imperial powers, “monopolize access to resources and secure global supply chains on a planet that is being suffocated by climate change and ecological collapse caused by capitalist production and resource extraction.”

In order to stop imperial violence and human rights abuses, Tolliver stated, “divestment is one of the most powerful tools that we, living here in the imperial core, have to fight against imperialist human rights violations.”

The Minnesota State Board of Investment, which controls and organizes public workers’ pensions and state investments funded by taxpayers, invests $5.4 billion in public assets belonging to entities complicit or profiting from the Israeli apartheid and genocide. They are holding their quarterly meeting this Tuesday, December 10, at 10 a.m. in the Department of Administration Building, where the Minnesota Free Palestine Coalition is planning to pack the room.

The MN Anti-War Committee Human Rights Day protest was also a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s call for a week of action.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #AMP #MinneapolisFederationofTeachers #HealthcareWorkersforPalestine #CJC #MAAC #MIRAC #MWU

The event featured prominent speaker Taher Herzallah, the director of outreach and grassroots organizing for American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). Herzallah was the primary target of the vocal attacks by Zionists and Mayor Frey in the lead-up to the event. Herzallah was labeled an antisemite, and the event was denounced as a sign of antisemitism in public education unions. Despite this opposition, rank-and-file members of both chapters of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT 59) enjoyed Palestinian food, breakout sessions and well-informed discussions.

The attack on Taher Herzallah and the unionists seems to originate in part with the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), a national Zionist pressure group, and far-right website Alpha News.

Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) Twin Cities explained in their statement, “As Minneapolis Jews, we are outraged by the shameful provocation from the JCRC and Mayor Frey. We are grateful for Taher’s tireless work in speaking out against Israel’s ongoing attacks in Palestine and Lebanon and his years of multifaith organizing for justice, and we are grateful to MFT Educators for Palestine for organizing this important event.”

“Herzallah and I are clear that Zionism – which claims Jewish safety requires a nation-state where Jews have more rights than others – is a political movement that must be condemned, that Jews are a politically diverse group and that we can work together across faith lines for justice,” said Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg of JVP’s Rabbinical Council in a separate statement, adding they “look forward to working with Herzallah for years to come.” She called for an apology to Herzallah, detailing her years of work shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

Mayor Frey released a video parroting right-wing critics of public schools and teachers’ unions. Frey said teachers need to teach reading and math, not what he called “hate, pure and simple.” He called for the event’s cancellation. Nevertheless, the event was a major success and kept Herzallah as its main event speaker. It marks another loss for JCRC’s reactionary campaigns locally. Previously the JCRC’s Minneapolis operation failed in major campaigns to stop a Minneapolis city council ceasefire resolution and to prevent multiple unions from taking pro-Palestine, anti-Zionist actions.

The attack from the JCRC is particularly egregious, considering many of the members of the Free Palestine Coalition served on the solidarity committee for MFTs historic strike, while JCRC offered no material, written, or verbal support. Many in the Free Palestine Coalition are union members, or, like Taher Herzallah, are active supporters of unions and workers fighting for the right to organize.

The breakout sessions included lessons from Jewish educators about the differences between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Teachers also learned about the ongoing campaign to divest unions and Minnesota from apartheid Israel.

The divestment breakout focused on the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI). It manages Minneapolis Public Schools’ teacher, education support professional and public worker pensions, and has extensive holdings in Israel. Event organizers and attendees expressed outrage at the investment board’s ongoing decision to invest in Israel's apartheid and genocide, but were determined to work collectively toward divestment, a material contribution in the Palestine solidarity movement.

MFT 59 members have repeatedly given public comment at meetings of the SBI, demanding that it take immediate action to divest from apartheid Israel. Class struggle unionists celebrated this victory while looking ahead, members will make their voices heard at the upcoming SBI meeting on Tuesday, December 10.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Labor #Teachers #MFT59 #AMP #Palestine

Minneapolis, MN – On October 6, over 4000 protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis on to mark one year of protest and resistance to Israel’s U.S. funded genocide in occupied Palestine. The Free Palestine Coalition started the march with a rally at the Gateway Park Fountain on the corner of Hennepin and Washington Avenues. Protesters marched through downtown and the North Loop neighborhood, proudly displaying support for Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq and all people caught in the crosshairs of Israel’s terror campaign.

Red and green smoke flares filled the air as the crowd marched, and onlookers came out of businesses and apartments to cheer on the protestors and show their support. Chants of “Fight fight fight! Resistance is a human right!” and “Lebanon make us proud, turn another tank around!” echoed off the walls of high rises. Protesters and opponents of Israel's U.S.-bankrolled murder spree held various signs, some notable ones reading, “Resisting genocide is not a crime” and “Arms embargo on Israel now!”

The action held a special significance not only because it took place one day shy of the anniversary of October 7, but also in the wake of Israel's recent escalations into Lebanon, notably terror attacks carried out via exploding pagers and walkie talkies which killed at least a dozen Lebanese civilians, including children, and left as many as 3000 injured. This was followed by an aerial bombing campaign, with one attack requiring U.S.-made bunker buster bombs to flatten six buildings in order to assassinate Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and finally a “special ground operation” in southern Lebanon, which has yet to yield the Israelis any material results other than dozens of dead soldiers.

The previous Tuesday, October 1, had also seen Tel Aviv come under fire from resistance missiles launched by Iran, presumably a retaliatory strike for Israel's assassination of Hamas’ top negotiator in ceasefire talks, Ismael Haniyeh, which took place in Tehran. These strikes caused significant damage to Israel's Nevatim air base, proving Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system to be egregiously more ineffective than Israel and Western media have attempted to lead people to believe.

Taher Herzallah of American Muslims for Palestine spoke to the crowd before the march, highlighting the theme of resistance that took precedence on the day. Speaking on opposition to the Israeli project he noted, “At the same time that we have witnessed an entire year of genocide, we have also witnessed an entire year of resistance. We have witnessed an entire year of courage and bravery like we have never witnessed before. Just like Minneapolis in 2020 sparked the global reckoning on race, in 2024 Minneapolis and the rest of the country has sparked a global reckoning on the United States’ relationship with this apartheid regime.”

Herzallah continued, “There are those around the world who think that they can act with impunity, to do whatever the hell they want and not face accountability, there are those who believe they can kill innocent people left and right, that they can blow up other countries, that they can take whatever steps necessary to ‘defend themselves’, but what we have seen the last year, is the people of the global South, the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, and the people of Gaza, have shown them that they will pay a price.”

Yossi Aharoni, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee who was born in occupied Palestine also spoke at the march. Referencing the recent acts of desperation by the Israelis, Aharoni noted, “Iran recently conducted the largest military attack against Israel, unprecedented in its size, scope and success in history, rendering the Iron Dome useless. By all metrics both politically and military, Israel has lost the war, that is why we see it so desperately lashing out like a wounded animal caught in a bear trap; Israel knows the only way to continue is through a U.S. supported regional war. Israel’s successes lie only in the fact that now the vast majority of the world sees what we have known all along; the state of Israel is a terrorist state and the greatest threat to West Asia and world peace.”

Touching on the role of U.S. imperialism in Israel’s campaign, Aharoni later added, “Let us be clear, the problem is not a religious issue, nor is the problem Netanyahu, or Gallant, or Smotrich, or Gantz; the problem is Jewish supremacy, colonial occupation, apartheid; the problem is Zionism and its primary endorser, U.S. imperialism. The Black, indigenous, Chicano and LGBTQ movements support Palestine, not only because they recognize the moral travesty at hand, but because they know, like the Palestinians, their success hinges on the destruction of U.S. imperialism.”

The march wound its way through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, ending up back where it began two hours before at the Gateway Park fountain. There, Sanaa Wazwaz from American Muslims for Palestine told the crowd, “The Israeli occupation, it’s not a system – it’s a time, and that time is coming to an end in our lifetime. That time is coming to an end when we know 52% of Americans, including one-third of Republicans want an arms embargo on Israel.”

Many pro-Palestine voters have expressed a willingness to sit out this year's presidential race as a show of solidarity with Palestinians.

As the final chants of the afternoon rang out, a brisk autumn wind blew across the crowd and the message of the day had been made clear. With the calendar turning on one year of genocide since the October 7 resistance uprising, and Israel’s tactics only becoming more desperate and widespread into West Asia, the people of Minnesota made it clear that they’re in it for the long haul, meaning for as long it takes – until Minnesota divests its holdings in apartheid Israel, and until Palestine is free.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Lebanon #MNAWC #AMP

Dallas, TX – A coalition led by the Palestinian Youth Movement met at Dallas’ own Grassy Knoll, October 5 to observe a year of resistance against escalated genocide and expanding occupation at the hands of the Israeli state.

Speakers included Dr. Hatem Bazian of American Muslims for Palestine, Nida Abu Baker of the Holy Land Foundation, Dr. Omar Suleiman of the Yaqeen Institute, Pastor Frederick Haynes of Friendship West Baptist Church, and presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein. Freedom Road Socialist Organization, DFW Anti-War Committee and the Party for Socialism and Liberation supported the protest.

Crowds arrived with energy in the early afternoon as Dr. Hatem Bazian addressed the crowd by proclaiming “A free Palestine is a state of mind,” followed by Nida abu Baker affirming, “We will chant for the voiceless and we will demand justice.”

Dr. Omar Suleiman condemned the Zionist state as a “ruthless regime that turns its wrath on women and children, using means many of which are supplied by the U.S. government.”

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein followed, repeating the call for an immediate embargo on the movement of U.S. weapons and Israeli economic aid, proclaiming “The U.S. is not just a partner, the U.S. is leading the charge.”

The Dallas Fort Worth area is no stranger to weapons manufacturers, from its suburbs to its schools, with companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. Actions and shut-downs have repeatedly been held at facilities such as General Dynamics and Elbit Systems as well as at campus events hosted by Lockheed Martin in North Texas. Participants have faced repression at the hands of police and administrations.

The crowd took to the street with chants and signs. Pastor Frederick Haynes led with, “We don’t intend on relinquishing our claims” and “We will not bow down to the U.S. war machine.”

The crowd stopped briefly again at Dallas City Hall as Jo Hargis of DFW Anti War Committee spoke about the city’s complicity in genocide through a 2023 resolution. “Once again this city council has stood on the side of genocide and occupation.”

Just days after October 7, 2023, amid waves of misinformation targeted at the American public, the Dallas City Council reflexively and unanimously passed an extreme resolution giving its “unequivocal” support to the Israeli state. This came at the heavy objection of their constituents and 75% of the speakers present at the meeting, resulting in the city choosing to dig in further with an even more extreme draft of the resolution. The coming months would see Dallas Forth Worth community members march, teach and organize to shut down bomb factories, airports and schools – chanting “Whose streets? Our streets.”

Hargis continued, “The arc of history does not bend on its own. The people of Gaza broke out and took hold of the arc of history.”

The march concluded back at Dealey Plaza with cheers of “Wise up, rise up!” As the crowd dissipated back into the scenery of Saturday afternoon, organizers packed up to debrief and move on themselves, ready for another year of action.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PYM #DAWC #AMP #PSL #FRSO

Minneapolis, MN – On September 16, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee held a rally in remembrance of those killed during the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre. About 100 people rallied to project a message of solidarity with Palestine.

The Sabra and Shatila massacre was one of the most brutal massacres that Israel should be held accountable for. Between 2000-3500 Palestinian refugees and Lebanese civilians were killed in refugee camps outside of Beirut. The massacre occurred between September 16-18, 1982.

Historians and politicians have compared the massacre to al-Nakba, “the catastrophe” in Arabic, a phrase used to refer to the displacement of around 750,000 Palestinians in 1948. This comparison is made due to the sheer ferocity of Israel's attacks on the refugee camps in Lebanon. Those refugee camps only existed in the first place because of the displacement inflicted by al-Nakba.

Speakers from all walks of life gathered to greet the crowd with words of encouragement for continued solidarity with Palestine and continued efforts to end Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has now gone on for more than eleven months. Speakers called for divestment from Israeli companies and international corporations complicit in Israeli genocide and occupation, and for an end to the funding of Israel from Minnesota and the United States.

“Nearly 18 years after the Sabra and Shatila Massacre, Hezbollah succeeded in ending the Israeli occupation in South Lebanon, inspiring the second intifada in Palestine,” stated Lina Jebara of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee. “Today, the people of Palestine inspire all of us to keep showing up. To keep demanding better for all of us. To Governor Tim Walz, who chairs the State Board of Investment, who has refused to act on our calls to divest Minnesota from Israel's genocidal regime, if you want this country to believe that you’re truly progressive, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and pull us out of this genocide.”

“There are two things that Sabra and Shatila have taught us. The first is that history did not start on October 7. It absolutely did not. I can name many massacres that Israel has committed,” said American Maysoon Wazwaz of American Muslims for Palestine. “I have Tantura Massacre, I have Deir Yassin Massacre, I have Kafr Qassem Massacre and of course today we are here for Sabra and Shatila. The second point is that Zionism is the demographic threat. Zionism has always been a threat, not just to Palestinians but to its neighbors surrounding Israel, from Syria, to Egypt, to Lebanon where the Sabra and Shatila Massacre took place.”

“At the University of Minnesota we held encampment after encampment,” said a member of UMN Students for a Democratic Society, addressing the crowd. “We made it clear to our university that it was time to divest from genocide and apartheid.”

Lizzie Palmer of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice touched on Israeli forces training United States police in the use of lethal force on citizens. “The perpetrators who enacted these atrocities, the IOF, are the enablers of police militarization, racism and brutality that we see today,” said Palmer.

Vash Lamp of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee concluded the rally by sharing encouraging words. “When this is all said and done, you know it's because people like you did everything you could to prevent this from happening; because people like you would not stay home; because people like you took action to send a message that's heard loud and clear,” said Lamp. “That message is, ‘until we are all free, none of us are.’”

The demonstration was part of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee’s ongoing campaign to force Minnesota’s State Board of Investment to divest its extensive holdings in Israel Bonds, Israeli companies, weapons manufacturers, and other companies profiting off of the occupation of Palestine and Israel's apartheid system.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWCMN #SDS #AMP

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, June 29, as Olympic trials for gymnastics were being held at Target Center, 85 people gathered at a rally organized by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee to demand that Israel be banned from the Olympics due to its genocide against the people of Palestine.

The crowd was received warmly by many passersby on foot and in cars as they used drums, whistles, chants, and speeches to make themselves heard.

“We don’t believe that a country that is currently executing a genocide and maintaining an apartheid state should be allowed to compete in the Olympic games,” explained Trent Fast, a member of the Anti-War Committee. “We are answering the call from over 300 Palestinian-led sports clubs, youth centers, and civil society organizations to support their demand that the IOC apply its principles and fulfill its obligations by banning Israel from the Olympic Games to be held in Paris next month.”

Seeking to educate and bring awareness to those attending, speakers at the event stressed that the Olympics are not an apolitical spectacle, but a stage of international prestige and validation. In observance of this responsibility, the charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) states that “Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.” By that principle, South Africa was barred from participation for nearly 30 years due to its apartheid regime.

Israel being allowed to compete reflects the international community’s refusal to hold it accountable, while Palestine is struggling to even field athletes for competition due to the widespread death and destruction of its athletes and athletic facilities in Israel’s genocidal rampage. “Since October, over 300 professional athletes and sports officials have been killed in Gaza, and 42 sports facilities have been completely destroyed,” Anti-War Committee speaker Brandon Veal pointed out, “which amounts to every single one of them in the Gaza strip.”

Another member of the Anti-War Committee, emcee Ruby Arnone, highlighted the deaths of Majed Abu Maraheel, Palestine’s first Olympic athlete, and Nagham Abu Samra, a Palestinian karate champion hoping to compete in the 2024 games. Both died because Israel’s siege on Gaza prevented them from receiving medical care – Majed for kidney failure and Nagham for injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike that killed her sister.

Their deaths are two of over 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza over the last nine months. As Arnone put it, “Each week we hear of Israel carrying out massacre after massacre, torture and kidnapping, all punctuating the slow and deliberate campaign of starvation and medical neglect that kills children and adults just as surely as a bomb or bullet.”

Speaking for American Muslims for Palestine, Abdullah Mohammed drove the message home, “The Olympic games are a ‘celebration of human spirit and unity, transcending borders and conflict.’ However, allowing a nation that perpetuates such systemic oppression and violence to participate undermines these very principles. The story of Majed and countless others in Gaza highlights the dire need for the international community to take a stand.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MNAWC #AMP #olypmics #feature

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, June 25, around 100 people gathered as the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition led a protest of the Honeywell Aerospace Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Cars honked in support and many people who were just passing by brought bulk packs of cold bottled water for the protesters unprompted, just to show their support on the sunny day.

The crowd chanted “Who profits? Honeywell! Who dies? Gazans!” and speakers made connections between Honeywell and other local weapons companies and the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza as part of a national week of actions against weapons companies called by the newly formed Anti-War Action Network.

“We’re back, Honeywell!” Sarah Martin from Women Against Military Madness began, “It’s been a minute, but here we are again because you’re not just about thermostats. You’re still a merchant of death and have the blood of Gaza on your hands. On June 6, among the rubble of the United Nations-run al-Sardi school in Central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp were the remnants of a weapon that had Honeywell’s name on it!”

Honeywell has supplied precision guidance components for the Israeli Air Force’s guided missiles since 2000.

Martin also detailed the half-century history of local struggle against Honeywell, led by the Honeywell Project. For decades the group organized tirelessly fighting against Honeywell’s headquarters in Minneapolis until it finally left in 1991. Activists led civil disobedience actions, were arrested, and fought Honeywell in court. When the FBI infiltrated the Honeywell Project on behalf of the weapons company, the Project partnered with the ACLU to sue them and win $70,000. Martin finished by shouting, “But Honeywell is still at it. And so are we! Honeywell you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!”

Carrying that fight to today, Shahd Abouhekel from Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Minnesota spoke about UMN Divest Coalition’s work on campus: “The university contributes almost $700,000 in Israeli public stock for Honeywell. Shame. Shame. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see weapon manufacturing companies coming to my campus to recruit students to work for them. Students have shown time and time again that we don't want our tuition dollars to fund genocide supporters.”

Nick Tolliver from the MN Anti-War Committee stated, “Honeywell also supplies the police and military in America. Honeywell is everywhere invested in repressive state violence to defend the interests of the powerful. They supply the technological material for the slaughter of the people that Western imperialists deem targets for subjugation, exploitation, and violent oppression. We demand that the state of Minnesota divest from Honeywell and the $4 billion it has invested in institutions and companies that are participating in and profiting from genocide.”

Abdullah Mohammed of American Muslims for Palestine MN ended with a hopeful message to the group, “I tell you guys, what we're doing here today really impacts the Palestinians. And justice will come. And we shall see a free Palestine in the near future.”

Protesters were encouraged to go to the AWC’s protest outside of the Olympic gymnastics trials on June 28, outside of the Target Center to demand that Israel be banned from the Olympics.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SJP #AWAN #UMNDivest #AMP #MNAWC #WAMM #MNPeaceAction

St. Paul, MN – On June 21 during rush hour, 75 people rallied and chanted at the weekly WAMM (Women Against Military Madness) bannering at the busy intersection of Snelling and Summit Avenues in Saint Paul. This week’s event was co-sponsored by the Free Palestine Coalition.

The demonstrators held signs, “MN divest from apartheid Israel,” “Stop bombing Gaza” and “End U.S. aid to Israel.” Car drivers honked approval and passengers gave thumbs up constantly.

Emcee Robyn Harbison led the crowd in chants, “Hey Biden what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” The chants rotated, naming President Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Netenyahu and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.  

After the chanting were speakers representing several local Palestine solidarity groups including the MN Anti War Committee (AWC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Ceasefire Choir, and Normandale Students for Justice in Palestine.

As the death toll of Gazan martyrs at the hands of the Zionist murderers approaches 37,000, the speeches reflected the deep horror at the ongoing U.S.-sponsored genocide. There is plenty of anger because of the U.S. support, without which the Israeli war would not be possible. Speakers expressed awe, respect and love for the people of Palestine who continue to resist and continue to struggle until Palestine is free. 

Ellie McCloud, a new member of WAMM, pointed out to the crowd, “If the genocide were to stop this very second, if we had one funeral every day for everyone murdered, it would take over 100 years.”

Meredith Aby-Keirstead spoke representing the AWC, “This is the month we are supposed to be celebrating Pride and our resistance since Stonewall. But I’m not proud that stories of people like myself and other queer people are being used to justify U.S. support of this genocide and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. This is called pinkwashing. We have the responsibility next weekend in the Take Back Pride march where tens of thousands of people will be watching to say, ‘None of us are free, until Palestine is free!’”

Abdullah Abdulwahab spoke for AMP, “I want to tell you the story of Badr, a 29-year-old who was this week released from a prison after enduring unspeakable and sadistic torture. He returned to Khan Younis only to find his home bombed. He had nowhere to go. But despite his everything he has endured he will not give up. Not until Palestine is free. And neither will the father holding his dead child, nor the people from Rafah who are trapped and being bombed on a daily basis. Not until Palestine is free in the near future!

Abdulwahab concluded with the chant, “By the millions, by the billions, we are all Palestinians!”

Protesters were encouraged to come out to the MN Peace Action Coalition’s protest on Tuesday at a Honeywell facility in Northeast area of Minneapolis to hold Honeywell accountable for the weapons it produces that are used in this U.S.-supported genocide of the people of Gaza.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WAMM #AMP #MNAWC #MNFreePalestineCoalition

Minneapolis, MN – An estimated 300 Twin Cities residents came out in a downpour of rain to participate in the Free Palestine Coalition’s emergency rally to show solidarity with Rafah, May 27. The protest took place outside of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office near downtown Minneapolis.

Protesters wore keffiyehs and pro-Palestine apparel, held signs favorable to Palestinian liberation, and bellowed chants like “From the olive to the sand, Palestine is our demand,” demonstrating their commitment and continued support of Palestinian liberation.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) utilized the dark of night to engage in military tactics that continued genocidal efforts on the Palestinian people, dropping over 60 bombs within 48 hours and killing at least 45 civilians who sought any semblance of solace Rafah had to offer.

The Rafah massacre took place on the weekend of the anniversary of the death of George Floyd, and on this Memorial Day, the MN Free Palestine Coalition’s emergency response rally illuminated Israel’s unceasing genocide.

Loretta VanPelt, from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, placed the Black liberation with the liberation of Palestinians, touching on the offensive chokehold tactics that were used in the killing of George Floyd as equivalent to those used in the massacre of Palestinians. “The cops here, in Minneapolis and across the country are trained by the IOF. We need to continue to fight together for a free Palestine. I’m glad I’m in the same company and on the same side with people who want liberation,” said VanPelt.

Trent Fast of the Anti-War Committee proposed that instead of taking part in the traditional American Memorial Day holiday, “we take part in a different type of remembrance. We should be honoring the millions of innocent civilians who have been beaten, tortured, raped and murdered at the hand of the American military and its willing proxies over the course of this nation’s history.”

Fast went on to say, “The Zionist entity of Israel, with the unrelenting support of Genocide Joe and all of his crooked-mouthed cronies in Washington, have unleashed some of the most devastating attacks to date on the exhausted, malnourished, desperate and dying Palestinians who have fled to Rafah, who are grasping at the sliver of hope that they may somehow escape the nightmare they’ve been enduring for the past seven months in their native land.”

Representatives of Qatar and Egypt have indicated that the recent air strikes and onslaught may be additional deterrents to peace deals that Israel has continued to obstruct. France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell have also expressed their disdain – condemning the attacks on Rafah while practicing vigilant avoidance of denouncing the ongoing genocide and displacement of Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the attacks “a tragic mistake,” after Israel’s dismissal of the International Court of Justice order to halt its offensive assault on Rafah. Not in alignment with the verbal sentiments of the prime minister, the IOF took to social media to conceal their adverse attacks, claiming they “carried out an intelligence-based precise strike that targeted senior Hamas terrorists in Tal al-Sultan.”

The world has become aware of the fabrications coming out of Israeli leadership and military operations, seeing the amplified messages coming out of Rafah with reports of the dozens killed and infernos at the refugee camps.

Where international news outlets continue to offer skewed opinions and differing narratives, American Muslims for Palestine’s Maysoon Wazwaz reminded us to pivot attention to the people of Gaza, in the struggle for a free Palestine, stating, “We center them first, we center their work always. When I talk about Palestine, I bring up every person who is on the ground first, before I bring up me. This is about them, first and foremost, and we unite with them for their struggle.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MNFreePalestineCoalition #AntiWarCommittee #TCC4J #AMP

St Paul, MN – On May 21, the Minnesota State Board of Investments (SBI) held its second quarterly meeting of 2024. The meeting began with an extensive discussion on “ethical investments” related to green energy and combating the ongoing climate crisis. What was not brought up by board of investors was how much Minnesota annually invests in companies and shareholdings connected with the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

Residents, constituents, pension-holders and anti-war activists packed the meeting to let the SBI know that the people demand immediate and direct divestment from Israeli bonds, and from all companies that profit off Israeli apartheid, including but not limited to Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems and BAE.

Asiyah Ahmed from the MN Anti-War Committee gave an impassioned speech, stating, “As we know, SBI channels $3.25 billion into bolstering Israel, funding companies notorious for human rights abuses such as Elbit Systems, Caterpillar, and Lockheed Martin. These investments, drawn from the hard-earned pension and retirement savings of public employees, electively endorse genocide, apartheid and ethnic cleansing. Now, let's turn our attention to the devastating impact of these investments in Gaza. In places like the Jabalia refugee camp, which has been relentlessly bombed, and among the 900,000 refugees who have fled Rafah in the past few days, the brutalization and exploitation of the Palestinian people remain consistent. Just yesterday, a request for an arrest warrant for some Israeli leaders accused of crimes against humanity was made, emphasizing the urgency of our actions.”

The most fiery speech of the day was given by Sana Wazwaz of the MN American Muslims for Palestine. Wazwaz castigated the SBI for their continued investments in Israel and the hypocrisy they demonstrated by claiming a deep care for climate change while wholly ignoring their investments in a leading contributor of climate change, militarism, most especially Israeli militarism.

Wazwaz addressed the SBI stating, “As a recent graduate with hopes to become a Minnesota school teacher, it devastates me to know that my future pension funds are going to be invested in not just the slaughter of my family, but also my planet, your planet, and the planet that my grandchildren will inherit. How dare you all pat yourselves on the back and attempt to stall your constituents with this phony climate investments roadmap without divesting from the perpetrators of climate destruction. How dare you? You cannot play fireman and arsonist at the same time. Respectfully you have millions invested in the government that’s responsible for destruction of over half of the water facilities in Gaza according to UNICEF. According to National Geographic ,in 2023 alone over 2000 of the olive trees in the West Bank alone were destroyed in just one month. How can you attempt to talk about planet investments while not divesting from the thing that is actively harming the environment tenfold. The time to divest is now!”

Many other speakers took to the podium as well showing their support for divestment including members of Jewish Voice For Peace, the New Testament United Theological Seminary, AFSCME 3800 and a professor at the University of Minnesota.

The SBI meeting was followed with a press conference in the hall featuring many of those who took to the podium stating that the people will not stop fighting for full divestment until Minnesota divests entirely from all entities tied to apartheid Israel. The next Minnesota State Board of Investments meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 14 at 10 a.m.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #JVP #AFSCME #MNAWC #AMP #SBI

St. Paul, MN – On Saturday, March 23, the Twin Cities Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage, on a 22-mile walking journey, made a stop at the Minnesota governor’s residence. There, they joined a vigil organized by the Twin Cities-based Free Palestine Coalition for a rally and die-in in front of Governor Tim Walz’s home.

The pilgrims walked 22 miles in prayerful solidarity with the 1.4 million Palestinian people of Gaza who were forced to flee 22 miles from Gaza City to Rafah by Israel’s attacks. Gazans were given false promises of safety from bombardment and combat in the southern city of Rafah.

Demonstrators demanded that Walz divest Minnesota’s public money from apartheid Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire.

A crowd of about 200 gathered to greet the pilgrims and support the call for divestment and ceasefire outside Governor Walz's current residence. Over 100 pilgrims of many faiths made their way across the Marshall/Lake Street bridge holding signs, banners, flags, olive branches and palm fronds. They were welcomed to the rally with cheering, drumming and chants.

“One of the most powerful moments was when pilgrims were crossing the Lake Street Bridge and folks at the rally were holding space at the governor’s residence. We could see each other and know that we were coming together, folks from many faiths and walks of life, to demand justice. We have to model the kind of world we are trying to build, and that’s one in which we are all working together in solidarity, because we know our liberation is bound up together” stated Clara Sanders, a member of the Ceasefire Choir and Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage planning team.

The rally then continued with interfaith speakers including Jews, Christians and Muslims from organizations such as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Anti-War Committee (AWC), Ceasefire Choir, and the Twin Cities Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage. They spoke about the crimes being committed by Israel and the genocide that Palestinians face, emphasizing that this includes not only Palestinians of Muslim faith but of Christian and Jewish faith too. Poems were recited and speakers shared experiences they and their loved ones have had in Palestine and at the hands of the Israeli occupation.

After the speakers, tarps and bloodied sheets were laid out on the lawn for attendees to join a die-in which represented martyrs murdered by Israel while a speaker intoned a list of the names of those murdered.

Sabry Wazwaz, a speaker at the vigil and an organizer with AMP and the Free Palestine Coalition, said the rally was “very powerful. Jews, Christians and Muslims plus other faiths and people of non-faith standing together in solidarity with one voice to strongly condemn the genocide taking place in Gaza by the Israeli government.”

Wazwaz continued, “We had anywhere between 80 and 100-plus people from different churches who braved freezing temps to walk 22 miles for Gaza. Witnessing that plus the die-in was not only emotional but inspiring. Speeches from Christians, Jews and Muslims reminded everyone this has nothing to do with Arabs vs. Jews and only to do with Israel’s continued apartheid and military occupation against the Palestinian people for 76 years. Those who showed up to the rally let it be known that they are frustrated with politicians like Governor Walz, Senator Klobuchar and others’ continued silence while women and children continue to be killed at an alarming rate. No civilians, no matter where they are across the globe, should have to endure daily bombings and forced starvation.”

The rally ended with Christian, Muslim and Jewish prayers. The pilgrims left for their final destination of Bdote, Minnesota to pay homage to the sacred and historically significant site to the Dakota people. According to Twin Cities Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage, stopping at Bdote is a reminder “that our pilgrimage takes place against a backdrop of violent colonialism perpetrated by European Americans in the United States.”

A member of the Ceasefire Choir led a song with lines including “We sing together, we walk together” to send off the pilgrims on their final leg of their journey. Sabry Wazwaz of the AWC said, “The people of Minnesota came out together and reiterated they will not stop until a permanent ceasefire is called and [there is] an end to this horrendous genocide.”

#StPaulMN #TwinCitiesMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #AMP #MNAWC

Saint Paul, MN – On Friday, March 15 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, the Free Palestine Coalition led a protest of hundreds inside and outside of the Humphrey-Mondale Dinner, the largest annual Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (the name of the Democratic Party in Minnesota) fundraiser.

Protesters drew attention to the fact that since October 2023, the leadership of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) has remained silent while over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in what has been acknowledged around the world as an unprecedented atrocity and a genocide – the gravest humanitarian crime of all.

Protesters lined up along both sides of a busy city street as people parked both for the dinner and a sold-out Olivia Rodrigo concert. The excited concert-goers took “Free Palestine” signs and chanted along as they waited to be let into the show.

“Our demands for a permanent ceasefire have been ignored by Minnesota senators for months. The DFL would rather avoid us altogether through racist exclusion instead of addressing the elephant in the room. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have continued to make excuses for Israel, soften their language when criticism arises, and offer no real support to stop U.S. involvement in the genocide in Gaza. Minnesota residents have lost family members by the dozens in Gaza. The DFL labels themselves as a progressive group that stands for human rights, yet we see very well that this is merely a facade to hide personal interests,” said Maysoon Wazwaz with American Muslims for Palestine MN.

Speakers throughout the night demanded that congressional representatives of Minnesota such as Amy Klobuchar end support for U.S. aid to Israel. They also demanded that the Minnesota State Board of Investments divest its over $3 billion held in Israeli companies, weapons manufacturers and companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine.

“I’m here because I’m a proud Jewish anti-Zionist and I have spent years working for the DFL to elect the officials who are inside this building. We elected them because they promised to fight for Minnesotans’ education, healthcare and quality of life. They promised to defend our rights. Now, we’re watching as they send billions of our tax dollars to kill Palestinian families,” said Imogen Page, a former DFL campaign staff member and Jewish Voice for Peace-Action member.

Inside the dinner, the luminaries of the Minnesota DFL ate and gave speeches, including Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, DFL Chairman Ken Martin, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Representative Angie Craig, among others. The keynote speaker was the U.S. senator from Georgia, Raphael Warnock. As the party members sat and ate their dinner, catering staff gave thumbs up to an excited crowd of Palestine solidarity protesters outside.

During Senator Klobuchar’s speech at the dinner, Dan Engelhart, a member of the Twin Cities Ceasefire Choir, a group of practicing and nonpracticing Christian-heritage people in solidarity with Palestine, stood up and shouted, “Stop funding genocide in Palestine!” before being removed from the venue.

The Free Palestine Coalition continues organizing for Minnesota to divest from apartheid Israel as well as calling for an end to the siege of Gaza, an end to U.S. aid to apartheid Israel, and for a free Palestine.

#StPaulMN #TwinCitiesMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MNFPC #MNAWC #AMP #DFL

Columbia Heights, MN – On Monday, February 26, the city council of Columbia Heights voted 4-1 to pass a resolution calling for an end to Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza. The Columbia Heights community packed the room, as it did at a previous city council meeting to provide public comment and encourage the council to vote in favor of the resolution.

The Columbia Heights resolution is just one example of a wave of historic resolutions adopted by cities across the country. Minneapolis has passed the most progressive ceasefire resolution in the U.S., which calls for an end not only to the genocide in Gaza, but also to all military aid to Israel. Columbia Heights’ resolution cites the International Court of Justice’s ruling against Israel and demands an immediate halt of all weapons shipments that may be used in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The Free Palestine Coalition, a Twin Cities-based coalition of Palestine activist groups like the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, American Muslims for Palestine-MN; Faculty, Librarians, Alumni, Graduate Students, and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FLAGS-JP), and many others, organized several call-in campaigns and turned out community members to city council meetings to make an impact on the council.

Brandon Veal, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, states, “All of [the council members’] statements focused on how this was very much a local issue. Many of the members pointed out that they received more calls and emails from members of the community about this issue than any other as long as they’ve been on the council.”

Veal continued, “As the final vote was made, the crowd erupted in applause for the successfully passed resolution. There were many moments of warm embraces from community members. Both the meeting two weeks ago and Monday’s felt like times of collective grieving and healing. At the previous meeting, community members stepped up to the podium one by one to express why this resolution was so important to them, something that went on for nearly three hours.”

Over 70 cities across the U.S. have now passed resolutions demanding a ceasefire. The Free Palestine Coalition is currently campaigning to get a similar resolution passed in Saint Paul. Dr. Sima Shakhsari, a member of FLAGS-JP, stated “It was heartwarming and refreshing to see the Columbia Heights city council take the time to listen to their constituents and vote for a ceasefire. As a Saint Paul resident, I hope that my city council members join Columbia Heights and stand on the right side of history by voting to stop this genocide.”

#ColumbiaHeightsMN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #CityCouncil #Ceasefire #MNAWC #AMP #FPC #SJP

St. Paul, MN – 200 people packed the Saint Paul city council meeting on February 7 to send a message to the city council that the residents of Saint Paul want them to take a stand against genocide.

Their signs stressed the importance of Saint Paul having a ceasefire resolution. The signs read, “Take a stand against genocide” and “Palestine is a local issue!” All of the signs also demanded, “Pass a ceasefire resolution now!”

The action at the city council meeting was the culmination of a weeklong call-in campaign to the council members. The day before, the Free Palestine Coalition held a rally outside Saint Paul City Hall with 300 people attending. The Free Palestine Coalition organized the attendance at the city council meeting and the rally to not only raise awareness but to make sure the city council knows that there is support for ceasefire resolutions, including ending the aid to Israel.

Because of the large crowd presence, at the end of the meeting, Council President Mitra Jalali had to acknowledge them.

The Free Palestine Coalition plans to continue the campaign until the city council passes a ceasefire resolution that includes the ending aid to Israel. The Free Palestine Coalition just won an important victory in Minneapolis with their ceasefire resolution passing, and the coalition plans to keep the momentum going now with the other Twin City.

#StPaulMN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MNAWC #AMP