St. Paul, MN – On Tuesday, May 12, protesters once again attended the St. Paul Board of Water Commissioners meeting to demand an end to the city’s contract with Israeli cybersecurity company Waterfall Security Solutions.

This action was organized by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM).

After months of the board attempting to limit public access, activists were able to make their presence felt at this meeting. Holding signs reading, “Waterfall: No blood in our water” and “Palestinians need water too,” they disrupted the meeting by intermittently shouting chants such as “No more money for genocide!” and “Free, free Palestine!”

Eventually, amid echoes of “Waterfall has got to go,” the board cut the meeting short and exited the room.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On Mother’s Day Sunday, May 10, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) organized a pro-choice Mother’s Day protest across from what was an anti-abortion, Pro Life Action Ministry (PLAM) billboard.

A few days leading up to the protest, members of MNAAC learned the billboard was replaced with a local orthopedic billboard. Despite this change, they continued with the protest with about two dozen attendees to fight for comprehensive reproductive healthcare, oppose abortion restrictions and the attempts of “pro-life” organizations to influence legislation and to shame women.

MNAAC is actively fighting against the existence of “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs), or anti-abortion centers, in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, with activists demanding restrictions on the ability of CPCs to spread medical misinformation and demanding state and local regulations to require CPCs to disclose that they do not provide a full spectrum of reproductive healthcare.

CPCs convince unknowingly pregnant people in crisis to not have abortions by using scare tactics and promoting myths about abortion causing depression, cancer and infertility. In Minnesota CPCs outnumber abortion care clinics eleven to one, since there are 90 CPCs and nine abortion care clinics. Anti-abortion attacks continue at the federal level with the recent 5th Circuit ruling that seeks to block remote prescription and delivery of mifepristone by mail.

Activists shared their stories about what it means to have the ability to choose to become a parent and how American imperialism continues to harm mothers.

Jordann Hoff, a member of MNAAC, shared that blocking access to mifepristone via telehealth and delivery by mail will harm nearly two-thirds of people needing to have an abortion, since approximately 63% of all abortions are via medication.

Emily Newberg, a member of Women's Against Military Madness (WAMM) shared how Palestinian women are using tent scraps for pads and, without aid mothers, are continuing to take care of their children alone as the men have migrated away throughout the war.

River Road Townsend, a member of Twin Cities Coalition For Justice (TCC4J), told their story about receiving a lifesaving abortion during their first trimester because they still had children to take care of, and how they later were able to choose to adopt a child into their family. Townsend calls their family a family of choice; and that reproductive healthcare should not have to come through the intersection of luck and circumstance.

MNAAC is a grassroots, volunteer-based organization fighting for reproductive justice. The pillars of reproductive justice are the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to parent a child in safe and sustainable communities while maintaining personal bodily autonomy as a human right.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #MNAAC #AbortionRights #WomensMovement #LGBTQ

St. Paul, MN – On May 9, the day before Mother’s Day, 100 Minnesotans, from all generations, gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol with blue bunny hats in remembrance of Liam Conejo Ramos and the 4030 immigrants who were kidnapped during Operation Metro Surge.

Two months on from the drawdown of Operation Metro Surge, people came out to the Capitol to demonstrate their determination to fight back against the continuing attacks on immigrant communities. Protesters brought their own blue bunny hats or grabbed one made by the Conejo Rally organizers. The crowd of blue bunny hats made for an emotional visual as various immigrant rights advocates spoke to the crowd.

The event, dubbed the “Conejo Rally,” was co-organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and Families Against Military Madness (FAMM). The rally honored five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who in January was kidnapped by ICE agents along with his father outside their home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. The two were then sent to the notoriously cruel Dilley detention center in Texas, where Liam became depressed and ill.

As images of the scared preschooler in his blue bunny hat stoked global outrage, a judge ordered ICE to release the pair, and they returned home on February 1; but the nightmare is not over, for them and many other immigrant families.

The federal government is still trying to deport Liam and his family and seems determined to retaliate against them for the attention their case has received. The Department of Justice successfully moved to end the family’s asylum claims, and now it has appealed the release of Liam and his father. Nonetheless, Liam and his family themselves attended the Conejo Rally, bravely keeping their story in the public eye.

Kevin Centeno, an administrator at Liam’s school stated, “We’ve seen children used as baits. I’ve seen parents taken just for taking out trash, going to work, dropping off their kids, or picking them up from school, or from everywhere they need. These parents are not a threat. These are working-class families. This is our community. We will stand together for those who cannot stand. We will not be afraid for those who are afraid, and we will fight back.”

Liz McLister, the co-emcee of the rally from FAMM told the crowd, “We know that the fallout from Operation Metro Surge is still impacting our neighbors in the form of PTSD, continuing detentions and deportations; and the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, income and program cuts. We know ICE is still better funded than some countries’ militaries, and that it’s concentrating power behind the scenes as I speak! We know that someone has died in ICE detention every six days so far this year. The terror persists, albeit in less obvious ways.”

Manuel Pascual, the co-emcee of the rally from MIRAC, notified the crowd of the renewed threats made by “border czar” Tom Homan and the new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Last week at the Border Security Expo, Tom Homan boasted about the rate of kidnappings made by immigration officers, who are now making about 1200 arrests a day. He also explicitly threatened to send more agents to states and cities that restrict cooperation with federal law enforcement, which would lead to an increase in collateral arrests and violence courtesy of the federal government. Markwayne Mullin, for his part, clarified the Trump administration’s strategy of conducting mass deportations, but in a quieter fashion, with the DHS out of the headlines.

The people are also fighting back at the state level to uphold immigrant rights through a large coalition of immigrant rights groups called the North Star Alliance. Karen Wills, a member of the North Star Alliance Policy Team addressed the crowd and told them about the importance of getting Senate File 3699 passed in Minnesota, something the coalition has been working on. This bill is expected to be discussed this coming week, and would restrict immigration enforcement agents’ access to courts, hospitals, schools, and childcare centers.

In addition to passing bills like this, MIRAC members have been pushing for immediate action via an executive order issued by the governor to ensure immigrant communities get immediate protections.

Myrka Zambrano, who spoke at the rally on behalf of MIRAC, asserted, “We have already seen what the federal government is capable of. The time to act was yesterday. We need change now. Governor Walz has the power to make it happen. We are asking Walz to issue an executive order to make us a sanctuary state now. We are demanding no cooperation with ICE and local law enforcement. We are demanding all charges dropped against protestors. We are demanding justice for all of the victims of ICE terror.”

Zambrano continued, “And we want a statewide eviction moratorium. What we want is simple. We want Governor Walz to protect immigrants and all Minnesotans from federal violence and repression.” MIRAC’s upcoming actions will be aimed at pressuring Governor Walz and the gubernatorial candidates to uphold these sanctuary state demands.

The rally concluded with a speech from Liam’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. “As you know, we have gone through very difficult times, but thanks to your support, your messages, and your good wishes, we have pulled through. Thank you for being here. This is the symbol that represents all immigrants, ” Arias declared, holding up a blue bunny hat.

At the end of the rally, participants gathered on the steps in front of the capitol building with their blue bunny hats, chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here!”

#StPaulMN #MN #MIRAC #ImmigrantRights #SanctuaryState #LiamConejoRamos #OperationMetroSurge

Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, April 22, the city of Minneapolis released a long-awaited after-action review examining the Minneapolis Police Department’s failures in the handling of the murder of Allison Lussier and the shooting of Davis Moturi.

Allison Lussier was a Native woman living in the North Loop of Minneapolis who called MPD more than six separate times to protect her from her abuser Chuck Foss. Despite her family and community making MPD aware of Foss’s potential connection to the case, MPD never called a crime scene unit to investigate and failed to interview witnesses or review surveillance footage. Chief O’Hara, without reviewing the findings of the medical examiner, immediately declared she had died of an overdose despite the lack of investigation.

There was similar neglect in Davis Moturi’s case. Moturi logged 19 separate complaints with MPD regarding racist harassment and threats from his white neighbor John Sawchak, and, leading up to the shooting, the Moturi household called MPD at least 38 times according to the report. Officers did not arrest Sawchak until five days after the attempt on Moturi’s life.

The findings confirmed what families, organizers, and community members have been saying for years: the system meant to protect the most vulnerable is failing, and without sustained public pressure, those failures are buried. This review did not come out of nowhere. It exists because Allison’s family and loved ones refused to stay silent. They organized, they pushed, and they forced this city to confront the truth.

Activists and community members listened as the City Auditor presented for nearly four hours to a joint meeting of the Audit Committee and the Minneapolis City Council. What the City Auditor presented was beyond misconduct; the presentation showed MPD engaged in patterns of neglect and indifference toward non-white victims and that these failures show up in every level of the department’s functioning.

The audit revealed that MPD did not request the Medical Examiner’s report in Allison’s case until nearly two years later and only after the Auditor attempted to obtain it. Several officers outright refused to participate in the audit, including Sergeant Heyers, who was the detective assigned to Allison’s case. One officer who took early retirement before the auditor could speak to him reportedly said, “I’m not going to participate in the investigation.” Despite orders from leadership to participate, O’Hara chose not to enforce this order and as yet there have been no consequences for these officers.

When asked whether race played a role in how Allison’s case was handled, Chief O’Hara repeatedly dodged the question. Additionally, coordination between MPD and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office still had not been established even after months of public scrutiny and promises. O’Hara blamed these issues on understaffing, but a lack of staff does not explain why reports weren’t requested, why officers refused to cooperate and properly file reports, why families were ignored, or why accountability only shows up when the community forces it. MPD received a budget increase of over $5 million in addition to nearly $20 million in approved overtime in 2026, so the issue is clearly not a lean budget but a mismanagement of its resources.

Despite everything revealed in this audit, justice has still not been served. Allison Lussier’s killer has not been charged and MPD has yet to take full responsibility not just for failing her in the investigation, but for failing her before her murder and in how they communicated with the public afterward.

We also stand in solidarity with the family of Mariah Samuels, whose case reflects the same patterns. These are not isolated incidents. This is a pattern of neglect, especially when it comes to indigenous women, Black women, and marginalized communities. The families and community members demand a full direct apology, real consequences for officers who failed to act and investigate these cases, and immediate and meaningful investment in domestic violence response. Twin Cities Coalition for Justice will continue to highlight these cases and push for community control of the police so that cops are held accountable for these egregious failures.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #TCC4J #AllisonLussier #DavisMoturi #MariahSamuels #PoliceAccountability #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

Brooklyn Center, MN – On April 29, a career fair organized by Hennepin County at the quiet Brookdale Library became the scene of a successful action against the presence of U.S. military recruiters in communities. Roughly a dozen activists from the MN Anti-War Committee and the anti-war veterans’ organization About Face disrupted the fair with the demand that recruiters for both the U.S Army and the Minnesota Army National Guard leave immediately. 

Protesters began by inconspicuously entering the fair before unfurling a banner reading “Recruiters out – stop the war” and taking the floor to speak and chant against the military personnel present, refusing to leave until the recruiters did.

“We’re protesting the presence of U.S military recruiters at this career fair,” said AWC member Wyatt Miller. “These people are preying on our communities. They are preying on people’s basic needs like employment and healthcare and education.”

Miller continued, “U.S. massacres in Iran are launched from the same bases where the U.S. military staged its many wars and occupations in neighboring Iraq that killed hundreds of thousands. Most people want the U.S. military presence in the Middle East to end once and for all.”

The recruiters simply packed up and left within minutes of the protest beginning. With further chants of “Recruiters out! Stop the war!” “No justice, no peace!” and “U.S. out of the Middle East,” protesters followed them to the parking lot to ensure they had actually left before dispersing. No arrests were made.

In a time of economic hardship, tens of thousands of Americans are looking for work, and the military-industrial complex is happy to prey on those people. Recruiters for the armed forces are a common sight at job fairs across the country. Making sales pitches about travel, education, healthcare and career opportunities, recruiters seek to entice people into a career with the military.

Contrary to the popular view that the National Guard doesn’t deploy outside U.S. borders, at least 250 Minnesota National Guard soldiers, from 58 communities across the state, are currently deployed in the Middle East. Such deployments are not new. The U.S. military’s newspaper Stars and Stripes reported in February 2024 that 550 Minnesota National Guard soldiers were being deployed to the Middle East. That same division, nicknamed the “Red Bulls”, was also deployed in Kuwait in 2018-19, and Iraq in 2009-10. 

As the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran have continued, and a combination of American threats and Israeli aggression in Lebanon have damaged the prospects of a negotiated end to the war, concern has grown about the possibility of U.S. “boots on the ground” in Iran.

 A statement from the MN Anti-War Committee says, “American soldiers have murdered thousands of Iranian civilians, including the hundreds of children killed at the Minab girls’ school on February 28, potentially the largest massacre committed by U.S. forces since the 1968 My Lai massacre during the Vietnam war. U.S. troops have bombed other Iranian civilian infrastructure like hospitals, power plants, bridges and water treatment facilities. These are all war crimes under international law.”

The statement continued, “U.S. military recruiters prey on our communities to make these crimes possible.”

This successful action highlighted the opportunities that are available for activists to target the areas in which the U.S military-industrial complex intrudes upon communities.

#BrooklynCenterMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, May 1, a coalition led by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Indigenous Protectors Movement (IPM) and endorsed by more than 60 unions, immigrant rights groups, and other progressive organizations took to the streets in Minneapolis to commemorate their 20th annual march on International Workers’ Day.

The coalition demanded ICE out of Minnesota and legalization for all, as the march came after months of heightened struggle against a federal occupation of the city by immigration agents and militant clashes between the people and ICE. 10,000 protesters marched, chanted, held signs and celebrated at this year’s International Workers’ Day march.

The march flooded Lake Street, the heart of the immigrant community in South Minneapolis, with large banners and flags, and contingents of various unions, immigrant rights groups, anti-war groups, student groups and other progressive movements. As is tradition for MIRAC May 1 marches, the lead banner was held by youth, this year a group of high school students. The massive march had three sound trucks, each with their own speaker programs. People and families lined the sidewalks on Lake street to join in on chants and cheer the march on, coming out of the various immigrant businesses to show their support.

Just before the program began, progressive Minneapolis City Council members held a brief press conference to read the city council’s resolution recognizing May 1 as International Workers Day, followed by a performance by Danza Unida.

At the starting rally, the crowd heard from Diego Guaman from Operación Vuelo Sagrado, a grassroots community group that was created as a direct response to the growing crackdown on immigrants in Minnesota and the need to protect, inform and support immigrant families.

“Being an immigrant is not a crime, fighting for your rights is not a crime and speaking up is not a crime!” said Diego Guaman.

Manuel Pascual, a member of MIRAC, told the crowd some May Day history and the importance of taking the streets on the city’s 20th annual May 1 march, “Every year we are out here on May 1 and every year we mean the same thing: this is the workers’ day. The immigrant workers’ day! The only holiday in the world that belongs to us!” He ended his speech by telling the crowd about MIRAC’s current campaign for a Sanctuary State in Minnesota and an end to all state and local collaboration with ICE. “We are organizing, we are showing up, we are pulling our neighbors back when ICE tries to take them. Today is the rehearsal, tomorrow we keep going!”

The march stopped at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, the site of a large federal operation where immigration agents were present in June of 2025. The crowd heard from Isavela López, an activist who was brutalized by federal agents that day and now faces bogus federal charges.

“I know that I am not alone,” said López, “Right now it’s more than about me, it’s about the kids in Palestine, it’s about the people in Venezuela, and it’s about the people that are still in detention centers right now!”

Benji Gomez, a rank-and-file member of Teamsters Local 638 who also organized a pantry for immigrant families out of his garage during Operation Metro Surge with the help of other Teamsters from his local, told the crowd, “I am an immigrant. I am also the first in my family to join a union and it's given me real power. Unions exist because workers stood together and demanded dignity, fair wages, safe conditions and respect, and so often those workers were immigrants, people with the least protection but the courage to organize anyway! That’s still true today.”

The march also featured speakers from Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham, MFE Local 59 President Marcia Howard, members of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, MN8, Monique Cullors-Doty with the Righteous 39, the MN Anti-War Committee, and many others representing their unions and other grassroots organizations.

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization had a large and visible contingent in the march.

The march ended at a Target store across the street from the former (burned down) 3rd Precinct with a theater performance calling out Target and corporate greed, as well as more speeches inspiring the crowd to continue to take action. At the end of the march, organizers encouraged participants to eat at the immigrant businesses on Lake Street and attend an after-party at Mercado Central to finish up the day.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #MIRAC #FRSO

Minneapolis, MN – On April 25 Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) hosted a panel on the environmental consequences of U.S. imperialism.

The panel, held on the plaza right outside of May Day Books, took place a week after the People’s Earth Day March, and was an effort to deepen community understanding on the role of U.S. militarism in exacerbating climate change. April 25 was also Independent Bookstore Day so, in addition to the 30 people who attended, there was a steady stream of people who stopped by on their way in and out of the bookstore.

Liz McLister, representing WAMM’s Families Against Military Madness committee, opened the panel, “The United States boasts the largest military in human history, which is also the world’s largest polluter, gobbling up more petroleum than any institution on earth and emitting more greenhouse gases than some countries.”

McLister continued, “According to Brown University's Costs of War, the U.S. military drives the climate crisis in at least four ways. First by burning enormous amounts of fossil fuels. Second, through emissions-intensive military operations and installations. Third, through the destruction of soil, wetlands, forests and other natural areas that would otherwise absorb carbon. And fourth, by decimating civilian infrastructure and thereby leading to carbon-heavy reconstruction.”

Trish Knous, a member of WAMM’s Palestine Solidarity Committee and the CJC, spoke next about how U.S. imperialism has destroyed the environment in Palestine. “Today it [Gaza] is an area of flat, hard packed land and crushed cement. It is one of many villages, towns, and cities that no longer can support people's lives. When buildings are destroyed, wiring, insulation and asbestos release toxins into the air, land and water. Some of the bombs used penetrate the ground before exploding and release heavy metals such as uranium, lead and arsenic. Some of these metals decay slowly and will affect the composition of the soil and water for decades.”

The panel was closed out by Rebecca Scott from the CJC, who spoke about the environmental devastation from the current U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, “There were 14 million tons of carbon dioxide released in just the first 14 days alone.” She addressed “black rain,” the 14,000 buildings that have been demolished, and the impact of the U.S. bombing Iran’s oil infrastructure.

Panelists encouraged the attendees to protest against U.S. wars and to get involved.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Environment #WAMM #CJC

Minneapolis, MN – On the evening of Saturday, April 25, 50 members of the Twin Cities community rallied downtown Minneapolis to demand the release of Salah Sarsour from ICE custody. Sarsour serves as president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and is a board member for American Muslims for Palestine. He has been an organizer for the Palestine movement in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for decades. Saturday’s protest was organized by the Twin Cities chapter of American Muslims for Palestine and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee.

On March 30, Sarsour outside his home near Milwaukee when he was pulled over, surrounded by ten ICE agents, and taken into custody without cause by ICE and DHS. He was initially held at a facility in Chicago, before being transferred to a detention center in Indiana where he remains in custody. Sarsour is a father, grandfather and husband, and has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 32 years.

At the rally, organizers led the crowd in chants of “Protesting is not a crime, free free Palestine” and “When immigrants are under attack what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” The crowd handed out fliers to passersby and to cars stopped at the busy downtown intersection of Washington and Hennepin Avenues to inform people about Sarsour’s abduction and the fight to free him from ICE.

Rani Hamza from American Muslims for Palestine articulated that Sarsour’s abduction is not some attempt at immigration enforcement but in fact an act of political repression against the Palestine movement by the Trump administration. Hamza said, “As they try to strip us of our dignity, we will fight harder to protect it. As they try to strip us of our humanity we will fight harder to preserve it. As they try to silence our voices, we will make them louder. And no matter how long it takes, and no matter what obstacles stand in our way, we will continue to fight for our dignity, our humanity, and our right to speak.”

Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Wyatt Miller laid out successful tactics of past battles against repression stating, “We do it by putting up a fight in court and by mobilizing the masses, by taking to the streets, by raising the banner of ‘Free them all’ without any qualifications and without fear.”

Insisting this is an opportunity to favorably shift the political terrain of the movement, Miller continued, “Fighting back against repression changes the political conditions and can help make what was impossible become possible.”

Alissa Washington of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice spoke at the protest. Washington’s fiancé Cornelius Jackson has been wrongfully incarcerated and over-sentenced in Minnesota for the past 19 years. Connecting Jackson’s case to Sarsour’s she said, “His case is not unique. It is a reflection of a system that relies on informants, hides evidence, and then expects us to just accept it. At the same time, we are seeing that same system expand beyond prisons into our streets, into our neighborhoods, into our immigrant communities. Because today, we are also demanding: free Salah Sarsour from ICE detention.”

Representing the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Alvin Sheng said, “All immigrants and their families have to band together to ensure that our constitutional rights are preserved for everyone in this country.” He called on supporters of the immigrant rights struggle in the Twin Cities to show up this Friday for MIRAC’s 20th annual International Workers Day march. “The biggest opportunity for us to exercise our collective power and unity with immigrant communities is coming up next Friday May 1. The International Workers Day march is starting at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue at 4:30 p.m. Come out to the most important march of the year for immigrant and labor rights!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #ImmigrantRights #MNAWC #AMP

Minneapolis, MN – On April 18, hundreds took to the streets of Minneapolis, to celebrate Earth Day and demand an end to capitalism’s relentless attacks on the planet. Organized by the Climate Justice Committee along with numerous coalition partners, the rally and march was held under the banner “Earth is for everyone – No one is illegal.”

The march began at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis and travelled to The Commons park, where speeches and tabling were held. Minneapolis-based band Van Cleaver provided music for the afternoon.

Speakers covered a range of topics, from the Trump administration’s attacks on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, to how climate change is a driver of immigration and displacement.

Tracy Molm of the CJC said, “ At a time when communities are facing environmental destruction, displacement, and escalating political attacks, this Earth Day action makes one thing clear: the fight for the planet is inseparable from the fight for human rights.”

Aizar Cabrera from MIRAC drew a connection between climate change and the immigration, saying, “When humans harm our planet, through pollution, deforestation, mining, and countless other atrocities caused by their manic greed they permanently disrupt ecosystems and destroy livelihoods, forcing people to leave their homes to survive. And when these climate refugees come here, seeking the safety and prosperity they have lost to climate change and natural disasters, they are vilified and told to go back to where they came from.”

The attacks on the Boundary Waters proved to be an energizing issue for the attendees. Chris Knopf, the executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters, gave a fiery speech excoriating Representative Pete Stauber’s use of the Congressional Review Act to overturn a moratorium on mining in the Boundary Waters watershed.

Knopf stated, “We in Minnesota have proven that hardship is not what defines us. What defines us is how we respond. Our strength, our resilience, our resistance have inspired the nation and the world.”

Knopf continued, “Trump, Stauber, and those in power in Washington DC are no match for the people of Minnesota. They are no match for you. We in Minnesota know how to stand up to Trump. We’ve done this for months now. We will stand up for the Boundary Waters; we will stand up for our clean water.”

A member of the CJC stated, “Our planet has a disease. And that disease is capitalism. A virus that corrupts…that works for the 1% instead of us. Our forests and wetlands, burned for beef production, stripped and polluted for minerals and drained for data centers. Our rivers and aquifers drained for oil pipelines and animal agriculture, rising oceans used as a dumping ground, and overfished until all that is left is waste and water. If you kill the planet you kill the people! The vision of the ruling class is a frightful new world where we own nothing, have no rights and have to remove the parts of us that make us human: empathy, community, critical thinking, love, in order to survive under the constant, deadly watch of corporate overlords.”

The event concluded with pizza for all, more music from Van Cleaver, and an invite to future events, including MIRAC’s May Day march on May 1.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #EarthDay #ClimateJusticeCommittee #BoundaryWaters #BWCA

St. Paul, MN – At 7 a.m., April 20, over 300 nursing home workers from five nursing homes walked off the job and began a three-day strike. The striking workers are represented by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa and have been in negotiations for their next union contracts.

The strike includes workers from Cerenity Care at Humboldt, which is owned by the Benedictine Living chain, as well as workers from Estates of Saint Louis Park, Estates of Fridley, Estates of Roseville and Estates of Excelsior, all of which are owned by Monarch Healthcare Management.

The workers are striking for higher wages, safe staffing, better benefits and because that management has not bargained in good faith throughout contract negotiations, for which the union has filed unfair labor practice charges.

Rhonda Little is a striking worker and lead cook who has worked at Cerenity Care at Humboldt for ten years. Speaking on the picket line, Little said, “We want more money. We want safe staffing and we want to keep our PTO. We are bargaining for a new contract and it is not going very well because our management doesn’t want to move, they don’t want to do anything, they want to just stay at 1.5% [pay increases] and we’re worth way more than that.”

Little has been on strike three times in her ten years at Cerenity but says that this time, “The entire management team are different, even corporate are different. So it’s a whole different way of fighting now and their answers to everything is just ‘no’ instead of trying to compromise to a deal. Our strike, I think a lot of it is about respect. Care for your employees as much as we care for the residents. We have been called heroes, during COVID right, we are called heroes because we care for people, we are taking care of human beings, but we are paid like we are dog walkers, so yes it its about money but the bottom line is respect.”

This strike is a three-day strike set to end on Wednesday April 22, however when asked what they will do if management doesn’t come back to the table and bargain in good faith Little said, “Push for another strike and push them for more!”

#StPaulMN #MN #Labor #Healthcare #Nursinghome #Strike #SEIUHCMNIA #SEIU #Featured

Minneapolis – On April 2, protesters gathered in Chute Square, a small park located at the busy intersection of University and Central Avenues Northeast Minneapolis. Commuters honked in solidarity at the sight of Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese flags. The action, called by the Twin Cities-based Free Palestine Coalition, highlighted Israel’s renewed invasion of Lebanon amid the broader war surrounding U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran that began on February 28.

“Trump thinks he can bomb his way out of the global economic upheaval he started, because he hasn’t yet realized that he’s bombed his way into U.S. hegemony’s unraveling in the region,” said Lina Jebara, speaking on behalf of coalition member U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). “Iran is redefining the status quo and leading the struggle against U.S. imperialism, along with the resistance fronts nestled in every nook and cranny in the Middle East, in their homelands, ready to defend their countries, lands and peoples to their dying breaths.”

Two weeks later, on April 15, the war continued and protesters gathered again at Chute Square. This time, the occasion was Tax Day, in an action billed “No war on Iran – money for human needs, not the U.S. machine” organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition as a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s day of action.

Protesters emphasized the extreme costs, both financial and human, of the U.S.– Israeli attacks on Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere. In the first 12 days of the war alone, the U.S. spent an estimated $12.7 billion as it bombed civilian targets, including the Minab girls’ elementary school, where over 160 students, teachers and parents were murdered in a double-tap strike.

Nadiyah Salawdeh, co-chair of the Minnesota branch of USPCN, spoke of the many ways U.S. acts of aggression have been paid for on the taxpayers’ dime, saying, “It was our tax money that paid to slaughter millions of Iraqis, Afghanis, and so many more in the endless so-called War on Terror. Our tax money that paid for the illegal kidnapping of President [Nicolás] Maduro. Our tax money that paid for the bullets that killed Hind Rajab and the explosives that flattened al-Shifa hospital, that made the genocide in Palestine possible for the past 80 years.”

Amber Mathwig is a member of About Face: Veterans Against the War. “What I did not learn about our taxes until later in life is that our military budget makes up approximately 25% of our government spending,” Martwig told the crowd. “This is up about 4% under the current Trump administration [...] and this 4% will come from cutting programs related to housing, education, utility assistance, and of course – healthcare.”

Polls show the war is not popular among the U.S. population. According to a recent Pew Research poll, 61% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war, while 37% approve, a nearly two-to-one margin. Western allies that have traditionally gone along with U.S. aggression have begun to distance themselves from the war. On March 25, Spain announced that all flights involved in the war were banned from its airspace. On April 14, Italy, due to popular grassroots pressure, canceled its 20-year-old defense treaty with Israel.

Speakers at the Tax Day protest connected the war to local issues. Montana Hirsch, an organizer with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, explained that “this federal occupation of our city cost Minneapolis alone at least $203 million.”

“The income that we have generated for this war-hungry government is being used to oppress people around the world,” said Kelly Thomas of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice. “This means that it is our responsibility to take a stand and fight back. As long as we are in the belly of the beast, it is our duty to fight for our freedom and for the freedom of everyone who is engaged in the struggle for liberation from capitalism and imperialism.”

In recent days, a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., and Lebanon and Israel, have been reported. Oil prices seem to have stabilized at just under $100 per barrel, but with extreme uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire and commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz remaining limited, organizers said they expected economic conditions to remain volatile unless the U.S. completely withdrew from the Middle East.

As of press time, U.S. and Israeli attacks since February 28 had killed over 3300 people in Iran, 2200 people in Lebanon, and at least 50 people in Iraq.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Iran #AntiWarActionNetwork

St. Paul, MN – On April 14, members of the WAMM (Women Against Military Madness) Palestine Solidarity Committee (FPC) again attended the monthly meeting of the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners to demand they cut the contract with Waterfall Cyber Security Systems, an Israeli tech company that oversees the city’s water infrastructure.

Waterfall is deeply implicated in the genocide in Palestine. Lior Frenkel, the CEO and founder of Waterfall fondly remembers his experience conducting “offensive” cyberwarfare for Israel, where he served in their air force. WAMM sees the Waterfall contract as a cruel insult to Palestinians and their supporters.

FPC members organized their supporters to attend the water commission meeting to point out the irony of Israel “securing” Saint Paul’s water supply while that country simultaneously forces Palestinians to search futilely for their own clean water, and to highlight how this Israeli tech company helps prop up an apartheid system.

The cut the contract with Waterfall campaign started during the summer of 2025 and for almost a year WAMM has sustained pressure campaign to get the city of Saint Paul to hire a company not complicit in genocide. WAMM has collected hundreds of names on their petition, gotten their supporters to flood the water commission lines with phone calls, and organized for the water commission meetings to be packed with protesters several times.

There are various signs that the water board is cracking. They have publicly admitted that community pressure has had an impact on their work. Released documents show that behind closed doors, they’ve complained that even on a functional level, Waterfall’s services are not all they were cracked up to be. In January they announced they would issue a request for proposals which would allow companies to submit proposals to ultimately replace Waterfall.

On April 14, the meeting room was once again filled with FPC supporters holding signs that read, “Palestinians want water too,” “Waterfall we don’t want blood in our water,” and a banner reading, “St. Paul cut the contract, we say no to Waterfall and genocide.”

After a very short meeting, Nathan Phillips, a FPC member, delivered pages of signed petitions and said, “We are giving you these petitions demanding you cut the contract with Waterfall and we ask you to be swift. And to find a new company because Israelis are slaughtering Palestinians, Iranians and Lebanese with impunity. We don’t want Waterfall in our water infrastructure.” The room erupted in chants., “Water commission you’re out of time, No more funding genocide,” and “Water commission don’t you know, Waterfall has got to go.”

Saint Paul Councilwoman Nelsie Yang then came up to the protesters and thanked them for being there and said if it wasn’t for WAMM the commission wouldn’t know about Waterfall.

Racquel Vaske, regional manager of Saint Paul Regional Water Services, was grilled with sharp questions and comments which she defensively tried to deflect. An organizer called her out as she tried to minimize the role of Waterfall as “just a piece of hardware here on campus.” But she did disclose more information on the process to replace Waterfall to the activists, said she’d find out if activists could be a part of the evaluation process, and said she would consider making it an agenda item at future board meetings.

Mary Benrud spoke for everyone when she told Vaske, “This is the absolute worst company to provide water security for me and my family.”

WAMM will continue to mobilize supporters to attend the water commission meetings and to increase momentum in their campaign to cut the contract with Waterfall.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On April 7 over 50 anti-war protesters held Iranian, Palestinian and Lebanese flags and anti-war on Iran signs and banners over Interstate-35W in downtown Minneapolis to denounce Trump’s latest threats against Iran and demand an end to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The emergency response demonstration was called by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC).

On April 7, Trump stated that “a whole civilization will die” if his escalation against Iran goes forward, while he and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have repeatedly threatened to send Iran “back to the Stone Age.” Trump announced an 8 p.m. Eastern time deadline for Iran to capitulate to a list of maximalist U.S. demands or face destruction of its critical civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges.

Bombing civilian infrastructure is considered a war crime under international law. Moreover, all attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran beginning February 28 are widely understood as unprovoked, making them a war of aggression that violates the United Nations Charter.

Ahead of Trump’s deadline, Iranians have been holding large demonstrations on bridges and near power plants and other critical infrastructure in Iran threatened by Trump, in the hopes of preventing them from being bombed. The MN Anti-War Committee organized the action to show solidarity with Iranians of all backgrounds and beliefs who are standing up against Trump’s war.

Near the end of the action Trump announced that he would back down from his threat on Iran and agree to a two-week ceasefire.

Wyatt Miller, member of the AWC, explained the intent behind the protest, “This bridge is close to the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi that collapsed in 2007. Here in Minneapolis, we know that the destruction of critical infrastructure is no joke. U.S-Israeli bombings are a war crime.”

Miller continued, “Trump seems to have backed down from his genocidal threats for now. But we know he can’t be trusted. It’s more clear than ever that we need to dismantle this whole system of U.S. war and empire once and for all, no matter who’s in charge of it.”

The MN Peace Action Coalition has called for supporters to join Women Against Military Madness’ protest on Wednesday, April 8 from 4 to 5 p.m. to continue to say no to the U.S. war on Iran.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Iran #AntiWarMovement #AWC

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, March 31, more than 100 community members rallied outside of the Walker Library on Trans Day of Visibility to protest national policies targeting the rights of trans people.

The rally was called by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee in response to anti-trans measures, including the Trump administration’s executive orders E14168 and E14187, which have been used as templates to remove access to healthcare for adults and minors, remove protections against rape for trans prisoners in jails and immigration detention centers, and expose trans prisoners and detainees to conversion therapy, which is considered by the United Nations to be a form of torture. Earlier in the day the U.S. Supreme Court announced a decision that would overturn the right of states to ban conversion therapy.

Yann Chen, an organizer for the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, spoke about how the U.S. government is not only forcing trans prisoners to endure conversion therapy, but also withholding medications from over 2000 trans people. In addition to these attacks on transgender people by the federal administration, legislators across the U.S. have been proposing and passing state laws targeting trans peoples’ ability to change or maintain their legal documents, or even to use the bathroom safely. In February, the state of Kansas revoked the drivers licenses of around 1700 trans people. 27 states across the U.S. have now imposed some kind of ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth.

These repressive laws and policies have led to a mass migration of trans people to trans refuge states like Minnesota, where the Minnesota Human Rights Act enshrines trans rights as human rights. Lizzie Palmer, an organizer with Communities Against Transphobia, pointed out that trans people now make up 1% of Minnesota’s population, and received an audible positive response when she asked the crowd to applaud if they had moved to Minnesota from another state. However, organizers at Tuesday night’s rally argued that, in order to become a genuine refuge for trans rights, Minnesota must also ensure the ability to live with dignity.

Natalie Berger, an organizer with the Minnesota Abortion Access Committee, listed three demands as part of the group’s campaign for trans rights. The first was to make Minnesota a real trans refuge, with local agencies creating and advertising structures of support for trans refugees like housing and job placement, as well as assistance with navigating the healthcare system. The second demand was to make the name change process cheaper, non-invasive, and private, with Berger pointing out that name changes cost $322 on average in Minnesota and are matters of public record, meaning that trans people’s deadnames, or names given at birth, are accessible by public records requests. The third demand was to fund gender-affirming care at the state level. “It's one thing to say trans people are welcome here. It's another thing to mean it and practice that solidarity,” she said.

Michelle Hanlon, an organizer with Minnesota 50501, spoke about the experience of working as a healthcare provider for trans people, reminding the crowd of the importance of real support for trans people in an era when trans people are under attack more than ever.

“Visibility without support makes you a target,” Hanlon said, pointing out that Children’s Minnesota, a vital children’s hospital within the Twin Cities area, had been forced to end their gender-affirming care program due to politically motivated attacks against their organization.

Jae Yates, a member of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, the Taking Back Pride Coalition, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “I see the same choice before us now. Will we submit, or will we resist? Will we hide, or fight? Will we accept a life where we are second-class citizens, afraid to take a damn piss in public, or will we demand the same respect, dignity and privacy that many cis people take for granted?”

The mood then turned solemn in remembrance of Sam Nordquist, a Black trans man from Minnesota who was tortured and murdered by a group of people in upstate New York in 2025 after he moved away from his support network in Minnesota.

Khrys Wetzel, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, read a speech written by Kayla Nordquist, Sam’s sister, who asked that protesters remember her brother as more than what happened to him. “Being seen should never come at the cost of someone’s life,” Nordquist wrote. “No one should have to choose between being themselves and being safe. Sam deserved to be seen. He deserved to be respected. He deserved to live a full, long life, without fear.”

Rae Rowe, the cofounder of the Paper Lantern Project, spoke about the organization’s work providing mutual aid and name-change clinics for Asian American and Pacific Islander trans people

Rowe stated, “They’re afraid of a love that shows ways to exist beyond capitalism, beyond tyranny, beyond the powers that be. And the last few months, we have seen what happens when we are powered by love instead of hate.”

As the rally came to a close, the protesters lined the streets with signs calling for the protection of trans youth and for justice for Sam Nordquist. 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 #TransDayOfVisibility #MNAAC

Minneapolis, MN – It was an unseasonably warm spring day in Minneapolis, as around 50 people gathered in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood to mark the 50th annual observance of Palestinian Land Day.

Land Day is a commemoration of the 1976 general strike against the Israeli government’s seizure of Arab-owned land in the Galilee region. By the end of the day, six unarmed Palestinians were dead and over a hundred were injured. Since then, the day has become a commemoration of the Palestinians’ defiant struggle for their land, as well as a day of solidarity.

For the 50th observance of Land Day, the Mayday Plaza in Minneapolis served as the venue. Layna Crandall of the MN Anti War Committee (AWC) told the crowd, “We chose this location because we often hold protests in Mayday Plaza, but Cedar-Riverside is also where a large part of our Somali community lives, and is close by to Little Earth, which houses many of our native community members. This year we wanted to connect all of these struggles.”

Community members demonstrated support through honks, waves and raised fists throughout the protest

The indigenous dance group Danzaketzalb declared their solidarity with the struggle. Seppo Niemi-Colvin of the AWC stated Land Day “serves as a reminder that we still need to preserve and defend Palestinian and indigenous land, and fight to return what Israel and empire have stolen.”

Niemi-Colvin stated, “A key aspect of our divestment campaign is that where the enemy touches us is where we touch the enemy. Companies such as Palantir or Elbit may seem far off and hard to reach, but through state investments we are tied together and we can deal a blow by severing that connection. The point of days of action like Land Day is not just what we can accomplish on that day alone, but it is the building and flexing of organizational muscles that continue beyond that day.”

Maamoun Slayhi of American Muslims for Palestine stated, “I grew up knowing what a fighter jet sounds like. I grew up knowing what a bomb sounds like. I grew up knowing what it looks like when they fall. And we all knew that there was a part of our land that no longer belonged to us. It felt like a piece of us had been taken, because if at any time you tried to go down there, you could be attacked.”

Morgan Budiandri of the MN Immigrant Rights Action stated, “The parallels of Israeli apartheid and U.S. racial oppression are deafening. The perpetrators of genocide are the same as those of deportation. Both systems purposely dehumanize men, women and children to try to break them. But the desire for justice cannot be broken.”

Nadiyah Salawdeh of the US Palestinian Community Network stated, “Land Day is about honoring those that we have lost in the fight for our land and for our liberation. It is also about recommitting ourselves to the fight that is still to come.”

White Wolf of the White Earth Nation closed the event with a traditional song of healing.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #LandDay

St. Paul, MN – On Thursday, March 26, 20 members of the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC)turned out to a midday rally outside Minnesota’s Retirement Systems Building, where Minnesota’s State Board of Investment (SBI) was holding its quarterly meeting.

Members of the AWC gave public testimony at the meeting. AWC members demanded divestment from apartheid Israel and weapons companies, but focused particularly on Palantir, a company whose AI surveillance software has directly facilitated human rights violations in Palestine, Iran, and Minnesota itself. As of June 2025, the book value of the SBI’s investments in Palantir was $55 million.

This marked the board’s first open quarterly meeting in nearly a year, and the first attendance of the AWC since 11 of its members were arrested during a sit-in at the Retirement Systems Building last fall — a sit-in prompted by the board declining to hold in-person, public hearings over many months. Public admittance to the meeting room was limited to just eight members of the community, not including speakers.

As of the 2025 fiscal year, Minnesota SBI managed a total of $161 billion in assets. It is funded by Minnesota public employees’ salary contributions and taxpayer dollars, and serves workers in the Teachers’ Retirement Association, Minnesota State Retirement Association, and many of the union members of AFSCME, SEIU, Education Minnesota, and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), among others.

The board emphasizes their fiduciary responsibility to pension holders and evaluates what is an “acceptable risk” investment. Governor Tim Walz serves as the board’s chair, along with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha, and the Secretary of State Steve Simon. The SBI currently invests over $586 million in weapons companies, including Elbit Systems, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

“This board has defended its continued investment in death-dealing companies like Palantir with the claim that it is a wholly apolitical body that merely does its financial duty to the state. But I have to ask, in what sense is funding the Trump administration’s agenda an apolitical act?” questioned Andrew Josefchak, union member and organizer with the Anti-War Committee. During the meeting Josefchak submitted into the record thousands of physical signatures collected from constituents who agree that Minnesota must divest from Israel and companies that facilitate war and genocide.

Public employee and MAPE member Kevin Snyder testified during the meeting and asked how the board could claim to be taking into account the interests of Minnesotans while ICE actively weaponizes Palantir tech against residents of the state.

While the AWC’s DivestMN campaign specifically demands that the SBI divest from entities and companies complicit in Israel’s crimes of genocide and apartheid in Palestine, its researchers have found that many of the same companies are complicit in ICE violence in Minnesota and across the country. Palantir is contracted by Israel’s Ministry of Defense, ICE and the U.S. military. Palantir’s products track populations on a massive scale and maintain large databases of intrusive personal information. Its software can be integrated into surveillance and weapons systems, including drones, and company executives have told concerned staff that Palantir places no restrictions on client use of its tools.

Even before October 7, the AWC’s DivestMN campaign demanded that the SBI divest from Israel (in the form of Israeli stocks and bonds) and weapons manufacturers that directly enable Israel’s destruction and genocide in Palestine. The same corporations are now profiting off of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which commenced with the bombing and murder of at least 175 school children in Minab.

AWC member Naveen Borojerdi, who testified before the SBI, is an Iranian American public employee and a member of MAPE. Borojerdi urged the board “to do better,” adding, “My people have a right to self-defense against joint American/Israeli terrorism, and I have the right to not have my own money facilitating that same terrorism against my own people.”

Jill Schurtz, the executive director of the SBI and its chief investment officer, admitted during the March 26 meeting that the “conflict in the Middle East” is “eroding gains” in their portfolio. “War destroys the working class,” Andrew Josefchak said as he took the mic outside the building and shared this information with demonstrators who had not been allowed into the meeting.

Throughout the meeting, members who were refused entry were heard and seen chanting from outside the first-floor windows. The silence and order in the room, maintained by the presence of no less than a half dozen police and state patrol officers, was broken by continuous calls directed at the SBI from outside: “Money for murder? No! Money for workers? Yes! Money for schools? Yes! Money for Palantir? No!”

The AWC will maintain their presence at SBI meetings until total divestment is reached.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #AWC #AntiWarCommittee #SBI #DivestMN #Palestine #Palantir

Minneapolis, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) hosted CODEPINK Co-founder Medea Benjamin at three events in the Twin Cities the weekend of March 28-29 to discuss her recent trip to deliver aid to Cuba, Trump’s attacks on Iran and Venezuela, as well as the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Benjamin first spoke Friday afternoon at the weekly WAMM Free Palestine rally, held at the intersections of Summit and Snelling in Saint Paul. Speaking to the crowd, Benjamin said, “I see things changing; way too slowly, agonizingly slow, certainly for the Palestinian people, certainly for the people on the West Bank who are being attacked every day by violent settlers. Certainly for the people in Lebanon, one million of whom have just been displaced, over a thousand of them killed in this recent time, since a ‘ceasefire’. And we know that in the case of Gaza, over 600 people have been killed since a supposed ceasefire. So it’s agonizingly slow, but it is changing.”

Benjamin continued, “The issue is: do you want a foreign power coming in to bomb the heck out of you, destroy your culture, and tell you who should be governing your country? No, you don’t! And that’s what the U.S. is doing in Iran, and of course we see that’s what the U.S. has just done, and tried to do, in Venezuela, that’s what they want to do in Cuba.”

Later that evening Benjamin spoke in an intimate setting of WAMM members and community members about many topics, one of which being her trips to Cuba and experiences with the Cuban people.

Benjamin stated, “The most remarkable source of income for Cubans was medical missions,” Benjamin said. “It became the number one source of income at one point. Which is just remarkable to think about, how a poor country could create so many professionals and send them all over the world to help people. And I say this with great expertise, because my life was saved by Cuban doctors.” Benjamin went on to explain that Cuban doctors in a poor region in Guinea-Bissau saved her from a horrible case of malaria.

On March 28 about 100 people gathered for WAMM’s annual meeting, themed “Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad,” featuring Benjamin alongside Layna Crandell of the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump and the MN Anti-War Committee. Guests enjoyed a community meal before the talk began.

During the panel, Benjamin emphasized the ways unlimited funding for war harms us here at home. “In Minnesota, 69% of fourth graders do not read at a proficient level. Eighth grade, 72%,” she said. “And of course we know how defunded our healthcare system is, and everything else that’s good for people.” She ended by saying “It is a multipolar world. While sometimes we might feel lonely in our work here, the majority of people around the world want the same thing we do. They want to live in peace and cooperation around the world.”

The panel also featured Layna Crandell, a member of the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT), who stated, “U.S. intervention has destabilized countries, supported coups to carry out regime change, and imposed deadly sanctions that strangle economies. This forces people to migrate for survival, only for them to be criminalized and targeted when they come here looking for better conditions. All the while, the aggression we see directed at our own communities relies on the same tools used to destabilize nations abroad. The brutality carried out on the periphery becomes normalized, making it easier to carry out similar repression here through the degradation of human rights, through policing, surveillance, and border control.”

After the event, many attended the No Kings protest in Saint Paul, featuring guests like Senator Bernie Sanders, Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen. Upwards of 200,000 people were said to be in attendance, making it the largest single protest in Minnesota history. Benjamin attended and talked with demonstrators at the event. The weekend was a large success, giving hundreds of Minnesotans opportunities to learn from Benjamin’s experiences fighting U.S. imperialism in the belly of the beast.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #WAMM #CodePink

Minneapolis, MN – On March 24, 75 people gathered at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis to stand in solidarity with Iran and to demand an end to the aggression of the U.S. and Israel in the Middle East.

The protest was called by the MN Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) to draw attention to the level of devastation that the U.S. and Israel have unleashed in their war of aggression on Iran. The past four weeks have seen the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials, together with a relentless bombing campaign that has wrought destruction on Iran’s people, environment, and cultural sites.

Naveen Borojerdi, a member of the MN Anti War Committee and MPAC, opened the program. He has family in Tehran who have spent the past four weeks struggling to survive under the relentless onslaught of the U.S. and Israel. Borojerdi stated, “This past Friday, it officially became the year 1405 on the Persian calendar. May this year be the year that the criminals waging this illegal war on Iran finally lose.”

Speakers pointed out that the Minnesota State Board of Investment has millions of dollars in public pension funds invested in companies like Raytheon and Palantir, whose technology directly aids and abets war crimes like the Minab school massacre.

Vincent O’Connor from the MN Anti-War Committee stated, “When the Pentagon requested $200 billion to fund the war on Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth explained it by saying that it ‘takes money to kill bad guys’. What bad guys? The common thread throughout decades of bloodshed from Latin America to southeast Asia to the Middle East is that the U.S. oligarchy will deem anyone a ‘bad guy’ to suit their own selfish interests.”

Amber Mathwig, a ten-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and member of About Face, spoke directly to the American service members carrying out this war, “Why must children in their classrooms, with their tiny, colorful backpacks and voices of excitement on their first day of school, be murdered so that we can sit in classrooms and claim superiority?”

Danna Qamhieh from USPCN stated that “Palestinians are all too familiar with the aggressive war-mongering and criminal tactics of the United States and Israel. We are familiar with the concept of ‘pre-emptive’ strikes, framed as defensive actions against an ever-present threat.”

The event concluded with a call to continue action against American wars in the Middle East, including taking the message to the No Kings rally on Saturday, March 28.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Iran

St. Paul, MN – On March 22, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and other grassroots organizations held a rally outside of the Minnesota Governor’s Residence to pressure Governor Walz to issue an executive order that would ban cooperation between ICE and state and local law enforcement.

The rally was in the wake of Operation Metro Surge, which subjected the entire state of Minnesota to a reign of terror by federal agents for nearly three months.

MIRAC member Myrka Zambrano stated, “Our so-called leaders have confidently stated that the metro surge is over. The media has moved on. Our voices are being suppressed. But nothing has changed. In the so-called ‘aftermath’ of their invasion, what is very clear is that the fight has just begun. Thousands of families are still starving. Many people will lose their homes or be evicted, through no fault of their own. Our children are traumatized. Our businesses have lost tens of millions of dollars. All of this is a direct result of our leaders' lack of action and accountability.”

La’Taya Taylor, a member of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) told the crowd, “We need to put the political power to hold police accountable in the hands of the people, not in the hands of these highly paid politicians who don’t represent our interests. Lastly, we call on Governor Walz and all state legislators to heed the demands for a sanctuary state now. Ban any and all cooperation with ICE, defend protesters from political repression, provide justice for victims of ICE terror, keep ICE off state property, ban secret police, and implement a statewide eviction moratorium.”

José Luis Méndez, a member of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, called attention to the death toll of immigrants in ICE detention since Trump took office. Thus far, federal immigration enforcement has stolen the lives of 47 immigrants, whether through reckless murder or criminal negligence. The Legalization for All network, which MIRAC is part of, will uplift their names during the nationwide No Kings protests on March 28 to ensure that their deaths will not be swept under the rug.

Méndez continued, “And it’s not just about being here in the United States. We want more freedom here in the U.S., but we want more freedom in South America, in the entire continent, and in every single continent of this world.” He followed this by condemning the U.S. for bombing Venezuela and starving Cuba.

Alissa Washington, the founder of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council, then spoke to the complicity of the local justice system, reporting how immigrants within the system have been directly transferred to ICE detention centers after serving their time. “Think about that,” Washington said. “You do your time in this state. You serve your sentence, and instead of going home to your family, you get handed off to another system. Another punishment. That is not justice, that is a pipeline, and we reject it.”

Drew Edwards, one of the Black community leaders facing federal repression after protesting against Cities Church, which hired an ICE official to lead the congregation, stated, “We’re not going to put the immigrants as a scapegoat for the ignorance of America. We’re not going to scapegoat transgender brothers and sisters. We’re not going to scapegoat Iranians. We’re not going to scapegoat all these other brothers and sisters, and we’re not going to find somebody to scapegoat for the ignorance of white supremacy, and the ignorance of imperialism, and the ignorance of capitalism. We’re not going to do that.”

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #MIRAC #OppressedNationalities

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, March 8, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee and other partners hosted a protest and march on International Women’s Day at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. The protest drew over 500 people across generations and movements.

International Women's Day was born as a result of mass action by immigrant working women. These women walked out and began marching to demand better lives. The rights we have today came from people who refused to stay silent, refused to stay home, and refused to accept the conditions imposed on them. This International Women's Day, organizers in the Twin Cities demanded protection for our immigrant neighbors, opposition to U.S. militarism, community control of the police, freedom for the wrongfully incarcerated, resistance to U.S. imperialism across the globe, and trans liberation now.

An immigrant woman representing MIRAC stated, “All we want is peace – stop treating us like criminals and delinquents and start treating us like the workers that we are.” Other speakers detailed the horrors immigrant women face in detention centers, including, sexual assault, forced sterilization, and forced birth.

Nekima Levy Armstrong is a pastor, lawyer, and leader who was arrested earlier this year, celebrated the people’s unified response to Operation Metro Surge.

Isavela Lopez is an organizer in the Twin Cities who was abused by ICE in June. That abuse resulted in four federal charges which she is still fighting. During her speech, she linked immigration to U.S. imperialism. She spoke about how when the federal government destabilizes other countries, the families in those countries are forced to migrate.

An organizer with Women Against Military Madness stated, “War and regime change has never liberated women of other countries. Any attempt by the U.S. government to tell you that their bombing and killing campaigns abroad are for the safety of women is an outright lie.”

A representative of 50501 told the crowd, “Many people are just beginning to realize how discriminatory and racist these so-called public safety agencies are. But immigrant communities and communities of color have been dealing with the practices for a long time.”

Mona Samuels spoke about the brutal death of her sister. Minutes after the police left her sister with her abuser, she was shot 22 times and killed. Their cases show how racist and sexist the Minneapolis Police Department is, and why we need community control of the police.

Nicole Anschutz and Nicole Farias-Lezama spoke on behalf of the Planned Parenthood Union. Nicole Farias-Lezama said, “Eliminating trans rights reinforces traditional gender stereotypes and patriarchal systems that have historically oppressed women.”

This International Women's Day, many speakers highlighted the attacks on the transgender community, namely, in Kansas where trans people have had their drivers licenses revoked. On behalf of MNAAC, Natalie Berger introduced a new campaign that focuses on increasing support for trans refugees.

MNAAC’s next action is planned for Trans Day of Visibility. It will be held at Walker Library on March 31 at 6 p.m.

Beth Miller is a member of Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC).

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InternationalWomensDay #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #ImmigrantRights