On July 1, law enforcement came to the home of a Los Angeles immigrants’ rights activist and Centro CSO member, Nadia Topete, to deliver a second subpoena ordering her to speak in front of a grand jury on July 8. Topete had been first subpoenaed to testify in June. Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) condemns this second subpoena of Topete and will fight against any attempt to jail her.

We now know that this grand jury is related to the anti-ICE activism in Los Angeles that took place last summer. We also have every reason to believe that this is an attempt to re-examine the case of Alejandro Orellana, another immigrants’ rights activist who participated in the anti-ICE protests last year. Orellana was charged with conspiracy to commit civil unrest. The bogus charges were later dropped.

Nothing good comes from speaking in front of a grand jury. Grand juries, nine times out of ten, result in indictments, and they are frequently used against activists. Not testifying against one’s fellow activists can mean jail time. Those who refuse to testify in front of grand juries are heroes. We should learn from their example and exercise that kind of courage in order to protect our movements from harm.

Women Against Military Madness members Sarah Martin and Meredith Aby resisted grand jury subpoenas in 2010 as a part of the “Justice” Department’s investigation into the anti-war and international solidarity movements. Martin was re-subpoenaed in an effort to pressure her to speak. She refused and in the end none of the Anti War 23 went to jail. Our movement had this victory because people around the country stood up for our people. We understand the importance of doing this again.

WAMM also understands that the targeting of activists in LA is a part of a broader effort to criminalize anti-ICE activism nationally. We also stand with the MN 15 who were indicted on “conspiracy to impede federal officers.” People across MN, including WAMM members, stood with our immigrant siblings to demand ICE leave MN last winter and protesting political repression of our immigrant siblings is NOT a crime.

Neither Topete nor Orellana did anything wrong by protesting against the ICE occupation of Los Angeles. Nor did Topete do anything wrong by not speaking about her activism in front of the grand jury. We ask all fair-minded people to stand with Nadia Topete. She has only ever done the right thing, which is to stand by the Chicano people and the people of Aztlán. We call upon our supporters to dial into the office of Assistant US Attorney Michael Wheat and demand, Hands Off Nadia Topete!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #WAMM #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression

St. Paul, MN – The Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners, which governs the public water utility for the city and surrounding suburbs, voted on July 14 to renew Israeli tech company Waterfall Security Solutions’ contract for five years, after an hours-long public hearing. The chamber was full of people prepared to testify in what Chris Tolbert, the water board’s president, called the most well-attended meeting in the board’s history.

Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) mobilized for the meeting, and over 50 people turned up to give testimony against the contract renewal. WAMM has been organizing for over a year to oppose the Waterfall contract with call-in campaigns, petition drives and regular attendance with pro-Palestine signs at Board of Water Commissioners meetings.

WAMM opposes the Saint Paul Water Board’s contract with Waterfall because it works hand in hand with the Israeli military. The long-running Twin Cities anti-war group believes public tax dollars shouldn’t be used to do business with a company complicit in and enabling Israeli apartheid.

Zionists also showed up to pressure for the contract’s renewal. They held signs like “BDS is a special kind of hate,” “Don’t play politics with our water” and “Gaza is not a genocide.” Many pro-Waterfall speakers conflated Judaism with Zionism and claimed that canceling Waterfall’s contract would be antisemitic.

Debra Larson, a WAMM member, addressed the Board of Water Commissioners and delivered petitions. She looked at the side of the room where the Zionists were sitting and said, “They may have a few people who are pro-genocide, but these are all people who are against genocide. I also have a picture of a child who was recently killed. And I think people need to realize the reality of the murder of hundreds of thousands of children.”

After the public testimony, board members were allowed to comment. Nelsie Yang, board vice president and Saint Paul City Council member, tried to amend the Waterfall proposal to be for two years instead of five, so that the board would revisit the contract sooner. Yang, however, failed to receive a second for her amendment, so it failed.

After the contract was approved for another five years, ten protesters led chants, marched through city hall and then refused to leave the Saint Paul City Hall offices. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department was called, and deputies roughly forced the protesters out of the office into the elevator and then pushed them out of the building.

Trish Kanous, a member of WAMM stated, “This setback won't stop us. As we determine our next steps, anyone, any agency, or institution that supports the genocide of the Palestinian people will be on our radar. We will continue the fight.”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #WAMM

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

Pittsburgh, PA – On Saturday July 4, anti-war activists disrupted the Brentwood, Pennsylvania Independence Day parade. While the parade messaging called the U.S. “the land of the free,” protesters rejected this notion, bringing attention to the many ongoing crimes of Donald Trump and the U.S. government.

The protest was organized by the International Solidarity Committee of Pittsburgh (ISCPIT), with the support of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). Protesters held a banner reading, “No more endless war!” and signs with slogans including “U.S. out of everywhere!” and “No ICE! Stop the deportations!”

“They’re calling this ‘250 years of freedom’ and we are here to say that there is no freedom in genocide!” said FRSO organizer Marigold Cameron. “There is no freedom in endless war, in deportations, in police crimes. For 250 years, and longer, the people of this land have been struggling to achieve really the freedom that they claim to have given us 250 years ago. Right now, Donald Trump and his billionaire friends have been wreaking havoc across this country, leading a campaign of terror against the people who actually built this country. We want to fight Trump’s agenda and make the U.S. ungovernable.”

Over the course of two hours, only two people tried to speak out against the protest, whilst nearly a dozen attendees as well as some parade participants stopped to offer the group encouragement.

ISCPIT chair Dot Bodwell stated, “While you’re waving your flag and celebrating here, we’re still at war in Iran and Lebanon; we’re still throwing billions of dollars to the wholesale slaughter of children and families; we still have ICE officers arresting people in their homes and their workplaces: and we don’t think that’s something to celebrate.”

ISCPIT is currently in the process of launching a new campaign against Palantir, a major defense company that processes data for the U.S. military as well as ICE, helping billionaires and their armed forces spy on the working-class from Palestine to Minneapolis. As Pittsburgh’s capitalist class tries to establish the city as a hub for tech investors, ISCPIT wants to draw a clear line to keep Palantir and their bloody business out.

The biggest foothold Palantir currently has in the city is on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus, where the capitalist administration regularly invites recruiters to court graduates of the U.S.’s number one machine-learning programs for genocide.

#PittsburghPA #PA #AntiWarMovement #Palantir #Iran #July4th

Salt Lake City, UT – On Friday, July 10, more than a dozen people stood together in the record-breaking heat outside of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City, demanding a free Palestine and an immediate end to the U.S. government's attacks on Iran.

Cars honked in support as picketers held signs, turning a busy downtown sidewalk into a visible display of resistance to U.S. imperialism and war.

The picket was organized by the 71% Coalition, a volunteer-run, Salt Lake City–based progressive anti-war organization that seeks to empower the people through community engagement, policy advocacy and education. The coalition takes its name from the portion of the federal budget that goes toward militarism and war spending. Over recent months, the 71% Coalition has become a driving force in the local movement for Palestine, organizing town halls, participating in overpass rallies, and ongoing street actions that keep the demand for liberation in the public eye.

Friday's action was part of a weekly picket series the coalition has sustained outside the federal building.

The Utah Anti-War Committee joined Friday's picket in solidarity while encouraging attendees to sign their petition to oust Raytheon Applied Technologies from its office on the west side of Salt Lake County. The committee has been running a campaign targeting Raytheon, a company linked to U.S. and Israeli war crimes, calling attention to how it profits from human suffering worldwide and American taxpayer money.

The Utah Anti-War Committee's ongoing campaign against Raytheon has included protesting outside of Raytheon’s office and holding educational events where Utahns can about the role local war profiteers play in the machinery of death. The 71% Coalition and the UAWC have joined forces for several events, including overpass banner-drop protests.

As long as the U.S. government continues to bankroll genocide and threaten nations like Iran, the 71% Coalition and its allies will be on the sidewalk outside the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building every Friday, demanding justice and building the struggle.

#SaltLakeCityUT #UT #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Iran

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns the unjust arrest and the U.S. Department of Justice’s extradition attempt of Fergie Chambers, a progressive philanthropist and steadfast supporter of the Palestinian cause. He was dragged away from his family in Spain on dubious charges ranging from money laundering to material support for terrorism. If extradited to the U.S., he could be facing decades in prison.

Chambers is a son of billionaires who made the legitimate choice long ago to direct his funds towards progress, from free medical clinics to legal defense for activists facing repression. Now, the Trump DOJ is fabricating a narrative of terrorist financing. They want to create an upside-down world and twist the legal system so that humanitarian aid and solidarity land you behind bars, but the architects of the ongoing genocide in Gaza walk free. Ultimately, they want to use every avenue to squash and punish the tidal wave of support for the cause of Palestinian liberation that has stretched to every corner of the globe.

We are in a period of intensifying repression, and the imperialists are constantly in search of new ways to crush resistance and silence opposition. And that means that people like Chambers who use their resources to amplify the voices that call for freedom and liberation become targets, too. All those who oppose the Trump administration’s crackdown on our movements and the erosion of democratic rights need to stand against this. Solidarity is not a crime!

#PoliticalRepression #InjusticeSystem #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #PeoplesStruggles

San Jose, CA – On Wednesday, July 8, around two dozen people rallied at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library against Trump’s relaunching of the U.S. war against Iran.

Signs depicting children murdered in the Minab school bombing by the U.S. were laid out on the steps in from of the library. Protesters held signs saying, “No war on Iran” and “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation.”

Donna Wallach of San Jose Against War spoke to the crowd about how popular opinion is against the ongoing war in Iran, saying, “The great majority of Americans do not support this horrible, horrendous attack on Iran.”

Sharat Lin, board member of Human Agenda and the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, emphasized that the U.S. has always been the aggressor nation in the conflict, saying that the U.S. “must stop sabotaging the MOU. Stop trying to dominate the rest of the world. Stop trying to dominate Iran!”

Jack McCann, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, highlighted that Trump has no geopolitical leverage against Iran, yet continually lashes out. He said, “As Iran remains steadfast, Trump has two options: lose quietly or lose loudly and he’s choosing the latter.”

The chanting crowd drew supportive honks throughout the action.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Grand Rapids, MI – On the evening of July 8, members from the Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW) and others gathered at Monument Park to demand an immediate end to the U.S.'s attacks on Iran.

This rally comes as an emergency response to the Trump administration's escalation with Iran, which happened just earlier in the week. Rally attendees held signs that read “Hands off Iran” and chanted “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation.”

Honks of support were heard from passing vehicles throughout the course of the rally, and some passersby even stopped in to take a photo of themselves atop the park statue holding a sign that read “No war on Iran.”

From the energy of the evening, it was clear that the recent attacks on Iran by the U.S. have sparked an outrage from the Grand Rapids community that will not be going away any time soon.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #GROW #Iran

Jacksonville, FL – While heat warnings shortened celebrations of the 250th July 4, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network took to the hot Florida pavement to protest U.S. aggression both domestically and abroad, including its support for the genocide in Gaza.

The rally started at Memorial Park in the heart of Riverside, where members of organizations spoke on the injustices carried out by the U.S.

A member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) told the crowd, “Over the last three years, at least 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which the United States government has been bankrolling, another 1200 citizens in Syria killed in the regime change in their country, and another 3600 Iranians killed in the senseless war against their country and as if that's not bad enough, we have another 100 civilians of Venezuela killed in the kidnapping of their president, Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores.” The crowd yelled “Shame!” in response.

Focus was also brought to the attacks the Trump administration has made on immigrant communities. Crystal Aguilar of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance stated, “250 years of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But for who? Certainly not for me, or for the millions of working-class people living in America. Not for the immigrants who die crossing the border every day to enter this country, those who have died in ICE detention, and those whose labor is being exploited by greedy corporations. Is this what we choose to stand for? Is this what we are going to continue to allow in our country?” The crowd yelled back, “No!”

The rally became mobile as the participants began marching down Riverside Avenue toward the bustling arts market hosted under the Fuller Warren Bridge. Patrons of the market could hear the marchers steadily approach as the chanting and drumming grew louder. Anyone in the vicinity could hear roars of, “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!”

The chants echoed across the market with the help of the bridge's acoustics. Ryan Delaney of the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) and a co-organizer of the march addressed the market’s attendees: “We are out here today as part of a national day of action called by the Anti-War Action Network. We are organizing in cities around the country, saying that we reject this idea of 250 years of freedom when we continue to take the freedom away from people around the world and in our own country.”

Most of the market patrons stopped what they were doing to see what was going on. They listened intently as a call to action was issued, “Everybody who's here at the Riverside Arts Market, I want you all to know that we are going to continue to fight for this. And we want all of you to get involved. We want every single person here to wake up and rise to this occasion and get ready for the real fight ahead of us. So for every single one of y'all out here, if you're with us, we want y'all to march with us. Because we are going to continue to march, and we're going to go back to Memorial Park, where we're going to continue our program.”

The march made its way back to Memorial Park with more people than it had started with. Upon returning, the attendees cooled down in the shade. Food and water were distributed as folks socialized and built community.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #JPSN

Minneapolis, MN – On July 8, Minneapolis City Council’s Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee held a public hearing on a proposal for a trial program for “drones as first responders” (DFRs). The drones are manufactured by Skydio, a California-based tech company that makes autonomous surveillance drones.

The Free Palestine Coalition (FPC) called for its supporters to pack the meeting, achieving this with both the meeting room and the overflow room at capacity. Over 40 people testified, all expressing opposition to the drone proposal.

One of the main concerns residents raised is that Skydio is a major producer of drones for the Israeli military. Sarah Martin, a member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), testified on this point, saying, “300 to 500 Palestinians were killed every day and there's no question Skidio drones account for many of those deaths. You must decide to reject the contract with Skydio and continue to do the right thing, as you did when you passed one of the strongest if not the strongest, ceasefire resolutions in the country in 2024. Or when you voted not to use ZenCity, an Israeli surveillance company. We don’t want our tax dollars going to companies profiting from the genocide, and a company whose drones have been use to surveil protesters, including those opposing this vicious and evil genocide.”

The other main concern residents raised is that drones operated by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) would be used to violate the civil liberties of oppressed nationality communities, and to surveil protesters.

Mary Ford, member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), testified, “I remember in late May, early June, 2020 during George Floyd [protests], the Blackhawk helicopter swooping low and loud over my house, breaking tree branches and scaring the neighbors that had banded together. The Minnesota State Patrol also flew a Cirrus spy plane over our city at this time. U.S. Customs & Border Patrol collected our data using a Predator drone during George Floyd. To track and pursue targets, both ICE and CBP have purchased Skydio drones. This is not the company that Minneapolis wants to keep. We want to demilitarize police work, not militarize police work to further ridiculous levels.”

Maddy Schwartz, also of the AWC, expressed similar sentiments in her testimony, saying, “This could 100 percent be used as a tool to expand state-sanction violence, surveil protests and dissent, Black and brown communities, and bring in huge amounts of visual data. I worry that this will be the next course of violence against unhoused people who, as a city, we’ve already decided don’t deserve privacy, dignity, or any space to exist. I wonder how this could affect community rapid response systems as we rely on community members to respond to ICE. I’d like to know how many of your immigrant constituents still living in fear, would feel safer with this expanded surveillance through this third party. When we make these investments in law enforcement, it gets harder to trust that council cares about privacy rights and over-policing of communities of color.”

The proposal is for the MPD to launch the Skydio pilot program in Ward 4 in the city’s Northside, which is a Black-majority neighborhood. Many residents came from the ward to address their councilmember, LaTrisha Vetaw, who authored the proposal and sits on the Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee.

At the end of the hearing the committee voted to “forward without recommendation” and the full Minneapolis City Council is expected to discuss it at their 9:30 a.m. meeting on Thursday, July 16.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC

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

The Palestine Solidarity Committee of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) found out on July 7 from the Saint Paul Water Board website that they have selected Waterfall Security Solutions again for a contract.

Saint Paul provides water to Saint Paul, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Lilydale, Maplewood, Mendota, Mendota Heights, West Saint Paul, Roseville, Little Canada and Arden Hills.

Meredith Aby, the WAMM director, explains, “After a year of attending board meetings, meeting with board members, petitioning and calling, we are angered that, despite Waterfall being an Israeli company that works hand in hand with Israel in its genocide of the Palestinian people, Saint Paul wants to expand and extend their contract. The new proposed contract will be $153,611.74 and for five years. They proposed this knowing that their constituents do not support genocide.”

WAMM has been working on this campaign for a year as a part of the boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) movement. WAMM chose this strategy because it was previously successful in pressuring the U.S. to stop supporting South African apartheid. The BDS Movement website says that the tech sector “feeds Israel’s war chest, making up 20% of Israel’s GDP (in 2023) and 53% of its exports (2023).” The goal of the BDS movement is to isolate Israel economically to pressure them to end apartheid and genocide.

Aby continued, “If you drink or use Saint Paul water, please call today – 651-266-6350 extension 7. And regardless of where you live, we need you to come out to the next Water Board meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at noon at Saint Paul City Hall, 15 W Kellogg Boulevard in room 300 to demand that they cut the contract with Waterfall!”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Divestment #BDS #Palestine #WAMM

Washington, D.C. – Amid military displays celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, more than 120 workers, migrants, students and community members mounted opposition in the nation's capital.

Participants kicked off their activities with a banner drop on a Rhode Island Avenue overpass. Later they held a Peace Forum, then a protest on July 4 at the White House. Participants in the forum argued that the country's anniversary should instead be a moment to address ongoing impacts of militarism, political repression and economic exploitation.

“While we were shackled in detention, we learned the U.S. government is the real criminal, but that we also need to fight for justice not just for ourselves, but to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone again,” said Ana from Las Madres Unidas en la Lucha, a collective of migrant mothers. Group members were detained during a March 2026 ICE operation in Baltimore and were later transferred to detention in Tacoma, Washington.

David Black of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) said, “I spent 26 years in prison for a crime I didn't commit. What happened to me wasn't an isolated case, the sheriff who put me there harmed others too. This fight is bigger than my story. It's just beginning, and we're going to keep demanding justice for everyone who has been wronged.”

“Migrant workers are among the underclass in the countries they have migrated to because we are the scapegoats of economic crises, a source of cheap labor, and in times of crisis, we are abused by the government, as is the case today with Trump” said Jabi, a food service worker with Filipino Workers of Wheaton (FilWoW).

The Peace Forum brought together communities addressing issues such as ICE violence, police terror and wars of aggression that impact the people around the world. The gathering strengthened local fights to build a larger movement to address the root causes. Emerging from the Peace Forum, community members committed to advance campaigns against violence due to state agencies and expansion of weapons production.

Participants reconvened on the morning of July 4 for a protest at the White House, targeting Trump, who is responsible for attacks on the people domestically and abroad.

“We see this contradiction intensifying today, with Trump staging a military occupation right here in the belly of the beast, Washington, D.C., where Black, brown, and working-class neighbors are being kidnapped and terrorized by federal agents with the help of MPD. The National Guard occupation alone costs millions of dollars that could be used for healthcare, housing and human needs,” said Juliet Thomas from Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO-DC).

“Today, July 4, also marks 80 years of semi-colonial oppression of the Philippines by America,” says Marcel Castro from Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN DMV). He condemned the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative for increasing land theft and exploitation of Filipino workers, as the U.S. aims to control the semiconductor supply chain. “1600 hectares of land were offered on a silver platter to the U.S., which will displace peasant and indigenous people. Large-scale mining operations will destroy water sources and agricultural land. The Filipino people are not pawns and sacrifices for U.S.-led war!” Marcel concluded.

“Whether it's detention centers, war profiteers, or the daily oppression we face under this system, this week of action shows that the most exploited and oppressed are organizing to fight back. Our fight is to unite workers, migrants, and all people struggling for sovereignty and liberation!” said Liz Park, secretary general of the International League of Peoples' Struggle – US (ILPS-US).

#WashingtonDC #DC #July4th #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarMovement #ILPS #Philippines

San Jose, CA – On Friday, July 3, around two dozen people gathered for a rally and march starting at Dr. MLK Jr. Library to stand against the U.S.’s endless investment and participation in war across the globe, currently including but not limited to, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine.

The crowd chanted, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation” and “Israel bombs, U.S. pays, how many did they kill today?”

Jack McCann, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke about the U.S.’s priority of profits over people over the last 250 years saying, “It has never been about freedom and liberty and all the other lullabies the ruling class sings to us, the working people of this country.”

McCann continued, “We have watched as they use our money to fight their wars, killing people around the world while we go hungry at home, while we struggle to pay our bills, while we fight for the scraps that fall off of their table.”

Donna Wallach, of San Jose Against War told the crowd, “Using our tax money, U.S.-made fighter jets, and high tech weaponry, Israeli soldiers bomb Lebanese villages in southern Lebanon, murdering civilians, and specifically target medical professionals and journalists. Many areas throughout southern Lebanon are flattened, everything destroyed, much like in Gaza.”

Drusie Kazanova of San Jose Against War spoke of the U.S. aggression towards Venezuela. Kazanova brought attention to President Maduro and First Lady Flores’s kidnapping in January, saying, “The U.S. is currently holding hostage the kidnapped, democratically-elected president and first lady of a sovereign country.”

Kazanova also highlighted the resilience of the Cuban people under the 64 year embargo against Cuba, saying, “Cuba has the most advanced doctors and medical training in the world, they invent and manufacture their very own vaccines but are unable to administer them because the U.S. blocks imports of medical syringes.”

Akubundu Amazu of the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, brought attention to recent repression of organizers with the Communist Party, Marxist of Kenya. Amazu noted, “We cannot let them stop us from building international solidarity. The only way we’re going to defeat this international repressive machine is with international global resistance!”

Representatives from the League of Filipino Students (LFS) at San Jose State University and the San Jose Peace and Justice Center also spoke highlighting the U.S.’s increasing efforts to develop manufacturing and AI specifically for war and genocide.

After the speaker program, the crowd began the march through downtown chanting loudly, waving signs, and passing out zines.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #July4th #Palestine #Cuba #Venezuela #Iran

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

Salt Lake City, UT – On July 4, dozens of protesters gathered to demonstrate at the Raytheon Applied Signals Technology facility located in an industrial area on the outskirts of the city. Raytheon, a company long since linked to U.S. and Israeli war crimes, is the target of a new campaign by the Utah Anti-War Committee.

Protesters began the event chanting, “Not another nickel, not another dollar, we won’t pay for Raytheon’s slaughter!”

Speaking on behalf of the Utah Anti-War Committee, Nova Morra stated, “I am done being complicit in a genocide. I don’t know how I will leave the earth, I don’t know when, and I think I can tell you why, but I know that I will have lived my life with dignity and respect. I will die knowing I stand for the people of Gaza.”

UAWC member Amber Grace, while discussing the genocide of the indigenous population of the U.S., observed that “this dispossession is exactly what is being continued today when we manufacture weapons for land theft by Israel’s settler project.”

Delivering a speech for Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Sebastian Miscenich remarked, “Last year, Raytheon made nearly $90 billion in weapons sales to the U.S. and its allies, including a $1.25 billion contract for Israel’s Iron Dome system. A Raytheon Tomahawk missile killed over a hundred Iranian schoolgirls in February this year, mostly between the ages of seven and 12. Is this really what we want our public funds spent on?”

Miscenich continued, “250 years ago, the American Revolution won power for the richest white business owners, but today working and oppressed people in America need to take total power over our society.”

Adam Koritz from FRSO talked about the case of Nadia Topete, an immigrant rights activist In Los Angeles recently targeted by a subpoena to appear before a grand jury simply for speaking out against ICE terror in her community. “It is important to stand in solidarity with Nadia right now, as she would for any of us,” Koritz remarked.

While closing out the rally, organizers handed out leaflets and a petition that will be used to demand Raytheon’s removal from the Salt Lake City area.

The energetic demonstration was unfettered by the extreme July heat, as new contacts were brought into a growing coalition. Responses from motorists and cyclists at the rally were overwhelmingly positive.

#SaltLakeCityUT #UT #AntiWarMovement #Raytheon #Palestine

Brooklyn, NY – On July 3, dozens of activists rallied outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to demand freedom for kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The picket also marked six months since President Maduro and First Lady Flores were kidnapped from Caracas in a United States military operation which killed 100 people, including 32 Cuban bodyguards.

Despite the oppressive 100-degree heat, energy was high. Bolstered by reports that Maduro had been able to hear last month’s protest, protesters chanted loudly, “Maduro, aguanta, el pueblo se levanta!”

Organizations in attendance included Workers World Party, Palaver Collective, Black Alliance for Peace, the International League of People’s Struggle, and Brooklyn Against War.

Michela Martinazzi of Brooklyn Against War spoke, connecting the heatwave with the U.S. military aggression against Venezuela. “The number one polluter in the world is the United States military. It is our responsibility as people living on this planet to fully dismantle the U.S. military and the system that upholds it. So today, we’re standing in record-high temperatures, and we know that war affects all of us. It affects every single one of us. And President Maduro and Flores, who haven’t done anything wrong except govern their country in a way that challenges the United States, are being held right here at the Metropolitan Detention Center. This is a war crime.”

The activists vowed to continue their monthly protest at the MDC until Maduro and Flores are freed. They will also rally at the federal courthouse in Manhattan on July 22, the next scheduled court date for Maduro and Flores.

#BrooklynNY #NY #International #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement