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

Detroit, MI – On Sunday, April 5, around 100 people joined Detroit Anti-War Committee at the Spirit of Detroit statue to begin weekly protests against Trump’s war on Iran. Daanyal Syed, speaking on behalf of the committee, explained why the organization began these protests, saying that while the U.S. and Israel continue to ramp up their violence, “we must ramp up our opposition.”

These protests began in collaboration with U.S. Palestinian Community Network, CodePink-Detroit, Engineers Against Apartheid, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, Love & Liberation, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The organizers chose to begin the protests on Easter Sunday, partially in response to Israel’s recent death penalty law that targets heroes of the Palestinian liberation movement, such as Marwan Barghouti and Dr. Abu Safiya. However, the protest also highlighted the U.S. and Israel’s terror on the region as a whole, protesting the Zionist state’s continuous attacks on Lebanon and the threats from Trump to bomb Iran “into the Stone Age.”

People rallied with Iran flags, and many came with signs highlighting all three issues, some holding signs of Palestinian prisoners, others holding signs demanding an end to the attacks on their families in Lebanon, and more.

After the rally, the crowd marched through Campus Martius, chanting, “Money for Detroit, not for war!” Upon returning to the Spirit of Detroit, people continued to hold space despite the march being over. Several people came up to the organizers and promised to come back the following week.

While Iran and the U.S. came to a ceasefire agreement as of April 7, the Detroit Anti-War Committee plans to continue its weekly protests.

Protesters demanded an end to the U.S. and Israel’s terror on the region, from occupied Palestine to Lebanon to Iran. The committee remains steadfast to the demand that Trump and his allies cease all hostilities on Iran and honor Iran’s 10-point ceasefire plan.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Detroit, MI – On Saturday, March 7, Detroiters took to the streets of downtown to protest the ongoing bombing of Iran, Lebanon and Palestine. Over 200 people came out to protest Trump’s warmongering.

The protesters stood at the entrance to Hart Plaza where passing cars and pedestrians heard their chants calling for an end to the war, including “No more weapons, no more bombs, the people stand with Lebanon!” and “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil, hands off Iranian soil!”

Friendly honks vastly outweighed any boos from agitators.

Detroit Anti War Committee member Daanyal Syed told the crowd, the $3.7 billion spent on the first 100 hours of the attacks on Iran “should be used to improve our education system, our transportation, our healthcare, and our communities – not to bomb children overseas.”

After marching through Campus Martius, a few more speeches were given and a protester came up to the mic to read aloud the names and ages of a few of the martyrs, many of which were children and elderly.

Afterwards, people lingered in the plaza, discussing ways to get involved with efforts beyond the day’s action and the impact of Trump’s actions on their families across the globe. Beyond being a clear showing that Detroit opposes Trump’s warmongering, the action also proved that Detroiters are willing to fight back to stop his war on Iran, including joining the fight for divestment.

The action was put on by the Detroit Anti War Committee, the US Palestinian Community Network of Detroit/Dearborn, Students for a Democratic Society Wayne State, Engineers Against Apartheid, CodePink Detroit, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Palestine

Detroit, MI — Over 80 people came out to a protest called by the Detroit Anti-War Committee, on March 3, to oppose the bombing on the Iran by the U.S. and Israel, as well as the continued attacks on the Venezuela and Cuba.

Detroit Anti-War Committee was joined by Code Pink Detroit, and Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, along with community members. Many people were waving Iranian flags, and signs reading, “Detroit for peace not war!” During the protest, people chanted, “Israel bombs, USA pays, how many kids we kill today!”

Rose from Detroit Anti-War Committee stated that these attacks on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran “is Trump’s playbook.” At the same time, she also said, “The people aren’t falling for the lies that Venezuelans are all narco-terrorists, nor are we falling for the lie that he has the interest of the Palestinian, the Iranian or the Cuban peoples at heart.”

Even as the sun was setting for the day, many of the attendees of the rally who were fasting for the month of Ramadan were still outside chanting, “We want justice, you say how? Detroit, divest now!” It is clear that Detroiters oppose Trump’s war on Iran and stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and Cuba.

#DetroitMI #MI #Cuba #Venezuela #Iran #AntiWarMovement

Michigan chapters of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) came together in Detroit at Wayne State University on Saturday, February 28, for their first statewide organizing conference.

The one-day conference featured panels and workshops, mostly revolving around their Sanctuary Campus campaigns, which demand university administrators never collaborate with federal immigration enforcement, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in particular.

“As we’re seeing the level of attacks by ICE rise in Michigan, with the repeated kidnapping of high school and college students, we in the student movement saw the need to raise our level of organization to fight back. This conference laid the groundwork for that in a real way; we can build SDS at new schools, colleges and universities,” said Jackson Robak, an organizer with Wayne State University SDS

The organizations present at the conference included the SDS chapters from Wayne State University, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, as well as the Detroit Community Action Committee and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The SDS chapters passed a resolution calling for the formation of a statewide student network. The network will call coordinated days of action, where students at universities across the state coordinate protests for their Sanctuary Campus campaigns. Further, the network will organize protests at Michigan universities which don’t have SDS chapters, when students at those universities are detained by federal immigration enforcement, or when federal immigration enforcement enters campus.

The conference concluded with a protest on Wayne State campus, the focus of which was on Sanctuary Campus campaigns, demanding “every school in Michigan a sanctuary.” Students and community members also spoke out at the rally against U.S. airstrikes against Iran.

#DetroitMI #MI #StudentMovement #SDS #ImmigrantRights

Detroit, MI – President Trump visited Detroit January 13, to promote the auto industry. His trip included a tour of the Ford factory in Dearborn and a visit to the Motor City Casino, where he was set to give a speech at the Detroit Economic Club.

Once the details of Trump’s visit were made public, the DROP Trump Coalition organized an emergency protest to say no to Trump and his racist agenda. Over 300 people rallied on the corner of Trumbull and Temple to show that his presence wasn’t welcome in Detroit.

Several organizations behind the DROP Trump Coalition were already planning to pack the city council meeting the same day as Trump’s visit, raising demands that would fight Trump’s reactionary agenda, including calling for a sanctuary city and for the city to divest from war profiteers. Almost 40 community members came to the council meeting in person, and more attended online via Zoom. Most of the comments made were about kicking ICE out of Detroit and demanding real, tough sanctuary policies.

Several people called out of work in order to attend the city council meeting, given the mobilization was planned over a month in advance by Detroit Community Action Committee and Detroit Anti-War Committee.

By the end of the meeting, council members moved to investigate the research presented by Detroit Anti-War Committee about the city’s $667 million invested in war profiteering contracts. Community members also demanded politicians support them in calling for Detroit to be a sanctuary city, and be ready and willing to resist ICE.

Then participants headed to the anti-Trump protest.

Speakers at the rally and march made it clear Detroit wanted Trump out of their city.

Marcel Ulacia, a member of the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated, “Donald Trump you are not welcome here and neither are none of your jack boot thugs!”

Ulacia continued, “We need to ensure our communities are safe from this increased state repression from Trump. That’s why we advocate for community control of these dogs. We don’t need a budget increase for more weapons; we need to put them on a leash!”

Daniel Weber-Alatorre of Students for a Democratic Society at Wayne State University said, “Right here, five students were told by Wayne State that their visas had a, quote, ‘clerical error.’ When the students went to Wayne State for help, Wayne State told them to self-deport or they would send ICE after them. Just like city council, Wayne State is willing to feed its own students to these dogs.”

The anti-war movement also showed up. HighligJo Pico of Detroit Anti-War Committee stated, “There’s a reason why Trump is here today to speak to the Detroit Economic Club, which hosts Zionists like Dan Gilbert and his political allies like former Mayor Mike Duggan. Trump, like many of our politicians, sees war as a way to make himself and his friends richer. Because of that, this war on Venezuela does not shock us. Trump is too stupid to even hide his reasoning. He wants Venezuela’s gold, he wants their oil, he wants their country.”

Further connecting Trump’s attacks on Venezuela to the war he wages against the American people here at home, Jackson Robak from Freedom Road Socialist Organization states “Trump is waging a crazy war on both the nation of Venezuela and on the American people through his attempted war on the immigrants of the U.S. If we want to stop these crazy wars now is the time to organize, come together, and fight tooth and nail to make Trump unable to push through any of his monstrous policies on the ground and make this country ungovernable!”

It is clear the impact that Trump’s past year in office has had on countless oppressed peoples and various movements. These attacks will only continue and further escalate. At the same time, people continue to fight back, and more people continue to join the struggle. This day of resistance against Trump was proof that Detroit has stood up and will continue to fight back.

#DetroitMI #MI #Trump #AntiWarMovement #ImmigrantRights

Detroit, MI – On January 7, crowds of people rallied and marched to demand justice and protest the murder of Renee Good. Comité de Acción Comunitaria – Detroit (DCAC) organized an emergency protest just hours after reports came in as part of a national campaign with the Legalization for All network to condemn this killing and the attacks on our communities.

The action began with a rally, where protesters gathered on a cold dark afternoon at the ICE headquarters in downtown Detroit, waving Sanctuary City Now signs and chanting “City council cut the ties, we won’t pay for ICE’s crimes,” “No justice, no peace, no racist police” and “Say her name!”

Jackson Robak, a Freedom Road Socialist Organization member, stated, “It is our duty to build a movement that can fight back and make this country ungovernable.”

Robak honored Good’s memory calling her a “martyr of the immigrants’ rights movement” and saying “the monopoly capitalists would eat their own if they could to make a dollar or make profit. But that’s what makes us different, the masses of people, is we care about our own, we remember our own, we honor our martyrs.”

Sofia Marx, a member of the Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society stated, “This unjustifiable abuse of authority is a stark reminder of ICE’s seemingly unchecked power.”

Marx spoke about the need to fight back, “The Trump administration wants to scare us, they want us to stay silent, to hide, to accept these escalations and to allow our peers to be ripped away without a fight but we are not going to allow the continuation of these unchecked attacks on our peers.”

Relating Detroit to Minneapolis and Chicago, Kassandra Rodriguez of Comite de Acción Comunitaria stated, “How long will our local governments watch as their residents are murdered and terrorized in the streets? They treat us like animals, like our people don’t matter. Murdering us in broad daylight, taking our children to school like Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez and now standing up for our neighbors.”

Rodriguez spoke of the need to fight back “We cannot wait for what is happening in Minneapolis, in LA, in Chicago to happen here in Detroit. We need to stand up for the immigrants in our communities now. Now is the time to fight back. Now is the time to kick ICE out of our community and out of our city.”

#DetroitMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #KillerICE #ReneeGood #DCAC #L4A

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

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

Detroit, MI – As part of the Week of Action called by the United National Antiwar Coalition and the Anti War Action Network, Detroit Anti-War Committee organized a march and rally, November 22, to demand “Hands Off Venezuela.” Over 20 community members showed up.

The action was organized alongside Detroit Community Action Committee, the DROP Trump Coalition, CodePink – Detroit, 50501 Detroit, We The People Dissent – Detroit, Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The rally started in Clark Park in Southwest Detroit, which saw an influx of Venezuelan immigrants in 2024. Since Trump has taken office, the Southwest community has been hit hard by ICE’s presence. For example, this past summer, at least four Venezuelan immigrants were detained outside of the courthouse after a judge dismissed their asylum cases. The effects of the United States’ interventions and cruel sanctions on Venezuela are seen firsthand in Detroit, and instead of finding peace, Venezuelan Detroiters are being met with ICE’s terror.

Rue Rodriguez of Detroit Community Action Committee spoke on this issue, saying that war on Venezuela “means mass displacement, being forced from their homes due to bombing and destruction, never knowing if they can ever return to their homeland.” More than the war abroad, Trump clearly wants a war at home on immigrants. Rodriguez went on to explain that the Trump administration has revoked Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, “putting post 270,000 people at risk and drastically changing their lives and making thousands of ordinary people live in fear.”

Detroit Anti-War Committee’s speaker, Rose Boaz, told the crowd, “An attack on Venezuela is an attack on us too. Not a single soul wants this war, except Trump, the war profiteers, and the people looking to exploit Venezuela for its oil and gold. Just like how the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq were never about fighting terrorism, the war on Venezuela is not about preventing drug trafficking. Trump and his allies are not defending the Venezuelan people by waging war or placing the country under harsh sanctions — they are murdering them.”

Boaz continued, “Every time another weapon is bought or another war profiteer is invested in by our government, we are being robbed of our ability to choose our community over the destruction of someone else's.”

A member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “Every time there is a people’s government, anytime a country wants to control their own resources, anytime they stand in the way of U.S. imperialism, what do we hear about these countries? They’re authoritarians, they’re dictators, and we have to bomb them in order to give them freedom.” He went on to say, “They were wrong about Vietnam, Korea, Cuba, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. Do we think they’re right with Venezuela?” The crowd yelled back, “Hell no!”

After speeches, the crowd took to the streets, chanting “No war with Venezuela!” They marched past businesses on Vernor and then through the neighborhoods.

Detroit made it clear that more people are seeing through Trump’s lies, which for so long have been used to justify the sanctions and interventions against Venezuela and Trump’s racist immigration policies. Despite Trump’s attempts to manufacture consent for this war, the people of Detroit demands something different – money for the city, not for Trump’s endless wars.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #AWAN #UNAC

Detroit, MI — On Veterans Day, Detroiters came out in the chilly November weather to show that they reject Trump’s war on Venezuela and demand we truly honor our veterans by ending the U.S. military's forever wars.

The protest was spearheaded by the Detroit Anti-War Committee with Freedom Road Socialist Organization, We the People Dissent – Detroit, Students for a Democratic Society at Wayne State, and Macomb Defenders Rising also signing on.

Standing on a corner of Grand Circus Park, the protesters chanted, “Money for Detroit, not for war!” and held a banner demanding “No war with Venezuela.”

Daanyal Syed spoke for Detroit Anti-War Committee, saying, “For far too long, our tax dollars have funded violence. When our elected leaders choose forever wars, they choose to use our money for slaughter instead of using it to meet people’s needs.”

She went on to remark, “Our hard-earned money is actively being used to send soldiers to the coast of Venezuela to kill civilians for oil, when at the same time we have already watched for years as our taxes are used to massacre the people of Palestine, Sudan and elsewhere.” She ended her speech by calling for the incoming city council to finally divest and stop using Detroit tax dollars to fund genocide and war.

Speaking on behalf of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jackson Robak said, “They treat [our veterans] like they are nothing more than a commodity that the U.S. uses to wage war… only for them to return home to nothing, left scarred and abandoned by the government who used them as a tool in their imperialist wars.”

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #International #Venezuela

Detroit, MI — On the evening of November 1, Comité de Acción Comunitaria – Detroit, Detroit Anti-War Committee, Engineers Against Apartheid, and several other organizations came together in Southwest Detroit to build an ofrenda (traditional altar) that contained candles, portraits of those who have been lost, as well as the flags of Palestine and Venezuela.

Attendees at the vigil remembered those murdered on the U.S./Mexico border, in ICE detention centers, in the street by ICE and police. Honored during the vigil as well were all those murdered by Israel in its genocide and over the past 77 years of Zionist occupation, as well as the murder of 57 Venezuelan fisherpeople killed by the Trump regime in order to start a new war with Venezuela.

This vigil came after a recent protest last Saturday, November 25, where Detroit Anti-War Committee, Comité de Acción Comunitaria – Detroit, Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization took to the streets in Southwest Detroit to oppose Trump’s war crimes and planned war on Venezuela. The protest demanded “Money for Detroit, not for war.” It received a tremendous outpouring of support from residents, with honks from cars driving past, and protesters chanting back, “Maduro sí! Trump no!”

Jackson Robak of Detroit FRSO stated, “It is our job not only to hold space for our martyrs but give them justice, and the only justice I can see is tearing down this system and building a new one.”

Rue Rodriguez of DCAC told the crowd, “These sanctions, leading to shortages of food and medicine, only serve to broaden the effects of terror and carnage felt by the Venezuelan people. These tactics lead to even more mass displacement, and force people to flee their homelands and come to the United States, all while at home, ICE uses the same tactics and rhetoric of military violence to justify the deportations and murders of immigrants here.” The vigil had constant reminders of these connections and the need for people to just stand in sorrow and mourn but move forward with strength and conviction to oppose Trump’s attacks at home and abroad now more than ever.

#DetroitMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Venezuela

Detroit, MI – On October 18, more than 8000 protesters gathered for a major No Kings protest starting at Roosevelt Park in Detroit to demand Detroit declare itself a sanctuary city, that troops be ousted from our cities, and the city divest from war profiteers.

The event began with a rally at Roosevelt Park. Speakers included long-time Detroit organizer Dr. Yusuf Shakur, members of the DROP Trump Coalition (Detroit Resisting Oppression by President Trump) , Engineers Against Apartheid, Doctors Against Genocide and others.

The massive crowd waved Palestinian, Mexican and upside-down American flags as they chanted “Detroit ain't lickin' no boots! No Trump! No troops!” and “Donald Trump you racist clown! The working class will bring you down!” Signs like “No ICE” and “No troops” were a prominent feature as well.

Marcel Ulacia, a member of the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, called out the continued murder of oppressed nationality people by the Detroit police and uplifted the names of those murdered by killer cops, mentioning John Zook Jr., Sherman Lee Butler, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor. He emphasized the resilience of Detroit in the face of thugs like Trump, saying, “We stand here today in Detroit, a city shaped by Black labor and Black struggle, to say we will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced.”

Ulacia went on to call for community control of the police, saying, “The Detroit Alliance has been fighting for over a year to pass the people’s body cam ordinance which would hold the police accountable and end their collaboration with ICE. But what did the city council give us? Either nothing or the most toothless version of our body cam ordinance. Trump cannot be held accountable if we don’t hold our local representatives accountable. Pack the city councils, demand the demands we yell today.”

Speaking on the demand for a sanctuary city, Kassandra Rodriguez of Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria stated, “Trump is not acting alone. His cruelty is backed by a system. A system that profits from private detention centers. A system that devalues Black and brown lives. A system that builds walls instead of bridges and prisons instead of schools.” She ended by stating, “Detroit will be a sanctuary city. Not out of sheer wishes but because we will not stop fighting until every immigrant, every refugee, every worker, every dreamer is safe, is welcomed, and is free.”

The protesters marched to the Patrick McNamara Federal Building, which houses immigration courts, Homeland Security, and the FBI. They chanted against the institutions that cause the working class great harm.

The march to the federal building was filled with high energy as people were screaming chants at the top of their lungs. People walked out of their apartments to join in, and some cheered from their balconies, waving Mexican and Palestinian flags in solidarity with the marchers.

As they gathered around the building, Jo Pico with Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “I want to build a Detroit that works for us, not the capitalists like the Ilitches and the Gilberts, but also because I want to end the rotten system that put Trump in power!”

Pico continued, “The truth is the entire history of the country has been a fight between us, the working class who make anything of value in this country, and the capitalists who exploit and oppress us. Their profits have always been paid for with the lives of indigenous peoples, of African Americans, of Chicanos and Latinos, of immigrants, of women, and of working-class people everywhere! From Detroit to Palestine to Venezuela and all the points in between!” He ended his speech with a rallying cry for the protesters make America ungovernable.

The energy was electric, with attendees expressing anger at Trump, but also at his capitalist allies. The people marched back from the federal building chanting “Fuck ICE. Fuck war profiteers. Fuck Israel. Fuck the Ilitches. Fuck Gilbert. Fuck Elon. Fuck Trump!”

The protest was organized by Indivisible, and partners, particularly the DROP Trump (Detroit Resisting Oppression by President Trump) coalition, comprised of organizations including Detroit Anti-War Committee Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, the Detroit District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, We The People Dissnet, 50501 Detroit, General Strike U.S. Detroit, and the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

#DetroitMI #MI #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #Trump #NoKings

Detroit, MI – On October 7, around 50 students and community members walked out of class and their jobs in protest of two years of genocide in Gaza. Wayne State Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for a Democratic Society, Detroit Anti-War Committee, and several other organizations gathered on Gullen Mall to show that Detroit continues to stand with Palestine, the right of Palestinians to resist occupation, and to demand an end to Israel’s slaughter.

Only feet away from the protesters location was the strip of grass where, in May 2024, students set up an encampment to demand Wayne State University divest from Israel. The rally was opened with a speech reflecting on the significance of October 7, detailing how it was both a day of resistance but also a day in which the whole world could no longer look away and ignore Israel’s occupation of Palestine. From these opening remarks, it was clear that the reason why the students began the encampment resonated in the heart of every student in attendance.

A march ensued, with the students chanting, “Wayne State, your hands are red!” and “Long live the intifada.” As the crowd moved around campus, onlookers watched as the leaders of the march called out the administration for their continued complicity in the genocide. It was clear that the demand for divestment continues on campus, with the march being led with SJP’s banner that read “Refusing to hear us won’t change the truth.”

At the same time, the student movement at Wayne State has grown and expanded due to the continued attacks from Donald Trump’s administration and Wayne State admin’s capitulation to the attacks. Next to SJP’s banner was SDS’s banner, calling for WSU to end student deportations. Alongside divestment, students demand administration stop assisting Trump and his attacks on their peers.

At the end of the rally, members of Turning Point USA attempted to heckle and drown out the remaining speakers, but they failed. The rest of the rally continued, ending in chants of “Free Palestine.”

In the spirit of October 7, Wayne Student students and the Detroit community stood up and showed they will continue to fight for a free Palestine and will not back down from Trump or any of his allies.

#DetroitMI #MI #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SJP #SDS

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

Detroit, MI – On September 23, the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, together with other community groups in the city, demonstrated outside of a city council community meeting for a city ordinance guaranteeing the release of police body-worn camera footage.

Arriving an hour before the start of the meeting, demonstrators held signs, chanted and marched in picket formation in front of Fellowship Chapel, where the meeting was to take place. Demonstrators chanted, “When killer cops are on patrol, what’s the answer? Community control!” and “If the law is on your side, what do you have to hide?”

Once the meeting began, several of the demonstrators went inside to make public comments about a version of the body-cam ordinance currently in consideration by city council, which was heavily watered down from the community’s original demands.

“Let me state plainly: the ordinance currently before you is a significantly weakened version of what was originally proposed,” said Marcel Ulacia, of the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, “It does not meet the needs of the people of Detroit.”

“We’ve asked repeatedly to sit down with the council to discuss the ordinance and come to some sort of understanding of what all parties are trying to accomplish,” said Victoria Camille, of the Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability, “that sit-down did not happen and now the ordinance you are considering is nowhere near what was presented to you.”

After the meeting, demonstrators handed out flyers and discussed the ordinance with community members who had attended the event, who expressed support for the demands laid out by the demonstrators.

#DetroitMI #MI #InJusticeSystem #DAARPR #NAARPR

The protest was organized by the Detroit Community Action Committee, a group fighting for the rights of immigrants and the democratic rights of Chicano’s based in Southwest Detroit.

Their current campaign is to make Detroit a sanctuary city for immigrants. This means that it would be illegal for the Detroit Police Department and for the city government of Detroit to assist ICE in tracking down and arresting immigrants should Detroit become a sanctuary city. Members of the Detroit Community Action Committee brought an ordinance to the Detroit city council earlier in the month and are waiting to hear back from the city council.

In his speech, Jackson Robak said, “I’m here with the Detroit Community Action Committee to demand an end to the connection between the Detroit Police Department and ICE. Seeing that the Supreme Court has legalized racial profiling and profiling based on spoken language, DPD is now connected to an openly and legal racist entity in a city that is 77% percent Black and almost 10% Chicano/Latino. ICE can now have the legal ‘right’ to target almost every citizen in the city and have DPD backup. It’s wrong and shouldn’t exist!”

The demonstrators were greeted by friendly Detroiters who honked their horns in support as they drove by. Chants like “Si se puede!” and “El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!” echoed down Lafayette Boulevard.

When asked about the brutal murder of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, Detroit Community Action Committee organizer Kass Rodriguez said “This Supreme Court ruling allows ICE to continue to terrorize our communities and commit crimes with impunity. Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez was stopped and murdered by ICE agents after dropping off his children at school. He was a father, a husband, a brother, and a hard-working member of his community. His death was a direct result of policies built to criminalize and villainize immigrants.”

With racist and reactionary politicians like J.D. Vance alluding to sending the National Guard to Detroit, it is more important now than ever for the people of Detroit and other cities to stand up and fight back. Detroit is putting its foot down. Sanctuary city now! Justice for Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez!

#DetroitMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #DCAC

Detroit, MI – Over 5000 people rallied in Clark Park, June 14, for the national No Kings day of action to declare a “Day Without Immigrants.” Clark Park resides in the historic Southwest area of Detroit, which is known for its strong Mexican-American community.

Amongst the organizing groups were Detroit Community Action Committee, Detroit Anti-War Committee, Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, General Strike U.S., 50501 Michigan, Indivisible, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The rally had several performances from Southwest Detroit musicians and poets and speeches from activists, community members and politicians. While listening to the programming, many organizations and nonprofits tabled and provided attendees opportunities to get involved. People bought food from local vendors and small businesses. Protesters brought out Mexican and Palestinian flags and signs that demanded ICE be kicked out of the city.

Before the march, several people spoke, including Representative Rashida Tlaib; City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who represents southwest Detroit, and Detroit Community Action Committee member Marcel Ulacia. Echoed throughout many of the speakers was the need to fight back against ICE. Everyone, no matter their group affiliation, was aligned on the right to resist.

Some of the organizations behind the “Day Without Immigrants” rally and march, such as Detroit Community Action Committee, made clear demands to the policymakers who were in attendance, particularly Gabriela Santiago-Romero. The demands most commonly issued were seen on the banner that led the march, “End DPD-ICE cooperation” and “Make Detroit a sanctuary city now.”

This comes as no surprise. Only a few days before, on June 10, many Detroiters attended city council and demanded the city be declared a sanctuary, as opposed to its current designation as a “welcoming city.” After the city council meeting, Santiago-Romero told Malachi Barrett of BridgeDetroit, “When I see a majority of white folks asking me to make the city a sanctuary city, they’re not going to be the ones impacted when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes into our communities. Are they ready to come out and put their lives on the line to protect residents?”

Her comment did nothing to deter the June 14 speakers from demanding a sanctuary city. Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society speaker, Dr. Michael Muczynski, spoke on student deportations and the school’s cowardice when it came to defending the students whose F-1 visas were revoked. It is because of this that Muczynski called for Wayne State to be made a sanctuary alongside Detroit. He issued a warning to “any administration, whether it is Wayne State, city council, Detroit police, or a president that stands in our way. There is no going back. The people are in the streets, and we demand to be heard!” The crowd roared in response.

After Muczynski, Nova Williams from the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression spoke on the need for community control of the police to “protect our people in this city from police violence and our resistance from political repression.” As part of the DAARPR’s efforts to fight back against state violence, Williams demanded a sanctuary city.

Speaking for the Detroit Anti-War Committee, Daanyal Syed made the point that lawmakers need to do more to combat Trump’s attacks, which includes divesting from Israel and declaring Detroit a sanctuary city. She discussed the connections between the Israeli occupation forces committing the genocide of Palestinians and ICE, which cross-trains with Israel. In Syed’s words, Detroit Anti-War’s demand to end cross-trainings between Detroit Police and “any other agencies that use Israel’s murderous, racist tactics” is “unable to be separated from” Detroit Community Action Committee’s demand to end cooperation between Detroit police and ICE.

Later in the program, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib talked about the importance of protesting because “no one in the political establishment is doing enough.” She continued, “We did not get the civil rights act because someone in Congress woke up that day and said, 'Geez, that's a really good idea.' It's when people protested, they marched, they boycotted.” She ended her speech by chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!”

Jackson Robak of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “Throughout history, there are tests. You either pass or you fail. Right now, Donald Trump is failing that test. Right now, those racist Republicans in Congress are failing that test. ICE is failing that test. Yet at the same time, Democrats like Sri Thanedar, who just signed on to support ICE, have also failed that test.” As Robak took a breath, the protesters shouted “traitor” and booed at Thanedar’s name.

Robak continued, saying, “Any politician who fails to support real change, like fighting for a sanctuary city and ending DPD-ICE cooperation, has failed that test. I look at all of you, and I know we will fight, we will pass this test of history, and we will win!”

Towards the end of the rally, Gabriela Santiago-Romero spoke, opening her speech by celebrating that Detroit was the first city to pass a ceasefire resolution after October 7. At the same time, she disagreed with the prior statements regarding a sanctuary city. She explained, “We are only six months into this fascist government. We need to come together to protect each other. No resolution will do that.” Similar to her comment to Barrett, she demanded that everyone needed to “put their bodies on the line” to protect people from ICE while at the same time saying that policy is not an effective way to fight Trump.

Marcel Ulaciaof the Detroit Community Action Committee doubled down on the demand for a sanctuary city, calling out Gabriela Santiago-Romero directly by saying she “claims that fighting for sanctuary city policies does more harm than good. Let’s be clear, walking away from your central campaign promise the moment it becomes politically inconvenient is not leadership, it’s abandonment. Sanctuary city policies are not symbolic; they are one of the most effective ways we resist the Trump-era, racist attacks on immigrant communities.”

The No Kings event finished off with a march to the Detroit Police and ICE headquarters with the community chanting “Chinga la migra” and “Viva la Raza” on the way there and back.

At the ICE headquarters, protesters gathered around the building, chanting “Fuck ICE.”

Marcel Ulacia spoke a final time, continuing to issue the community’s demand for a sanctuary city and an end of Detroit Police’s cooperation with ICE, stating politicians “think we will cower and run because Donald Trump gives them the go ahead to ravage people's lives. And yet – here we are by the thousands loudly and proudly defending those under the boot of his racist administration.”

After Ulacia, Jackson Robak spoke once more about building towards revolution in the United States, pointing towards Los Angeles as an example of how the people must fight back. Robak said, “Aztlán, the Southwest, is on fire, and I’m proud that my comrades are fanning the flames, showing that ICE needs to be scared, they need to be full of fear, if they want to come into our cities and our neighborhoods.” The crowd cheered and whooped in response before marching back to Clark Park.

Detroit sent a clear message to the Trump administration and local and state governments: Detroiters are angry, and they’re not going to allow their neighbors to be taken lying down.

#DetroitMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #NoKings

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

Detroit, MI – 2500 people gathered at Hart Plaza, April 19, ready to fight back against Donald Trump and his attacks on working-class people, both at home and abroad. The demonstration was a “Hands Off” march and rally, organized by Detroit Anti-War Committee, Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria, Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

For the first time since the “Hands Off” movement began in the city, residents took the streets of the Motor City, chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets!” The people were filled with righteous anger, and the signs dotting the procession showed people’s animosity to this current administration, many referring to Donald Trump and Elon Musk as kings, oligarchs and murderers. Many signs carried demands on the Trump administration, urging that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be brought home and for an end to the United States’ relationship with the El Salvadoran prison CECOT.

Keeping with this theme, Marcel Ulacia spoke for the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, saying, “We cannot afford to wait and see what happens or hope in vain that Trump's depravity will find some kind of limit. Politics starts at home, with our neighbors, and in our communities, where regular people like you and me get together to fight for what we believe in.” The people began cheering, chanting in support of a movement that will “Stand up and fight back!”

Dr. Michael Muczynski of Students for a Democratic Society began the rally with a speech about the recent revoking of student visas, saying, “I compel all parents, grandparents, faculty and community members to support the student movement. My peers have been harassed, stalked, arrested and deported for doing what is right.” This comes in the wake of more than four Wayne State Students having their visas revoked and Wayne State’s main guidance to those affected being to “self-deport.”

Muczynski followed this up by demanding Wayne State kick ICE off campus, declare itself a sanctuary campus, and refuse to capitulate to Trump’s demands on deportations and his cuts to education and DEI. The crowd responded with a resounding chant of “Dare to struggle, dare to win!”

As the crowd took the streets, people worked together with the marshals to ensure a successful march. The energy was electrifying as the march paused in front of the U.S. Immigration Court, where Kassandra Rodriguez of Detroit Comité de Acción Comunitaria spoke. Rodriguez called for an end to cooperation between Detroit Police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for the city to declare itself a sanctuary, stating, “We need a city government that represents the needs of the people and what we want is ICE out of our community now!”

Upon returning to Hart Plaza, the crowd rallied once more to hear from Jacob Smith of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Jo Pico of Detroit Anti-War Committee. Both speakers emphasized the dire need for grassroots organizing in the city, with Pico saying, “Over the course of this nation’s history, and especially in the three months since Donald Trump has taken office, it has become an unavoidable truth that the United States government will never do the right thing unless we, the people, demand it.”

Smith furthered this point by declaring, “We cannot allow anything like another Trump presidency to happen again, and that means we need to rise up, get organized, and do away with the capitalist system that put him here in the first place.”

After this, the crowd began to disperse, though many people followed the organizer’s call to action, speaking with several of the march leaders about how to get involved further. One person expressed, “I want to do more than just march in the street.” The action provided people an opportunity to get involved and, in Smith’s words, “make Trump’s America ungovernable.”

#DetroitMI #MI #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #HandsOff #AntiWarMovement #ImmigrantRights