Garland, TX – A coalition of Dallas Fort Worth antiwar organizations including DFW Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and others, rallied in the city of Garland’s Freeman Heights neighborhood outside of the Paligen Technologies facility, formerly REPKON USA.

The Anti-War group’s Tax Day rally protested the misuse of working people’s tax dollars on war and genocide, as well as Garland institutions’ complicity in funneling students and workers into war manufacturing via the FAME program.

DFW and Garland Community members arrived around 6:30, chanting “Say it loud! Say it clear! Paligen’s not welcome here!”

Mohammad Khan of DFW Shias for Justice told the crowd, “This company has been identified as a principle contractor of producing components of 12,000 BLU-110AB general purpose 1000-pound bomb bodies for Israel”.

Josh Rudd with DFW Anti War Committee stated, “This community does not have a hospital, but they have a bomb factory.”

Dilan Ahmadi of Revolutionary Front said, “By participating in targeted pressure campaigns like ‘Stop the Bombs Garland’, like ‘Boycott Chevron’, we can hit them where it hurts: their pocketbooks.”

The crowd made their way to the adjacent Dallas College campus, where the Garland Chamber of Commerce meets to hold trainings and meetings with the Garland FAME program. Josh Rudd spoke on the FAME program, “We don’t want students being recruited for genocide.”

After the rally, Garland resident and North Texas DSA member Ella Haag told the crowd, “I'm thankful for the DFW Anti-War Committee for taking on this campaign and for bringing attention to the Paligen facility.”

Haag continued, “I've lived in Freeman Heights since 2018 and was horrified to find out I lived across from a bomb factory. It haunts me every day. Every war is connected to this factory. Every life lost from these weapons is connected to this factory.”

#GarlandTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #WeaponsIndustry #DAWC

Detroit, MI – On Sunday, April 12, another protest took place in Detroit to demand an end to the war on Iran. The second weekly protest brought around 90 participants to the Spirit of Detroit sculpture and through the streets around Woodward Avenue and Campus Martius Park.

The weekly protests are organized by the Detroit Anti War Committee, along with the support of US Palestinian Community Network, Code Pink, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Engineers Against Apartheid.

The protest began with people lining the edge of the street holding banners and signs, such as “Detroit divest from war profiteers!” Cars passed and honked in support of the anti-war messaging. With the route going around Campus Martius, the One Campus Martius Building sparked up heated chants of “Fuck Dan Gilbert!” referring to the billionaire Zionist who owns the building and contributed over $80,000 to Detroit election campaigns, including that of Mayor Mary Sheffield.

Bryce Morin from Students For A Democratic Society stated, “We here at SDS oppose Wayne State’s support of these mass killings and displacements through investments in companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. And we are against our university allowing ICE to continue to deport students from our campus. Because we believe that our tuition and tax dollars should go towards funding education, not towards supporting war.”

Hiba Elturk, a founding member of the Detroit Anti-War Committee came out to speak on her experience having familial ties to Beirut and Bechamoun in Lebanon, “When Israel broke the ceasefire, it felt like the weight of the entire world had come down on me. I pray to God none of you ever have to reach for your phones and make the decision of who to call first to check and see if they’re still alive! Thanks to the Zionist entity, these decisions I’m being forced to make,”

Elturk continued, “My uncle was on his way home from work when the street he was driving on got struck by a missile. Five minutes too early, five minutes too late, and he would have been murdered.”

Jo Pico, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “Ultimately, in this moment of uncertainty, trauma, and pain, there is one fact we can hold onto: we have power. This is what gives us clarity to meet the moment.”

After marching, the demonstrators rallied in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, which is where the city council meets.

Daanyal Syed of Detroit Anti-War Committee stated, “The city of Detroit is complicit in genocide, as it has contracts like Shot Spotter, whose technology is used to surveil Palestinians, is used to surveil our Black and brown communities.” Syed closed out the protest by calling on everyone to show up to protest next week.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #DAWC #Iran #Palestine #FRSO #SDS

Garland, TX – On March 15, in Garland, Texas, 100 people joined DFW Anti-War Committee’s no war on Iran protest at the REPKON USA ordinance facility. REPKON USA just closed a $660 million U.S. arms deal to send 27,000 more bombs to Israel to continue its bombardment of Iran.

Attendees chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear, REPKON isn’t welcome here!” as 45-mph winds buffeted the crowd. Signs included “REPKON bombs slaughter Iranian students. REPKON out of our schools!”

Through the FAME program, Dallas College, the Garland school district, and the Mesquite school district partner with REPKON to use the bomb factory as a professional training resource for their students. Ending these partnerships between REPKON and schools is the current campaign of the DFW Anti-War Committee.

“We’re working to get REPKON kicked out of the FAME program because we think students shouldn’t be brought into a bomb factory for ‘on the job experience’ when those bombs are being used to kill students and destroy schools around the world,” said Josh Rudd, coordinator for the DFW Anti-War Committee.

#GarlandTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Iran #DAWC

The panel kicked off with Faye Damara, the barrio walk coordinator for NAARPR-Dallas who stated, “King recognized, like all of us here, that for a people to achieve individual moral freedom means to achieve collective political freedom; that to achieve political freedom means the endowment of the right to the pursuit of national self-determination for all; that this pursuit can only be achieved by a radical redistribution of both economic and state power in favor of the exploited and of the marginalized.”

Kya Gonzalez of JUPI stated, “Advocating for Puerto Rican sovereignty has been routinely disrupted and targeted by the U.S. government, something MLK himself experienced in his fight for civil rights.” Gonzalez also highlighted the oppression of Haitians by ICE.

Justin Mitchell, a member of FRSO and the media coordinator for DFW-Anti War Committee, reported on the recent solidarity delegation to Venezuela, “The same people that have been attacking them, sanctioning them, bombing their fishermen, and now of course kidnapped their president, are the same people exploiting our labor, killing our planet, putting us under the thumb of student and medical debt, and the same people attacking oppressed peoples here in the United States.”

Sumayyah Chennault of Palestinian Youth Movement connected the occupation of Palestine to ICE terror, saying, “This moment provides us with a critical opportunity to make the ties between imperial violence abroad and repression and violence domestically.”

Sabah Shaw of Shias for Justice – Dallas closed out the panel with her analysis of Iran’s connection to the Palestinian resistance and the role of sanctions in destabilizing and delegitimizing opponents of the United States.

“Any analysis that talks about hardships in Iran without centering sanctions, regime-change agendas, and Western violence, is analysis that is justifying intervention,” concluded Shah.

The panel was followed by a Q&A and calls to action to upcoming events, including a NAARPR rally at Dallas City Hall on January 29 at 7 p.m. to condemn the latest murder by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #DAWC #NAARPRDFW

Dallas, TX – DFW Anti-War Committee hosted a January 11 watch party for the Anti War Action Network’s report back webinar “No to Trump’s War on Venezuela!” The webinar featured anti-war organizers who recently traveled to Caracas, Venezuela for a peace conference to build international solidarity and stand up to U.S. imperialism. A banner calling for “No war on Venezuela” was also painted during the watch party.

Allison Gunderson of the Minneapolis Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness, who was part of the delegation, said, “Seeing President Maduro speak about building solidarity with Palestine and Cuba, speaking about real, tangible ways to give power back to the people, it has been disgusting coming back to the U.S. and seeing Trump’s rhetoric about war and division. I couldn’t think of a more stark comparison about how Venezuela does not reflect the United States.”

Jim Byrne from Tucson Anti-War Committee said, “It was a real honor to be able to participate in the workers congress.” He mentioned that in attendance to the congress was Alex Saab, the former Venezuelan Minister of Industry and National Production who was held captive by the Trump administration and later freed from pressure from activists across the United States as part of the campaign to “Free Alex Saab!”

Jim Byrne continued by saying, “At the congress, the workers presented a proposal in what they called a ‘constituent assembly’ calling for all trade unionist representatives to be active on the shop floor. They would work in those places and be subject to immediate recall.” He concluded by saying, “Unions are integrated into the national plan for resistance so that every workplace with a union participates in defending against U.S. aggression.”

Jessica Plichta from Grand Rapids Opponents of War, who was recently publicly arrested for standing up against Trump’s violent kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the weeks after the conference, concluded, “If we fight one struggle, we fight them all!”

Josh Rudd with the DFW Anti-War Committee remarked, “This watch party was a great opportunity to learn more about Venezuela and to hear from people who had first-hand experience in the country. DAWC is currently working on a Stop the Bombs Garland campaign against the Repkon bomb factory that makes the U.S. arsenal that the Trump regime is threatening to use on Venezuela and now Mexico, Cuba, and Colombia.”

Rudd continued, “We will be responding to AWAN’s call to action by having a banner drop in Dallas on Saturday, January 17 from 3 to 5 p.m. Check out our Instagram to get involved and help us call for ‘No War On Venezuela.’”

Anti War Action Network will be hosting another webinar on Saturday, January 17 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time featuring Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza, former Consul General of the Venezuelan Consulate in Chicago, for on-the-ground analysis from Venezuela.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #DAWC #AWAN #Venezuela

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following January 12 statement from the Dallas-Fort Worth Anti-War Committee.

Pete Hegseth is not welcome in Dallas-Fort Worth!

Today, Pete Hegseth, the so-called Secretary of War, came to Fort Worth because DFW produces the weapons of war and genocide. From the Lockheed Martin F-35 factory in Fort Worth that Hegseth visited today to the Repkon bomb factory in Garland, our metroplex’s taxes, resources, and labor are being used for imperialist bloodshed.

DFW is home to every major weapons manufacturer in the world, including:

• Lockheed Martin F-35 factory in Fort Worth

• Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control International Headquarters in Grand Prairie

• RTX (Raytheon) surveillance system factory in Richardson

• Elbit Systems National Headquarters in Fort Worth

• Repkon MK-80 and BLU-109 bomb factory in Garland

• And more…

We are working on a “Stop the Bombs Garland” campaign to fight back against these genocidal companies and Hegseth’s Department of War, starting with Repkon’s bomb factory in Garland. This factory produces the bombs used by the U.S. and Israel in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran and that the Trump regime is now threatening to use in Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia.

Join the DFW Anti-War Committee this Saturday, January 17th from 3-5pm for a No War On Venezuela banner drop at Mockingbird and Highway 75 in Dallas. Later this month, we will be hosting a presentation in Garland, Texas about the Stop the Bombs Garland campaign and how you can get involved!

#DallasTX #TX #FtWorthTX #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #Palestine #DAWC #WeaponsIndustry #PeteHegseth

Dallas, TX – Dallas activists gathered on a chilly night in downtown Dallas, January 10, to demand freedom for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and condemn the war launched by the U.S.

Groups set up tables to share literature, resources and to connect individuals with organizations. At the demonstration’s peak, around 200 people came out to make noise and demand no war on Venezuela.

A speaker from the DFW Anti-War Committee connected the struggle against the attacks to the local arms industry. In her speech, Camille Kaplan said, “The factories that build the bombs used by the U.S. and its allies are right here in North Texas. Shame!”

Groups such as the North Texas Labor Federation, the North Texas DSA, Young Active Labor Leaders, and Freedom Road Socialist organization delivered speeches with shared demands to free Nicolas Maduro, defend the peoples' revolution in Venezuela, and end U.S. wars of aggression.

Kai Leslie from FRSO said “The Freedom Road Socialist Organization supports the steadfastness of those fighting back against U.S. imperialism. We unite with the working class and the nationally oppressed peoples of the world and are working to build a lasting movement against imperialism here in the belly of the beast!”

Ella Haag with the North Texas DSA chapter shared, “Venezuela’s only crime was to strive for self-determination and for common ownership of their country's resources, and by doing so set themselves up against this most destructive and murderous country. Yet, they have persisted, fighting to keep the revolution alive no matter the cost. Make no mistake, our ruling class has already inflicted wide scale suffering on Venezuela. This war of aggression did not start last week. The U.S. is escalating from economic strangulation to open savagery and barbarism.”

Speakers connected the U.S. thirst for war worldwide with declining conditions at home. The crowd chanted “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation” and “No invasions, no more coups, Venezuela is not for you.”

One heckler showed up, who was drowned out by the organized chanting of hundreds as they demonstrated the power of organization to advance the cause. He left after a few minutes, unable to sway even a single passerby to join him.

The noise rally capped off a busy weekend in North Texas of rising opposition to the current administration's bloodthirsty policies. A huge anti-ICE protest in downtown Fort Worth drew hundreds earlier in the day, with additional actions against ICE and in support of Venezuela already planned across in coming weeks.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #DAWC #NTLF #NTDSA #YALL #FRSO

Dallas, TX – Over 1000 community members gathered Thursday evening, January 8 at Dallas City Hall to protest the murder of Renee Nicole Good by ICE in Minneapolis and to demand ICE out of Dallas.

Attendees marched around downtown Dallas calling for the Dallas Police Department to stop working with ICE. The protest was called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression-Dallas (NAARPR-Dallas).

Andy Ayala said, “From its inception, our organization has had one fundamental and steadfast goal from which all others stem – to resist the brutalities of state repression. What happened yesterday in Minneapolis represents an unprecedented level of violence perpetrated by ICE on our communities.”

Ayala continued, “So many of us here today do, in our daily lives, exactly what Renee did: stand up to racist and brutal injustice. For this, ICE viscously murdered her. For this, Renee Nicole Good was taken from her community. She was taken from her friends. She was taken from her wife and she was taken from her son.”

During the speeches, community members held up signs reading “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Justice for Renee Nicole Good.”

William Capper, a speaker on behalf of the DFW Anti-War Committee, said, “The bullets used to take Renee's life link ICE to the web of military contractors that pawn their supplies to ICE and police forces, cycling the war machine's violence abroad back onto our streets. Our struggle is one.”

Capper continued, “There is a world in which her murder by ICE has a chilling effect on us. We become afraid to step out of line, to do our part to fight repression. But we have to resist the fear that horror invites on us. Renee was an organizer. We must answer her loss by organizing ourselves. Show ICE that when they take down one organizer, a thousand fill in their place. The ONLY solution is to get organized.”

During the protest, community members chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here,” “No more deportations, we demand legalization” and “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” [the people united will never be defeated].

Speaking for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization DFW District, Kai Leslie said, “Renee Nicole Good's murder was an unacceptable crime, but it wasn’t the first time ICE has executed an innocent person. 25 people that we know of in the last year have been murdered by ICE, and countless lives have been ruined. We know the actions of ICE are deplorable. But we also know people are in the streets fighting back! Across the U.S., people are interfering with ICE ghouls in any way they can, spreading the word of ICE’s presence, slowing down their raids, blocking their vehicles, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization is proud to stand with the people rising up against ICE.”

Andy Ayala concluded, “We are not scared. We will not back down. You have started something here, and we will continue to act in solidarity with Renee Nicole Good. We will carry her in our minds, in our hearts, and in our fiery spirits in all the work we do to bring an end to the very injustices Renee Nicole Good fought against.”

#DallasTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #DAWC #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #KillerICE #ReneeGood #NAARPR

Detroit, MI – Over 40 people came out to an emergency protest put on by Detroit Anti-War Committee, January 4, outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal building to oppose Trump's attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Maduro.

Detroit Anti-War Committee was joined by Detroit Community Action Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and many others. Many people held signs saying, “No war on Venezuela” and banners that featured Maduro and Simón Bolivar portraits, accompanied with chants of “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil. Hands off Venezuelan soil!”

The emergency rally followed another protest that happened on January 3, the day of the attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Maduro. This protest was originally planned by Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria to demand Detroit become a sanctuary city, but with the news of Venezuela, the narrative quickly expanded to include the ways that U.S. wars and sanctions abroad contribute to mass displacement of people. The protest was attended by local organizers and politicians, including 12th Congressional District Representative Rashida Tlaib.

Kassandra Rodriguez of Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria stated, “People do not leave their homeland for no reason. U.S. violence and attacks on Venezuela have created instability that forces people to flee, and when Venezuelans come here looking for refuge and sanctuary, they are met with detention, deportation, and denied rights.”

The energy from the previous day’s demonstration continued into the rally on January 4. Daanyal Syed of Detroit Anti-War Committee told the crowd, “The United States wants control of Venezuela, its resources, and they want to weaken Venezuela so it can do what it wants. We are here, in the cold, because we have the responsibility to show the United States government that we reject their war on Venezuela. If Trump wants war, then he will have to fight us as well because we will resist him every step of the way. ”

Syed finished her speech highlighting that the city council must pass Detroit Anti-War’s divestment resolution to prevent Detroit from contributing to Trump’s wars.

Kassandra Rodriguez of Detroit Community Action Committee stated, “Yesterday, many of us were out here protesting the recent bombing of Caracas and the kidnapping of President Maduro and today, we stand here to do the same. Because our solidarity with the people of Venezuela and the immigrants in our communities does not end with one day of action, it flows into every day we wage struggle against deportations and against Trump's racist agenda.”

Jo Pico of Freedom Road Socialist said, “If we want to win, if we want to land real blows against [our enemies,] then we have to get organized. The Venezuelan people are proof of this: they have been preparing for the inevitability of the U.S.’s attacks since day one. Much like the Palestinian people, we have much to learn from all those who refuse to be crushed by the boot of imperialism.”

Despite the megaphones dying due to the cold, the rally continued with chants of “From Caracas to Jenin, stop the U.S. war machine.” A fitting end to a protest where Detroiters made it clear that they want nothing to do with this war, and they stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela against Trump’s attacks.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #DAWC

Dallas, TX – Over 150 Dallas-Fort Worth residents gathered together to protest the United States’ bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of President Maduro and First Lady Flores on January 3. This emergency protest was called after the U.S. launched an unprecedented escalation against Venezuela. Speakers emphasized that the F-35 fighter jets used in the attack on Caracas were produced by Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas.

Speakers with the DFW Anti-War Committee (DAWC) talked about their “Stop the Bombs Garland” campaign against Repkon, a bomb factory in Garland, Texas that produces large portions of the U.S. and Israeli bomb arsenals to be used against Palestine, Yemen, and now Venezuela.

Kai Leslie, a member of DAWC said, “The DFW Anti-War Committee came out to this action to show our solidarity for the government of Venezuela in the wake of Trump’s brazen act of imperialist violence upon the people of Venezuela. We demand that Venezuelan’s President Nicolás Maduro be freed and returned safely and an immediate end to hostilities. The bombs being used right now in Gaza and will be used in Venezuela are created right here in DFW at a factory named Repkon, formally General Dynamics, and the DFW Anti War Committee’s campaign ‘Stop the Bombs Garland’ demands that the production of these weapons be ceased.”

During the protest, attendees chanted, “From Venezuela to the Middle East, we demand justice, we demand peace,” “U.S. Navy, CIA, you’re not welcome, go away” and “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” Community members brought signs reading “No war with Venezuela!” and “Free President Maduro!”

During the protest, Scot Godfrey with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization remarked, “I came to the protest today because I find the imperialist actions of the U.S. disgusting and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. It is brutally obvious that this attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty is an attempt to steal the natural resources of the Bolivarian Republic; particularly their oil. I also came because I want to make my voice heard and demand the freeing of the Maduro family and an immediate end to war mongering in the western hemisphere by the American empire.”

Protesters rallied across the street from The Dallas Morning News headquarters, calling out the media’s complicity in manufacturing consent for another war, using the claim of “drugs” this time instead of “weapons of mass destruction.” Community members loudly demanded no war with Venezuela and the immediate release of President Maduro and First Lady Flores.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #DAWC #FRSO

Detroit, MI – Despite the chilly weather, over 50 people came to Hart Plaza to protest Trump’s wars and his agenda in commemoration of Human Rights Day, December 13.

As part of the rally, Daanyal Syed of Detroit Anti-War Committee stated, “This administration is bloodthirsty and looking to both plunder Venezuela for its oil and gold and use our tax dollars to stimulate the war economy. We know this because the very same war profiteers who profit off war with Venezuela have already made and continue to make millions off the genocide of Palestinians, the horrifying conditions in Sudan, in the Philippines, and across the world wherever the U.S. intervenes.”

Syed went on to condemn the people in power who the Trump administration’s war mongering and war profiteering, saying, that the mayor to city council are “complicit in the rights violations committed daily and funded with our tax dollars” due to their refusal to pass Detroit Anti-War’s divestment resolution.

Rue Rodriguez, speaking on behalf of the immigrant rights organization Detroit Community Action Committee, told the crowd, “It is the U.S. who forces people to flee their homelands and migrate here in the first place. The oppressive policies of the U.S. on the people of Venezuela have led to mass displacement, forcing people to flee their homelands due to mass destruction, bombings and sanctions.”

It is the United States that creates the conditions for people to leave their homes, and when they come to the U.S., they are terrorized even further.

Rodriguez called upon local politicians to take action against Trump and his agenda, stating the city government “would rather lie down and play nice with people who seek to tear our communities apart.” She ended her speech by calling to make Detroit a sanctuary city, which would enable Detroiters to fight back against Trump’s terroristic use of ICE against our communities.

Jo Pico of Freedom Road Socialist Organization ended the rally with, “The truth is that we are the only ones who will organize to end human rights violations once and for all. Furthermore, I know we can and will tear down the terrible system of imperialism because we have already proven that we are the ones capable of leading the fight against Trump while our politicians time and again are only capable of capitulating to him.”

After finishing the rally, the protesters took the street, marching up Woodward Avenue and around Campus Martius Park. As shoppers looked on, the marchers chanted “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil. Hands off Venezuelan soil!” and hoisted signs with demands like “From Caracas to Jenin, stop the U.S. war machine.”

People chanted loudly and angrily. Detroit made it clear that they continue to fight against Trump and his administration’s gross human rights violations. More than that, the community will continue to fight the city government, to make it protect the city from Trump and his agenda.

Organized in conjunction with the Anti-War Action Network’s Week of Action, the groups behind this action include Detroit Anti-War Committee, Engineers Against Apartheid, CodePink – Detroit, Detroit Community Action Committee, Anakbayan – Metro Detroit, Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Macomb Defenders Rising, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, Palestinian Youth Movement, DROP Trump Coalition, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #DAWC

The Governor’s argument for persecuting CAIR builds on the legacy of the sham prosecution of the Holy Land 5, which was based in the North Texas city of Richardson, and conflates support for Palestinians with “terrorist activity.”

Groups in Dallas-Fort Worth showed their firm solidarity with CAIR, the co-coordinator of DFW Anti-War Committee (DAWC), Josh Rudd had this to say, “We as DAWC firmly oppose these racist attacks on CAIR by the Abbott regime. We will always stand in solidarity with our Muslim siblings against Islamophobia. We recognize the way the U.S. weaponizes Islamophobia and other forms of racism to continue ‘forever wars’ against Asian and African communities. We are working to shut down the bomb factory, Repkon, in Garland, Texas, that builds the genocidal weapons of U.S. imperialism.”

Greg Abbot and the Texas GOP have repeatedly tried to use Islamophobic sentiment to rally their base, but they have been repeatedly defeated in their attempts. In Republican controlled Tarrant County, the district attorney sought to send Raunaq Alam and Afsheen Khan to prison for decades for pro-Palestine graffiti. They failed in part due to organizations like the National Lawyers Guild, CAIR and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), which organized support committees for the targeted individuals.

Other tactics by the state against Muslims include the targeting of the East Plano Islamic Center, which announced plans in March 2024 to build a residential community and mosque in rural Collin County. In that case, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed multiple frivolous lawsuits against the developers and directed state agencies to launch fraudulent investigations into all aspects of the mosque, including directing the Texas Funeral Services Commission to revoke EPIC’s permission to perform burial services.

Texts unearthed in the lawsuit revealed that Kristin Tips, the director of the Texas Funeral Services Commission and an Abbot appointee, was sending anti-Islam media from a pro-Israel media network to her executive director. Notably, these tactics of administrative investigation presaged a similar wave of tactics used by the national Republican party to investigate critics and whistleblowers in the federal workforce, such as the cooperation by the Federal Finance Housing Agency in prosecution of New York Attorney General Letita James.

To date, all of these unjust prosecutions and administrative actions have been defeated in courts. But instead of accepting his losses, Greg Abbot continues with the unjust and likely illegal attacks. In their response to the publicity stunt by the right-wing governor, CAIR touts their record, having defeated Abbot numerous times, including thwarting a 2019 anti-BDS law that led to the firing of a Muslim teacher, his 2024 efforts to ban Palestinian solidarity organizations from campuses, and protecting the rights of individuals with pro-Palestine views to qualify for public employment and contracts.

But the fight is not over. Local organizations, including PYM and the Muslim American Society, have joined the chorus of opposition to Abbot’s anti-Muslim agenda. As Texas continues to serve as a right-wing laboratory for state persecution, all eyes should turn to the organizing that has successfully pushed back this Islamophobic agenda.

#DallasTX #TX #OppressedNationalities #AntiWarMovement #CAIR #ArabAmericans #Palestine #InJusticeSystem #DAWC #PoliticalRepression

Detroit, MI – On the evening of September 26, the Detroit Anti-War Committee and other organizations gathered at Grand Circus Park to protest Netanyahu’s address at the United Nations and to show Detroit stands with Palestine.

This action was planned in accordance with the Anti-War Action Network’s national call to action, with Detroit Anti-War stating on their flyer for the protest, “While many of us cannot attend the protests in New York, we believe it is integral Detroit show up and show out in support of Palestinians.”

Approximately 30 attended, holding signs that reflected Detroit Anti-War’s demand for the city to divest from Israel and war profiteers. The marchers took the street, walking from Grand Circus to Campus Martius, past several buildings owned by Dan Gilbert, a billionaire Zionist who owns over 100 properties in the downtown area. Diners and shoppers watched from outdoor patios and the sidewalk as the march passed them, chanting, “Money for Detroit, not for war!”

Halfway through the march, the protesters stopped in front of a building owned by Gilbert in order to hear from the speakers, who made it clear that the ongoing genocide in Palestine was close to home for many attendees. Courtney Lynn from Detroit Anti-War Committee called out the city government for its complicity, saying, “When our city council refuses to divest from Israel, it is our city council trying to silence Palestine!”

Sofia Marx spoke for Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society. She connected what is happening at the United Nations to the student movement at WSU, saying, “How we treated [recently resigned President] Espy should be an example to Trump and all those at the United Nations complicit in continuing this genocide.”

Before the march set off to return to Grand Circus, Jo Pico of Freedom Road Socialist Organization closed out the rally. He pointed at who he believes is the body responsible for the continued failures at the UN, saying, “Every time the international community has begun to recognize Palestine and its right to self-determination, the U.S. stands in the way. This is why Che Guevara called the United States the head of imperialism, and it is why we have the responsibility, in the belly of the beast, to cut the head of U.S. imperialism off!”

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #DAWC

Denver, CO – On Monday, September 1, over 1000 protesters assembled at the Colorado State Capitol for a Labor Day march. The march was part of nationwide mobilization entitled “Workers over Billionaires!” and was organized by a broad coalition of organizations including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Denver Anti-War Action, Colorado Education Association, and Colorado 50501.

The program began with speeches from several labor organizers on the power of organizing.

“In 2023, we launched the biggest contract campaign in decades,” said Katherine Draken, a rank-and-file UPS Teamster and member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, “And we won! We were ready to go on strike and UPS knew it. We got rid of the two-tier system, and we got the biggest wage increase ever!”

After the speeches, the 1000-plus crowd took to the streets and marched to the Denver Federal Immigration Court, where ICE has been kidnapping immigrants who show up for court check-ins. Along the march, the crowd chanted “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” and “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Then, the crowd marched back to the capitol building and heard speeches from more organizers.

The crowd then took the streets for a second march, this time to the mansion of Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Polis, a Democrat, has faced criticism for not standing up against the Trump administration. In one example, he even had Colorado law enforcement agencies collaborate with ICE, in violation of a state law against such collaboration.

“Governor Polis's administration betrayed its commitment to the immigrant community by pressuring officials to unlawfully share private data with ICE. This action undermines state privacy laws and erodes trust in public institutions meant to serve and protect all residents. We can't allow our community to be attacked by those in power, the community must fight back and take back power!” said Brandon Gehrke of Aurora Unidos CSO.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #ImmigrantRights #Trump #NoKings #LaborDay #DAWC #CEA #50501 #CSO

Dallas, TX – Palestinian Youth Movement called an emergency picket, August 12, at the Dallas Morning News headquarters downtown followed by a vigil for journalists and media members targeted by the Israeli military.

The picket was supported by the DFW Anti War Committee, Code Pink, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. By the middle of the afternoon a significant crowd had already gathered on the sidewalk, chanting “Dallas media you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Dallas Morning News is owned by Hearst Communications, whose investment wing for venture and startup capital only just recently closed its Tel Aviv office in August 2025.

By the end of the afternoon more supporters began to gather across the street outside Main Street Garden. By 6 p.m. the crowd had relocated to the park to hold a vigil and evening prayers in memory of journalists and media staff murdered by the Israeli government, including Anas al Sharif and the staff of Al Jazeera slain by the IDF the week prior.

Dr. Nouran Sharaf, who had spoken with Anas al Sharif and returned from Gaza herself after working in Al Shifa hospital, stated, “Their cameras confronted Israel’s propaganda and lies. Their words became weapons. Their courage was so threatening to their oppressor that the only way to defeat them was to permanently silence them. But let us remember that they were more than just journalists. They embodied the people of Gaza with their strength and resilience. They will forever remain witnesses that history could not erase and voices that could not be controlled.”

She continued with a reading of Anas al Sharif’s final will, urging the world to never allow itself to be silenced or to stop speaking against the Zionist’s apartheid regime, stating, “Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland.”

Sam Judy, local journalist and founder of the online Dallas Nomad stated, “What constitutes resistance? When the entire Al Jazeera crew is exterminated because of their inability to control the narrative, it becomes resistance just living and preserving the truth.”

Judy concluded, “You have to keep in mind that these folks did not report before this siege. These folks started during the siege. So imagine having a job like this as demanding as it is, that has as much responsibility laden with it, and you are in your early 20s, and you are in a genocide, dodging air strikes much of your day – these are some of the best human beings that have ever been created.”

A banner was laid out where community members wrote the names of slain journalists and media staff targeted by Israel. The list was read aloud, their names numbering nearly 400 in the last 25 years alone.

The evening ended with a solemn Salat al Gha’ib, n prayer for those in Gaza who have died so far with no one to pray for them.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PYM #DAWC

Detroit, MI – On June 8, around 80 Detroiters and several community organizations protested Trump’s deployment of the National Guard on the Los Angeles community. Outside of the downtown ICE and Police Department Headquarters, Detroit stood in solidarity with those fighting back against ICE and the National Guard in LA.

Those in attendance held up signs demanding Detroit become a real sanctuary city that in no way works with ICE, with phrases like “Ni una mas deportación” and “End Trump’s attacks on immigrants.” The protesters took parallel corners of Michigan Avenue. One side of the street chanted “Fuck” while the other responded with “ICE,” with both sides of the street flipping off the headquarters that stood behind them.

Afterwards, the protesters gathered together, and Jacob Smith of DAARPR spoke on the importance of taking action like this. He championed the efforts of the community involved in the “everyday struggle,” and gave people opportunities to engage in the struggle beyond the action on June 8.

After Smith, Jo Pico, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “We are in awe to see Chicago, Minneapolis and LA and elsewhere bravely run ICE out of their communities.” He recognized that Aztlán is on fire and we must fan the flames, promising that Detroit is going to fight back just as the Chicano community of Los Angeles has. Pico encouraged everyone to make the United States ungovernable under Trump.

Finally, Kassandra Rodriguez of DCAC emphasized that the fight to kick ICE out of Detroit is one that will require everyone to show up for their community, whether it is in Southwest or Hamtramck. She commended those who showed up, reminding everyone that “we keep each other safe with our numbers,” and by “putting our bodies on the line, screaming at the top of our lungs, and putting our safety at risk for our community.” Rodriguez closed her speech by chanting what had been the theme of the day: “¡Sí se puede!”

The protest was called by Michigan 50501 with many grassroots groups arriving with signs, banners, megaphones and community members. These same organizations, including Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria (DCAC), Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DAARPR), Detroit Anti-War Committee, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, are helping organize Detroit 50501’s “Day Without Immigrants” protest on June 14.

#DetroitMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #ICE #LosAngeles #DCAC #DAARPR #DAWC

Garland, TX – Organizers and activists held a large teach-in and town hall meeting, December 1, just outside the gates of General Dynamics, one of the largest ordnance suppliers to the Israeli genocide in the United States. The facility and surrounding neighborhood are no stranger to controversy, with others having held protests, disruptions and rallies outside its gates before.

DFW Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Free Palestine Denton, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, and Palestinian Youth Movement organized the events.

The coalition engaged the community by canvassing the surrounding streets to bring the neighborhood into conversations about the roles of weapons manufacturers like General Dynamics across north Texas communities, taking into careful consideration the makeup of the neighborhood and preparing canvassers to meet residents where they were. Organizers who did not have experience knocking doors were trained by others who had prior experience and paired together. The community reception was warm.

Planners spent a month engaging the rest of their DFW communities for food, music, art and cultural workshops to share with the neighborhood, from embroidery and crafts for children to music workshops and a town hall to field questions from local residents. As the day moved on, community members of the neighborhood came from across the street to find an enthusiastic crowd.

Participants of all ages joined in to learn, chant and sing. Leaflets were handed out with information about local organizations’ campaigns, alongside songs and chants from the last 90 years. An activist from Jewish Voice for Peace shared a particularly impactful Yiddish song from the 1930s We Will Outlive Them featuring the line “The world will grow more beautiful, love greater, hatred smaller.”

The event shifted into a town hall meeting, fielding questions from participants and community members about the weapons manufacturer, and heard from the organizers about their groups’ campaigns against General Dynamics.

Organizers stressed the importance of working with a long strategy in mind against weapons manufacturers. Amid the many roles weapons manufacturers play in American life, from our education to our families’ careers, General Dynamics has held its place in this neighborhood for generations and family stories from these factories are not uncommon in north Texas. The fight against them is certainly not a short one.

Once a boat factory before 1952, this General Dynamics facility is a direct legacy of the United States’ long history of suppressing the labor movement by forcing communities to compromise for quality industrial jobs by pushing them into weapons production. General Dynamics supplies 80% of the MK-80 and BLU-109 bombs dropped in Gaza.

General Dynamics facility is tucked grimly between a community college and a high school football stadium, the surrounding area is a quiet, working-class neighborhood where you can sometimes hear the football games and marching bands on weeknights. Israel’s own Elbit Systems is similarly located across the street from another quiet suburb and high school in Fort Worth. Communities like Garland, Texas and others across the state send their children to school right next to bombs that kill children abroad.

#GarlandTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WeaponsIndustry #DAWC #FRSO #PYM #CodePink #JVP

Dallas, TX – After the election outcome, November 6, Freedom Road Socialist Organization here held a 50-person rally in front of the Dallas City Hall.

Jo Hargis from the DFW-Anti War Committee started the rally by singing Power in the Union. That was followed by a speech from the vice president of the Progressive Student Union at UTA, Seraphine Pecson, who said, “In the coming years, we will see our rights placed in jeopardy as marginalized people, but let it be clear: we will not consign ourselves to spending the next four years living on our knees!”

Gregory Butler, from the DFW-Anti War Committee, stated, “There are little ways that all of us can help, from handing out water at protests to helping our organizations with social media. Anyone can do it and the time to do it is now.”

William Josef from the Jewish Voice for Peace spoke next, saying “the vocal unwavering support for Israel's genocidal violence from both parties reveals that they both, fundamentally, grow from the same rotten source. It proves that despite overwhelming public support for a ceasefire, the ruling class is uninterested in anything but money and capital.”

Ulises Ramos from the National Alliance spoke next saying “NAARPR understands that the driving force behind any successful movement of the people’s struggle is powered by the people for the people. Not from the federal government, not from the mayor’s office, and certainly not from the police chief’s desk, but by the hands and hard work of each and every one of us. The police will continue to act against our interest until we as a community take control of how they function. We don’t need more money for the police to keep terrorizing our communities.”

The event got support from National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Dallas Fort Worth Anti-War Committee, The Progressive Student Union at UTA, Jewish Voice for Peace, Codepink, Palestinian Youth Movement-Dallas and the Young Active Labor Leaders.

The final speaker was from a member of Teamsters Local 767 and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Rick Majumdar, who said, “Both the Democrats and the Republicans have proven time and again that they do not, cannot and will not act in the interests of the multinational working class and the poor marginalized, oppressed nationalities across the contiguous United States. They are only interested in lining their pockets with the wealth stolen from our paychecks, to further their own imperialist exploits by dropping bombs on third world countries and exerting control in regions where they have no business in.”

#DallasTX #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #FRSO #NAARPR #DAWC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dallas, TX – Around 50 people gathered early in the evening of Sunday, August 25, in front of the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the murder of two Black children killed at the hands of Dallas police.

The boys were brothers, George Johnson, aged 14, and Johnny Johnson, aged 13. The vigil was attended by three siblings of the Johnson brothers and organized by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Stop Cop City Dallas Coalition, and the DFW Anti-War Committee. Community members from all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area were present.

The siblings of the Johnson brothers shared heartfelt thoughts and recollections. Other speakers included Justin Bent from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Britney English from Stop Cop City Dallas, and local activist Olinka Green.

Britney English remarked, “When society’s perception of you doesn’t line up with who you are as an individual, your identity is defined by the racism, bias and hate of others. George and Johnny were children. The police claim they saw men. George and Johnny had pipes to play music with. The police claim they saw shotguns. George and Johnny were junior high students, and the police saw criminals. You can’t train that sort of bias and hate out of someone.”

The vigil concluded with a moment of silence for George and Johnny Johnson at the exact time they were murdered: 8:40 p.m. on August 25, 1974.

The story of the Johnson brothers had been largely forgotten in Dallas until it was recently brought back to public attention by the work of journalist Sam Judy. Regretfully, the boys' graves still bear no headstone as of the time of writing, but the vigil also helped raise money to address that.

#DallasTX #TX #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #DAWC