West Valley City, UT- On June 13, members of the Utah Anti-War Committee held a hybrid teach-in at the West Valley City library for local communities. The material? Raytheon.

Members of the UAWC informed members of the community about Raytheon, how they have profited off of human suffering, and how they continue to receive full financial support of the U.S. government. They also brought to light a local subsidiary of Raytheon, Applied Signal Technology, a mere ten-minute drive from the event itself.

UAWC member Adam Koritz said, “A Raytheon Tomahawk missile was used to target a girls’ school in Minab, killing 156 people, including 120 children, during the initial U.S.-Israeli onslaught.” It was a chilling reminder that even your neighbor can knowingly or unwittingly participate in the slaughter of innocent children.

Adrian Romero, a member of the UAWC, slammed Raytheon, saying, “The central structure of Raytheon’s business model is that taxpayer money goes into weapons production, which gets deployed in active wars, perpetuating a cycle of corporate profit and mass violence.”

In his presentation, Paris Lamb pointed out the fraud Raytheon perpetrates with public funds, saying, “Raytheon takes billions of dollars from the public, through legal and illegal fraudulent methods for their own personal profit and at the expense of both oppressed people abroad and the American public.”

Lastly, Sebastian Miscenich said, “We’re launching the Raytheon Out campaign at a time when Utahns are speaking out against military facilities in our state. UAWC is going to take to the streets and to the community to shut down this criminal, war profiteering facility and replace it with something that Salt Lakers need.”

Not wasting the effort of the gathering, members of the UAWC then proceeded to plan a protest on July 4 against the facility and further actions to deal with the blight within the community, Applied Signal Technology.

#WestValleyCityUT #UT #AntiWarMovement #Raytheon

Minneapolis, MN – On June 5, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) and allied organizations held a rally outside the Minneapolis Convention center to disrupt the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s (DFL) 2026 Humphrey-Mondale fundraising dinner. The dinner is the Minnesota Democratic Party’s annual fundraising event and a strategic rallying point for local Democrats ahead of key elections.

Braving the intense summer heat for a program of chanting and speeches, community members made their voices heard as they demanded an end to state funding of Israel’s genocide in Palestine, an end to the war on Iran and Lebanon, and a return to quarterly in-person State Board of Investment (SBI) meetings.

Cassidy Aickin, member of the AWC and co-emcee for the day, opened the event by saying, “In that building the DFL is hosting their annual Humphrey-Mondale dinner; their biggest fundraising event of the year. The people who have the most institutional power in our state, alongside their benefactors, are coming together to celebrate – another ‘great year’ of shutting out their constituents, ignoring people’s cries for divestment, and directly paying for the bombs that have martyred hundreds of thousands of Palestinian, Lebanese and Iranian people. Shame!”

Aickin continued, “The State Board of Investment, composed of Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Julie Blaha and Steve Simon, chooses to invest hundreds of millions of Minnesota state employee pension dollars into weapons manufacturers, Israeli companies, and war profiteers like Palantir.”

The SBI had been scheduled to hold its second quarterly meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, June 3, but quietly removed the details from its schedule less than a month before. This effective cancellation continued the SBI’s over year-long trend of restricting community participation in what should be public meetings. But these cancellations have not deterred community involvement and have instead given way for powerful coalitions.

Representing the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Mira Altobell-Resendez reminded the crowd that, “The Minnesota Democratic Party spent all of winter ignoring the calls for protections for immigrants during Metro Surge. Tim Walz can sign an executive order at any time to ban 287(g) agreements that deputize county law enforcement into local ICE agents. The candidates for this year’s gubernatorial election like Amy Klobuchar could commit to creating ICE free zones as soon as they step into office.”

Alissa Washington, founder and executive director of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council of MN, gave an impassioned speech connecting the wrongful conviction of her fiancé, Cornelius Jackson, and the over-policing of communities here and abroad. Washington said, “We’re here tonight because while the DFL dines with donors, we’re out here struggling to survive. While politicians gather behind closed doors, families are torn apart by wrongful convictions and over-sentencing! While they celebrate fundraisers, our loved ones are deported, imprisoned, displaced, and forgotten.”

Washington continued, “The DFL loves to tell us they are the party of working people. Then prove it! Stop shutting the public out of SBI meetings. Stop making decisions that impact our communities without our communities present.”

“What they’re really doing is defining what it means to run as a Democrat: position yourself as the only alternative to the Republican Party when you support genocide, racist tough-on-crime policies, corporate profiteers, expansion of the police state, all at the expense of the same constituents you claim to represent,” said Maddy Schwartz, member of the MN AWC. “The SBI has ignored constant calls from public employees to address this disgusting complicity in human rights violations. This sends a clear message that if you stand against genocide, your voice doesn’t matter.”

Only two days after the SBI was scheduled to meet, workers and allies in the anti-war movement made their voices heard, questioning why DFL politicians have time for their donors but not the taxpayers who pay their salaries. One volunteer working at the dinner stepped out from his role inside the Convention Center and picked up a “Divest MN from Apartheid Israel” sign for a portion of the action, before returning to his duties inside. When asked why he chose to join the voices demanding divestment he said, “It is the right thing to do.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #DFL #Palestine #Divestment #BDS

The conversation began with Merawi Gerima, member of FRSO DC and emcee for the event, asking about how the blockade is discussed and viewed in Cuba and what attention was given to it during the trip. “All attention in Cuba is on the blockade at all times,” said Fanaeian, “From the moment you arrive, there are murals in the airport detailing the blockade and slogans about fighting to end it. The Cuban people are affected every day by the lack of access to food, water, fuel and other goods that come from overseas.” She elaborated further, “It’s not just a blockade, it’s warfare. Economic warfare.”

The conversation next turned to discussion about Cuban healthcare and medical advancements made by Cuban researchers. Despite the devastating material consequences of the blockade, Cuba has more doctors per capita than any other country. The country maintains a comprehensive socialized healthcare system, which includes ample access to in-home doctor’s visits and rural clinics. Recently, a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s care was made available free of charge to anyone seeking care in Cuba. “It is amazing to see what the people of Cuba are able to accomplish despite the ongoing economic warfare,” opined Fanaeian.

Gerima next asked if the Cuban people hold any animosity towards the American people. “The Cuban people love Americans, and they want us to visit. They do not hate us; they hate our government.” Fanaeian told Germia. She went on to say that Cubans want the people of the U.S. in the streets protesting the blockade, and to fight for normal international relations with the Cuban government.

The Anti-War Committee DMV, an organization devoted to anti-imperialist action in the heart of the U.S. empire, had a contingent in attendance. “It was so important to be here today and hear about the work Cuba is doing to fight the blockade,” said Katie Sayour of the Anti-War Committee DMV, “With his recent indictment of Raul Castro, Trump is telegraphing the possibility of heightened aggression against Cuba. Now is the time for us to fight against this escalation!”

Follow @anti-war.dmv on instagram as the Anti-War Committee DMV – in coalition with FRSO DC – organize new actions to fight for Cuba.

#WashingtonDC #DC #AntiWarMovement #DMV #Cuba #MayDay

San Jose, CA – On Thursday June 11, San Jose Against War called an emergency action in response to Trump’s escalated bombing of Iran. The group of over 20 gathered outside of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose with signs reading “No to war on Iran, Lebanon, & Palestine” and “Money for people’s needs, not for war and genocide!” Participants waved Palestinian and Iranian flags in solidarity with the people and counties targeted by U.S.-Israeli forces.

Drusie Kazanova, a member of SJAW stated, “It has been 100 days since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, killing thousands, including over 100 schoolgirls in an attempt to topple the only state in the region capable of resisting their ceaseless violence and imperial aims.”

Kazanova continued, “Part of why negotiations have taken so long is due to Iran’s refusal to back down to Israeli terror that the United States continues to fund with our tax dollars.”

“We pushed the city council to vote on divestment in March of this year, and four city council members voted to keep using our city funds to fund these atrocities. [Council members] George Casey, Michael Mulcahey, David Cohen, and Anthony Tordillos. Just like Trump and Netanyahu, just like war profiteering corporations, these council members have blood on their hands!” said Kazanova.

John Duroyan of Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University (SDS SJSU) spoke on the students’ struggle for divestment from war profiteers saying, “Here at SJSU’s campus, they opened a ‘Campus Center for Civic and Social Good,’ but we call it ‘Campus Center for War and Genocide.’”

Duroyan continued, “Companies like Open AI are just one of the many companies that aid and abet Zionism, aid and abet U.S. invasion, U.S. war mongering, aid and abet Trump and his billionaire cronies. But we, the working people of America, the students of this campus, the students of campuses all across the world, just as we fought for Palestine in 2024, we’re continuing to fight now, and that fight doesn't stop until we’ve shut down those companies, kicked them off our campuses, kicked them out of our cities, until we’ve shut this brutal war machine down!”

Jack McCann of Freedom Road Socialist Organization reflected on the strength of the resistance to U.S. and Israeli aggression, and the weakness of Trump and his allies, saying, “Today, as we condemn U.S. aggression, let us honor the strength of the resistance, the bravery of people who stand strong in the face of overwhelming force, to assert their right to human dignity by any means necessary.”

McCann continues, “Trump is gambling our future for his own personal gain, and he is failing. The working people of the U.S. and the people of oppressed nations around the world share a common enemy: the monopoly capitalist class. In their desperation to secure resources, they sacrifice us all upon the altar of war to sacrifice for their selfish goals. The time is now to unite all who can be united to resist Trump and the ruling class’s attacks on the people of the world!”

Donna Wallach of SJAW described the nature of the abuses of the U.S. and Israel in the region. “Iran did not attack Israel. However, Israel has attacked Iran on numerous occasions. Bombing their nuclear facilities, assassinating scientists and government officials. And the USA has had horrendous sanctions on Iran for over a decade! [The] U.S.A and Israel target hospitals, medical people, journalists, homes, infrastructure. Iran targets military bases and installations.”

Wallach continued, “Israel is trying to steal more land, now from Lebanon to make Israel bigger of stolen land. Israel is attacking Iran because they want to devastate the Iranian economy. Also, the Israelis have this stupid notion that if the infrastructure and homes of the Iranian people are bombed, the Iranian people will blame their government, and they will try to overthrow their government. Iran has the right to defend itself, and it has the right to help Lebanon defend itself.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #SJAW

Jacksonville, FL- On June 10, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network held a press conference before the dismissal of the State Attorney’s Office’s municipal charge against Leah Grady for “resisting an officer without violence.”

The Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, in coalition with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, maintained Grady’s case as a flagrant attack against freedom of speech. State Attorney Melissa Nelson was further emboldened to attempt double jeopardy, another breach of constitutional law. On May 29, the state had already charged and sentenced them for a misdemeanor of the same title.

In the eyes of the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network and the people of Jacksonville, the cases of Conor Cauley and Leah Grady have represented repeat violations of constitutional rights, most prominently the right to freedom of speech and protections from double jeopardy.

The targeting of activists was made clear to the public, as Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters had spoken to the press, demanding Grady and Cauley be made into an example. The collusion between city council officials and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was prevalent in pushing an identical agenda. As Ryan Delaney with JPSN reported, “the Director of City Council Jason Teal demanded an example needed to be made out of him [Conor Cauley]” in order to justify the harsh sentencing.

The Jacksonville Community Action Committee asserted Leah Grady and Conor Cauley’s cases are inextricably linked, contributing to the growing trend of repressing views that oppose the Jacksonville City Council and their continued injustices in the city. When interviewed by First Coast News, Monica Gold with JCAC noted, “They [Grady and Cauley] are being targeted for their political speech, for their practice of speaking out, for their practice of going to city council, for pointing out flaws in Jacksonville and trying to make Jacksonville a better place.”

Despite the aggressive year-long mission to repress the Palestine movement by State Attorney Melissa Nelson’s Office, the dismissal of Leah Grady’s second charge was a result of consistent community pressure and a competent defense campaign. Today’s win shows that the people will not accept these political attacks by Melissa Nelson or the Sheriff’s Office, and JPSN will work tirelessly to find the same victory in the upcoming appeals process.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ConorCauley #LeahGrady #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #JPSN #JCAC

Garland, TX – On Friday, June 12, 20 community members gathered outside the Paligen bomb factory in Garland, Texas to say no to Trump’s war on Iran. The factory, situated in a working-class Chicano neighborhood, produces vast quantities of the bombs that the U.S. and Israel are dropping on communities in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and elsewhere. The DFW Anti-War Committee has an active Stop the Bombs Garland campaign to target this factory.

Speakers at the protest condemned Trump’s war on Iran and Paligen’s bombs used to wage it. Paligen, the U.S. subsidiary of Turkish REPKON, has been coming under increasing fire in Türkiye for its bomb production in the U.S. in an effort to skirt around trade embargoes with Israel. These same bombs, the Mk-80 and BLU-109 series, make up a core part of the U.S. and Israeli arsenals in their current wars of aggression around West Asia.

Jo Hargis with the DFW Anti-War Committee commented, “These bombs have been used in countless attacks on Iran, Lebanon and Palestine, and have been used in war crimes as far back as the U.S. wars on Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia. Now Paligen, which is complicit in killing students and destroying educational institutions, is bringing Garland-area students into their bomb factory for ‘experience’ through the FAME program.”

A member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization Dallas, Glen Reed, said, “It was great to see people come out and make a stand against this company that has been profiting off of killing innocent lives in Iran and Palestine.”

Community members in attendance chanted “Stop the bombs Garland” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” towards the nearby Paligen bomb factory and the Dallas College campus, which houses the office of Paul Mayer, board of trustees chair and initiator of the FAME program partnership with Paligen.

Lauren Aguilar, a Garland resident and organizer with the DFW Anti-War committee, said, “The partnership between schools and Paligen is revolting. The location of this bomb factory, close to schools and colleges and neighborhoods within a mile radius, is another important factor in this fight to shut down this factory. There are a lot better partnerships schools should be making instead of Paligen.”

The Stop the Bombs Garland campaign has an active petition demanding Paul Mayer remove Paligen from FAME, available at tinyurl.com/NoFamePaligen.

#GarlandTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Paligen #DAWC

Seattle, WA – Activists from Seattle’s Hands Off Iran Coalition held an emergency rally in downtown Seattle at Westlake Park on June 8 to oppose Israel’s latest attacks on Lebanon and Iran. The rally was organized after Israel violated the ceasefire that has been in effect since April, by bombing Dahiya, a southern suburb of Lebanon’s capital Beirut. The rally began at three light rail stations across the city, before all groups converged in Westlake at 6 p.m.

Despite heavy rain, the coalition, consisting of seven grassroots anti-imperialist organizations based in Seattle, had a significant turnout of at least 40 protesters, who carried flags, set up tables, and delivered speeches and chants using amplified speakers.

The organizations in attendance as part of the Coalition included Seattle Against War, Nidal Seattle, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Super UW, Seattle University Students for Justice in Palestine, Seattle Revolutionary Youth, and the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America.

A number of passersby joined the protest to announce their support, take photos, and learn more about the organizations involved in the coalition. An even greater number of cars honked their horns in support as they were stopped at red lights right next to the park. With lots of public support, the energy remained high for the duration of the event. Speakers not only condemned the imperialist aggression against west Asia, but also celebrated the resistance, who they declared shared the same common enemy with the people of the United States: the monopoly capitalist class.

FRSO’s speaker Izzy McCabe stated, “When the resistance fights, they do not just fight for Iran, they fight for you. Every military base Iran flattens hurts the boss that yells at you. Every tank the Lebanese resistance destroys hurts the landlord that refuses to repair your apartment. Every inch of land that the Palestinian resistance defends strikes a blow against the politicians that steal from you.”

The other speakers from the Hands Off Iran Coalition stressed that now is the time to organize within your community. “The time to strike is when your enemy is weakest,” said Nolan Good of Seattle Against War. “Now is the time to fight back. And the only way that we can fight back is to get organized. Our enemies fear us because history shows that when we fight, we win!”

#SeattleWA #WA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #SHOIC #SAW

Chicago, IL – Around 150 people gathered outside of the Hyatt Regency hotel on Saturday, June 6 to demand that the American Medical Association (AMA) advocate for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian pediatrician who was abducted by the Israeli military in late 2024 due to his refusal to abandon his young patients.

The campaign to demand his freedom was formed in August 2025 by US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and Healthcare Workers for Palestine and was later joined by Code Pink. The organizations called Saturday’s action to target AMA’s House of Delegates and Board of Trustees, who were gathered inside the Hyatt Regency for the organization’s annual conference.

“The inaction and silence of the AMA and its leadership in regard to a medical colleague who survived a genocide and horrific imprisonment in Israeli prisons is a betrayal to its oath. It is directly violating AMA’s own civil and human rights policy and only exposes the organization’s anti-Palestinian bias, hypocrisy and selective advocacy,” said Rania Salem of USPCN.

“We've tried a lot of different things,” stated Erin of Healthcare Workers for Palestine, “We tried to go and talk to them, we tried to get them to meet with us. We've had call campaigns, we've had email campaigns. 
We've had press conferences outside of their central office, which is here in Chicago. We've gone to their House of Delegates meetings where we were outside because they wouldn't let us inside.”

One campaign tactic that proved successful happened a few months ago when organizers cornered the president of the AMA, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, and set up a meeting with him. In this meeting, Mukkamala stated that the AMA prioritized remaining “neutral” to not alienate either side. Yet on Saturday, the campaign learned from a medical student attending the conference that on the opening night, the AMA gave a special acknowledgement to the members of the Israeli Medical Association that were invited and present in the room with the entire organization.

The call for Dr. Abu Safiya’s release became even more urgent when on Thursday, June 4, he was placed in solitary confinement. When April Ward of Mothers Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity (MAMAS) heard the story of Dr. Abu Safiya, she thought of her son, Mickiael Ward, who was tortured into a false confession by Chicago police and held in solitary confinement. She described it as “mental torture.”

“We hear, watch, and talk about the cruelty and inhumanity in Palestine and Gaza, specifically, and we want the mothers, the sisters, the aunties, and the caregivers in Palestine to know that we are in unconditional solidarity with you,” Ward stated.

Many of the methods of torture that the Israeli military uses against Palestinian prisoners are also used by the Chicago police. “There are hundreds of people who are locked up here with credible, verified accounts of torture by the police, who still, and were forced into signing false confessions, who were still locked up in prisons today,” said Merawi Gerima on behalf of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), “and so we know that Black people, brown people, working and poor people here in the United States, have every interest to stand in solidarity with Dr. Safiya and all Palestinian prisoners.”

Despite its location on a small side street, the rally drew lots of attention as it unfolded. Many medical professionals attending the conference watched the speakers from the building’s glass skywalk, and several passersby stopped to listen and join the chanting.

“Dr. Husam represents a value that is often forgotten among doctors today. He represents the value of the medical fight against imperialism. That's why it's crucial we organize globally like how we are today to demand the release of Dr. Husam,” said Alfonso Castillo of Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC).

The rally ended with a reading of testimonies of Palestinian medical workers and naming the 83 medical workers who are in Israeli detention today.

Individuals can send a letter to the AMA delegates demanding they immediately advocate for the release of Dr. Abu Safiya and follow @uspcn and @hcw4palichi and @codepinkalert on Instagram for updates on the campaign.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #USPCN

Brooklyn, NY – On Saturday, June 6, community members and activists with Brooklyn Against War [BAW] gathered at the Bedford Library for a panel and discussion regarding their ongoing campaign to free Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores. Titled “What is Happening in Venezuela?”, the panel featured guest speaker Steve Ellner, an author, historian and political scientist who taught at the Universidad de Oriente for 26 years. 

Ellner stated, “The Chavista movement is solidly behind Delcy Rodríguez. Washington, and Trump in particular, has made no secret of what could happen to the Rodríguez government if [she] were to put up major resistance to the demands that the Trump administration is making.”

These comments from Ellner were made in response to criticisms of the acting president from members of the international left, who incorrectly condemn Rodriguez, rather than the imperialist aggression of the United States.

A member of BAW stated, “President Maduro is right now being held in our backyard at MDC. We are paying taxes, high taxes, and we don’t see them returning to our communities. There have been billions of dollars in war, and they are still using our tax dollars to bomb the country and try to control the oil.”

The Metropolitan Detention Center sits in the heart of Sunset Park, where it holds not only political prisoners President Maduro and Cilia Flores, but also nearly 200 ICE detainees.

BAW members also shared a petition to drop the charges, and spoke about their plans to mobilize to the federal courthouse on June 30, the next hearing date for Maduro and Flores. 

Ellner’s portion of the panel is available on YouTube at BrooklynAgainstWar.

#BrooklynNY #NY #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #International #BAW

This action was in response to the National Network on Cuba (NNOC) calling for a national day of action after a U.S. indictment of Raúl Castro on May 20. June 3 marks the 95th birthday of the revolutionary leader.

The group was small but mighty, and chants like “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!” and “Yankee, go home!” rang up and down the street. Many passersby were supportive and took flyers explaining the effects of the increased sanctions on Cuba, including an increased infant mortality rate of 148%.

“We are gathered here today to demand an end to these pointless sanctions, these pointless bombs, and these pointless wars that don’t benefit anyone except for Donald Trump and his racist, reactionary agenda,” began Katie Sayour of the Anti-War Committee DMV, “We say shame on Donald Trump as he drags us into yet another war.”

“Let us make no mistake,” said Ermiya Fanaeian, a member of the Action for Cuba Committees, “Cuba is a peaceful nation. Cuba is not responsible for bombing countries around the world. Cuba is not responsible for taking away our rights as queer people, as Black people, as immigrants, as women, as workers.”

At some point, as the protesters were chanting “Yankee, go home,” they were confronted by a counter-protester carrying signs in support of a U.S. invasion of Cuba, at which point calls to “go home” were directed toward the counter-protester until they were removed from the area. Another individual drove by and shouted in opposition to the demonstration, while many other drivers honked in support of the anti-war message as well as pro-immigrant signs held by those in attendance.

Sayour also connected the demonstration for speaking out against US aggression on Cuba to the ICE crackdown on immigrants who speak out against U.S. aggression overseas, namely the case of Yousof Azizi, an Iranian immigrant detained by ICE in Maryland after his public opposition to the war in Iran.

“Yousof Azizi was kidnapped by ICE for speaking out against the war, kidnapped for using his First Amendment rights, just as we are using right now,” Sayour continues. “We see materially how it can happen to any of us, and so it is our duty to stand with people like Yousof Azizi, with people like Salah Sarsour. It is our duty to stand with Cuba, it is our duty to stand with Venezuela, to stand with China, to stand with all oppressed people of the world.”

National Network on Cuba: @nationalnetworkoncuba

Ant-War Committee DMV: @antiwar.dmv

Yousof Azizi: https://yousofazizi.com/

#WashingtonDC #International #AntiWarMovement #Cuba

Grand Rapids, MI – On the evening of June 2, more than 40 people showed up outside the entrance of Devos Hall to protest the visit of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill J. Clinton to Grand Rapids. The war criminals were speaking as guests of honor at the annual dinner put on by the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, a networking club for local elites.

The protest, which was organized by the Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW) took the form of a “People’s Indictment” of Bush and Clinton. Speakers from GROW condemned the Economic Club for hosting these men, while listing their record of war crimes. These condemnations included the sanctions, invasion and occupation of Iraq, as well as intervention in Somalia, Haiti and Sudan.

“There is no Trump without the past decades of history, without Bush, Clinton and their ilk. We cannot soften or blur our historical memory, lest we be made fools of again and again,” said Julian Cortez of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Joining GROW, with speeches and chants directed towards the imposing steel and glass frame of DeVos Place, was Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Michigan Senate District 29 candidate Iván Diaz.

“It’s important to show up in coalition as a candidate because as a grassroots organizer, I know we can’t do this work by ourselves,” said Diaz after the protest. “Bush and Clinton represent the bipartisan neoliberal, corporate and imperial order that we are seeking to disrupt and end. As a voter, I want the people who want to represent me to show up in exactly these kinds of spaces.”

Around 6:15 p.m., as Diaz was giving his speech, Grand Rapids police quickly rushed in between him and the protesters on bikes, leading to a tense confrontation between the two sides. Diaz and the protesters managed to stand up to the police, asserting their First Amendment rights to speak on a public sidewalk, but a citation was issued to Diaz for using a bullhorn.

An officer with GRPD was heard making a comment meant to intimidate Diaz, who continued to speak unfazed after the officers withdrew a short distance. Despite GRPD prohibiting amplification, protesters continued speeches and chants, increasing their volume without it, for nearly another hour. The unity and anger with the GRPD's show of force was palpable.

Throughout the demonstration, it was reiterated by attendees and speakers alike that the two former presidents sitting comfortably inside had laid much of the groundwork for the crises the world now faces.

“In my 57 years on this planet, I have realized the deliberate divide between us – the distractions, the lies,” said Kym Combs of the GR Queer Coalition. “We have been in a state of the haves and have-nots for decades, and it’s been cloaked by other things by the powers that be.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PSGR #GROW #Featured

Brooklyn, NY – on the evening of June 3, around two dozen New Yorkers gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to stand in solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela and against the ongoing aggression from the United States.

The Trump administration has charged Raul Castro, the former president of Cuba, with murder in connection to the downing of civilian planes in 1996. These charges are bogus. They are an escalation of the U.S. attacks on Latin America that began last year when the Trump administration set its eyes on Venezuela.

The day also marked the fifth month since President Maduro and First Lady Flores were kidnapped from their home. The Trump administration launched a bombing operation on Venezuela on January 3 where close to 100 people were killed, including 32 Cuban bodyguards.

The action had a high energy and there were many organizations in attendance, such as Black Alliance for Peace, Bronx Antiwar, Palavar Collective, and Brooklyn Against War.

Joe Lombard from the United National Antiwar Coalition gave a speech discussing the importance of solidarity and standing up to U.S. imperialism.

Katrina Kozarek from Brooklyn Against War stated, “We will continue to resist systems of oppression here in the U.S. and to do so, we must also reject and stand up against U.S. oppression and complicity against the peoples of the Caribbean, South America, Palestine, Iran and everywhere. We demand an end to all U.S. sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela now! Free President Maduro and Cilia Flores – we demand they be returned safe and sound to their homeland!”

The organizers will return to the courthouse for President Maduro and First Lady Flores’ hearing on June 30.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #Cuba #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement #PeoplesStruggles

Minneapolis, MN – Under the early summer sun, about 50 people came together on a busy Minneapolis bridge for a double-headed rally addressing the domestic and international sides of the struggle for liberation. A combined bannering took place for two hours, spreading the message to passersby and drivers on Washington Avenue and Interstate 35W.

The first part of the event was organized by the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Family Council (WIAOFC) and marked 20 years since Cornelius “Corn” Jackson, fiancé of WIAOFC founder Alissa Washington, was unjustly incarcerated.

The second protest, organized by the MN Peace Action Coalition (MPAC), demanded an end to U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Washington, stated, “We want you to ask questions. We want you to ask why a man who has spent 20 years behind bars is still fighting for justice. We want you to ask whether Minnesota’s criminal legal system truly believes in redemption. And we want you to ask why so many families are still fighting to bring their loved ones home.”

The first speaker for MPAC was Amber Mathwig from About Face Veterans Against the War, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a cook, turning a wrench, patrolling the base, or pressing the button that launches a Tomahawk into a school full of children – every single job in the military contributes to the end goal of destruction and occupation and every single service member has a right to say ‘No, I do not want to be part of this anymore.’”

Cedar Larson, representing Women Against Military Madness, stated, “Today we are protesting a number of heinous crimes being committed by our government. We’re protesting not only Trump’s continuous attacks on Gaza, in violation of a so-called ceasefire, but we’re also protesting the continuing attacks on Iran and the attempted ethnic cleansing of Lebanon. Writing this speech, I felt a pent-up rage exploding. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, you guys. I am angry. I am tired of writing speeches about something that makes me so pissed off.”

Larson concluded, “I cannot make sense of the fact that billionaires, the ruling class, see nothing more important than a profit while I, an educator who lives paycheck to paycheck and purchases classroom supplies and end-of-year gifts out of her own pocket, see nothing more important than sustaining and educating the next generation who will no doubt recognize this absurdity for what it is and will join with us to destroy it!”

Naveen Borojerdi of the MN Peace Action Coalition and the MN Anti-War Committee spoke on another tragedy that occurred closer to home; the death of AFSCME Council 5 field director Khalid Abdi, a 26-year-old union organizer who was shot and killed on May 27 in Shakopee, Minnesota while observing Eid.

“Khalid’s death is not just a coincidence,” Borojerdi said, “but rather, the symptom of a much larger problem. The normalization of mass murder that we’ve seen in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11, 2001 is what resulted in his unfortunate death. When you spend over two decades since the turn of the century slaughtering Muslims, Arabs and Persians while demonizing them through the production of propaganda films like American Sniper, Argo, and Black Hawk Down, this is what you get. Shame on this country.”

All of the speakers spoke to the critical importance of remaining visible and in the streets to oppose this criminal war.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #InjusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #Palestine #Iran

Salt Lake City, UT — On the afternoon of May 31, the Utah Anti-War Committee, along with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization held a workshop titled “Anti-War Organizing in the Face of Repression” at the University of Utah Union building. The workshop drew community members, students and organizers committed to defending the movement against escalating political repression. The event also raised funds for Rick Toledo, a student activist and educator who was fired from his teaching position at Cal Poly Humboldt University in retaliation for his participation in a pro-Palestine protest.

Before the workshop, the UAWC had released a statement on Toledo’s case, that stated, “We have watched with outrage and disgust as Cal Poly Humboldt University has escalated its campaign of repression against a graduate student whose only 'crime' was standing up for the individuals and families Palestine whose lives are being not only destroyed, but eradicated.”

Adrian Romero, a local organizer with the Utah Anti-War Committee, delivered a workshop presentation that covered knowing your rights when facing law enforcement and grand jury subpoenas, organizational security practices, and building campaigns to defend targeted organizers.

Romero stated, “Grand jury proceedings are designed to isolate and intimidate people. You still have rights. Go public, mobilize the community in any way that you can and show [the enemy] that you won't be silenced.”

After their presentation, Rick Toledo joined via Zoom to speak directly on his case and the circumstances of his firing. ”We know that when the state wants something, they'll do whatever they can get away with. They like to make an example out of student organizers and protesters to try and scare other people. That's one of the things really at the heart of my case – but you can't let them break you, because that's what they want.”

The event raised approximately $375 through admission donations as well as book, zine and apparel donations contributed by UAWC and FRSO, with pledges still coming in. All proceeds go directly to Toledo's legal defense fees and expenses.

The targeting of Rick Toledo is part of a broader wave of repression facing the movement for Palestinian liberation and the fight against U.S. imperialism. University administrations discipline and expel student organizers and fire faculty who speak out.

As the imperialist war in Gaza continues and the domestic crackdown on dissent escalates, the duty of every socialist and anti-war activist is to build the defenses necessary to protect our ranks and advance the struggle. The ruling class expects us to be silenced; our response must be louder, more organized, and more united than ever before.

#SaltLakeCityUT #UT #AntiWarMovement #UAWC #Palestine #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression

San Francisco, CA – On June 1, the International League of People’s Struggle spearheaded an action against two war profiteers in San Francisco, Scale AI and OpenAI. The action drew attention to the complicity that AI tech companies in the Bay Area have with genocide, U.S. warmongering and national oppression abroad.

Scale AI has a $500 million partnership with the Department of War, and OpenAI has a similar contract. Both companies have headquarters located in San Francisco not far from one another, and, due to their considerable ties to American militarism and intervention abroad, they were chosen as the chief targets of the demonstration.

The march and rally served as a conclusion to the weekend-long ILPS conference. There was also a smaller mobilization demanding justice for the Nergros19 outside the Filipino consulate that took place that morning at 8 a.m. The conference and protest marked the 25th anniversary of ILPS's founding.

The march began with a gathering downtown that marched over to Scale AI’s company headquarters. There, activists drawn from across the country spoke on issues from around the world, all tied together by the common thread of U.S. intervention, meddling and violence, and companies like Scale AI willingly aiding and abetting that violence.

Chants included “People of the world get ready to fight, no tech for war, no genocide!” as well as “No more AI for war, we're fired up, won’t take it no more!”

After opening remarks from Brandon Lee, a veteran organizer and International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines chair, the program included speakers representing different parts of the international struggle, from local labor leader Mike Casey to representatives of the struggle in Haiti. All of them attacked AI companies like Scale as complicit in the targeting and surveillance of activists, the repression of people’s struggles, and the perpetuation of U.S. imperialism.

The march continued past several streets over to the headquarters of OpenAI.

There, the program went on with a speech from BAYAN USA member Andan Bonifacio, who stated, “We’re here to protest the war and suffering these tech companies bring upon our people. And we know that this is not a new thing. More than 120 years ago, when the U.S. first landed in the Philippines, they brought new technology with them … waterboarding, cameras to surveil our communities, they massacred our people, and took photos to use as psychological warfare. 120 years later and look at where we are.”

Bonifacio continued, saying that the imperialists “are very good at hiding the severe exploitation, the severe oppression behind capitalism, with words like innovation, and the future. What do we think about that?” The crowd responded with a single word, “Lies!”

Bonifacio ended his speech with a poignant tribute to the martyrs of Negros. “No matter how technologically advanced, no matter how sophisticated, no matter how well funded this imperialist machine is, they mean nothing in the face of the people,” he said. “Remember that today, we must all know that. It is something that our comrade, Lyle, knew, that the Negros 19 knew, that all our people’s martyrs knew.” Bonifacio was referring to the 19 people murdered by the U.S.-backed Armed Forces of the Philippines in Tobosos, Negro, including Filipino-American activist Lyle Prijoles.

Arab Resource and Organizing Center director Lara Kiswani stated, “Companies such as OpenAI and Palantir profit from developing technology that facilitates warfare abroad,” she said. “We understand the struggle of the people of the Philippines is one and the same as the struggle for working people in Haiti, Iran, in Sudan, in Lebanon, in Palestine, and right here in the United States.”

The program closed out with a brief speech from ILPS US’s recently elected chair. Final chants included “Defend, defend, defend the people’s struggle! Advance, advance, advance the people’s struggle!” This closed out the successful three-day ILPS convention with a reaffirmation of their commitment to opposing U.S. intervention and war profiteers in all their forms.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #ILPS

San Francisco, CA – Over 500 people gathered in the Bay Area, May 30 and 31, for the U.S. chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) Third National Assembly and Political Conference. The theme of the action-packed weekend was “Advance the Peoples’ Struggle.”

On the first day, the general assembly was marked by momentous debate, resolutions, and the election of the new steering committee. They will lead the league for the next three years. The first day set the tone for the weekend: unity, militancy and dedication to the fight.

The evening was closed with a Peace Forum organized by ILPS, Resist US-Led War Movement, and the United National Antiwar Coalition. Speakers include Lala from Honor the Earth, Carlos Sirah from Black Alliance for Peace, Rhonda Ramiro from Resist US-Led War Movement, Laulani Teale from Ho’opae Pono Peace Project, Nieves Delgado from BAYAN USA, Laith Adel from Palestinian Youth Movement, and Meredith Aby from the Anti-War Action Network.

On the second day, allies and organizations gathered to discuss and share political ideas, struggles and victories. There were two keynote speakers: ILPS Secretary General Azra Sayeed, and FRSO Political Secretary Mick Kelly.

Kelly told the crowd, “Taken as a whole, the objective conditions provide extremely favorable conditions for revolutionaries, progressives and anti-imperialists to greatly expand our mass base and organizational capacity.”

The keynote addresses were followed by three plenaries: “Fight back against fascism! On peoples resistance against state attacks,” “All workers united! On the fight to end exploitation and plunder!” and “Peoples’ resistance for peoples peace! On ending imperialist wars and liberating our homelands.”

The afternoon welcomed workshops from all different areas of the movement, and attendees wrapped up the day with a lively solidarity night.

The entire weekend, attendees and organizers honored the Negros 19. These were 19 organizers, revolutionaries, peasants and others who were killed in the Philippines by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in April.

On Monday, June 1, forces gathered at 8 a.m. outside the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco to demand justice for the Negros 19. Speakers called the crowd to remember Lyle Priojles, Kai Sorem, and the others massacred in April. The organizers vowed to continue demanding justice for the Negros 19 until the Filippino government paid for its crimes.

This incredible weekend marks a momentous time for ILPS, and their future is bright!

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #AntiWarMovement #Philippines #ILPS

Rochester, MN – On May 29, activists from across Minnesota converged outside the Mayo Civic Center to protest the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party’s annual state convention.

Delegates lining up to enter the convention were confronted by several dozen protesters with banners, Palestinian flags, petitions and informational leaflets about the DFL’s ties to Israel and the movement to cut them. The action was organized by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) and Rochester Solidarity with Palestine.

Using slogans like “DFL, grow a spine! Stop funding war crimes!” protesters demanded complete divestment of Minnesota money from apartheid Israel, an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon, the release of the unredacted 2024 election autopsy, and that DFL politicians refuse to accept campaign funds from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). DFL Representative Angie Craig and Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have received hundreds of thousands in AIPAC funding.

Organizers highlighted DFL members’ condemnation of President Trump’s agenda while investing state funds in corporations that are instrumental to executing that agenda.

For example, the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) invests $57 million in Palantir, the secretive surveillance company contracted by ICE, the DHS, the U.S. military and the Israeli Ministry of Defense. ICE describes Immigration Case Management, Palantir’s deportation support system, as “mission-critical,” and it relies on Palantir’s large language models and custom FALCON targeting system to optimize ICE activity and orchestrate violent raids.

Meanwhile, the U.S. uses the Palantir product Maven to select strike targets in its war on Iran. DFL leader and current governor, Tim Walz, has condemned the Iran war as a product of fascism and likened the experiences of immigrant children under ICE occupation to those of Anne Frank – all while actively funding companies whose products enable the Iran war and ICE operation.

“We’re gathered outside the DFL convention 965 days into the U.S. and Israel’s live-streamed genocide of the Palestinian people,’ explained Maeve Aickin, an organizer with the AWC. “This is a genocide that many DFL politicians are helping fund and benefiting from ignoring. The State Board of Investment, which DFL members Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Julie Blaha, and Steve Simon sit on, invests $5.5 billion in companies that have a financial interest in perpetuating Israeli apartheid and genocide.”

“I am a public worker whose pension is invested in genocide against my will, and many of the speakers who you’ll be hearing from today are also public workers with SBI-managed pensions,” Aickin continued. “We wanted to share our horror over the use of funds we earn to plan our futures to extinguish hundreds of thousands of futures in Palestine, Iran and Lebanon, but the SBI canceled a quarterly public meeting for the third time in the past year and a half.”

The SBI canceled two of its quarterly public meetings in 2025, and on Wednesday, May 13, it deleted the details of its previously announced meeting scheduled for June 3. SBI representatives have yet to communicate a reason for continuing to delay and cancel opportunities to engage with public workers. As of press time, no rescheduled date has been posted.

Another public employee with a state-managed pension, Maddy Schwartz, pointed out the DFL’s hypocrisy. “When they claim to be the moral opposition to the Republican Party, and claim to oppose Trump's wars, that isn’t enough! They need to take substantive action to earn people's trust and votes.”

Schwartz continued, “What do the DFL elected leaders on the SBI do instead? Cancel public meetings. What do elected officials do instead? Avoid their constituents and refuse to take accountability for their ties to Israel.”

In 2025, the SBI divested the majority of its holdings in Israel Bonds, which are direct loans to the Israeli apartheid state, after facing immense pressure from a coalition of local grassroots organizations and unions. However, board members refused to acknowledge the removal of almost all Israel Bonds from their investment portfolio as a political divestment act, despite Israel’s historic unpopularity with their constituency, with eight in ten Democrats holding an unpopular view of Israel as of March 2026.

Deah Kinion of Rochester Solidarity with Palestine also spoke outside the convention. “It’s our right and duty and our moral obligation to speak out and do what we can to stop this racist, sadistic war on Palestinian children and others. [The DFL] refused to acknowledge the war crimes Israel and the U.S. are perpetrating on Palestine, Lebanon and Iran.”

“They want us to believe that this is not a Democratic problem, that this is not a state problem,” said Kinion. “It is everyone’s problem.”

Many of the convention attendees expressed support for protesters’ demands. Inside the convention, divestment emerged as a key issue for the state auditor’s race in particular.

The AWC announced it would similarly protest the DFL’s annual Humphrey-Mondale fundraising dinner, to be held one week later on Friday, June 5, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Avenue S, Minneapolis.

#RochesterMN #MN #Divestment #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #AntiWarCommittee

St Paul, MN – On Friday, May 29, about 40 protesters rallied on the corner of Summit and Snelling Avenues to demand a free Palestine. The action was organized by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), which has run Free Palestine rallies at this location every Friday for decades.

This week, the rally had a special focus on WAMM's “Cut the Contract with Waterfall” campaign. Waterfall Security Solutions is an Israeli cybersecurity company contracted by the city of Saint Paul to provide security services for its infrastructure.

Cedar Larson, a member of WAMM, spoke to the crowd about the importance of cutting the Waterfall contract, “When people say that this is a faraway issue that does not affect us here, I want them to know about Waterfall Security Solutions and the fact that they are using taxpayer dollars to feed Israel's genocide against Palestinians.”

Larson continued, “The tech sector within Israel feeds their war chest and their war economy. WAMM stands firmly against aiding the Israeli economy and we believe that boycott, divestment and sanctions are a crucial strategy for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”

Larson also pointed out that Waterfall is directly led by former Israeli state officials and military officers. This includes its founder, Lior Frenkel, who bragged about doing “offensive cybersecurity” for Israel, and Keren Tal, who once worked for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister and fugitive from the International Criminal Court.

“There is no other way to put it. Waterfall Security Solutions contains a racist, genocidal leadership, and Saint Paul should not do business with them,” said Larson.

Under the pressure of this campaign, the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners has agreed to take a vote on the fate of the Waterfall contract during its July meeting.

In the meantime, WAMM invites concerned Minnesotans to help keep the pressure up by attending the Saint Paul City Council meeting on June 10 at 3:30 p.m., as well as the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners meeting on June 16 at noon.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following update from the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network regarding the sentencing of pro-Palestine Jax activist, Conor Cauley.

Conor Cauley was sentenced to 60 days with time served, 3 years of probation, court fines, 150 community service hours and a stay away order from the same officer, Officer Aliaga Ruiz, who threw him over a row of chairs!

We will reiterate what our beloved member Conor Cauley has repeatedly mentioned, this fight is for every single person in the city of Jacksonville, and this sentencing will not deter us. We know Palestinians experience torturous conditions in Zionist prisons, and we also acknowledge the decrepit nature and condition of the Duval County Jail.

From Palestine to Jacksonville, Zionists and imperialists will use the system as it’s designed; to break you down and destroy your spirit. But we know the power of the people is greater than the people in power!

Please visit and donate to Conor’s Gofundme and we will see folks later to protest at the Jail! Find the Gofundme here.

SHAME ON MELISSA NELSON!

SHAME ON JSO!

FREE CONOR CAULEY NOW!

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #ConorCauley #JPSN #CSFR #AWAN

Jacksonville, FL – On May 29, Community members protested against the harsh sentencing of Conor Cauley and Leah Grady, vowing to continue the fight against their charges and demanding the release of Conor Cauley, who is currently being held in Duval County Jail as a political prisoner.

Despite heavy rainstorms, over 60 community members protested in front of the courthouse and, later, in front of the county jail under tents buckling and breaking from the weight of rainwater. This did not discourage attendees, who continued to chant and rally against the unjust treatment of anti-war organizers.

These protests were led by Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network alongside community organizations including Jacksonville Community Action Committee, Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, Brentwood 300, Democratic Socialists of America, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Cauley was sentenced to 60 days jail and three years of probation. He is additionally being ordered to stay more than 1000 feet from Officer Maykel Aliaga-Ruiz, the arresting officer who instigated the initial arrest last year by violently grabbing Cauley by the neck and throwing him over a row of chairs. This condition will, as Cauley’s lawyer pointed out in the courtroom, effectively ban him from city council meetings where Aliaga-Ruiz works, directly attacking his right to speak openly to his own elected officials and organize in the city.

Grady was sentenced to six months’ probation, 50 hours of community service, and court-ordered to write a “letter of apology” to the Republican City Council President Randy White.

Both sentences were heavier even than what had been recommended by the prosecutors. The prosecution requested three months’ probation and 25 hours community service for Leah Grady and requested 30 days of jail and one year of probation for Conor Cauley. In both instances, the judges either doubled or tripled the sentences. This comes after public calls by Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters for judges to make an example out of the arrested JPSN organizers in order to politically intimidate them.

This was also in spite of an overwhelming display of community support for both organizers. Over 40 character letters were submitted to the court for Conor Cauley, and high profile character witnesses spoke in Cauley’s favor, including the executive director of the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) Local 1408, Courtnee Staples.

“Who came out to defend Conor today?” asked a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization during the rally at the courthouse. “Teachers, neighbors, union workers, students and people from all walks of life in Jacksonville – in short, a microcosm of the entire community. The city could only wrangle up a handful of people to speak against Conor, and who did they pick? The director of city council and chief of police.”

Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network is committing to fight the verdicts of both Conor Cauley and Leah Grady, having developed a plan to fight their convictions through appeal for retrial. They will be rallying to demand Cauley’s release until he is out of jail.

“It’s because of this jail that, for the next 60 days, Conor will see no justice,” said Ryan Delaney of the Anti-War Action Network. “Well that means that we’re gonna be the reason that for the next 60 days, this jail will see no peace!”

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #JPSN #AWAN #Palestine #ConorCauley #Featured