NYC, NY—On July 22 at 8 a.m., protesters will rally to demand, “Free President Maduro and First Lady Flores!” outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan, New York.

A growing coalition of groups and individuals, both in NYC and nationally, support freedom for the pair. Coalition members include Brooklyn Against War, the Anti-War Action Network, Workers World Party, International Action Center, Palaver Collective, Black Alliance for Peace, and the International League of People’s Struggle.

“President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores have done nothing wrong. They have committed no crime. Their kidnapping, detention, and trial by Trump and the U.S. government is the only crime here,” said Tom Burke, a longtime anti-war activist and organizational secretary for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Burke continued, “The whole world sees Trump and Wall Street attempting to dominate Venezuela’s oil, minerals and economy. It is armed robbery.”

“While other countries send Venezuela earthquake aid, Trump and the U.S. government are imposing U.S. military forces and enforcing U.S. economic sanctions,” Burke said.

Dozens of anti-war and international solidarity protesters will gather at Baxter Street and Worth Street in Manhattan to let the U.S. Department of Justice know they demand the cancellation of the prosecution against President Maduro and Cilia Flores. Their flyer reads, “Free Maduro! Free Flores! Hands off Venezuela! No war with Cuba!”

#NYCNY #NY #International #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #Maduro #Cuba #BAW #AWAN #Featured

Chicago, IL – On July 11 and 12, the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) held its second national conference in Chicago. Reflecting AWAN’s growth of 11 more committees since its founding conference in 2025, over 250 participants gathered from more than 24 local anti-war groups from across the U.S.

As a grassroots, nationwide network, AWAN unites anti-war, pro-Palestine and student groups from across the country. The network’s growth follows a year of victorious campaigns led by AWAN affiliates and coordinated days of action responding to Trump’s aggression against Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.

Among these victories, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) led a successful campaign to kick Chevron out of the city’s French Quarter Fest, and Palantir’s corporate headquarters was forced out of Colorado after a sustained campaign by Denver Anti-War Action.

The two-day conference reflected the geographic scale of AWAN’s growth, with speakers and panelists from cities including Denver, Colorado; New Orleans, Louisiana; Dallas, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; San Jose, California, and Cleveland, Ohio.

Attendees benefited from the collective experience of AWAN through nine volunteer-run workshops on topics like “Lessons in Campaign Building,” “How to be in Coalitions and Build your Work,” “Design Matters: Using graphic design and zines to build the anti-war movement,” and “Media Relations 101: Strategies, tools, and tips for organizing.”

The conference’s opening panelists included Hatem Abudayyeh, the national chair of U.S. Palestine Community Network (USPCN); Steve Ellner, an advisory board member of the Science & Society journal and associate managing editor of Latin American Perspectives; Chrisley Carpio of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression; Sara Flounders, the coordinator of the International Action Center, and Meredith Aby, a key AWAN leader, director of Women Against Military Madness, and co-founder of the MN Anti-War Committee.

Speaking of the BDS movement against Israel, Abudayyeh said, “Divestment victories are happening everywhere, including the recent one in Michigan, and the one led by USPCN and AWC right here in Illinois, when the Illinois State Board of Investments divested more than $33 million from corporations profiting off war, genocide and ICE raids.”

In her opening remarks, Aby said “The Anti-War Action Network’s guiding objective as an organization is building a broad movement opposed to the greatest cause of injustice in the world today, which is the United States and its destructive wars, sanctions and interventions.”

Aby reported that AWAN remains on a trajectory of growth, boasting 28 member organizations and many other groups planning to affiliate after the conference.

The conference received greetings from BAYAN USA, a progressive, anti-imperialist alliance of grassroots Filipino organizations across the United States, and Nodutdol, an organization of Koreans organizing for social justice, Korea's reunification and an end to U.S. imperialism.

On the second day of the conference, AWAN elected an expanded steering committee to reflect its nationwide reach and passed 12 resolutions, both of which are available on its website.

If your organization would like to learn more about AWAN or join and participate in national calls to action, go to antiwaractionnetwork.org.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #Iran #Palestine #Featured

New Orleans, LA- On July 4, downtown in Lafayette Square, a crowd of about 100 people participated in an anti-imperialist rally and march. The action was organized by local anti-Zionist organization New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and was endorsed and attended by several local New Orleans groups.

Speakers included activists from the anti-war movement, Indivisible, and the movement for police accountability. Although every speaker used their own words and language, every speech had one through-line, demanding an end to US wars for blood and oil.

The rally chanted and marched in 95-degree heat to Jackson Square to unveil a banner that read “250 years of imperialism, oppression & war” to passersby on the scorching Saturday afternoon.

Rosalie Framboise of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization declared to the crowd, “We are here on the 250th anniversary of the American empire, a hydra that has strung its tentacles all over the world, in pursuit of raising its stock price, and manifesting the destiny of the billionaire, monopoly capitalists who control it.” Framboise went on to decry how Donald Trump wants us to celebrate American wars and empire.

In conjunction with NOSHIP’s action, high school student activist groups Student Action Movement (SAM) and Students for Resistance (SFR) spoke against the development of a planned AI Hyperion data center along Louisiana Highway 183, emphasizing the threat that data center expansion poses to the environment.

“We are out here in the streets protesting imperialism, oppression and war that the U.S. has been engaging in for 250 years,” said one of the organizers of the action. “We’re angry, and it’s hot as hell but we’re fired up, we’re mad, and we’re not going to stop.”

Despite the incredible heatwave in New Orleans city, the locals came out in droves either to actively participate in the march, or clearly show solidarity with our united messaging.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #AWAn #NOSHIP

Portland, OR – For this year’s July 4 holiday, the United States’ 250th anniversary, Portland made it clear with a rally and protest that there was nothing to celebrate. The event aimed to establish that there is “No freedom in endless war” and demand that money be spent on human needs, not war and genocide, referring to the increase of U.S. aggression internationally over the last year and over 1000 days of genocide against the Palestinian people.

The event was hosted by Portland for Palestine (P4P), following the national call to action from the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN). P4P was joined by the Portland district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD), Portland Extinction Rebellion, Brown Hope, and Veterans for Peace Portland chapter 72.

The event started off with a rally at Terry Schrunk Federal Plaza, where over 150 people gathered with Palestine flags, upside-down American flags and signs opposing war, ICE and President Donald Trump. Judas Graves of P4P addressed the crowd with a question for the crowd, “I heard there is a holiday today but do we have anything to celebrate?” to which the crowd responded with a loud and resounding, “No!”

The energy of the crowd was high from the very beginning, with Graves leading chants of “No more endless war!” and “No more killing kids!”

Samantha Ibarra, a Marine Corp veteran and organizer with PDXCD, spoke of her time in the military as she joined with the hope of fulfilling the “American Dream” for her family. She states that instead she found the truth about military service: “Black, indigenous and people of color, immigrants or not, sacrifice themselves and gain nothing. Countless siblings, parents and partners are being used as disposable property of the government while the rich line their pockets from endless wars.” Ibarra is currently facing charges from the Portland police after exercising self-defense against right-wing agitators who regularly attend Portland protests and assault attendees.

The very same right-wing agitators were in attendance on the 4th, all holding their phones on tripods and yelling obscenities at the crowd before being pushed to the perimeter of the event by event and drowned out by chants.

Cameron Whitten from Brown Hope evoked the words of Frederick Douglass from his speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” from 1852: “There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.” The weight of these words spoken nearly 175 years later was felt by everyone in attendance.

Whitten continued, “I am tired of having to see what is going on in this country on headlines with a degree of powerlessness. Because what I know is that we are powerful, we are a movement! We are a movement against war, against genocide, for education, for opportunity, for peace. We are here knowing that we have been trampled on, disgraced and insulted for far too long and enough is enough!”

After the rally, the sizable crowd embarked on a nearly two-mile march around the downtown Portland area. The group was followed by the city-famous “World on Fire” protest firetruck that was draped in banners that read “Stop the genocide, break the bonds” and “It will take all of us.” The group marched past the annual Waterfront Blues Festival that runs every Fourth of July weekend with chants of “Money for homes and education, not for bombs and devastation!”

Veterans for Peace Chapter 72 President Dan Shea, in a statement that was read aloud in his absence, pointed out “At 250 years, America does not need another hollow celebration. We need an honest reckoning: leaders who respect dissent, veterans who speak truth, communities that refuse fear, and citizens who know freedom is not proven by fireworks. Freedom is proven when the vulnerable are protected, war is restrained, power is accountable, and truth-tellers are heard instead of silenced.”

Portland for Palestine will continue to protest and speak out against unjust wars waged by the United States. The group maintains their demand to end all U.S. aid to Israel to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people.

#PortlandOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #P4P

St Paul, MN – The Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) issued a national call to action for protests on July 4 weekend to highlight that the U.S. 250th birthday celebration also mark 250 years of nonstop genocide, war and imperialism.

Both the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) held actions to draw attention to the costs of U.S.-sponsored wars and genocides.

On July 3, WAMM held its weekly Free Palestine protest as a part of the call and to draw special attention to also mark 1000 days of genocide of Palestine by Israel sponsored by the United States.

Meredith Aby, the director of WAMM, explained, “This week the United Nations issued a report detailing evidence of Israel deliberately targeting Palestinian children during the conflict since October 2023. In fact, Israel continues to violate the agreement on a daily basis. The UN reports that 265 children were killed and more than 400 others injured since the ceasefire, which averages to nearly one child killed every single day. Children are starving to death in Gaza too. The world needs to be more outraged by this massive level of mass murder, especially towards children. Women Against Military Madness holds a protest at Summit and Snelling every Friday for a Free Palestine, but this week’s protest is important in our efforts to stop the normalization of genocide.”

On July 4, the AWC held a rally at Chute Square in Northeast Minneapolis to protest the insidious “holiday.” Dozens of protesters held signs with statements like “No blood for oil,” “Iran is not the enemy” and “Victory to the Palestinian resistance,” with a large banner that read, “No freedom in endless wars.”

Organizers say that the American flag was intentionally left out of the various flags flown as a display of international solidarity with Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Lebanon and Palestine. They chose these countries’ flags because they are current targets of the Trump administration.

Organizations around the Twin Cities, such as American Muslims for Palestine, MN50501, U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) were represented among the speakers at the rally. They reiterated that American taxpayer dollars are funneled into the $1 trillion military budget that goes towards attacking, sanctioning, decimating and invading sovereign peoples and sovereign nations.

Maumoon Slayhi from American Muslims for Palestine summed up the sentiment of the crowd by declaring, “Enough endless wars. Enough blank checks for militarism. Enough asking working Americans to fund destruction while our schools struggle, our families struggle, and healthcare becomes more and more out of reach.”

The irony of the Trump administration’s “Freedom 250” coming on the heels of the deadly Operation Metro Surge, when federal agents murdered, displaced, kidnapped and terrorized Twin Cities communities was also noted by speakers. In her speech, Montana Hirsch from MIRAC stated, “U.S. intervention leads to forced mass migration; sanctions and wars create conditions where people are forced to leave their homelands and come here only to be met with the deportation machine! Where is the freedom in that?”

Over 30 members of both the MN Anti-War Committee and WAMM will travel to Chicago for AWAN’s second national conference July 11 and 12.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #AWAN #WAMM

Grand Rapids, MI – In the late afternoon on July 4, around 40 people gathered in Roberto Clemente Park to socialize, eat and condemn 250 years of U.S. war crimes. For many of the attendees, this was the first anti-war event they've attended.

In addition to food and drink, the event featured speakers, educational games and a piñata printed with Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The piñata was enthusiastically destroyed to close out the event. Flags of countries recently and historically repressed by the U.S. were displayed around the park, including Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and Palestine.

Speakers represented the following organizations: Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW), Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), and the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN).

Tyler Stalorites, a veteran of the U.S. Army and organizer with GROW, talked about his experience being recruited during high school: “At 17 years old, I was plucked from the small town of Bridgman, Michigan and shortly after placed in the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment. I was driving a Humvee before I could vote, smoke or go to a bar.”

Stalorites then discussed how his world view started to change as he was deployed to Eastern Europe, “I noticed I felt a stronger bond with the Turkish construction workers or the Hungarian shop owners near our base than I did with my commanding officers.”

Tom Burke spoke for AWAN, and gave a shout out to a number of upcoming electoral campaigns: Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate, Lily Cheng-Schulting for State Representative, and Ivan Diaz for Michigan Senate.

Burke spoke to the public reception to Trump's war on Iran. “War is unpopular, and the Iran War is especially unpopular. When the loss in Vietnam struck the U.S., it took decades to launch another unpopular war. The loss in Iran will be an even more devastating loss for the U.S.”

Burke continued, “This country kidnapped the democratically-elected president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. Very soon I will be traveling to the New York City courtroom to stand in solidarity with him and his wife Cilia Flores.”

The speakers closed out with chants like “No to war, yes to peace, U.S. out of the Middle East” and “Free, free Palestine!” The event was organized by GROW in response to the AWAN July 4 call to action.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #GROW #AWAN

Milwaukee, WI – Over the July 4 weekend, residents of Milwaukee held a banner drop and a social to commemorate 250 years of resistance by people fighting for freedom and liberation from oppression. The events were organized by the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) and supported by other community organizations.

The weekend’s events were in response to the National Day of Action called by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN). As the Trump administration celebrates 250 years since the founding of the U.S., people are fighting against Trump’s ICE detention and deportation, against unjust wars and genocide funded by their tax dollars, and for basic rights such as healthcare, education and a living wage.

The banner drop, on the night of July 3, was strategically held at Brady Street Bridge just as a drone show was beginning.

As the drone show celebrated corporations and the U.S. military, MAC, joined by community members and CODEPINK Milwaukee, flew banners reading, “Money for human needs,” “Stop the U.S. war machine!” and “U.S. & Israel: Hands off Iran & Lebanon!” Passersby in cars honked and shouted “Free Palestine!” while people on foot stopped to offer support and thank the organizers for putting the message out.

The second event was held on July 4, a social event to mark People’s Independence Day. Students for a Democratic Society University of Milwaukee (SDS) and Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) co-sponsored MAC’s event, joining community members who came to celebrate People’s Independence. Around 20 people came to share food and listen to speeches about the history of people’s resistance, which countered lies about this country’s history.

Hayley Angel, one of MAC’s co-chairs said, “What is worth celebrating today is the fact that for every oppression that people have endured at the hands of the U.S. government, both domestic and international, they have resisted. We reject militaristic displays, and instead uplift the struggle of the people. We know we have so much more in common with people all over the world resisting the U.S. war machine than we do our government at home!”

“I’ve never seen this country be so unpopular. Locally, we see terror take many forms, like inviting multiple law enforcement agencies into Milwaukee, where one of these ultimately murdered Sam Sharpe Jr, or the police chief going to Israel to explore new ways to over-police Milwaukee, or the Sheriff’s Department lying about collaborating with ICE. Nationally we see my compañera Nadia Topete being subpoenaed down in LA for protesting ICE’s terror. Some of this may sound scary or intimidating. But one thing remains constant: the people are fed up with this country’s constant boot on our neck and we’re not afraid to fight back against the powers that be and we’re eager to take what’s rightfully ours!” said Diego Garcia, a co-chair of MAARPR.

The People’s Independence Day event also featured a potluck, lawn games and a piñata of Donald Trump.

Attendees of the two events in Milwaukee are not fooled by the false claim of independence and freedom as touted by the Trump administration. They used the weekend to protest, to come together, and to pledge to continue the fight for as long as it takes to truly win freedom for the people.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #July4th #AWAN

Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Anti War Committee (TAWC) along with nine other organizations rallied outside the Mexican Consulate on June 27 to demand: U.S. hands off Cuba! U.S. hands off Mexico!

The crowd of nearly 30 people received numerous honks from vehicles passing by the busy street corner. The action joined the national Week of Action called for by the National Network on Cuba and endorsed by Black Alliance for Peace, UNAC, Resist US-Led War, Anti War Action Network (AWAN), and many others.

James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ) initiated the call for an action to support Mexico’s solidarity with Cuba and demand an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba. Jordan wanted to raise the profile of U.S. interventions in Mexico, like the recent appearance of CIA agents in Chihuahua and the bogus indictments against elected representatives who are members of the Morena party.

Protesters held signs that read: “Let Cuba live!” “E.E.U.U. fuera de México!” “Bloqueo no! Cuba si!” and “CIA fuera de México!”

While not present for health reasons, James Jordan sent important talking points that Jim Byrne of TAWC shared in a speech, “There is a lot of U.S. activity in and on Mexico these last few months, like the CIA agents invited to Chihuahua by the PANista governor without telling the President Claudia Sheinbaum. The U.S. claims it has ten indictments, many of whom are members of the party of past president AMLO and current President Sheinbaum, the popular Morena party. Meanwhile, Trump pardoned a convicted drug trafficker, past Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. This ‘HondurasGate’ threatens any sitting progressive president in Latin America.”

Byrne continued, “Mexico has sent over 4800 tons of aid to Cuba during this U.S. blockade. They deserve our solidarity! Cuba is surviving a decades-long embargo and now an inhumane blockade, they deserve our solidarity!”

The action was endorsed by the immigrant rights organizations Coalición de Derechos Humanos and Paisanos Unidos, progressive veteran organizations Common Defense and Veterans for Peace, and political organizations CPUSA Tucson, PSL Tucson, Pima County Green Party, and FRSO Tucson.

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Cuba #Mexico #AWAN

Jacksonville, FL – El 29 de mayo, Miembros de la comunidad protestaron la sentencia grave de Conor Cauley y Leah Grady, dedicándose a seguir la lucha contra sus cargos y exigiendo la liberación de Conor Cauley, que actualmente se mantiene como prisionero político en la Cárcel del Condado Duval.

A pesar de las fuertes lluvias, más de 60 miembros de la comunidad protestaron delante del juzgado y, luego, detrás de la cárcel del condado bajo carpas que se combaban y rompían con el peso del agua de la lluvia. Esto no desanimó a los asistentes, que continuaban a gritar y concentrarse contra el tratamiento injusto a los organizadores contra la guerra.

Estas manifestaciones fueron dirigidas por la Red de Solidaridad con Palestina de Jacksonville junto con organizaciones comunitarias incluyendo la Comité de Acción Comunitaria de Jacksonville, la Alianza de Derechos de Inmigrantes de Jacksonville, los Brentwood 300, los Socialistas Democráticos de América, y la Organización Camino de la Libertad.

Cauley fue sentenciado a 60 días encarcelado y tres años de aprobación. Ya está siendo ordenado a quedarse más de 1000 pies del Policia Maykel Aliaga-Ruiz, el oficial que instigó el arresto inicial el año pasado por agarrarlo por el cuello a Cauley y tirarlo por una línea de sillas. La condición tendrá el efecto, como lo ha notado el a