News and Views from the People's Struggle
New York, NY – On Sunday, March 10 a group of New Yorkers gathered in Project Reach in Chinatown to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event was called by the NYC district of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
The event was a presentation and talk that would cover the history of the revolutionary holiday discussing Palestine organizing nationally and in the South.
By Kobi Guillory and Shabbir Rizvi
Chicago, IL – On Friday morning, March 8, House of Blues Chicago announced that the concert of Zionist musician Matisyahu, scheduled for that night, was canceled. The last minute cancellation came after weeks of pressure from the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), the Anti War Committee – Chicago, Students for a Democratic Society, and members of the Chicago Black and brown coalition for Palestine.
Milwaukee, WI – To end the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine’s (WCJP) Day of Action with an exclamation point, the Milwaukee International Women’s Day Coalition convened hundreds for the celebration of this important working-class holiday.
St. Paul, MN – The Saint Paul city council unanimously passed a ceasefire resolution at their meeting on March 6. Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson introduced the ceasefire resolution in front of a packed chamber. The resolution calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to unconditional U.S. aid to Israel, the release of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners, and facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
St. Paul, MN – On March 5, students belonging to the Mac for Palestine Coalition staged a die-in at the Macalester Center for Study Away. The students continued to occupy the building for the next 48 hours, a marked escalation in their months-long campaign to pressure the college to cut its institutional ties with Israeli universities.
Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine (WCJP) responded to the call for a International day of action on Saturday, March 2. This incredible day of action began with morning banner drops across Milwaukee, led into a press conference to call out the brutal attacks on Rafah, continued with a massive march, and culminated with an International Women’s Day celebration.
The sun shone brightly as the crowd slowly amassed at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s main center. Janan Najeeb, co-chair of the WCJP, welcomed the crowd and spoke to the significance of the day of action. Najeeb stated, “We have power in our unity, and we will continue. We will continue until this genocide ends, Gaza and Palestine is free, and our government develops a conscience and stops arming the racist apartheid state of Israel!”
Ahead of the day of action, Israeli Occupation Forces attacked Palestinians standing in line for flour in an unconscionable massacre that killed and wounded hundreds. The genocidal efforts in Palestine are intensifying, and people in the U.S. continue to mobilize in order to put an end to U.S. aid to Israel. In Milwaukee, the crowd of around 2000 marched through the streets calling out Joe Biden and all the Democrats who are helping fund this genocide.
With every day the people’s disapproval of the Democratic Party increases. Despite the pleas of elected officials to vote for Biden in an effort to keep Trump away from the White House, Najeeb expressed the sentiments of the crowd when she stated, “We refuse to hold our nose and vote for the better of two evils because they are both evil!”
The movement for Palestine is only growing stronger in Milwaukee. Being able to coordinate an entire day of action and carry out each component successfully should speak volumes to the WCJP’s capacity to lead the movement locally. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
#MilwaukeeWI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WCJP
Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, March 4, after a five hour meeting that included 162 people offering public testimony, the Milwaukee County Committee on Intergovernmental Relations failed to recommend the unamended permanent ceasefire resolution to the full Milwaukee County board of supervisors meeting set for March 21. Despite this, the resolution is moving on to the full board, just without formal recommendation.
Cherry Creek, CO – As Israel escalates its genocidal campaign against Palestinians with events such as the Flour Massacre and other mass killings, the Colorado Palestine Coalition (CPC) responded March 2 with their largest event in months. With over 2000 attendees marching through Cherry Creek, the aspirations of the people were crystal clear – they demand a free Palestine.
Minneapolis, MN – On March 6, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee organized a protest outside the First Avenue nightclub, where pro-Israel musical act Matisyahu was performing.
Matisyahu is the stage name of Matthew Paul Miller, a white American reggae musician, best known for his 2005 hit King Without a Crown. Miller is known for his extreme pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian political views. In a 2012 interview, he said, “There was never a country called Palestine.” In 2015, Miller performed for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the notorious pro-Israel lobbying group. He has also performed for Friends of the IDF, which fundraises for Israel’s military occupation forces.
Orlando, FL – 25 students gathered at the University of Central Florida, March 4, to protest the presence of Lockheed Martin on their campus. UCF Students for a Democratic Society organized the rally outside of what was meant to be a “Diversity Panel” hosted by the weapons manufacturer, which has supplied weapons to Israel for the ongoing occupation and war against the people of Palestine.