Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

MN

By Kim DeFranco

St. Paul, MN – On the evening of April 27, the Hamline Students for Justice (HSJ) announced President Kathleen Murray and other college officials had agreed to meet with them, after their April 26 occupation of the campus’ administration building and holding an encampment outside.

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By Montana Hirsch

International Workers Day march in Minneapolis.  | Fight Back! News/Brad Sigal

Minneapolis, MN – On May 1, over 500 people took to the streets on International Workers Day to march for immigrant and workers’ rights. The rally and march was organized by a coalition initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and MN Workers United (MWU).

Each year, International Workers Day is celebrated around the world with a call for solidarity with all workers and for union rights. International Workers Day has its origin in the fight for an eight-hour workday in the United States, where there were massive strikes and sharp confrontations in May of 1886.

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By Sarah Martin

Linda Hoover.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Linda Hoover, a longtime member and former interim director of Women Against Military Madness, died on April 20, 2024. She was a longtime anti-racist, anti-war activist and a leading member of MPAC (Minnesota Peace Action Coalition) formerly the IPAC (Iraq Peace Action Coalition).

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By Kim DeFranco

Students at Hamline University continue their student occupation. | Fight Back! News/Kim DeFranco

St. Paul, MN – As of April 27, Hamline Students for Justice (HSJ) continue their occupation for Palestine inside the administration building on campus. The students sent out a call to supporters to join them throughout the day. Students and community members heeded the call and came with Palestinian flags, signs, blankets, food and tents.

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By Kim DeFranco

Hamline students occupy Old Main, the campus building that houses the University administration and its president. | Fight Back! News/Kim DeFranco

St. Paul, MN – Starting April 26, Hamline University students are began occupying a building in support of Palestine. Members of the Hamline Students for Justice (HSJ) organized the Friday afternoon rally along with a group of 30 other students. They gathered outside of the Old Main building which houses the university’s administration offices. The fiery crowd started the rally chanting, “Free free Palestine!” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes.”

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By staff

Members of unions and immigrant rights organizations who have organized marches on May 1 over the years in Minneapolis were present to receive the city council resolution promoting International Workers Day. | Fight Back! News/staff

Minneapolis, MN – At their April 25 meeting, the Minneapolis city council passed an honorary resolution recognizing May 1 as International Workers Day and highlighting the struggle for immigrant and workers’ rights. The resolution was presented by Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai together with Councilmembers Aurin Chowdhury and Jason Chavez.

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By Gillian Rath

Twin Cities students establish Gaza Solidarity Encampment demanding divestment from apartheid Israel. | Fight Back! News/staff

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, April 23 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, student activists set up a Gaza Solidarity encampment. This encampment was organized by the UMN Divest Coalition which is made up of Students for a Democratic Society, Students for Justice in Palestine, Young Democratic Socialists of America and Students for Climate Justice. The coalition is pushing for the University of Minnesota to cut ties financially with Israel. This means to divest from weapon manufacturers, stop study abroad trips to Israel and stop having defense companies doing recruitment on campus.

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By Kay Lerohl

 Earth Day march in Minneapolis. | Fight Back! News/staff

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, April 21, a march of approximately 300 people from the Twin Cities metro area marched, blocking traffic for Earth Day.

The Climate Justice Committee (CJC) and Anti-War Committee (AWC) led the march. It drew attendees from the nearby Little Earth indigenous-preference housing complex, the surrounding East Phillips neighborhood, and Camp Nenookaasi, an encampment of the unhoused which has been forced by the city of Minneapolis to move many times.

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By Drake Myers

Palestine solidarity protesters outside the 2024 Education Minnesota Representative Convention where First Lady Jill Biden campaigned. | Fight Back! News/Sabry Wazwaz

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, April 15, the Free Palestine Coalition led a protest of around 100 people outside of Education Minnesota’s Representative Convention. Education Minnesota (EDMN) is a large state-level educators union that announced only the day before that they would be delaying their entire program to host the opening event of First Lady Dr .Jill Biden’s “Educators for Biden-Harris” national tour.

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By Yossi Aharoni

Students march for Palestine in Minneapolis. | Fight Back! News/Ashley Taylor- Gouge

Minneapolis, MN – On April 20, on a brisk spring afternoon, over 350 pro-Palestine demonstrators rallied at Bryant Square Park in the Minneapolis Uptown neighborhood for the first large scale march initiated by the Minnesota chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the Arab Student Association at the U of MN.

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