Minneapolis, MN – On August 15, community members gathered at Mayday Plaza to honor the 81st anniversary of Korean Liberation Day. The event was held in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood, right outside of Mayday Books.

The action was emceed by Trent Fast from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Leo Del Rio from About Face, who began with the acknowledgement of the U.S.’s ongoing presence and occupation in Korea.

One occupation replaced by another

Fast explained to the crowd that the first liberation day in Korea was in 1945, after World War II ended. This marked an end to decades of Japanese colonial rule. Soon after, however, the United States military “showed up and established its own, brand-new occupation.” Thus, the Korean War began.

From 1950 to 1953, the U.S. government killed over two-and-a-half million Koreans and nearly decimated every major North Korean city. At the end of those three long years, the Mutual Defense Treaty was signed. Even though the war had “ended,” the U.S. remained in Korea as an imperialist force, occupying newly-designated South Korea. This occupation still lasts today. On average, there are about 28,000 U.S. troops that are living in Korea, and South Korea has the largest overseas U.S. Army base in the world.

Cedar Larson, representing WAMM, educated the crowd around the Mutual Defense Treaty and other similar agreements, calling them, “political tools to increase U.S. domination and control” over the land. They said the treaty gave the U.S. the “opportunity to threaten their enemies” and had “disastrous effects on the lives of the people.”

Forced prostitution

Larson also drew attention to the human rights violations that have been occurring since the 1960s. For example, the governments of the United States and South Korea established areas around military bases known as “special tourist zones for foreigners” – meaning soldiers. In these designated areas, South Korean, American and United Nations troops introduced forced prostitution. Women and girls, as young as 15, were “deceived, kidnapped, and forced into sex labor,” said Larson.

These crimes have continued to the present day. Even though laws have been put into place, they are rarely followed. The areas discussed above are often now branded as “tourist stops” but have a dark underbelly.

Ecological consequences of imperialism

Liz McLister from FAMM brought up the ecological effects that the U.S. occupation has had in Korea. McLister said that from “contaminating water supplies and arable land” to “disrupting wildlife habitats,” the U.S. has only brought destruction to the country. As climate change continues to worsen, the Pacific region is experiencing extreme heat, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and severe storm systems.

U.S. activities in the region are accelerating ecological damage and leaving its communities traumatized by decades of systemic abuse. Emily Newberg from WAMM stated, “Occupation is wrong. To occupy another’s land to take away their sovereignty and their self-determination. It leads to catastrophe in almost every way: economically, environmentally and nationally as the people are torn apart by propaganda and false promises.”

Not only does this occupation affect the communities living in Korea, but also U.S. citizens. U.S. tax dollars are being used to maintain around 80 military bases in Korea, using “$6 billion to maintain U.S. bases and troops in South Korea,” according to Larson. McLister pointed out that the “Korean peninsula is of immense strategic value to U.S. military operations.”

Korea’s proximity to China and other strategic locations makes it the perfect target for the U.S. military and imperialist interests.

Simulated invasion

Along with the maintenance of military bases, the United States also engages in staged military exercises or “war games.” Since 2021, the U.S. government has stolen $60 billion from U.S. taxpayers to fund war games like Ulchi Freedom Shield, RIMPAC and Balikatan. These military exercises are conducted in “preparation” for a war with other countries in the area, such as China and Japan.

Fast noted that during the upcoming week, the United States and South Korean militaries were planning to hold “one of the largest annual war drills on earth.” This exercise is named Ulchi Freedom Shield.

During these drills, tens of thousands of troops are deployed to the border with the North, simulating an invasion. Fast said that these war games could quickly escalate to actual war if there is a simple misunderstanding by either side, and have a heavy psychological toll on the people of Korea, who fear an uncertain future.

The day after the protest, President Donald Trump announced a reduction of the scope of this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield, in apparent reaction to depleted U.S. military capacities stemming from the ongoing U.S. war on Iran.

As Naveen Borojerdi from MPAC put it, Korea is a “country that has paid a massive toll for its right to self-determination.”

A speaker from Anakbayan asked rhetorically, “For whom? For whom was the United States liberating countries across Asia? It was not for those people.”

Organizations were represented at the action, included About Face: Veterans Against the War, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Families Against Military Madness (FAMM), Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC), Anakbayan Twin Cities, and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC).

#MinneapolisMN #MN #International #AntiWarMovement #Korea

Minneapolis, MN – On August 15, around 20 people gathered on a rainy afternoon in downtown Minneapolis to raise awareness about proposed mining in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by a company called Twin Metals.

Sophie Kampmeyer from the Climate Justice Committee told the crowd, “The proposed mines near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would be sulfide mines, a byproduct of which is sulfuric acid, AKA battery acid, polluting the lakes and rivers. As the acid makes its way through the environment, it leaches other toxic metals from the ground, including mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead. These contaminants would pollute crops and wildlife throughout the state,” adding that it would be, “permanent pollution for less copper and nickel than we’d get from recycling e-waste that already exists.”

Activists’ chants of, “When the water we drink is under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, toxic mines have got to go!” echoed for blocks, including at the busy downtown farmers market, where activists handed out information to market-goers. Cars honked and people joined in chanting to show their support for protecting the Boundary Waters region.

Emma Scherrer from Minnesota Workers United, stated, “We cannot ignore the climate crisis for short-term profit. If we don't do something now, there won't be anything left to protect. The mining interests are pitting people who want good paying jobs against those of us that want clean water and clean air! Now I don't know about you, but I don't just want clean water and clean air or a good-paying job. I want all three. This is definitely possible.”

Ulysses Dolan from the AWC made the connection to environmental and anti-war fights around the globe. “The State Board of Investment is investing in companies that fuel the genocide in Palestine and Twin Metals. We need to call on our governor to divest!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #BWCA #Mining #CJC

St. Paul, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) responded to the Legalization for All Network’s call to protest against Trump’s racist attacks on Haitian immigrants. Dozens of protesters gathered on the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street bridge at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5 to stand with the Haitian community against Trump’s latest racist anti- immigrant attack.

In Ohio, Hattian immigrants are being summoned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are being forced to wear ankle monitors until their deportation hearing – or be deported immediately.

On June 25, the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which provides work authorization, travel permission and protection from deportation for Haitian and Syrian immigrants. This came after a far-right ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court (Mullin v. Doe), where six of the nine judges voted to allow Trump to terminate this status for the two immigrant communities.

Within a day, 300,000 Haitian and Syrian immigrants became undocumented and at risk for deportation.

Protesters held signs that read “We say no to Trump’s mass deportation of Haitian immigrants! End U.S. intervention in Haiti!” and waved as passing drivers honked, bikers rang their bells, and a runner clapped on her run in support.

The rally ended with a brief program where the crowd heard from Mira Altobell-Resendez, an organizer with MIRAC, told the crowd, “This most recent rug-pull, taking TPS away from workers and families who have been in the U.S. for years, has already resulted in thousands of Haitians in Ohio being put into deportation proceedings and forced to wear inhumane ankle monitors.”

Altobell-Resendez continued, “There is not a single person who benefits from mass deportations like these, or what took place in the Twin Cities during Metro Surge, except for the same people who always make money from human suffering: the white supremacist ruling class!” They ended with calling on Governor Tim Walz to “spend his last months in office fighting tooth and nail to create ICE-free zones and ban collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.”

WAMM holds a vigil on the Marshall/Lake bridge every Wednesday and this week’s action was co-hosted with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #Haiti #TPS #ICE

Minneapolis, MN: On July 30, 35 people protested at Loring Park in Minneapolis to demand an end to the U.S. oil blockade on Cuba. The protest was called by the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) and Women Against Military Madness’ HOLA (Hands Off Latin America) Committee as a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s call for a week of action in solidarity with Cuba.

An increasing amount of international attention is focused on the consequences of President Trump’s tightened blockade on the island. Since the U.S. kidnapped Venezuelan President Maduro, the Trump administration has imposed a six-month-long U.S. oil blockade on the island, which is causing a humanitarian crisis. Electric water pumps frequently sit idle due to lack of power, leaving major cities like Havana struggling with running water. Hospitals and medical manufacturing have also slowed down due to the lack of electricity.

Ben Golden, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, emceed the protest. He explained, “The U.S. has engineered a deadly economic crisis so that they can manufacture an excuse for regime change in Cuba, but we won’t stand for it! Warfare is not always waged in bombs and bullets, and the U.S. is waging a reprehensible war on Cuba in the form of this embargo. We are here to say that we stand with the sovereignty of the Cuban people; end the embargo, and down with the U.S. war machine!”

Sarah Martin, a founder of the Hands Off Latin America committee, was the first speaker at the protest. Martin has traveled on solidarity trips to Venezuela and Cuba, which are both being threatened by the Trump administration. She said, “Both countries, Cuba and Venezuela, asserted their sovereignty and independence and broke free from the hold of U.S. imperialism and began to build societies which put people first, especially the poor. The U.S. did not take kindly to this, and both countries have been in the crosshairs of the U.S. empire no matter what administration was in power.”

Martin concluded, “The peoples of both countries are resilient and committed to their revolutions. It is up to us in the belly of the beast to do everything we can to interfere with Trump and Rubio’s plans. So, we’re here today and we’ll continue to come out until the U.S. backs off and ends the war threats, ends the oil embargo, and ends the blockade on Cuba.”

During the protest, two banners were hung from the bridge from Loring Park to the Walker Art Center over Interstate 94 demanding “End the blockade on Cuba” and “Let Cuba live! End the embargo on Cuba!” Thousands of drivers saw the banners and honked and waved to show support.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Cuba

St. Paul, MN – Eastside Neighbors will breathe clean air come January 1. After a years-long struggle, Eastside neighbors are celebrating the closure of industrial polluter Northern Iron Tool and Machine. On Thursday, July 30, the foundry announced that it will close by the end of the year. Northern Iron was a constant source of pollution that harmed the Eastside community.

Just last week, on July 18, Eastside residents with the Minnesota Climate Justice Committee packed a Saint Paul courtroom and held a press conference to demand Northern Iron’s air permit be revoked.

Kalani Matus of the Climate Justice Committee stated, “Don’t get it twisted – community action took down this polluter. Just like with Smith Foundry in Minneapolis, everyday people organized together around their common interests to shut down Northern Iron. Right now, it can feel like the world is attacking regular people left and right. But we have the power to change our circumstances. When we organize, great things can happen.”

Brittney Bruce bought a house directly across the street from Northern Iron. When she moved in, she had no idea her house, her windowsills, and her car would be covered in black dust from Northern Iron. Upon hearing the news of Northern Iron’s closure she said, “My kids can go outside. Kids in the school won’t have to breathe the pollution anymore. By next year our kids will be able to breathe clean air.” Bruce had never organized against an industrial polluter like Northern Iron before. She said, “By yourself your voice is small. But when we get together we are loud. I’m so glad we were able to hold Northern Iron accountable.”

Last year, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) initiated a lawsuit to revoke Northern Iron’s air permit after years of noncompliance, unacceptable pollution, and neighborhood demands for clean air. For decades, Northern Iron shirked accountability. The polluting foundry has air permit violations and other citations dating back to the early 2000s. As recently as 2023, Northern Iron was fined $41,500 by the MPCA for inadequate pollution control equipment and installing new equipment without a permit. These violations led to increased air pollution for Eastside residents.

Neighbors of the foundry continually reported air quality issues to the MPCA and they rallied against the foundry. Eastside residents also sued Northern Iron in a class action lawsuit that demanded the polluter take responsibility for the harm it caused to residents’ health and homes. A judge has yet to rule on either the permit revocation or the class action lawsuit against Northern Iron.

Whitney Wildman of the Minnesota Climate Justice Committee said, “The Climate Justice Committee congratulates the residents of Eastside on their victory against Northern Iron. This victory shows when we fight back we can make huge gains for our communities. We stand in total solidarity with Eastside in their fight for clean air and a safe, healthy community. And we will be watching to ensure no other polluters replace Northern Iron.”

Eastside resident and lawyer Melissa Lorentz said, “The Eastside has worked so hard for this victory. I can't count the number of community members that showed up to meetings, wrote letters, door knocked, and rallied to hold Northern Iron accountable. My neighbors are crying tears of joy right now, not just because we won, but because we did it together.”

Sarah Degner Riveros, who is an Eastside resident, said, “This victory sends a message to all polluters that Minnesotans won't tolerate harm to our environment. This is a win that will have lasting impacts far beyond the East Side of Saint Paul.”

#StPaulMN #MN #Environment #CJC

Three days earlier, Corey Ruiz was fatally shot in Madison, Wisconsin. Nine days before that, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was brutally murdered by ICE in Maine, in front of his one-year-old daughter. And just the night before, word came through that the “drugs” DHS had used to smear Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had tested negative, too late to undo the damage of the accusation. This is the backdrop against which the riders gathered: a rolling body count that never seems to pause long enough for anyone to catch their breath.

The day's program opened a block from George Floyd Square.

Tiffany Dunlap, defendant number 17 of the Righteous 39, took the mic first, speaking of the repression being brought against activists, followed by Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB). Then came Jeanelle Austin, the Square's lead caretaker, who tied together the history of police oppression in South Minneapolis. She said, “We have to keep organizing, we have to keep standing, we have to keep fighting for each other, for our neighbors. We have to keep shouting from the rooftops to make sure we organize more people to stand with us so we can end the state-sanctioned violence.”

From there, the ride carried the crowd to Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, an intersection that holds real weight in the history of Metro Surge, as the site of the first mass ICE action in Minneapolis under Donald Trump’s second administration. Isavela López described the ties between historical oppression of indigenous Americans and modern police repression of immigrant communities. She faced charges for nothing more than standing up for her neighbors during that raid.

López reminded the crowd, “It's more than me at this point. These are people that want to just help their neighbors; that have honest hearts; that want to learn more; that want to be advocates. I know at the end of the day there will be justice.” López's case is not an outlier. The same repression shows up in the cases of the Righteous 39 and the Minnesota 15, and in the century-long sentences being handed to activists in Texas.

A member of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles spoke after her about the atrocities families are facing every day.

The ride's next stop carried a different kind of weight, the memorial for Alex Pretti. Anusha Ramaswami of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) led a moment of silence here, honoring Pretti alongside the latest life lost in Madison.

Then there was a stop at the memorial for Renee Good. Here, Alissa Washington, the director of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council, spoke of her childhood friend Terrence Franklin, murdered by police in May 2013. She also spoke of her cousin Stephen Washington, who died in prison because of officer negligence, days before he was set to walk free.

Washington spoke of her own ongoing fight – 20 years spent trying to win freedom for her wrongfully incarcerated fiancé, Cornelius “Corn” Jackson, locked away for a crime he never committed. On July 2, Washington’s 72-year-old uncle was detained by ICE. As the group gathered that Saturday, he was being processed for deportation. Washington is now raising his four children, and she asked the crowd for donations of school supplies for those kids, which people can arrange through the Instagram page for the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (@tcc4j).

Washington stated, “When I say these struggles are personal, I mean every word. I had mourned my childhood friend because of police violence here in Minneapolis. I have buried my cousin because of police negligence here in Minnesota. I fight every day for the freedom of the man I love. And now, I am helping raise my uncle's children because ICE decided to tear another family apart. This movement isn't something I clock into, this is my life. This is my family!”

The ride closed where it began. Angie Cisneros Rosero of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) took the mic for the day's final word, “Let us remember the strength in our broken hearts. They see us united. They see people who continue to fight even with tears in their eyes. The problem is not that people don't care. We need collective power. Power so strong that the system can no longer govern in the same way. The only way we will see justice, is if we the people organize and make it happen.”

MIRAC currently has a campaign to get Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and all gubernatorial candidates to sign an executive order regarding a number of issues discussed here. If you are interested in signing a petition to pressure these politicians to act, please go to https://c.org/kCzgWPgx48.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #MIRAC #AlexPretti #ReneeGood

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, July 18, more than 50 community members rallied on the corner of Loring Park in Minneapolis to demand Minnesota take tangible steps to be a real sanctuary state for trans people. Loring Park is a historically queer neighborhood in Minneapolis and hosts Pride every year.

The rally was called by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee to demand Minnesota become a true refuge state for trans people relocating here by providing concrete support and resources that help people safely build their lives.

Minnesota has built a reputation as a safer place for trans folks. The state already has the highest percentage of trans adults in the country, and, since the trans refuge bill passed in 2023, OutFront Minnesota says it has helped hundreds of families relocate here from states where their care and their safety are under attack. Out Front estimates the real number of trans newcomers is five or six times higher.

Relocation for families is not an easy or simple task in itself and moving can put people at increased risk of homelessness, job loss and gaps in medical care. These are risks trans people already face more than most. Minnesota has become a refuge state in name, but the support systems people need once they get here need further development.

Natalie Dalbec, an organizer with the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee spoke about how “the forces of bigotry are working to crack down on our existence as trans people,” naming states like Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Idaho as states that have elected officials who are particularly cruel to trans people.

“Because of this,” Dalbec stated, “more trans people are moving to Minnesota than any other state, in search of a safe haven where they can live as their true self without fear of oppression.” Dalbec went on to explain that the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee demands that the state provide more funding for services such as gender-affirming care, name changes and more.

River Townsend, a non-binary parent of a trans youth and member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, stated, “We escaped Texas in 2015. That very year, Houston's effort to become more progressive in a sea of red hit a major roadblock.”

Townsend described many anti-trans policies that Houston implemented, such as bathroom restrictions. They concluded their speech by stating “As citizens of a sanctuary state we have the honor and duty to our trans family across the country to create a safe landing. We demand support for housing, jobs, transportation and healthcare.”

Over the past several months, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee has been collecting testimonies from trans people who have moved to the twin cities to understand the conditions trans people face when they leave and what barriers they face when they move to Minnesota. The emcees read off a few of these to the crowd to share these insights and exemplify the need for more support.

One of the testimonies read off was from Issac, a 34-year-old trans person who moved to Minnesota from Kansas City in 2023. “I moved from Kansas City to Minnesota after the trans sanctuary bill was passed, seeking access to gender-affirming care and employment opportunities. I have found it much easier to access gender-affirming care here, but still notice disparity in other areas, like employment. It is incredibly difficult to find work right now, and even more so for trans and gender nonconforming people. As the cost of living continues to increase, I see more and more of my trans friends struggling to have their basic needs met. There are more gender-affirming care clinicians in Minnesota, but the demand is so much higher as we see more people coming here from neighboring states. Long wait times to schedule and see clinicians, combined with high medical costs (even with insurance), result in care that remains out of reach for many trans folks.”

As the rally came to a close, the protestors lined the streets with signs calling for the protection and support of trans people. Drivers honked in support as organizers led the crowd in chants of “No hate! No fear! Trans people are welcome here!” and “We’re not here to compromise! Hands off trans lives!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #LGBTQ #Trans

St. Paul, MN – The Climate Justice Committee (CJC) joined East Side Neighbors for Health to pack the courtroom for the administrative hearing, July 21, regarding the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) action to revoke Northern Iron’s permit to pollute, due to noncompliance and noncooperation.

Before the hearing started, extra chairs were needed for the nearly 40 people who had come out on a Tuesday morning to witness the hearing. The small administrative court is unaccustomed to bystanders.

Tracy Molm from the CJC stated, “We're so happy to be here standing with Eastside Saint Paul residents as the Minnesota Pollution Control is taking the step of pulling Northern Iron, AKA Lawton Standard's, air permits. While we applaud the MPCA for working to pull their permits, we know this is happening because the people of Eastside have stood up and said, ‘No more!’”

Tim Marino, a resident in the area, declared, “Alex Lawton, the CEO of Northern Iron's parent company, publicly stated, ‘I certainly wouldn't move into a residential area and build a foundry.’ If that is true, why is it acceptable for a working-class neighborhood of color to be forced to live with decisions made decades ago that wouldn't be allowed today? This is environmental racism and classism under the guise of business as usual.”

Sarah Degner Riveros, an East Side resident, stated, “We demand transparency about the toxins in our air and soil. As neighbors, we are counting on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to protect us. For years, our community has been dealing with the soot, noise, lead exposure and the uncertainty that comes with not knowing what years of exposure may mean for the health of our homes.”

While no decision was given at this hearing, the CJC and the community have vowed that they will continue to fight no matter the decision. Molm continued, “In the CJC we have seen firsthand how communities standing up against polluters can win. When the CJC joined with the East Phillips and Little Earth communities in Minneapolis, we were able to stop the Roof Depot demolition, close Smith Foundry and Bituminous Roadways allowing the community to thrive. We will continue to organize and rally because when the air we breathe is under attack, what do we do?! Stand up, fight back!”

#StPaulMN #MN #Environment #Pollution #NorthernIron #ClimateJustice