Minneapolis, MN – After a year of community pressure, Minneapolis cut funding for its contract with Zencity, an Israeli tech company whose surveillance technology emerged from Israel’s military intelligence center, Unit 8200, notorious for development of surveillance and phone hacking technology.

Throughout the campaign, community members expressed concern with Zencity’s complicity with violations of Palestinian human rights, as well as its role in racist policing practices in the U.S. The campaign to “Cut the Contract” noted that ending this contract will save Minneapolis $112,500 in 2026.

Erin Michaels, an organizer with the Free Palestine Coalition, explained, “Prior to the campaign, Zencity was largely unknown in Minneapolis. Over the course of a year, Free Palestine Coalition members organized across the city, engaging thousands of residents through webinars, social media, and petitions to build public awareness and opposition. Community members from all 13 Minneapolis wards then met directly with their city council members to educate them and demand that the contract be cut. We sustained and escalated that pressure by rallying at City Hall, hand-delivering more than 2000 signed petitions to Mayor Frey and consistently showing up at city council meetings to call for an end to the contract.”

Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, speaking for Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) -Twin Cities said, “Our tax dollars should be spent in our city, not on a company with origins in a genocidal military. As Jews we know that a budget is a moral document. We are grateful to the community members and city councilors who pressure the mayor to cut the contract with Zencity.”

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) was using Zencity to target residents with digital surveys to gather community perceptions of itself and public safety but did not proactively update the city council with such data and provided very little information to the community.

Zencity’s technology has been used by U.S. law enforcement nationally to surveil the Black community’s internet activity after high profile killings of Black people. For example, the Brooklyn Park police department contracted with Zencity after Brooklyn Center police killed Daunte Wright, a young Black man, in 2021.

Ray Himmelman of JVP-TC and Healthcare Workers for Palestine summed it up this way, “We know that investment in community means centering the voices of those who are systematically harmed by MPD and whose voices are erased by a survey targeting people via ads on social media. We need community engagement in the hands of the people of Minneapolis, with our powerful history of community care despite the abuses of MPD over the last 150 years.”

Community members have been clear – the contract with Zencity is a waste of taxpayer money and raises ethical concerns. Over 2000 people signed the petition to Cut the Contract, which was then delivered to Mayor Frey’s office in September, followed by multiple rallies that attracted hundreds of community members and public testimony. The campaign to Cut the Contract, which includes over 20 organizations including Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Twin Cities, MN BDS Communities and the Free Palestine Coalition, led a rally on November 19 outside of the city budget hearing.

After community members across Minneapolis expressed outrage, City Councilmembers Payne, Wonsley, Osman and Cashman issued a press release on November 26 requesting that Mayor Frey cut the contract by the December 1 deadline, a position supported by a supermajority of the council. On December 16, the council passed a budget that eliminates funding for Zencity, effectively withdrawing authorization for the contract and politically constraining Mayor Frey.

This makes Minneapolis the first U.S. city in over a decade to effectively cut a contract with a company in response to sustained community campaigning over ethical concerns, the most recent cases being the Veolia corporation in Boston and security firm G4S in Durham.

“Minneapolis's divestment from Zencity sets a historic precedent for divestment at the state and national level, and draws pivotal attention to the role of even our municipalities in the genocide of Palestinians. Our government institutions, including our cities, have been historically complicit – but this victory is the start of a dramatic shift,” explained Sanaa Wazwaz, chapter lead of the MN chapter of American Muslims for Palestine and a spokesperson for the Free Palestine Coalition.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #JVP #AWCMN #AMPMN

Los Angeles, CA – On August 30, at 3 p.m., Chicanos, impacted families of police brutality, people raided by ICE and the FBI, along with supporters will in East Los Angeles, for a march, marking the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.

The march will begin at Sounds of Music record store, the site of what was once the Silver Dollar; a bar where many including LA Times reporter Ruben Salazar took refuge after LAPD and Los Angeles sheriffs mercilessly beat and attempted to disperse participants in the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium. Salazar was killed by LA sheriffs. The moratorium’s demands were ending the Vietnam occupation and equality for Chicanos.

Tomorrow, a large coalition will be commemorating the 55th anniversary of this event and uplifting current demands such as stand with Palestine, ICE out of LA, Chicano self-determination, community control of police, and defend public education.

The coalition is made up of Centro CSO, Union del Barrio, Black Lives Matter: Los Angeles, Jewish Voice for Peace, About Face LA, UTLA, Teamsters, SEIU, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and United Families for Justice, which consists of police killing impacted families of Jeremy Flores, Francisco Núñez and Hugo Cachua.

“I believe it is important to commemorate the 55th Chicano Moratorium, because we once again find ourselves, as a people, in a crucial moment, where staying silent is complicity,” says Centro CSO member and security lead Derek Mejia, “People should be out in the streets on Saturday August 30, standing up against the ICE raids and with Palestine! It is important that we continue and maintain the long history of the Chicano struggle.”

The 55th commemoration will begin at 3 p.m. at the Sounds of Music record store, where attendees will begin marching, and ending at Salazar Park for a rally and entertainment starting at 4:30 p.m. That part of the event will take place at the Whittier Boulevard/Alma Avenue side of the park. The family-friendly event will have free food, water and entertainment.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Chicano #ChicanoMoratorium #ImmigrantRights #OppressedNationalities #CentroCSO #UniondelBarrio #BlackLivesMatter #JVP #AboutFace #SEIU #Teamsters #UTLA

Denver, CO – On July 4, dozens of Coloradans gathered outside the Tabor Center on 17th Street in a rally against Palantir, whose headquarters are located on the 15th floor.

Palantir, a tech company notorious for its links to both ICE and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), relocated to Denver in August of 2020. Their AI technology is used to expedite both the mass deportations of immigrants under Trump, as well as the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Palantir was recently given billions of dollars in no-contest contracts by the Trump administration with the passage of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” Palantir is spearheading the development of mass surveillance and drone warfare. They are in the process of developing a surveillance platform called “ImmigrationOS” to track the movements of immigrants all across the country.

Gina McAffe, a member of the Immigrant Protection Team stated, “Manufacturing systems to surveil us is not acceptable. Assisting ICE to arrest, detain and deport our neighbors is not acceptable. Not in our backyard!”

Palantir’s AI systems “Lavender” and “Where’s Daddy?” are used by the Israeli government and the IDF to target individuals on a “kill list.” The IDF attacks them in their homes, resulting in the reckless slaughter of innocent civilians throughout Gaza and Palestine. Profit margins for Palantir have increased since the escalation of the genocide on October 7, 2023.

“I’m here in part because of my nieces and nephew,” said Connor Posey of Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA), “I have seen what happens to children just as wonderful, beautiful, and innocent as them in Gaza and I cannot separate the two. Were things slightly different for them, Palantir wouldn’t hesitate to assist in their slaughter if it made them a dirty nickel!”

DAWA member Eliot Howe emceed the event and led the crowd in chants of “Palantir profiteers off of Palestinian tears!” and “Genocidal tech-bros get out of Colorado!”

Howe sang to the crowd, including Have You Not Heard?, a song taking aim at the hypocrisy of Christian Zionists. They sang:

“I was thirsty and had nothing to drink And you gave me not a drop I was naked and had nothing to wear And you did not give me clothes! I was hungry and had nothing to eat And you did not give me food Depart from me for you are cursed For you did not comfort me!”

Terry Burnsed, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, characterized Palantir as an inevitable outgrowth of imperialism, saying, “Palantir’s commodities are diligently identifying, targeting, filtering, prioritizing, assigning and firing. And Palestinians die. And die and die.”

DAWA passed out food and Palestina sodas to pedestrians, along with fliers about Palantir. Many drivers passing by honked in support of the demonstration, with a few waving keffiyehs and Palestinian flags out of their windows.

Simon Peña of DAWA gave an impassioned speech lamenting the passage of the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” a bill that gives billions of dollars to ICE, guts Pell Grants, and strips away Medicaid. Peña emphasized the importance of organizing and collective action, and the connection between Donald Trump, Palantir and ultimately all of our struggles.

Peña told the crowd, “The price of this bill is our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, mothers, fathers, grandparents and grandchildren dying sooner, and suffering more, all so companies like Palantir and egomaniacs like Trump can keep playing their game.

“You alone might be able to move a mound. The people in this courtyard could probably move a hill. But the people? The people can move mountains. The people can topple empires. The people can free Jeanette [Vizguerra]. The people can free Palestine. The people can and will free them all!” Peña concluded.

As chants of “Free Palestine” and “Palantir Out” rang in the Tabor Center Plaza, the anti-war activists of Denver repurposed the Fourth of July. They made it a day to speak out against the war machine and corporations. The groups united to rally urged the crowd to get organized in the fight against Palantir and in the larger fight against Trump and the Republicans.

#DenverCO #CO #AntiWarMovement #DAWA #Palantir #JVP #Palestine

Richardson, TX – On March 18, community members gathered to protest in front of the Raytheon company’s building in response to Raytheon’s complicity in the Israeli genocide in Palestine. The Dallas chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement called the emergency protest after Israel broke the recent ceasefire agreement and continued bombing the Gaza strip.

Raytheon, second to Lockheed Martin, is one of the world largest weapons manufacturers, and has been targeted by anti-war activists in north Texas. Aside from Raytheon, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has seen protests and actions against local Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics plants.

Hundreds of community members shouted chants, “No more ships, no more cargo, we demand an arms embargo” and “Ron, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” The demonstration lasted from 3 to 6 p.m. Volunteers were out and about helping community members and directing people towards the front of the Raytheon building.

Omar Suleiman, a local imam serving at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center stated, “We know that this evil will come to an end inshallah, we know that it is a matter of time. We know that the days of the oppressors are numbered.”

It has been 17 months since October 7 and countless Palestinians continue to lose their lives. Just within the first 12 hours of the breaking of the ceasefire, over 400 were murdered; of those, over 170 were children.

Besides Palestinian Youth Movement, the action was endorsed by many community organizations such as the Dallas Anti-War Committee, MAS Peace, Dallas Palestine Coalition, as well as Dallas chapters of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jewish Voices for Peace, Democratic Socialist of America, and multiple Student for Justice in Palestine chapters.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWC #PYM #DPC #JVP #SJP

Minneapolis, MN – On March 11, over 300 people protested in front of the Federal Building downtown Minneapolis to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and an end to the Trump administration’s criminalization of the pro-Palestine student movement at U.S. The protest was a part of Student for a Democratic Society’s call for a National Day of Action in solidarity with Khalil.

On the evening of March 8, the Department of Homeland Security detained Palestinian Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil. This was the first detention after Trump ordered the State Department to deport students for pro-Palestine activism. Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a green card holder, and his arrest is an unlawful violation of freedom of speech and immigration laws.

Trump’s Executive Order 13899 requires “the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with each other […] report activities by alien students and staff relevant to those grounds and for ensuring that such reports about aliens lead, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to investigations and, if warranted, actions to remove such aliens.”

On February 28, The Department of Justice announced that a federal task force to “Combat Antisemitism” would visit ten college campuses that “experienced incidents of antisemitism.” Trump’s administration conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and criminalizes students, staff and faculty who have protested a deadly genocide that has killed over 48,000 people in Gaza. This is a discrimination against Muslim, Palestinian and Middle Eastern students, faculty and staff. Columbia University and University of Minnesota are among campuses under investigation.

Crista Ocampo, an organizer with the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, spoke to the crowd, “We condemn this egregious case of political repression at the hands of ICE. ICE officers have terrorized communities across the country for far too long and now they are being used as a tool by Trump to further repress the Palestine movement. Shame! We won’t let them get away with this. Just look at the hard fought battle SDS put up and won against their administration to get the suspensions dropped for the Halimy Hall students. When our oppressors’ attacks become more blatant, it only makes it easier for us to unite with each other on the path to justice. We will never stop fighting because we know that that’s how we win.”

Lina Jebara, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, closed out the protest, “These acts of political repression – of plucking community leaders from movements, of threatening organizers with unconstitutional deportations or with phony felony charges, as we’ve seen here in our community – are not new for this country. These are deliberate actions taken to make us fear retaliation for standing up against depraved injustices, to push us towards acquiescence. We’re out here today, after witnessing months of harrowing genocide in Palestine carried out by Israel on our dime, to say that these tactics do not and will not work on us.”

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee, UMN Educators for Justice in Palestine, UMN Students for a Democratic Society, and endorsed by UMN Students for Justice in Palestine, Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, and American Muslims for Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #Trump #SDS #MNAWC #SJP #MIRAC #JVP #AMP

Plano, TX – Dozens of community members gathered north of Dallas on Sunday, February 2, for a protest against Chevron’s complicity in the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. This protest marked the launching of a local campaign against the oil and gas company by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) – North Texas Chapter.

Speakers highlighted the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields off the coast of occupied Palestine, which are used to provide energy to Israeli military and prison facilities. They also called out the theft of indigenous land and resources around the world and Chevron’s central role in the global climate catastrophe.

During a speech, Sean Byrne of DSA North Texas called on participants to boycott Chevron gas, stating that Israel “is a laboratory for how the nations of the imperialist world will deal with the waves of human beings displaced by the very climate catastrophe that they themselves have sown, with corporations like Chevron being among the worst culprits of this capitalism-driven environmental and social crisis.” Byrne condemned comments by Chevron CEO Mike Wirth during a shareholder call the previous Friday, where he called for peace while simultaneously uplifting energy extraction projects that have helped enable the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza.

A member of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Dallas-Fort Worth, William Josef, called out the “energy apartheid” practices of the Israel Electric Corporation, which bans many Palestinians from accessing the electrical grid and charges higher prices for electrical services to Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank than to the illegal Israeli settlements nearby.

Speaking in solidarity with the local campaign launch, Jumana Saadeh of the Dallas-Fort Worth Anti-War Committee (DAWC) and Code Pink Dallas said, “Today, we say ‘no’ and stand against one of the many companies supporting and aiding in the oppression and genocide of the Palestinian people. Chevron has supplied and continues to supply energy and millions of dollars of tax revenue to a genocidal, apartheid racist state.”

During the protest, hundreds of cars passed by with many honking and waving in support. Simultaneously, many members of the organizations present, including the DFW Anti-War Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation were assisting with a large protest in downtown Dallas against the Trump administration’s attacks against immigrants.

#PlanoTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Chevron #DSA #DFWAWC #JVP #CodePink

Tacoma, WA – Seventeen coalitions came together January 20, rallying hundreds of people at Fireman’s Park before taking to the streets to protest Trump’s inauguration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

The coalition addressed a broad array of issues, including immigration, Palestinian liberation, Black liberation, worker’s rights, climate justice, and more. United under three core demands – an end to the attacks on the people, defeat Trump’s agenda, and resist U.S. imperialism – these allied forces marched in solidarity, demonstrating a powerful commitment of the peoples’ movements to resist in the coming years of Trump’s presidency. 

Organizer Miriam Barnett started her speech by stating, “We celebrate the greatness of MLK today and we stand together to vow to fight the evilness of Trump. We will never embrace the Trump agenda.” 

The roars of the crowd echoed the sentiment of resistance to this administration. Organizers also emphasized that their fight transcends any single administration. 

“We would be taking to the streets no matter the outcome of this election.” said Talison Crosby, a long-time organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “The system gave us two rotten choices that resulted in a rotten outcome. Neither party represents the people.”

Terrance McCall, an organizer with the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party stated, “The attacks on the people will not come to an end by interventions made by the Democratic nor Republican Party, they will only be brought to an end by the power of the people.” McCall continued, The time is long overdue for us to unite as poor and working people, with the poor and oppressed of the world, to change every part of the production of the society from serving the interests of private wealth to serving the people. The people will be first.” 

Mylo Lang, a member of the International Association of Machinists Local 751, and a member of the Tacoma Democratic Socialists of America stated, “Trump has made his priorities more clear than most.” 

Lang continued, “When he promises to carry out a campaign of mass immigrant deportations, he threatens the most vulnerable workers among us, whose contributions to daily life so often go unrecognized. When he focuses so much of his rhetoric on cultural bogeymen, he shows how desperate he is to keep the working class divided and distracted.” 

Marilyn Kimmerling, a member of the Climate Alliance of the South Sound said, “We know the corporate ploy that is used to divide us - ‘Jobs versus environment’ - meaning you can’t have both, is a false choice. There are no jobs on a dead planet. And we know that everything is connected, so we stand with any progressive groups doing the work that needs to be done. Mutual aid, solidarity, community building, and working together may be the only way we can effectively fight the perils we now face.” 

When an enemy such as Trump is going to attack the people and escalate on all fronts, it is also necessary that people organize as such. This march met the moment by going from the sidewalks into the streets and occupying the busiest intersections in Tacoma.  

Participants chanted, “Up up with liberation, Down down with occupation” as the march concluded at the Federal Court House. This rally was one of many protests across the nation, marking the beginning of a resistance to this administration. 

Alisun Thompson, with Jewish Voice for Peace, spoke of the power of the march, stating, “This work really shows what we can do when we are united – we are stronger together.” Each speaker concluded with a call to action. “There’s a lot of organizations out here today. If you’re not in one, you need to be in one, we can’t do anything ourselves but together we can change the world,” McCall stated.’

#TacomaWA #MLK #MLKDay #Trump #Inauguration #FRSO #JewishVoiceforPeace #JVP #ClimateAlliance #ClimateAllianceoftheSouthSound #SouthSound #DSA #AAPRP

New Orleans, LA – On the night of December 11, organizers and activists marched towards the Audubon Tea Room at the beginning of “FedFest 2024,” a fundraiser hosted by the Jewish Federation, an organization dedicated to supporting the apartheid state of Israel.

The protest commemorated Human Rights Day (December 10). Among the groups organizing the noise demonstration were Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

The event began at 7 p.m., with protesters arriving soon after and staying for roughly two hours. Attendees with keffiyehs, banners and signs disrupted the event with megaphones, a variety of instruments, and even pots and pans. Signs read slogans such as “NOLA Jews say stop arming Israel!” “JFED funds genocide” and “Fund schools, not genocide! Ceasefire now!”

“JFED, you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide! No Zionists in NOLA streets!” shouted the crowd.

The Jewish Federations of North America, a national Zionist network of organizations, has spent millions to lobby for the state of Israel. The local chapter, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, has paid for billboards on some of the busiest streets in the city that proclaimed, “No hate in our home.” This was in response to the growing popularity of the Palestinian solidarity movement, and the ceasefire resolution campaign launched over the summer. Protest organizers utilized the imagery of their billboards on banners that replaced the original text with “Zionism is racism” and “No hate in our home (We export hate to Israel)”.

Near the end of the event, participants picketed around the entrance of the Audubon Tea Room before returning to their original positions.

Throughout the fundraiser, various donors paid much attention to the protest. Some looked through the windows, while others walked outside to view the noise demonstration. When the event ended, protesters yelled “Shame!” at the stream of attendees leaving for the night.

#NewOrleansLA #FedFest #NOSHIP #JVP #JFED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Orleans, LA – On August 6, at 9:30 a.m., nearly 100 local activists and community organizations converged onto New Orleans City Hall. They gathered to stand against the New Orleans City Council adopting a “Statement of Peace,” and demanded instead a resolution for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The so-called “Statement of Peace” was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, an openly Zionist organization. It calls for peace while conveniently omitting Palestine or Palestinians, ignores local victims of Israeli genocidal violence such as Tawfic Abdeljabbar, and implies that local anti-genocide protests are “calls for violence.” After only a few weeks in circulation, the statement has been put forth on the council agenda.

The wider New Orleans community has been in City Hall chambers multiple times over the past half year, demanding that a ceasefire resolution be put on the agenda. A ceasefire resolution would call for a permanent and immediate ceasefire and an end to U.S. aid to Israel. It would also include condolences for Israel’s killing of New Orleanian Tawfic Abdeljabbar and kidnapping of local grandmother Samaher Ismail.

Less than ten people, not including city council members, showed up to support the “Peace Statement.”

“There is no peace in this statement when you leave the name and word Palestinian out of the statement,” said Reverend Manning, a local religious leader, in his public comment. “I see what you’re trying to do, but it's not going to work, because these same people have been standing here month after month asking you for a ceasefire resolution. You have said to them in private meetings and beyond ‘We don’t weigh in on international issues.’ Yes, you do. Yes, you do,” continued Rev. Manning.

This was in reference to the council’s long history of taking a stance on global issues, from divesting from Apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, to supporting Ukraine and putting out a statement in solidarity with Israel in October 2023. The “Statement of Peace” could also be considered “weighing in on global issues.”

“In 2006, Palestinian refugees in both Gaza and the West Bank in Palestine collectively raised $10,000 to donate to Katrina victims. The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that while the donation was small, having come from the poorest among Palestinians, the Palestinians felt it was important to show our concern for the people of New Orleans since Palestinians know all too well the pain and hardship caused by being a refugee,” said Jack Reno Sweeney, co-chair of New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America and member of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee.

“Those refugee camps, where that humble donation was raised, have since been wiped off the map by Israeli bombs paid for by the U.S. with our tax dollars,” Sweeney continued.

All council members voted in favor of the “Statement of Peace,” except for Oliver Thomas, who left the room.

Additionally, the statement indirectly condemns local anti-war protests as “calls for violence and conflict in New Orleans.” These protests had enormous public support in the New Orleans area and are some of the largest ones seen locally in decades.

Organizations that planned the day of action included Masjid Omar, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), and Jewish Voices for Peace.

#NewOrleansLA #Palestine #MasjidOmar #NOSHIP #JVP

In recent days, our coalition has been made aware of this ‘Statement of Peace,’ being distributed to local leaders and institutions, and signed by all of the New Orleans City Council Members. This statement seeks to address the “ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel,” and is likely to be introduced as a resolution on the council’s agenda for a vote on Thursday, August 8th. Our coalition, which has been tirelessly advocating for a ceasefire resolution to this council, was not consulted about this statement. We consider this ‘Statement of Peace’ insidious in its language, and firmly reject it.

This statement was made without consideration to any Palestinian in this city. This is especially concerning as each council member has had private meetings with Palestinian residents in their own districts to discuss a ceasefire resolution. Meanwhile, we know that the Council involved local Zionist institutions to draft this statement. By doing this, the council has shown complete disrespect to their constituents, especially Palestinians who have been most impacted by this conflict.

This statement also negates the basic purpose of a local ceasefire resolution – to pressure the White House, the US Senate and Congress to change course on their support of Israel’s genocide. The United States government has had the power to end this genocide since it began. As every credible human rights organization and international governmental organization has been outspoken about the unprecedented scale of death, disease, and destruction in Gaza, our government has continued sending billions of our tax dollars in weapons and funding for Israel, and has shielded Israel from all accountability.

While 172 cities across the country have issued ceasefire resolutions calling on the United States government to implement a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, including by ending all military aid to Israel, our city council has signed on to a statement that explicitly supports “the efforts by the United States government.” This is a statement of hate, a statement which asks the United States government to continue its policy of facilitating the genocide in Gaza.

A full list of our criticisms of this statement can be found below. We ask the New Orleans City Council to not move forward with their ‘Statement of Peace’, and to invite us to the negotiating table when drafting a ceasefire resolution.

We call on the public to show up in full force at 10am on Thursday August 8th to call this council out on their bad faith actions, and speak out against this statement.

#NewOrleansLA #Palestine #NewOrleansCeasefireCoalition #MasjidOmar #JVP #NOSHIP #VoiceoftheExperienced

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, June 29, nearly 100 community members gathered in Lafayette Square to show support for Palestine, and to put pressure on local lawmakers to pass a ceasefire resolution.

Leading up to the rally, the city’s local Palestinian coalition hosted cultural and political events from morning to evening. The day started with a cultural exchange and bazaar in Harvey. Bazaar participants then drove in a motorcade to Lafayette Square. At the Square, speakers from many local groups and one politician addressed the crowd. English and Arabic chants, such as “Free, free Palestine,” rang off the walls of the many federal and local government buildings in the area.

“We must only engage with those who want to build power with us, and that’s our primary strategy as a community is building power, before voting,” said a speaker for Palestinian Youth Movement – New Orleans. “This means that we must not think of civic engagement in terms of political maneuvering and convincing politicians to be on our side, but instead it's all part of a broader strategy to build community power,” he continued.

For the last few months, the New Orleans community has been attempting to get local politicians like Troy Carter and members of the New Orleans city council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Organizers want these politicians to also actively support ending all trade and cultural ties with the genocidal state of Israel. But elected officials have refused to implement even a simple demand for a ceasefire resolution.

Protesters believe that building community power will help the over 40,000 Palestinians living in the New Orleans metro area into pressure the local leaders into helping end genocide, or electing new leaders who represent the people’s demands.

Devin Davis, Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress, led the crowd in chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” He spoke in condemnation of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which funds his opponent.

Organizers also condemned political repression against their efforts.

“Every time the people of this country stand up against the ruling class and its various atrocities, they are met with brutal force,” said Shreyas Vasudevan, a local organizer with NOSHIP and an arrested participant in the student encampment at Tulane University. “We refuse to be intimidated. We will never apologize for standing in solidarity with Palestine, and will fight every bogus charge they lay on us.”

Vasudevan’s comments are a response to a pattern of intimidation and oppression suffered by the community for thinking that the U.S. actively supporting a genocide is wrong. Toni Jones, a local organizer with New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP), was arrested in March for protesting next to Tulane’s campus. That same month, NOCOP member Felix Allen was arrested for giving public comment at the Port of New Orleans board of commissioners monthly meetings in opposition to the Port’s Innovation Embassy with Israel. Multiple students and community members were arrested at the recent encampment on Tulane’s campus for not putting up with the university’s continued financial and cultural ties to Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). These acts of repression will only continue, but they will only act as a glue that will bind the community closer.

The rally was planned as a march from Lafayette Square to City Hall, with Congresswoman Cori Bush – author of the Ceasefire Now Resolution – as one of the speakers. Unfortunately, due to a death in the family, Congresswoman Bush had to postpone the visit.

Lead organizations included Masjid Omar, Palestinian Youth Movement, and AMAANA, a local Palestinian-led care group for people living with disabilities. New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) also helped organize the rally.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MasjidOmar #PYM #NOSHIP #JVP #NOCOP #FRSO

“Rim of the Pacific is the largest military exercise held anywhere in the world and takes place every two years in U.S.-occupied Hawai'i,” said Katie Comfort, a member of the International Women's Alliance's Global Secretariat and representative for the Cancel RIMPAC campaign. “Organizers in Hawai'i have been mobilizing against RIMPAC for decades, drawing attention to the environmental degradation, violence against women, and overall negative impact on the people living on the islands.”

“Today is an important and significant day to hold this press conference, as RIMPAC's opening banquet is kicking off tonight in San Diego with the heads of U.S. and foreign militaries,” continued Comfort.

Organizers from both Hawai'i and San Diego spoke about the disastrous effects these exercises have on both areas. Rose Elovitz, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Hawai'i, spoke about the effects RIMPAC has on Hawai'i and its people, saying, “The rate of sex trafficking – which disproportionately affects native Hawaiian women and girls – rises 30% during RIMPAC. The use of navy sonar has been proved to confuse and harm whales, leading to mass die-offs and beachings. The wellbeing of people, land and water are not a concern to the U.S. military agenda.”

From the other coast, members of the Resist NATO coalition spoke about their efforts to fight back against the upcoming 2024 NATO Summit.

Speaking for the Resist NATO coalition, BAYAN USA and Anakbayan Montgomery County member Gabby Rivera said, “Since its creation in DC in 1949, NATO has served as the armed wing of U.S.-led imperialism. This upcoming NATO summit on July 9 through 11 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in DC — and with it the founding of NATO.”

Rivera continued, “Here they will introduce major policies such as new sanctions, military budgets, mass surveillance and cyberwar initiatives. None of these will be in the interests of the international working class and oppressed, but rather the imperialist leaders with the US at their head.”

In addition to the Cancel RIMPAC Campaign and the Resist NATO Coalition, the press conference also featured speakers from the International League of Peoples' Struggle, Malaya San Diego, Jewish Voice for Palestine Hawai'i, the African National Women's Organization, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Pan-African Community Action, and BAYAN USA.

This press conference is one of a variety of actions in San Diego and Hawai'i, all of which lead up to a people's summit and mobilizations against RIMPAC in San Diego on June 29 and June 30, respectively. Next week, the Resist NATO coalition will also hold a people's summit on July 6 and a march on July 7 to protest NATO's 75th anniversary summit in DC.

#WashingtonDC #DC #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #NATO #IWA #BAYAN #ILPS #JVP #Malaya #PYM #PACA #ANWO

Duluth, MN – On June 1, between 300 and 400 people from across the state protested the Minnesota DFL State Convention at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (the DECC).

It was a show of broad geographic support for ending the U.S. support for Israel’s genocidal military campaign in Gaza, and against the stances of DFL (the name of the Democratic Party in Minnesota) politicians like U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Governor Tim Walz, who have shown strong support for Israel.

From the Twin Cities, the Free Palestine Coalition organized two busloads. The protest also included people from northern Minnesota’s Ely and the Iron Range, as well as Northfield, the home of Carleton and Saint Olaf Colleges, and other parts of the state.

The day began with a rally at Duluth City Hall. Over the course of a few hours, people trickled in for speeches and performances, joined by participants in the Palestine encampment next to the Saint Louis County Courthouse and the Federal Building. By the time the march began, from the Duluth City Hall to the DECC, it was a sea of Palestinian flags and signs and posters for divestment from Israel.

On arrival at the DECC there was a display of rubble, signifying what was left in the wake of Israel’s constant bombardment in Gaza. People placed body bags on top of the rubble and read the names of Palestinian child martyrs since October 7, 2023.

Inside the convention, where Klobuchar promised to work towards the federal codification of abortion rights and amending tax law, Palestine supporters in the hall urged her to acknowledge the role the United States and Minnesota have played in aiding Israel.

The few Free Palestine Coalition organizers who were able to get into the convention as delegates expressed contempt for the DFL’s overall avoidance of Palestinian genocide. From the rally outside, Free Palestine Coalition member Brooke Bartholomew said, “The idea of a rally at a DFL convention is because the Democrats at the state level are incredibly complicit. They are not unaware of the ongoing genocide. There are people who were previously with the DFL, and this was a way to show them that people are dissatisfied and disappointed. They have the power to repeal anti-BDS [boycott, divest, sanction] laws and divest from U.S. participation in weapons manufacturers.”

One of the delegates attending from Minneapolis, Kevin Aldwalk, after having attended multiple DFL conventions said, “I never in a million times would have expected this level of awareness and support to the Palestinian cause. The Uncommitted caucus managed to push through some significant resolutions and amendments. This couldn’t have happened without the support of multiple coalitions. From our progressive brothers and sisters, the anti-Zionist Jews, the amazing people at the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, to the wonderful people of Jewish Voice for Peace and many others. Centrists and old guards within the DFL didn’t know what hit them.”

Immediately outside of the doors of the convention center, next to a banner, reading “Divest Minnesota from apartheid Israel! No tax $$$ for genocide,” Meredith Aby, a public school teacher, told of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee targeting the State Board of Investment to pull public employees’ pensions and investments from companies that do business in apartheid Israel.

Aby stated, “Every state employee’s pension is forced into investments in Israel. I’m a public school teacher and I don’t know any other teacher that wants to invest in more weaponry.”

A Jewish Voice for Peace member who was also involved in the recent encampment at the University of Minnesota stated, “Nothing Israel does makes us safer. Muslims are not my enemies and 90% of Zionists are Christian. What Israel is doing makes things worse for Jews and causes a generalization of assumed Jewish participation.”

Aby encouraged participants to continue to pressure the DFL and to join the Minnesota Anti-War Committee in traveling to Chicago to protest “Genocide Joe” in person at the Democratic National Convention.

#DuluthMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MNAWC #MNFreePalestineCoalition #DFL #JVP #Feature

St Paul, MN – On May 21, the Minnesota State Board of Investments (SBI) held its second quarterly meeting of 2024. The meeting began with an extensive discussion on “ethical investments” related to green energy and combating the ongoing climate crisis. What was not brought up by board of investors was how much Minnesota annually invests in companies and shareholdings connected with the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

Residents, constituents, pension-holders and anti-war activists packed the meeting to let the SBI know that the people demand immediate and direct divestment from Israeli bonds, and from all companies that profit off Israeli apartheid, including but not limited to Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems and BAE.

Asiyah Ahmed from the MN Anti-War Committee gave an impassioned speech, stating, “As we know, SBI channels $3.25 billion into bolstering Israel, funding companies notorious for human rights abuses such as Elbit Systems, Caterpillar, and Lockheed Martin. These investments, drawn from the hard-earned pension and retirement savings of public employees, electively endorse genocide, apartheid and ethnic cleansing. Now, let's turn our attention to the devastating impact of these investments in Gaza. In places like the Jabalia refugee camp, which has been relentlessly bombed, and among the 900,000 refugees who have fled Rafah in the past few days, the brutalization and exploitation of the Palestinian people remain consistent. Just yesterday, a request for an arrest warrant for some Israeli leaders accused of crimes against humanity was made, emphasizing the urgency of our actions.”

The most fiery speech of the day was given by Sana Wazwaz of the MN American Muslims for Palestine. Wazwaz castigated the SBI for their continued investments in Israel and the hypocrisy they demonstrated by claiming a deep care for climate change while wholly ignoring their investments in a leading contributor of climate change, militarism, most especially Israeli militarism.

Wazwaz addressed the SBI stating, “As a recent graduate with hopes to become a Minnesota school teacher, it devastates me to know that my future pension funds are going to be invested in not just the slaughter of my family, but also my planet, your planet, and the planet that my grandchildren will inherit. How dare you all pat yourselves on the back and attempt to stall your constituents with this phony climate investments roadmap without divesting from the perpetrators of climate destruction. How dare you? You cannot play fireman and arsonist at the same time. Respectfully you have millions invested in the government that’s responsible for destruction of over half of the water facilities in Gaza according to UNICEF. According to National Geographic ,in 2023 alone over 2000 of the olive trees in the West Bank alone were destroyed in just one month. How can you attempt to talk about planet investments while not divesting from the thing that is actively harming the environment tenfold. The time to divest is now!”

Many other speakers took to the podium as well showing their support for divestment including members of Jewish Voice For Peace, the New Testament United Theological Seminary, AFSCME 3800 and a professor at the University of Minnesota.

The SBI meeting was followed with a press conference in the hall featuring many of those who took to the podium stating that the people will not stop fighting for full divestment until Minnesota divests entirely from all entities tied to apartheid Israel. The next Minnesota State Board of Investments meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 14 at 10 a.m.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #JVP #AFSCME #MNAWC #AMP #SBI

Dallas, TX – On the last Friday of Ramadan, April 5, the Muslim Congress organized a protest for Al-Quds Day. The demonstration was held in collaboration with organizations such as Palestinian Youth Movement, CAIR Texas, Jewish Voice for Peace DFW, DFW Anti-War Committee and many others.

After community prayers, protesters gathered on the Grassy Knoll in downtown Dallas with picket signs and banners. Demonstrators chanted common pro-Palestine chants, shouting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” as the protest drummer set the chant’s rhythm.

A single unknown Zionist man shouted at protesters, repeating skewed narratives, including those referencing the two-state solution proposed by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 2000. This plan would have given Palestinians less than 17% of their previously held territory.

Al-Quds Day is a pro-Palestinian international holiday held on the last Friday of Ramadan. The holiday’s roots trace back to when Iran’s former leader Ruholla Khomeini started Al-Quds Day 45 years ago, established in solidarity with Palestinian resistance and against Israeli occupation.

Dr. Bilal Pirasha, a physician that served the people of Gaza with a team of eight other volunteer doctors, was one of many speakers at the event. They served in Gaza for two weeks during a medical mission from the humanitarian aid organization MedGlobal.

“I learned the meaning of life in Gaza,” stated Dr. Pirasha. “I was there, thinking, ‘What makes them stand so steadfast and so firm?’ There was a man outside the hospital, I asked him what makes them stand so strong. He told me ‘Doctor, every night we go to sleep we are ready to die. We are ready to be martyred. Then the next morning when we wake up, we start our life again with new hope and a new dream.’”

Every year, the Muslim Congress has a resolution they present to the world globally on Al-Quds Day. This year’s resolution, read by Sabah Shah, stated, “We represent all people of conscience, all people who care for the wellbeing of others, and all people who value human rights, freedom, justice, and equality. We detest and reject the Zionist propaganda that has infiltrated the lives of Palestinians for well over 70 years now, as well as the lives of millions of oppressed across the world. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been martyred since October 7, 2023. More than 29,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza. Nearly 70% of Gaza is in ruins.”

Speeches during the demonstration had common messaging honoring the movement’s support from and for people of all faiths.

Imam Maha Shahidi stated, “Our gathering is a loud and clear cry for peace, and a demand for the end to the suffering, and a call to action for the dignity and rights that every human being deserves.“

Shahidi continued, “Let the people of Palestine, Muslims, Jews, Christians, and anyone regardless of their beliefs determine their own future. Palestinians have the right to self-govern. This cannot and will not be denied.”

In tandem with this, activist and speaker Zeba Khan addressed the crowd, pointing out the sense of unity in the movement to free Palestine, stating, “This movement, this interfaith, interpolitical, inter-everything coalition. This is actually history in the making. This solidarity for people who need help, no matter where they’re from. We, united, together, will go down in history and we will make the Zionist occupation history.”

The demonstration wrapped around 5 p.m., closing with a prayer in unity.

#DallasTX #DFWTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #DAWC #PYM #JVP

Minneapolis – On March 30, around 2500 protesters gathered along Lake Street where it crosses a narrow isthmus between Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska in the Chain of Lakes. Organized by the local Free Palestine Coalition, the action marked Land Day, which commemorates the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation and land theft.

Despite intimidation attempts by Minneapolis police, protesters took the street and marched to the Lake Street/Excelsior Boulevard interchange, which forms a major bottleneck for traffic heading to and from the upscale western suburbs of the Twin Cities. The crowd took over and occupied the intersection. Some stranded motorists left their vehicles and joined the protest. Speeches by Palestinian activists and others took place before and after the march, as well as during the road shutdown.

Land Day began on March 30, 1976, when Israeli occupation forces, the IDF, murdered six Palestinian citizens of Israel who were protesting new confiscations of Palestinian land. Since then, the day has been commemorated by Palestinians and the solidarity movement as a time to reaffirm the right of Palestinians to return to their land stolen by the Zionist occupation.

In 2018, Land Day also marked the beginning of the Great March of Return protests in Gaza, which saw hundreds of unarmed Palestinians killed and thousands more injured by IDF snipers.

Taher Herzallah of American Muslims for Palestine explained, “For Palestinians, our land does not mean resource extraction. Our land does not mean numbers and spreadsheets, profits and margins. Our land is what gives us life, and we are what give our land life. This is something the Zionists will never understand.”

The event featured special guest Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American lawyer, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, and organizer of freedom flotillas that attempt to bypass Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza. “Israel has spent decades trying to tear us apart. And we still say no. They continue this apartheid, continually confiscating land, not only in the West Bank but inside ’48.”

Speakers also drew attention to the struggle for Land Back waged by indigenous peoples inside the United States borders. At the protest, nearby Bde Maka Ska served as a symbol of that struggle, having had its name changed in 2018 from Lake Calhoun – named for notorious American slaver John C. Calhoun – back to its original Dakota name.

Gabriela Diaz, alumni of the American Indian Studies program at the University of Minnesota, said, “Pacific Islanders, Palestinians and American Indians have many shared experiences as global indigenous First Peoples. We have suffered incommensurable loss under Western imperialism and colonization. Dispossession, environmental desecration, climate crises, land theft, nuclear testing, settler and other kinds of colonialisms, and the destruction of the things closest to our hearts, are just a few of the things that tie us together.”

Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg of Jewish Voice for Peace-Twin Cities spoke, “I wanted to learn my people’s history before Zionism,” she said. “I felt in my core that I had inherited a tradition that honored life and interconnectedness, and that Zionism was a manipulation of our trauma and oppression, and a system of supremacy that at its core was not Jewish.”

The protest came days after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution ordering an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The United States, which abstained from voting on the resolution, characterized the resolution as “non-binding,” while Israel’s foreign minister declared, “Israel will not cease fire.” According to international law, a resolution of the Security Council is binding on all United Nations member states.

As of press time, over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel since October, according to the health ministry. Recent weeks have seen famine taking hold in parts of Gaza as Israel’s siege on basic supplies continues, along with renewed IDF raids on several of Gaza’s hospital complexes.

“We know that a ceasefire is the bare minimum. We must continue to demand a total dismantling of the settler-colonial apartheid state,” Arraf told the protest. “Because Biden wants our vote, he tells us that he’s trying to protect civilians – while sending Israel bunker-buster bombs that demolish entire neighborhoods. We will not be fooled.”

Despite Israel’s ongoing genocide, Herzallah was optimistic of eventual victory for the Palestinian resistance, saying, “What we are doing today, and what Gaza is doing today, is showing the world that there is an alternative: that justice can be brought by the people.”

#MinneapolisMN #TwinCitiesMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MNFreePalestineCoalition #JVP #MNAWC #LandDay #Feature

Pompano Beach, FL – On Saturday, March 2, over 200 cars traced a route across South Florida maintaining minimum legal speeds on interstates and along busy beachfront roads to protest U.S. support for Israel.

The caravan was launched in remembrance of the over 30,000 Palestinians who have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. In honor of the martyrs, dozens of cars carried posters with the pictures and personal information of individual Palestinians murdered by Israel.

The caravan was led and tailed by video trucks displaying the truth of Israel’s crimes and had several cars with speakers on megaphones making educational and political speeches were distributed throughout. Participants distributed flyers with information about the history of Palestine and its occupation by the Zionists.

The hundreds of vehicles brought traffic to a crawl and drew cheering crowds at two intersections. Shouts of “Free Palestine” and “Stop the genocide” were heard from both the demonstrators’ speakers and from beachgoers. Many vehicles were adorned with decorations that were prepared during the two hours it took for the drivers to gather. These included flags, posters and painted messages that read “30,000 killed by Israel,” “End all aid to Israel” and “Victory to Palestine.”

Efforts by police and Zionists to harass the demonstration failed to prevent the vehicles from completing the entire planned route despite multiple citations and a Zionist motorcyclist who broke a side-view mirror.

At the conclusion, organizers said that this rally was double the size of the first rally a month before and made calls for the new participants to join in the planning of a third car rally for Palestine in South Florida.

Many organizations contributed to the event such as South-Florida Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Palestine Car Rally, Al-Awda, Jewish Voices for Peace of South Florida, Students for Justice in Palestine at Florida International University, Democratic Socialists of America, and Jose Marti Youth.

#PompanoBeachFL #MiamiFL #FtLauderdaleFL #BocaRatonFL #SouthFlorida #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #FRSO #JVP #AlAwda #SJP #DSA #JMY

St. Paul, MN – On February 25, over 1000 people carrying Palestinian flags and signs lined both sides of the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River and then marched to Governor Tim Walz’ Eastcliff Mansion residence to demand that the Minnesota State Board of Investments (SBI) divest from Israeli weapons manufacturers, banks and bonds, and other entities complicit in Israel’s apartheid system in Palestine. Research done by the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) shows that the MN SBI invests more than $3 billion this way.

For years, local groups like Breaking the Bonds MN, MN BDS Community, Women Against Military Madness, Jewish Voice for Peace – Twin Cities, and MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) have demanded divestment, noting Israeli banks and bonds with SBI investments directly fund construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank that are considered illegal by the United Nations. The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) has also demanded divestment from Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems over its role in constructing the controversial U.S./Mexico border wall.

Taher Herzallah, the director of outreach and grassroots organizing for American Muslims for Palestine, was the first speaker once the march arrived at the governor’s mansion, “Israel has been engaged in a genocide for as long as it has people like Tim Walz in office, as long it has people like Joe Biden in office, supporting it with material support. And they can do that. But you know what? We will never, ever stop the fight for justice in Palestine!”

Lina Jebara spoke for the MN Anti-War Committee, “The State Board of Investment continues to invest $3 billion in taxpayer money, into companies that are profiting from Israel’s genocidal campaign on the people of Palestine. The SBI frames these investments as being to the benefit of public employees, because everyone knows that the best way to help teachers out isn’t by paying them more, or by providing them with new books and supplies, or renovated facilities, but by investing $413 million into weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and the Israeli-owned Elbit Systems!”

The SBI is composed of chair Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha, and Secretary of State Steve Simon. Palestine solidarity activists also plan to deliver public comments at the upcoming State Board of Investment’s quarterly meeting on Thursday, February 29 at the State Senate Building.

#StPaulMN #TwinCitiesMN #AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine #MiddleEast #MNAWC #MIRAC #JVP #GovTimWalz #BDS

Pompano Beach, FL – On January 28, over 100 vehicles drove as a caravan across Fort Lauderdale at minimum speed to show solidarity with Palestine. The “Car Rally for Palestine” demonstrated the pride and solidarity of those in the South Florida community feel towards Palestine’s resistance during the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Led by a video truck which played music and displayed images and facts about the atrocities the Zionist occupation forces have visited upon Palestine, drivers decorated their cars with painted and real Palestinian flags and wore Keffiyehs. Slogans of “Long live Palestine” and “Free Palestine” rang out as occupants shouted from windows and waved flags from sun roofs on Interstate 95.

The slow-moving possession backed up traffic and drew the attention of motorists and beachgoers wherever it went. Viewers were confronted by facts wherever they looked. Special emphasis given to the thousands of children buried under the rubble of Gaza by U.S. weapons and the thousands more kidnapped from their families into “administrative detention.”

Organizer Alexandra Capecci explained that this car rally was meant to “show that there is a community in South Florida that supports Palestine, and by being in a caravan we were able to stay safe and spread awareness while showing people that aren’t as familiar with the movement that they can get involved and inspire them to get involved and feel comfortable.”

Many organizations were represented at the event such as Palestine Car Rally, Students for Justice in Palestine at Florida International University, Al-Awda, Jewish Voices for Peace of South Florida, Democratic Socialists of America, Jose Marti Youth, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#PompanoBeachFL #AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine #SJP #JVP #AlAwda #DSA #JMY #FRSO