Chicago, IL – On Thursday, January 22, organizers in Anti-War Committee (AWC), Chicago, United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), and BDS Chicago braved the cold to host a press conference demanding that Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs divest state funds from Israel Bonds. They were joined by rank-and-file members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 to announce that they are filing their third ethics complaint against Frerichs for his investments.

“Michael Frerichs, what don’t you understand? We are not going to stop until you divest from Israel,” declared AWC Chicago Co-chair Jae Franklin, addressing the crowd gathered outside the Illinois State Treasurer’s office.

A representative from 73 for Palestine, Gaby Martinez, explained the reason for the complaint. “Treasurer Frerichs needs to be censured in that he is not investing for the people of Illinois, but for his personal political agenda.” The charges submitted to the Executive Inspector General include “abuse of authority, corruption, favoritism, improper use of state time and other resources, and prohibited political purposes and misuse of political assets.”

The state of Illinois currently has $100 million actively invested in Israel Bonds, making Illinois one of the leading state governments supplying material support to Israel. Funds raised from the sale of Israel Bonds are unrestricted. They are transferred directly into Israel’s general budget and can be used for any purpose. “We’ve seen what they do with these resources,” stated Franklin, “mass starvation, occupation, the destruction of schools, hospitals, places of worship.”

Organizers spoke to the repression they have faced from the state treasurer’s office, as well as from the Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI), who are also under fire from the public for their investments in companies that provide material support to Israel.

Tulsi McDaniels from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) recounted her experience of being forcibly removed from the most recent ISBI meeting. “State police separated us and purposefully brutalized another protester in the room – but not before denying us entrance unless we removed our keffiyehs.” The meeting was also delayed by over an hour, and protesters were left to stand outside in freezing temperatures.

Noura Ebrahim from the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) summed it up, “Frerichs is clearly more comfortable engaging with representatives of Zionist organizations and supporters of genocide than with the people whose money he manages—a profound breach of public trust.” Michael Frerichs still has not publicly addressed any calls for divestment.

Protesters were also joined by state senator and candidate for Illinois comptroller Karina Villa, who represents the 25th District of Illinois. She spoke to the connections between these atrocities overseas, and the violence being committed by ICE within the United States itself, both of which are funded by taxpayer dollars stating, “These monsters that are wreaking havoc at home or abroad, this Donald Trump regime, understands one thing: he understands money. We understand money, too. This is Illinoisans’ dollars.”

Organizers attempted to deliver a copy of the ethics complaint to the state treasurer’s office but were denied entry. They were told that a representative from the office would come down to receive the papers, but no one ever arrived to do so. Eventually, the papers were handed off to the state police officer managing the entrance, who said that they would be delivered.

Call Frerichs’ office and sign the letter to divest!

Organizers are urging the public to call Michael Frerich’s office and demand for him to divest from Israel Bonds, starting with two bonds with a total value of $15 million that are set to expire on February 1.

Illinois residents can also sign the letter to divest as an individual or endorse as an organization to join the divestment network. For updates about the campaign and further calls to action regarding divestment, follow @uspcn, @bdschicago, and @antiwarchicago on Instagram.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Divest #Palestine #Labor #SEIU #BDS #USPCN

New York, NY – On February 25, over 20 NYU students, faculty and workers picketed the board of trustees meeting demanding they disclose and divest from all companies supplying Israel in its genocidal occupation of Palestine.

In addition to disclosure and divestment, the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition demanded the closure of the NYU Tel Aviv campus, built upon stolen Palestinian land, and the reversal of all suspensions and probation charges of Palestine student activists. The coalition’s demands aim to cut the university’s ties to the state of Israel.

As board of trustee members were escorted into their meeting by campus security officers, they were confronted by picketersdemanding that they disclose and divest. As the meeting went on, picketers chanted “Trustees pick a side, justice or genocide” and “We want justice you say how! Answer our demands now!”

The picket was called for by the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition, which consists of the NYU Students for a Democratic Society, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, Shut It Down NYU, NYU Graduate Student Workers Union – UAW, and several other organizations.

The participating organizations vow to continue their fight against NYU, no matter what repressive tactics are thrown their way. They will continue struggling until they win all their demands.

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #NYU NYUPSC #SDS #NYUSDS #NYUSJP #SJP #BDS #UAW #NYUGSWU #FreePalestine #Disclose #Divest

New Orleans, LA - On November 13, students packed a room to hear about their university’s difficult financial future and anincreasingly bloated and unaccountable administration.

The Muslim Student Association (MSA) and members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) created an exposé highlighting their campaign demanding that Loyola disclose their $250 million endowment fund.

Students were especially frustrated with tuition increases and cuts to their financial aid to bail out the university from its poor financial management.

“Loyola’s plans for the future are not looking great. You can expect tuition to increase from $47,390 to $51,656 and total financial aid to drop by 3%. This is all for what admin has called a ‘premium education’,” said Nadir Benslimane, a Liberate and Unite New Orleans (LUNO) SDS member. “If you think this premium education means more classes and higher paid professors, you’d be wrong. Loyola plans to hire two more vice presidents who will make over $300K, bloating our administration while professors who have worked here for 15 years haven’t ever seen a raise.”

On top of extreme tuition increases, this panel exposed the board of trustees and the corporation that controls the endowment fund and where that fund is invested. “The board of trustees iscomposed of wealthy business owners whose interests do not align with students’ material interests by any means,” said Miu Sims, an SDS member.

The exposé revealed that the university’s “ethical investment statement,” despite pandering to the Jesuit and Catholic values regarding investments, includes a clause that says ethical investing is very hard, and so they are free to do as they wish. The “corporation” is a small group of high-ranking Jesuits who control the board of trustees and have the ultimate say on where the investment fund ends up.

“The corporation excludes all outside perspectives by only hiring Jesuits and those in ‘good standing’ in the Society of Jesus, meaning only men can be on this corporation,” said Mae Guidry, SDS member.

The Jesuit Order has released several statements on the genocide of Palestinians and Pope Francis, a Jesuit, has called Israel a terrorist state. “They [the corporation] claim to represent Jesuit values but only at their convenience and your silence,” continued Mae.

The panelists then explained the retaliation that students have faced for demanding disclosure and exercising free speech and expression. “We’ve been consistently struggling for financial transparency, the right to free expression, and a meeting with admin. Now, two students have been fired for protesting; people are on disciplinary probation, and the administration is consolidating its power to shut down student free speech,” said Nour Saad, president of Loyola MSA.

The panelists concluded with a call to action to sign a letter to the president of Loyola, Xavier Cole, the Loyola board of trustees and the corporation with the following demands: Disclose all investments made by the university; divest from all companies related to Israeli apartheid; rescind all institutional sanctions placed on students related to free speech and expression, including but not limited to protesting, and calling for meetings with relevant university administrators regarding the above demands, including but not limited to President Xavier Cole.

This event served as a way to unite students around disclosure and institutional transparency.

#NewOrleansLA #NOLA #SDS #FreePalestine #LoyolaMSA #Loyola #Budget #Disclose #Divest #BDS #Endowment

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Since last fall SDS and the UMN Divest Coalition have been demanding the UMN administration divest from Israel. After months of protests, die-ins, a campus-wide resolution that won by 75%, and continued silence on the genocide from UMN administration, an encampment was set up to pressure the administration to meet our demands. During the encampment that occurred last spring, students banded together to demand 1. Divestment from Israel and all companies complicit in their crimes 2. Ban these companies from hosting workshops and job fairs where they poach our best and brightest to run their war machine 3. Sever all ties with Israeli universities 4. Disclose all University investments and spending 5. Release a statement supporting the Thawabit, and 6. Ensure amnesty for all students and staff involved in the Palestinian liberation at the University of Minnesota. These demands were agreed to by Interim President Ettinger. It has been six months since then, and Ettinger did not follow through on his promises when he left our campus in the hands of Rebecca Cunningham.

Shortly after President Cunningham started working at our university, she and the Board of Regents held an emergency meeting, a week before students returned to campus, where they passed a policy of neutrality for the UMN endowment. Regent Jamie Meyron introduced the institutional neutrality policy declaring the University’s endowment funds “politically neutral”, effectively making it impossible for students to campaign for the University to divest from certain companies. In this same meeting, they resurrected restrictive protest policies, including banning unpermitted protests of more than 100 people and the use of more than one sound amplification device, and put size limits on signs and banners. To enforce these rules, administrators have followed any pro-Palestine protest around with clipboards, taken pictures of protesters without their consent, and repeatedly threatened students with suspension.

While any sort of speech about Palestine has been repressed on campus,  Cunningham and the board of regents have been preaching about how our university is a beacon of inclusivity in public while saying heinous things in private, supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people to appease Zionist shareholders and ultimately increase their bottom lines. SDS could not in good conscience let this continue and after months of attempted negotiations, our only choice was to escalate our actions. As we had promised during the encampment negotiations with Interim President Ettinger, we would be back.

This lack of urgency shown by the administration shows both a disregard of student voices as well as a disregard of the rapidly worsening conditions in Gaza. While we attend classes and debate policy, horrific images and stories have been coming out of Northern Gaza. Israel is now believed to be carrying out the “General's Plan” to forcefully starve the remaining population of north Gaza, according to a former Israeli National Security Council deputy director. For the first two weeks of October, the entirety of North Gaza was cut off from any aid by Israel. Aid continues to be severely restricted. As of 10/25, the last remaining hospital in Northern Gaza was raided by IDF soldiers, leaving the entire population of north Gaza without access to any medical treatment.

On October 21st, student protesters entered Morrill Hall and occupied it as a form of protest. When entering the building protesters made it abundantly clear to all those inside they were free to leave and were in no form of danger.  Our people explicitly left the central door on the west end of the building open for those who wished to leave. All others stayed willingly. Additionally, our protesters did not vandalize any property, and any damage was done either by police or in self-defense.

Once students took the building, they hung a banner renaming it in honor of Medo Halimy. Medo Halimy was a 19 year old Gazan student who was brutally murdered by Israel; he posted on social media about his ‘tent life’ and the lives of thousands of other people during the ongoing genocide. Halimy deserved an education and life just as much as the students at the University of Minnesota.

About two hours into the occupation of Halimy Hall, Safe U notifications were sent out causing fear and confusion around campus. This in combination with an exponentially heightened police presence -over 30 UMPD, MPD, State Patrol, and SWAT cars along with a helicopter- made the wider population of students uneasy, but nonetheless our protest persisted.

UMPD, in conjunction with the Minneapolis Police Department, and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, forcibly entered HalimyHall through the tunnels, using a battery ram to break through barricades, yelling, and pointing guns at protesters. They demanded them to get on the ground, and even after this order was complied with, multiple people were still physically restrained and dog-piled by police. They went from door to door until they had arrested eleven protesters and detained a member of the press who had been reporting, despite them wearing a vest clearly dictating their role; when press started taking photos of their colleague being detained, cops tried blocking the camera. Everyone was held in the basement, including members of the press, until 7:35; two hours after the police had entered the building. During this time, we were unable to determine the location of the protestors and were concerned for their safety. The belongings of the protestors inside, including those of the press, were subsequently confiscated. The press member was eventually able to collect their belongings on Wednesday, but the arrestees have not yet received their belongings and have not been given a concrete timeline of when they will get them back. This is despite the fact that some of the belongings collected are essential to their safety, including glasses, prescription medications, and house keys.

The arrestees were then brought to Hennepin County Jail. It wasn’t until 4 AM that they all were processed. They were held under a probable cause hold, which has a maximum limit of 36 hours. Protestors were held under this supposed “36-hour” hold from late Monday night until 5:30 on Wednesday when the last protestor was processed to be released. While they could have been released anytime within the 36 hours – we were hopeful they would be- the University Police did not send over the charges. There was no transparency for us or the arrestees on how long they would be kept. During this time, protesters had to endure insults from law enforcement, inadequate food, the release of dead names to the public, and were separated and put in blocks despite their gender identities. Trans women were put together in a men's cell and kept in there for 23 hours a day without knowing what time of day it was. During the 36-hour hold, arrestees were interrogated by UMPD, as well as the FBI. One arrestee’s processing was delayed by 5 hours, meaning that they stayed in custody hours after they should have been released despite not being charged. Protestors had to continually remind officers and guards that they were being kept past the 36-hour hold they were supposed to be held for. Our students dealt with these dehumanizing conditions with grace and bravery, but this suffering though could have been far shorter if the University police had sent through complete charges sooner. Instead, they dragged their feet and let their students suffer for merely for exercising their constitutional right.

While all eleven arrestees were released without bail and without charges, as of yesterday one arrestee, Robyn Harbinson, received word that they were charged with fourth-degree assault. Robyn's first court date is on November 7th, look out for a court rally for our brave protestor. Additionally, all students who were detained received an email that they had been placed under immediate interim suspension. Not only does this mean that they can no longer attend classes, but students who relied on student housing and food plans were left scrambling to find new accommodations for the foreseeable future. These emails also included blatant misinformation, citing incorrect dates of arrest stating people were arrested on September 21st instead of October, and stating that protestors had prevented staff from leaving Halimy Hall, a point that has been disproven by staff members themselves.

While our students were in jail President Cunningham sent out an email to the student body claiming our protesters caused intentional property damage and held staff in the building against their wills, statements which are factually incorrect and actively defame our brave protesters.

That leads us to our current situation where all 11 of our arrestees may still be unjustly charged for their heroic actions. We as SDS need the support of our community now more than ever to bring our brave students back to campus to receive the education they deserve. More importantly, the people of Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen need your support more than ever as they are bombed, starved, dehumanized, and burnt alive.

They may arrest us, jail us, suspend us, and evict us but we will never stop fighting for our university to divest from Israel and we won't stop fighting until there is a free and liberated Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #UMN #FreePalestine #SDS #UMNSDS #HalimyHall #StudentIntifada #Divest #Feature

On October 7, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Wayne State University joined the National SDS Student Walkout to remember one year of genocide, resistance, and student struggle against our administrations all over the country. We hoped to be able to protest without the threats of repression and violence by the Wayne State Police Department (WSU PD). However, this was not the case. 

At 2 p.m., we marched from Gullen Mall to the Admin Building without using amplified sound. Within minutes of standing outside, we were surrounded by WSU PD. Officer Daniel Williams approached one SDS member, telling them to immediately disperse. When asked why, he cited a new, anti-democratic policy, claiming, “protests must be registered with the school.” This is a policy SDS was never informed of at our prior two protests. Furthermore, the policy cited is difficult to locate on the Wayne State website, nor are all its stipulations localized. Specifically, the policies regarding the use of amplified sound and what activities do or do not require a reservation are inaccessible, contradictory, and confusing. The unpredictable enforcement of these policies violates students’ rights to know the rules by which they are governed. These rights have been in place since 1967, meaning Wayne State administration is violating some of its oldest principles. 

More than violating our rights as students, Wayne State Administration and WSU PD denied our constitutional right to assembly and speech under threat of violence. After informing us of the policy, Officer Williams threatened our members, saying to one, “This is your first warning to disperse or leave campus, I’ll give you a second warning, and if I have to give you a third, I’ll use force.” These threats are unacceptable, but they are shamefully common. Over the past year, Wayne State Police have met students with immense violence, which has been left unchecked by the administration. This is shameful, seeing as Wayne State is a public university that claims to support freedom of speech. Instead of uplifting student voices, they resort to police intimidation and unconstitutional policies to silence us. 

SDS stands proud in the history of the student movement. We draw inspiration from the Chicano, Black, and Asian student walkouts in 1968, the student strikes of 1969, the historic struggle against the war in Vietnam, and the struggle against South African apartheid. Like the students in those times, we also stand in solidarity with the national liberation movements taking on the U.S. empire. New SDS was founded in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and since then, SDS has never shied away from standing up to the U.S. war machine. It is our duty to resist from within the belly of the beast.

 The Wayne State PD and Admin want to intimidate us and stop us from continuing our struggle for Wayne State to Cut the Ties with the IOF, but instead, they have hardened our resolve. We must continue fighting for change on campus. Because of the repression experienced on Monday, we issue the following demands to counteract threats of brutalization from WSU PD:

A. An end to the policy requiring registered protests, which undermines the spirit of freedom of speech and right to protest.

B. End the threats of brutalization from police by designating a staff of trained, unarmed, non-PD admin liaisons to communicate with student protesters rather than police. 

C. Issuing a resolution enshrining the right to student led protests on campus without restriction.

D. And once again: Cut the Ties Between the “israeli” Occupation Forces and the WSUPD

As we represent the one year of struggle against the ongoing genocide, Wayne State University students stand together to demand justice. We will not allow WSU PD or any other institution to silence us. Our fight for justice continues, and we will remain united against oppression.

#DetroitMI #WayneState #WSUPD #WSUSDS #WSU #SDS #SDSWSU #Divest #BDS #FreePalestine #StudentIntifada #PoliticalRepression #Repression #StudentMovement

Orlando, FL - On Monday, September 23, several student and community groups rallied at the University of Central Florida (UCF) to demand justice for a Palestinian protester targeted by university administration.

The protester, a recent UCF alumna planning to begin graduate classes in the fall, had been trespassed from the university after participating in several peaceful pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus in the beginning of the summer. She was singled out by university police, who followed her to her car after she and several others had passed out flyers after a graduation ceremony. She was also the only person involved in these demonstrations to face any sort of disciplinary action. She did not know this was going to happen, it was sprung on her after a July academic advising appointment. The student was then told by UCFPD that she is prohibited from attending classes or setting foot on university property, indefinitely.

The group of about 30 demonstrators who gathered on Monday evening near the Reflection Pond demanded that the university drop the trespass charges and allow the student to attend classes again. They also demanded disclosure of the university’s investments, and for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers and Israeli companies involved in the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine.

Groups present included the UCF Divest Coalition, Healing our Homeland, Central Florida Queers for Palestine, Orlando for Peace, and UCF Students for a Democratic Society.

“Many students on campus are involved in organizing for our collective liberation, and yet the university and the UCF police department chose to target one of the only Palestinian organizers on this campus,” said Reem Elkhaldi, a local attorney and executive director of Healing Our Homeland.

Elkhaldi continued, “We have to realize that the weapons we are supporting on this campus – that they are pushing the students on this campus to go and build when they graduate, those weapons are being tested on my family and friends in the Gaza strip. We refuse to accept genocide as normal. We will not surrender to immoral administrators and state agents and accept the oppression of others in exchange for new sporting equipment and endless cupcakes at the holiday parties.”

The rally came just days after the Orlando Police Department brutalized and arrested eight pro-Palestine demonstrators in downtown Orlando after a march for Lebanon, and days before the UCF board of trustees is set to vote on new protest regulations. These regulations include a ban on masks at rallies and a requirement for all individuals on university property to identify themselves to university officials and law enforcement.

The speakers condemned the ongoing repression. “Our administration will go through all of this effort to silence our demands and will at the same time pat themselves on the back for listening to the student body,” stated Marcus Polzer, an organizer with UCF Students for a Democratic Society.

Polzer continued, “Our administration is repeatedly demonstrating to us that they are actively hostile to what we are demanding. They would like to just sit by and profit off the genocide while banning students from campus indefinitely for speaking out and demanding divestment. Our university does in fact care about what we say, and they want us to shut up, but we’re not going anywhere.”

As the rally grew in size and energy, students made clear that the intensified repression and intimidation would not deter the spirit of the student movement for divestment and the freedom to protest. Students chanted, “Shame on you, UCF! Feeding the machine of death!” One sign read: “We are not going anywhere! Disclose and divest!”

As the rally came to a close and students were getting ready to disperse back to their vehicles, the sprinklers were turned on around the Reflection Pond, but only on the side where the rally was taking place. While a few signs were destroyed, this laughable display of hostility had no real effect. The student movement continues to grow in size and strength, and a week of action for Palestine has been planned.

#OrlandoFL #FreePalestine #StudentIntifada #PoliticalRepression #Divest #UCFSDS #SDS

Denver, CO – In the early morning of September 20, Denver Students for a Democratic Society held a pro-Palestine rally outside of the Metropolitan State University (MSU) of Denver board of trustees’ monthly executive session.

A large group of students and community supporters gathered and chanted outside the Jordan Student Success Building (JSSB), where the meeting was taking place, as other attendees from MSU Denver and Colorado University Denver disrupted and spoke during public comment section during the meeting itself.

During the protest, Palestinian solidarity chants were loud, and speakers addressed the need to fight against the repression of students, with several saying that bans and restricting academic freedom won’t stop Denver SDS from meeting on campus and existing as a student organization.

“Students want justice, students want peace!” chant leader Lucia Feast yelled outside the JSSB entrance, which the crowd repeated. “Divest now, hands off the Middle East!

Denver SDS has been organizing for MSU Denver and CU Denver to divest from Israel and issue a statement condemning Israel's actions in Palestine for almost a year. In the last five months, Denver SDS has continued to escalate, most notably with the Auraria Solidarity Encampment for Palestine from late April to mid-May.

Neither the MSU Denver board of trustees, nor the CU Denver board of regents, have been willing to meet with students to discuss divestment from war profiteers. Instead of investing in programs to support students, they continue to invest in weapons and military intelligence engineering companies. MSU Denver has suspended Denver SDS as a student organization, and CU Denver has placed SDS on interim probation.

Probation has not stopped Denver SDS from being active on their campus. Since the beginning of the fall semester, members have been loudly protesting the academic repression almost weekly with various rallies.

“Though having to demand for divestment over and over again as the trustees ignore us may feel like broken-record attempts, we know that the student power we are demonstrating cannot and will not be ignored!” SDS member and University of Colorado Denver student Geral Mueller said during their speech at the rally outside.

Inside the trustees meeting, during President Janine Davidson’s speech, two SDS members began quietly singing, “Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Justice for Gaza is justice for us all.”

The Auraria Campus Police Department arrested those two SDS members without a dispersal order and charged them with “disrupting a lawful assembly.” The public comment section of the meeting was then skipped to prevent students from protesting the trustees’ resolutions.

#DenverCO #StudentsforaDemocraticSociety #MetropolitanStateUniversity #Divest

The rally took place at Memory Mall facing the Addition Financial Arena, where UCF was holding a graduation ceremony.

Graduates and attendees walking out of the commencement ceremony were met with the sight of student protesters. Many walking back to their cars stayed and chanted with the pro-Palestine demonstrators. Some of the chants consisted of “Whose school? Our school!” And “45,000 dead and you’re arresting kids instead,” referencing the over 2000 student protesters who have been arrested nationwide for pro-Palestinian activism.

Lamia Moukaddam, an organizer with Healing Our Homeland, explained to the crowd, “When you go and call this a war and not a genocide, that’s a lie and it’s murdering people,” elaborating on what the chant “Every time the media lies, a neighborhood in Gaza dies” means, since the mainstream Western media consistently portrays Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people as a war between two equal forces.

Tamara Yousef, an organizer with the UCF Divestment Coalition stated, “UCF’s investment portfolios are incredibly hidden and difficult to find. We want them to divest from these companies that we had to seriously search for to even find that they were partnering with.”

Despite some initial rain and the presence of nearly 100 police officers of varying departments surrounding the demonstration, the rally continued as planned without incident for over two hours. This event was created by the UCF Divestment Coalition in collaboration with UCF SDS, UCF YDSA, Florida Student Power, CFL Queers for Palestine, and Healing Our Homeland.

#OrlandoFL #UCF #SDS #UCFSDS #FreePalestine #Divest #BDS

St. Paul, MN – On the evening of November 28, 500 protesters gathered in below freezing temperatures on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol. The protest, organized by the Free Palestine Coalition,  demanded that the State Board of Investment (SBI) divest over $1 billion currently invested in Israeli bonds, banks, weapons manufacturers and other entities that profit from Israeli apartheid.

In total, the SBI manages and invests over $128 billion of Minnesota taxpayer money. Board members include Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha and Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Held on the eve of the SBI meeting on November 29, which is also the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the protest was a continuation of a multi-year campaign spearheaded by groups, including the MN Anti-War Committee, to demand the SBI divest public pension funds from the system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing in occupied Palestine.

Despite the cold, a large crowd formed on the capitol steps to attend the rally. It was evidence of the passion and dedication the Palestinian cause has brought about during the decades of occupation.

Mariam El-Khatib, a member of American Muslims for Palestine, kicked off the rally, “America, it’s a fact. Israel would not be able to do what it’s doing without the U.S. We are funding the ethnic cleansing of the people of Palestine. We are funding the killing of children. We are funding the killing of civilians. We are funding the bombing of hospitals. We are funding Israel’s war crimes and atrocities. So whether you like it or not, all of us are implicated – because we live in this country and pay tax dollars. So whether you like it or not we have to speak up!”

Skyler Dorr, a rank-and-file member of AFSCME 3800 at the University of Minnesota and an anti-Zionist Jew, stated, “I am a pissed off public employee, and I don’t want my retirement fund invested in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine! Shame on the State Board of Investment for implicating all of us in genocide, shame!”

As the last speaker on the program, Brian Chval from the MN Anti-War Committee rallied the crowd, “As the tax paying constituents of the state of Minnesota, I think we should have a say in how our money is invested. So I ask you, $283 million for weapons manufacturers that sell to Israel. Invest or divest? Nearly $50 million for Siemens, who provides electrical grid services to Israel and its settlements on stolen Palestinian land. Invest or divest? Almost $25 million in direct investments in Israel in the form of bonds, who has occupied and oppressed Palestinians for over 75 years. Invest or divest?”

Each time, the crowd erupted, “Divest!”

Other speakers included Julia Pearlstein-Levy from Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Palestinian activist Dr. Christine Harb, and Natasha Dockter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Local 59.

Protesters were encouraged to come back to the capitol the next day to attend the State Board of Investment meeting.

#StPaulMN #FreePalestine #UMN #SBI #Divest #BDS

Tampa, FL – 70 Palestine solidarity activists filed into the intersection of Maritime and 20th Street here to protest the docking of the ZIM Alabama, a container ship carrying Israeli goods. The Tampa Port Authority was woken early in the morning of Sept. 21 by protesters opposing the importation of Israeli goods. Israeli companies super-exploit Palestinian labor, paying very low wages.

Protesters were hoping to catch the attention of dockworkers arriving for work. Some members of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1402 waved and honked in support.

“It was really great to see dockworkers showing interest and support for our cause. There was a real sense of solidarity from the workers themselves,” said Caroline England, a member of Tampa Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

After gathering at the intersection, protesters marched to the port itself. Upon approaching the security checkpoint at the port, police surrounded the protesters, attempting to cut them off from both the port and incoming workers. Police threatened to arrest a Palestinian American woman. However fellow protesters were able to get the police to back off. The rally continued until 8:00 a.m., when it was announced that International Longshoremen’s Association workers would not be entering the port until 1:00 p.m. due to an unspecified delay. Protesters retreated in order to rest and organize reinforcements for later.

The protesters gathered again at noon with a larger crowd than the morning. They conducted another march on the port, slowing traffic that was attempting to enter. Police stood by as protesters entered the port and protested the docking of the ZIM Alabama from Israel.

The action is part of the Block the Boat movement to place economic pressure on Israel to stop killing and oppressing Palestinians. There is a growing movement of students participating in the Boycott, Divest And Sanction (BDS) campaign.

Sam Beutler of Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of South Florida said, “Every little action on our part counts. The BDS movement was integral to the destruction of the South African Apartheid regime and can play a similar role in dealing with Israeli apartheid today – whether it be not buying Sabra hummus, HP computers, or attempting to stop a boat containing Israeli goods from docking. Each action moves towards the ending of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”

This is the second protest of the ZIM Alabama in Tamp; there was another Aug. 30. Another Block the Boat rally is being organized to oppose the return of the ZIM Alabama.

#TampaFl #TampaFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #Palestine #Israel #sanctions #Florida #BDS #SJP #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #ZimAlabama #Boycot #Divest #MiddleEast