Austin, TX – Joe Biden was set to speak at the University of Texas at Austin on Monday, July 16, and the Austin community was prepared to greet him with a massive protest to demand that he stop funding the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Biden cancelled his trip at the last minute, but around 70 people still gathered outside the Texas Capitol Monday evening, to show Biden that the people will not stand for the killings of Palestinians in Al-Mawasi, or for any part of the U.S. backed genocide in Gaza.

People young and old came out in the brutal heat to say, “Hands off Gaza,” “Hands off Khan Younis” and “Stop arming Israel!” Student speakers also highlighted calls for the University of Texas system to divest from the genocide.

Mia Cisco of Students for a Democratic Society spoke to these demands. “It is clear that this is a genocide,” she said. “Yet when students decided to protest the University of Texas for being complicit in this genocide, demanding that they divest from their shares in defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Corporation, UTPD violently arrested dozens of us. Over 40 of us are now facing academic sanctions including suspension.”

After booming calls of “Shame!” echoed through the crowd, Cisco continued. “The University of Texas is trying to scare us student protesters into submission. To this we say, we will look to the liberators of the past to guide us to the future. If fighting for liberation is pointless, South African apartheid would have never ended. Segregation would have never ended. The Vietnam war would have never ended!”

Cisco concluded, “Divestment is not only possible, but it’s inevitable! It is important now more than ever to remain committed to the fight and stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. UT, Texas, you may try to silence us with your physical and political violence. But we stand united with the students and the people of Palestine to say, disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!”

The crowd immediately erupted in chants after the speech. At the close of the rally, a few young children and toddlers came up to the microphone to lead the crowd in one final round of “Free, free Palestine” chants.

Organizers from the Austin for Palestine Coalition, who called the rally, pledged to keep up the fight and will protest Biden’s rescheduled visit later this month.

#AustinTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS

Detroit, MI – On Sunday, June 30, The recently formed Detroit Anti-War Committee (DAWC) announced their campaign to divest the city of Detroit from Israel, with a banner drop over a city highway.

DAWC is demanding that the Detroit city council withdraw any funds granted to or invested in companies which do business with the apartheid state. Additionally, DAWC is demanding that the Detroit Police Department be banned from any future training with the Israeli military or police.

DAWC member Luis Rivera commented on the importance of the Committee’s demands. “Financial investments should reflect our ethical values. Divesting from Israel aligns Detroit’s investments with our city’s commitment to justice, peace and human rights,” said Rivera. “It's a powerful statement that Detroit stands against apartheid and in support of Palestinian freedom.”

The new anti-war committee did a banner drop to announce and popularize its campaign. The group is growing bigger as it prepares to take on the city council and Detroit police.

DAWC holds regular bi-weekly meetings, which are open to the public and announced on their Instagram, @detroitantiwar.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #DAWC #divestment #Feature

Tampa, FL – On June 28, approximately 15 students and community members gathered in front of the University of South Florida (USF) for a press conference in response to the recent attacks on Victoria Hinckley and Joseph Charry. The two students were targeted by university administration for participating in a Gaza solidarity encampment at USF.

After the encampment, the school suspended both Hinckley and Charry and ultimately expelled Hinckley and suspended Charry for a year.

Held by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the press conference had speakers demanding that the expulsion and suspension be repealed, attacks on the student movement be stopped, that the university disclose investiture information to the student body, and divest immediately from companies that support the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

In a speech demanding that USF stop attacking the student movement, Tampa Bay SDS member, Amayrani Nieto stated, “We see time and time again that USF does not value or honor free speech, they value a quiet oppression.”

Tampa Bay SDS will continue to fight for a free and liberated Palestine and will continue to fight against the expulsion of Hinckley and the suspension of Charry.

#TampaFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #Feature

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

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

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

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

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

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

Organizers also condemned political repression against their efforts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anaheim, CA – On June 22, over 50 community members and activists gathered at Twila Reid Park for a vigil honoring Palestinian martyrs who have been killed during the ongoing genocide. The vigil was organized by the Palestinian American Women’s Association.

The vigil was one of Orange County’s many actions highlighting Israel’s genocide campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 40,000 people. The vigil started with an all-Palestinian children’s choir that sang Mawtini, the Iraq national anthem. This was followed up with the chants, “We want justice, you say how? End the siege on Gaza now!” and “Genocide Joe, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”

A member of PAWA SoCal spoke to the displacement and suffering of Palestinians at the hands of Israel, “For decades Palestinian families have faced unimaginable hardships, forced from their homes time and again now at an exponentially higher scale. Death and starvation loom at every corner in Gaza. Israel has pushed 80% of Gaza’s inhabitants into the cruel limbo of displacement, forcing them to become refugees again.”

The vigil continued with speakers demanding an end to U.S. aid to Israel. “We must continue to pressure the U.S. government who provides the bombs, munitions, intelligence and precision technologies that subjugate our people and attempt to quell the resistance. Elected officials continue signing off on billions of dollars in weapons reaching the Zionist entity.” said a speaker from Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Irvine.

A Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member drew the connection between the Israeli Defense Forces and U.S. police department, stating, “We are aware that the anti-defamation league or ADL has trained many law enforcement agencies within southern California including the Los Angeles Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Department, and Santa Ana Police Department. At CSO OC we are currently working on police accountability and community control of the police in Santa Ana.”

The vigil ended with a closing performance by the Mawtini choir and writing notes on a candlelit altar commemorating the lives of brave Palestinian martyrs. The vigil included members of Students for Justice in Palestine, Black Lives Matter, CSO OC, SAWA SoCal, Memorial for Freedom and Democracy in Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Al-Awada, Palestine Foundation, Arab American Civil Council, and others.

#AnaheimCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #PAWA #CSO #SJP #USPCN

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, June 25, around 100 people gathered as the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition led a protest of the Honeywell Aerospace Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Cars honked in support and many people who were just passing by brought bulk packs of cold bottled water for the protesters unprompted, just to show their support on the sunny day.

The crowd chanted “Who profits? Honeywell! Who dies? Gazans!” and speakers made connections between Honeywell and other local weapons companies and the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza as part of a national week of actions against weapons companies called by the newly formed Anti-War Action Network.

“We’re back, Honeywell!” Sarah Martin from Women Against Military Madness began, “It’s been a minute, but here we are again because you’re not just about thermostats. You’re still a merchant of death and have the blood of Gaza on your hands. On June 6, among the rubble of the United Nations-run al-Sardi school in Central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp were the remnants of a weapon that had Honeywell’s name on it!”

Honeywell has supplied precision guidance components for the Israeli Air Force’s guided missiles since 2000.

Martin also detailed the half-century history of local struggle against Honeywell, led by the Honeywell Project. For decades the group organized tirelessly fighting against Honeywell’s headquarters in Minneapolis until it finally left in 1991. Activists led civil disobedience actions, were arrested, and fought Honeywell in court. When the FBI infiltrated the Honeywell Project on behalf of the weapons company, the Project partnered with the ACLU to sue them and win $70,000. Martin finished by shouting, “But Honeywell is still at it. And so are we! Honeywell you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!”

Carrying that fight to today, Shahd Abouhekel from Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Minnesota spoke about UMN Divest Coalition’s work on campus: “The university contributes almost $700,000 in Israeli public stock for Honeywell. Shame. Shame. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see weapon manufacturing companies coming to my campus to recruit students to work for them. Students have shown time and time again that we don't want our tuition dollars to fund genocide supporters.”

Nick Tolliver from the MN Anti-War Committee stated, “Honeywell also supplies the police and military in America. Honeywell is everywhere invested in repressive state violence to defend the interests of the powerful. They supply the technological material for the slaughter of the people that Western imperialists deem targets for subjugation, exploitation, and violent oppression. We demand that the state of Minnesota divest from Honeywell and the $4 billion it has invested in institutions and companies that are participating in and profiting from genocide.”

Abdullah Mohammed of American Muslims for Palestine MN ended with a hopeful message to the group, “I tell you guys, what we're doing here today really impacts the Palestinians. And justice will come. And we shall see a free Palestine in the near future.”

Protesters were encouraged to go to the AWC’s protest outside of the Olympic gymnastics trials on June 28, outside of the Target Center to demand that Israel be banned from the Olympics.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SJP #AWAN #UMNDivest #AMP #MNAWC #WAMM #MNPeaceAction

Wilsonville, OR – On Monday, June 24, 20 pro-Palestinian protesters rallied at the office of Collins Aerospace in Wilsonville, Oregon. The rally was called by PDX for Palestine to protest the company’s involvement in the genocide in Gaza. Collins Aerospace is a subsidiary of Raytheon, and the Wilsonville facility produces weapons components that go to the Israeli military.

The protesters formed a picket line and marched directly in front of the building next to its windows as workers inside went about their workday, chanting slogans such as “Raytheon, Raytheon you can’t hide! You make weapons for genocide!”

“We as Oregonians are here to say that we don’t want weapons manufacturers in our backyard. We don’t want them to be able to persist business as usual when they are arming a genocide,” said Catie Mohr, member of PDX for Palestine.

The rally continued on for two hours with protesters in good spirits and no escalation with police or security. The event closed with organizers committing to continuing the struggle against companies like Raytheon and all other war profiteers in Oregon.

#WilsonvilleOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WeaponsIndustry #PDXforPalestine

Tampa, FL – On June 18, students led a rally in protest of the University of South Florida (USF) suspension of Joseph Charry and expulsion of Victoria Hinckley. Both students, members of Tampa Bay SDS, were hit with conduct charges related to their participation at the solidarity encampments against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Palestine. Charry is an international student and Victoria Hinckley is a senior set to graduate.

A lively group of 40 people marched from a nearby rally point to the USF Bulls fountain in front of the Marshall Student Center. Students held signs reading, “Victory to Palestine!” “Defend student protests for Palestine!” and “Stop the suspension of Joseph Charry!”

Students delivered statements on behalf of Charry and Hinckley, as well as speeches denouncing USF administrators’ response to the student movement for Palestine.

Hinckley was unable to deliver her statement in person, as she was trespassed from the SFU campus. Another student read her statement aloud, “They cannot say they value free speech when the reason they do this is because I was at a protest on campus.”

Hinckley was expelled from USF during her senior year, just “an assignment away from graduating.”

“USF would rather deport its students and faculty for protesting, violating our First Amendment rights, than stop supporting a genocide and divest from it!” said Joseph Charry in his statement. Charry is an international student facing the risk of deportation as his U.S. visa is dependent on his university enrollment status.

Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society led chants, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!” This refers to the student demand for USF to disclose their investments and pull back from companies involved with Israel. They also chanted, “USF shame on you, student voices matter too!”

Democratic Socialist of America, Tampa Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization were present in solidarity with the students.

#TampaFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #PoliticalRepression #DSA #NAARPR #TAARPR #FRSO #Feature

St. Paul, MN – On June 21 during rush hour, 75 people rallied and chanted at the weekly WAMM (Women Against Military Madness) bannering at the busy intersection of Snelling and Summit Avenues in Saint Paul. This week’s event was co-sponsored by the Free Palestine Coalition.

The demonstrators held signs, “MN divest from apartheid Israel,” “Stop bombing Gaza” and “End U.S. aid to Israel.” Car drivers honked approval and passengers gave thumbs up constantly.

Emcee Robyn Harbison led the crowd in chants, “Hey Biden what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” The chants rotated, naming President Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Netenyahu and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.  

After the chanting were speakers representing several local Palestine solidarity groups including the MN Anti War Committee (AWC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Ceasefire Choir, and Normandale Students for Justice in Palestine.

As the death toll of Gazan martyrs at the hands of the Zionist murderers approaches 37,000, the speeches reflected the deep horror at the ongoing U.S.-sponsored genocide. There is plenty of anger because of the U.S. support, without which the Israeli war would not be possible. Speakers expressed awe, respect and love for the people of Palestine who continue to resist and continue to struggle until Palestine is free. 

Ellie McCloud, a new member of WAMM, pointed out to the crowd, “If the genocide were to stop this very second, if we had one funeral every day for everyone murdered, it would take over 100 years.”

Meredith Aby-Keirstead spoke representing the AWC, “This is the month we are supposed to be celebrating Pride and our resistance since Stonewall. But I’m not proud that stories of people like myself and other queer people are being used to justify U.S. support of this genocide and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. This is called pinkwashing. We have the responsibility next weekend in the Take Back Pride march where tens of thousands of people will be watching to say, ‘None of us are free, until Palestine is free!’”

Abdullah Abdulwahab spoke for AMP, “I want to tell you the story of Badr, a 29-year-old who was this week released from a prison after enduring unspeakable and sadistic torture. He returned to Khan Younis only to find his home bombed. He had nowhere to go. But despite his everything he has endured he will not give up. Not until Palestine is free. And neither will the father holding his dead child, nor the people from Rafah who are trapped and being bombed on a daily basis. Not until Palestine is free in the near future!

Abdulwahab concluded with the chant, “By the millions, by the billions, we are all Palestinians!”

Protesters were encouraged to come out to the MN Peace Action Coalition’s protest on Tuesday at a Honeywell facility in Northeast area of Minneapolis to hold Honeywell accountable for the weapons it produces that are used in this U.S.-supported genocide of the people of Gaza.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WAMM #AMP #MNAWC #MNFreePalestineCoalition

Members of the student organization marched to protest the university’s continued refusal to divest from the genocide in Palestine. Students brought signs and banners, formed a picket line, and chanted loudly against U.S. support for genocide and its funding and arming of Israel.

In response, a large crowd of Zionist reactionaries confronted the students. The pro-genocide bigots attempted to physically intimidate the students, shouting slurs at queer, Black and other oppressed nationalities, as well as the Jewish students who oppose the U.S./Israeli genocide. The Zionists attempted to assault one protester. Still, the students persisted, refusing to be silenced.

Two weeks before, on Saturday, June 1, the Students for a Democratic Society held a march at the home of CU Regent Callie Rennison. Zionists shouted, verbally abused, and shoved members of SDS to the ground at that protest, and even tried to run a protester over with a car.

The students’ demands are simple: disclose all university financial ties to companies that operate in the apartheid state of Israel and divest from companies that profit off of the genocide of the Palestinian people.

At both marches, the Zionist reactionaries were aggressive and threatening, sometimes violent. The student activists stood their ground in the face of this. Students are confronting the warmakers and exercising their First Amendment right to free speech. SDS leaders say that they won’t be silent while the university funds a genocide.

In response to their marches on regents’ homes to demand disclosure and divestment from Israel, SDS has been met with severe media backlash, including doxing and baseless accusations of antisemitism.

#EnglewoodCO #DenverCO #CO #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS

The office of SCAI alleged two counts of disruptive conduct, claiming Polzer taped flyers to light poles advertising SDS’s weekly meeting and pro-Palestine messages. Interestingly, while only citing evidence of taped flyers, the university claims the student leader broke rules regarding solicitation and fundraising. Neither Polzer nor the SDS chapter engaged in such activities.

The two charges brought were:

(3)(j) Disruptive Conduct- Violation of any other University regulation or policy as described in their UCF Regulations, UCF Policies and Procedures, or University department publicized policy.

(3)(k) Disruptive Conduct- Failure to comply with applicable and University regulations and procedures for solicitation and fundraising activities on campus.

The hearing began with the charged student giving a testimony as to why they are not in violation of the alleged charges. Polzer began by pointing out that he had been posting flyers on campus nearly every week consistently for over a month. However, he had not received word of any potential problem until the day after a rally held by University of Central Florida (UCF) SDS protesting a Lockheed Martin arms manufacturer event. The student also noted that he never disrupted any student activities while posting flyers, calling into question where charges of “Disruptive Conduct” came from.

After questioning of the student by panel members, SCAI called its only witness, a UCF police detective who was in charge of the case. After a short testimony, the detective was sharply asked by one of the panel members, “Who was reporting the flyers to UCFPD?” The detective replied that the police department had received a plethora of reports related to posting flyers at the time. 

The student and their legal representation were then allowed to question the witness. Among the pieces of evidence was a screenshot of a video taken from one of the many cameras on UCF campus identifying Marcus Polzer and showing him posting flyers. The detective was asked whether “whether the student could be seen disturbing any of the students nearby?” The detective replied that they couldn’t say, but that “clearly some students had been disturbed” since the police department was receiving so many reports at the time.

After the questioning of the witness, Polzer was allowed to give one closing testimony. They reiterated that these conduct charges are political, that alleging disruptive conduct for posting pro-Palestine flyers at a time when students internationally are demanding their universities divest from genocide cannot be seen as anything but political. Polzer only posted flyers to light posts, yet disruptive conduct and breaking fundraising rules are what are being levied. 

The director of UCF’s Student Conduct & Academic Integrity has ten business days from the time of the hearing to review the decision made by the hearing panel and deliver an outcome letter to Polzer. Then the charged student has ten business days to appeal if they choose.

After the formal hearing, the lawyer representing Marcus Polzer was contacted by UCF’s legal counsel. They demanded that the lawyer no longer work with the student due to the university hiring their firm on another matter and creating a perceived conflict of interest.

On June 6, University of Central Florida received his outcome letter stating that the director of SCAI agreed with the formal panel in finding Polzer in violation of both alleged student conduct charges. The director is only required to state their reasoning if they act against the findings of the panel, so no explanation was given as to why the charges were not dropped.

The charged student has been sanctioned with one semester of disciplinary probation, must complete a “10-10-10 Decision-Making Exercise”, and must write a two- or three-page paper reflecting on “what steps you might take in the future to ensure you are in compliance with University rules and regulations.” Given the political nature of these charges, their lack of proportion and reasoning, the charged student has decided to appeal the director’s decision.

In the weeks before, UCF SDS launched three days of call-ins to demand the charges and hearing against Marcus University of Central Florida be dropped. The day before the May 15 formal hearing, SCAI contacted the student asking to reschedule, pushing the formal hearing to May 30. While the office of SCAI claims that the rescheduling was due to a clerical error, the last-minute nature of their contact is proof that the pressure SDS has been building against UCF admin is working.

On May 28, UCF SDS held a speak-out at Memory Mall on UCF campus to demand that that the University disclose its investments in Israel and drop the charges against Polzer. “As students, it is in our collective interest that we fight for the right to speak our thoughts politically and to organize student groups,” said Vanessa Christaldi, co-founder of UCF SDS. “It is not a crime to protest, to tape up flyers, or to be opposed to genocide. Our university has chosen their side with their continued funding of the U.S war machine, putting the interests of war profiteers over the interests of their own students.”

Despite some initial rain, SDS members gave speeches throughout Memory Mall for two hours to students and attendants of a nearby graduation passing by. Marcus Polzer spoke as well, stating, “All of us have come here to receive an education at great expense, putting many of us into debt. Students are an integral part of the university, and we will not be silenced. Disclose and divest from Israeli genocide and drop the charges!”

#OrlandoFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS

Fight Back! recently interviewed Fern McBride and Rick Toledo. Both are pro-Palestine activists and SDS members that played important roles in supporting the occupation and the historic resistance at Cal Poly Humboldt, in Arcata, California. What started as sit-on on April 22 escalated into outrageous repression that was, however, met with determined resistance. On May 28, some of the activists had their first court appearance.

Fight Back!: Could you say a few words about how the occupation at Cal Poly Humboldt came about?

Rick Toledo: Due to the excessive violence and genocide committed by Israel against Palestinians, the students at Cal Poly Humboldt decided that they needed to take action. After seeing many encampments spreading all over the nation an emergency meeting was called to plan an action of our own. People from multiple organizations and unaffiliated students gathered to come up with a plan. During the meeting it was decided that a sit-in within the administration building would be the best course of action, and this was the original plan.

However, once the administration reacted to the peaceful sit-in with excessive police violence, the action changed. Protesters worked to defend each other and prevent the police from ending the sit-in while the greater community gathered in support and encircled the police.

The faculty, along with the California Faculty Association, fought for us behind the scenes and helped urge admin to call off the police. After the initial fight many students experienced police brutality and the action became more militant in response to this.

Fern McBride: Students at Cal Poly Humboldt felt it necessary to escalate by standing in solidarity with Palestinians, creating visibility in our community and demanding our university disclose and divest any financial or educational ties with the Zionist government of Israel.

To accomplish this, a group of students organized a sit-in of the university’s main administrative building, Siemens Hall, a form of protest historically allowed and supported by the school.

In response to the peaceful sit-in, where students sang songs, played games, created art, and hoped to host a Passover celebration, the university evacuated the building and created an atmosphere of fear by calling in the police. When the police arrived, they attempted to push their way into the building and became violent with protesters. To protect themselves, protesters began erecting barriers with whatever they could find inside and outside the building.

After police left, students, faculty and community members rallied around those inside Siemens Hall and established an encampment outside to support those students and protect them from further police violence.

Fight Back!: What were some of the big events that took place during the occupation?

McBride: The week-long occupation was full of fun and love despite the hostility from the university administration. The encampment hosted a teach-in with faculty lecturers, multiple concerts, a Seder celebration, and other small events. Protesters were encouraged to engage the community with opportunities to learn, share space, create art, and have constructive dialogue. By responding with violence and militarized police, the administration squandered an immense learning opportunity for their students. Instead, student protesters took it upon themselves, with the support of sympathetic community members and faculty, to create a space which encouraged creativity, relationship building, and hands on learning.

Toledo: Even though there was a militant defensive response in the form erecting barricades, creating security teams, and look-outs, overall, the attitude on the ground was full of love and respect. There was a strong sense of community and free food, medical help, and other services were provided to all students and community members that stopped by. Teach-ins were hosted to help educate people on what is happening in Palestine, with U.S. imperialism globally, and more. Faculty stopped in and joined in on many occasions. Many students reported feeling safer within the occupation than they had in our normal society. This all speaks to the kind-hearted and empathetic nature of the protesters. This action was initiated out of a deep love for our fellow people and in solidarity with Palestinians, and all oppressed peoples.

Fight Back!: Could you say something about the repression that is taking place against students and community members who participated?

McBride: The repression of speech and free expression by Cal Poly Humboldt, the CSU system, and the police has been dumbfounding. Punishing students and community members with severe academic and legal repercussions for actions which resulted from escalation on the part of school administrators is hypocrisy at its finest. Students should be encouraged to speak their minds, radically express themselves, and act as a catalyst for change.

The fact that others and I have had our futures threatened over our willingness to speak out against the genocide of Palestinians shows exactly where our universities and institutions of power stand on this issue. It is cleat that the powers that be are willing to weaponize any means at their disposal, including violence, to silence, suppress, and traumatize those who appose the United States’ war profiteering and their support for the Zionist government of Israel.

Toledo: The administration suspended students without any evidence or warning, and many lost their jobs as a result. SDS has been providing financial assistance to these students who would otherwise be housing insecure at this time. We are doing everything we can to provide as much support as possible and combat the harm inflicted by the administration.

The administration also put out false narratives where they called the protesters criminals and painted a bleak picture of the occupation. They emphasized property damage over human lives and made up extravagant numbers in damages that do not match the reality of the situation at all. They had an army of police occupy and lock down our campus; students felt unsafe just going to the dining halls because they were full of armed officers.

Students who were simply leaving their dorms were arrested by police, even if they were not associated with the occupation at all. One journalist from ABC 23 was even detained by them for simply doing her job. The administration has also recently sent out a vague email warning of “heightened security on campus.” We are still not sure what this entails and, while they claim that it has nothing to do with the occupation, we would argue that the timing clearly contradicts this claim.

Finally, we know that as of May 28, the charges were sent by campus police to District Attorney Stacey Eads. Rather than revoking the suspensions and charges they have chosen to persecute these students for standing against genocide, history will not forget, nor forgive these injustices.

Fight Back!: What is being done to push back against the repression?

Toledo: Legal teams have been organized to deal with the suspensions and the arrests. Palestine Legal has been leading the charge with the suspended students and pushing back against the administration and their claims. Attorney Rachel Lederman is leading a team out of San Fransisco that is defending the arrestees and both legal teams are collaborating with one another.

Meanwhile, SDS and Humboldt for Palestine have been providing supportive care. SDS has provided financial assistance and organized supportive campaigns to help fight for the protesters. We have worked closely with Humboldt for Palestine and other organizations like the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression to launch a national call/email/petition campaign to urge the district attorney to drop the charges. SDS and Humboldt for Palestine held a supportive rally during the arraignment to show the DA that the community is not going to let them charge these innocent students, community members and faculty.

McBride: Students and community members continue to organize against the repression we are facing, but most importantly we continue creating visibility for Palestine. A ‘Free Palestine Graduation’ outside our county courthouse was hosted during graduation weekend, in which each graduate dedicated their degree to a child martyr. Protests continue to be held within the community, events are being organized to decompress and speak about what happened during the occupation, and groups of protesters continue to advocate for a ceasefire and divestment in their own ways.

The administration thought that by raiding our encampment they could weaken and scare us, but they have only made us stronger and more impassioned. This same trend can be seen across the country and the world at hundreds of student encampments. Every time they try to push us down, we rise up even higher and we will continue to do so until Palestine is free from the violence and oppression of Israeli occupation.

Fight Back!: How can the student movement assist the struggle to end Israeli apartheid?

Toledo: The student movement can continue educate, agitate, and organize for Palestine. Building broader coalition and more united actions across the country will help us to put more strain on those in power and to successfully get our campuses to disclose ties with and divest from Israel. It’s up to us to continue to educate people on the truths of the settler-colonial government known as “Israel” and on the injustices that Palestinians have faced since the Nakba.

Many of our universities have deals with Israel and some even have military contracts with them through corporations like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. However, for us to truly succeed in our goals it is imperative that we not only organize on our campuses but that we organize with the greater community as well and continue to struggle against these injustices both on and off campus.

This is the greatest genocide that we have seen since the holocaust, we must continue to escalate for Gaza, Rafah, and all of the Palestinian people, none of us are free, until Palestine is free!

McBride: People have criticized the occupation at Cal Poly Humboldt, saying that due to the small size of our isolated school we can make no impact, but that cannot be farther from the truth. We have heard from student organizers at much larger universities that our actions and resilience have inspired them to escalate further for Palestine. We have even received pictures of children in Gaza thanking Cal Poly Humboldt for our solidarity.

We are a very tiny piece of this resistance movement, and the real resistance is coming from the people of Palestine who face the horrors of genocide every day, so the least we can do it stand with them and leverage our privilege in any way possible.

A few years ago, I would have never imagined the UN International Court would be attempting to issue warrants for the arrest of top Israeli officials, but that has become a reality. This is partially due to the pressure being applied to systems of power at campuses across the globe. We are only a small part of the mosaic of resistance to free Palestine, but every small piece is important, and I can’t imagine not being a part of it.

Fern McBride and Rick Toledo are members of Students for Democratic Society (SDS) at Cal Poly Humboldt.

#ArcataCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #CalPolyHumboldt #Occupy4Gaza #Feature

Milwaukee, WI – On June 6, the student movement steadfastly continued their efforts to get the University of Wisconsin System to disclose its funds and to divest from the apartheid regime of Israel.

At the June UW System board of regents meeting, approximately 15 students and community members entered the open-session financial meeting to disrupt the scheduled programming.

As this meeting was hosted at UW-Milwaukee, the UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition led the effort to get on the agenda. Kayla Patterson, a coalition leader as well as a member of UWM Students for a Democratic Society and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, led the disruption by standing and speaking directly to the board, going through the facts of the matter at hand.

Patterson echoed the calls of thousands in shaming the universities for complacency in genocide as she others followed by standing and holding signs reading “As we sit here, over 40,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered at the hands of the settler-apartheid regime of Israel, with thousands more reported missing under the rubble.”

As she continued with her speech, in came the cavalry. A mixed force of approximately 30 Milwaukee, Madison, Marquette, and Whitewater campus police aggressively grabbed the protesters, stating that they were under arrest, and herded them into a nearby building, where a total of 13 people were taken into custody.

These tactics were similar to the historic February 9 sit-in at UW-Milwaukee, where students saw ten different police precincts swarm the divestment protest in Chapman Hall.

The detained protesters are now banned from the student union through the month of June. They were let go with warnings that cited UW-Milwaukee policies and state statutes. There were also signs about the ban placed on-site as of June 6.

After the protesters were released, they started discussing upcoming strategy for further struggle in the campaign for the university to disclose and divest. A successful disruption and continuation of the encampment’s struggle was accomplished. The future of the student movement remains uncharted, but one thing is for certain – the students united will never be defeated.

The student solidarity movement that was sparked by the Columbia Gaza Solidarity encampment on April 17 brought a tsunami of student activism and civil disobedience, and the schools of the University of Wisconsin System were no different. After a week of watching the beginnings of a movement live-streamed, the UW System students gathered their resources and started Gaza solidarity encampments of their own.

UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee started their encampments on April 29, and UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse held sit-ins protesting their respective university’s complacency in genocide. After different degrees of struggle, schools made concessions, including calling for a ceasefire, condemning the destruction of Palestinian educational institutions , and meetings with financial foundations from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Students employed a diversity of tactics and actions and the student who participated in the many actions across the Universities of Wisconsin System have developed a target for their efforts – the UW board of regents.

The UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition includes Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Muslim Student Association (MSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Un-PAC UW-Milwaukee, and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA).

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #MSA #SJP #YDSA

Minneapolis, MN – On June 6, hundreds of protesters unwelcomed former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who came to downtown Minneapolis to speak for the Center for the American Experiment, a conservative think tank based in the suburb of Golden Valley.

The Center has supported a number of Republican-led political initiatives and regularly features right-wing speakers at its events. Ticket prices for the event ranged from $300 for individual seats to $30,000 “diamond sponsor” tickets that included special VIP access to Bennett.

Bennet is known as a war criminal who in 2013 said, “I’ve killed a lot of Arabs in my life and there’s no problem with that.” Bennett was the prime minister during 2021-22 and represented the New Right political party, which opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and demands Israeli sovereignty over all of Palestine. He describes himself as more right-wing than even Netanyahu. After Israel’s assault on Gaza began in October, Bennett mocked concerns for Palestinian lives, saying in an interview, “Are you seriously asking me about Palestinian civilians?” and “I am not going to feed electricity or water to my enemies.”

The police stood alongside Zionist ticket holders, who heckled the crowd with racist and Islamophobic slurs, flipping off community members, including young children, while cops took no action.

Over the course of three hours, hundreds of Minneapolis police officers, including SWAT and riot teams, joined the racists in antagonizing the demonstrators.

One protester was violently arrested by riot police armed with rifles as he was peacefully walking away. Four others, including three Muslim Twin Cities residents – two of them minors – were arrested later, violently picked off the street by a large, black SWAT BearCat vehicle.

Wyatt Miller from the Anti-War Committee said, “The supposedly progressive city of Minneapolis helped facilitate the visit of an Israeli leader who helped lay groundwork for the current genocide, invited by a right-wing think tank to speak at a major downtown venue. We call on elected officials to denounce this hateful event and the fact that MPD was allowed to set up an apartheid-like militarized area on its behalf.”

The juveniles were released later that night, but the other arrestees were held until the evening of June 7.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MNAWC #MNFreePalestineCoalition

St. Paul, MN – On Saturday, June 1, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) members had their 17th annual Walk Against Weapons of War. The day was sunny as 125 WAMM members and supporters rallied at Langford Park within a residential community. They then continued with a march to Forward Edge ASIC, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.

This yearly walk initially protested Alliant Techsystem Inc., a Honeywell spinoff of its defense businesses. In the 1970s and ‘80s, Honeywell was the target of massive local protests because of its production of cluster bombs.

Continuing with this tradition, WAMM focused their walk against Lockheed Martin, the largest weapons manufacturer in the world. With record profits in 2023, Lockheed Martin is a glaring example of the health of our nation's war machine. The State Department reported that sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments in 2023 rose to $238 billion. Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets, sent to Israel, are being used to indiscriminately bomb Palestinian citizens, killing and displacing 90% of the population of Gaza, predominantly women and children.

Robyn Harbison, WAMM director, emceed the program in the park before the march and welcomed the people, “Lockheed Martin clearly makes money from the mayhem and misery of war, and takes from humanity the possibility of having world peace. That is why it is our duty to fight back! It’s our duty to fight for the freedom and safety of all people, including Gazans and all those terrorized by the U.S. military.”

Anna Madison, member of new WAMM committee, Families Against Military Madness (FAMM), spoke at the rally, emphasizing the role of arms makers, “While our fellow parents and caregivers in Gaza are left to collect the only remaining pieces of their children and loved ones after they’ve been desecrated by bullets and bombs; the employees and shareholders can rest easy knowing that each dead body represents a new profit opportunity. So, when you hear over and over that ‘no one wins a war,’ one only needs to watch Lockheed’s stock price to see who the clear winner is.”

Holding banners reading, “Women Against Military Madness, Walk Against Weapons” and “No MN money for weapons manufacturers,” the activists took to the streets, marching to Lockheed. On the route, Harbison led the marchers in chants like “Killing children is a crime!” “Free free Palestine!” and “Lockheed, Lockheed we know you, bombing Gaza is what you do!“

As the marchers continued taking the streets, bystanders and shop merchants saw the activists waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs, “Forward Edge ASIC = merchant of death,” “No tax dollars for Lockheed Martin,” “Free Palestine” and “Let Gaza Llve.”

Finally, the marchers gathered in front of the ForwardEdge ASIC main entrance. Mike Runyon, representing Students for Justice at Normandale Community College, spoke to the crowd, reminding them, “This is the United States’ genocide. It belongs to Joe Biden, and the presidents that came before him. From Harry Truman and on, this is about the American empire. Joe Biden put it best himself as a senator in 1986. ‘[Supporting Israel] is the best $3 billion investment we make. If there were not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region.’”

Before the march returned to the park, people went to the war profiteers’ front door and placed articles of children’s clothes with a piece of paper attached to them saying, “Representing a child killed in Gaza by U.S. weaponry.”

As chants rang out on the way back to the park, marchers were joined by children and youth from a nearby Tibetan cultural school, where their voices were clearly heard throughout the neighborhood, chanting “Free Palestine!” They were excited in joining the march for the children of Gaza and the liberation of Palestine.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WomensMovement #WAMM #WeaponsIndustry

Dallas, TX – On Tuesday, May 28 hundreds of community members marched in downtown Dallas, mere hours after the metroplex had faced floods, hail and multiple tornadoes that caused widespread power outages. Despite these obstacles, the people of Dallas-Fort Worth came out to demand the U.S.-backed Israeli regime leave Rafah and the rest of Gaza.

This protest came in the wake of news of U.S.-supplied Israeli bombings of the Rafah and Al-Mawasi refugee encampments. These were supposedly safe areas, but families were burned alive in their tents.

Community members gathered for the rally at Civic Garden Park in downtown Dallas, which began with speeches from organizers with the Palestinian Youth Movement Dallas, the DFW Anti-War Committee, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Jo Hargis, an organizer with DAWC, said, “It is no mistake that this flow of bombs continues uninterrupted from the United States. We know the Zionist entity could not continue this genocide without the constant flow of BLU-109 bombs, of MK-80 missiles, of F-35 fighter jets, and all the other tools of war that are produced right here.” They also highlighted the growing Weapon Manufacturers Campaign, which targets major warmongering corporations covering the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Ari Miller, who has organized against the General Dynamics factory in their neighborhood that is producing bombs for Israel, said, “I’ve found over these several long months that it’s easy to lose hope, and get burnt out. I’ve found it’s so important to turn to the collective strength of your community when we get in those darker states of mind. When we say we take care of each other, it’s not just physical it’s also emotional, and I think some people don’t realize how important that emotional aspect is when it comes to keeping involved and organized. Right now I’d tell people to find your local organizations and get involved in pro-Palestine organizing if they haven’t already. Uplift your community, remember every action big or small matters, and don’t ever stop talking about Palestine.”

During the march, the attendees took the opportunity to call out the complicity of the Dallas Police Department in suppressing pro-Palestinian voices, with chants such as “DPD, KKK, IDF they’re all the same.” The Dallas Police Department has arrested of dozens of protesters throughout this eight month ongoing genocide, for people simply for calling out Biden and General Dynamics for their participation in the death of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The community also displayed their continued optimism, chanting, “I believe that we will win, within our lifetime” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free.”

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #PYM #DAWC #PSL

Chicago, IL – Hundreds of students and faculty at the University of Chicago walked out of graduation ceremonies on Saturday, June 1. They were demanding that the university disclose its investments, divest from arms manufacturers and Israeli companies, and stop withholding the degrees of student pro-Palestine protesters.

The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) responded to the protest by pepper spraying, detaining, shoving and mocking protesters directly outside the home of university President Paul Alivisatos.

The protest was called by student organizers in response to the university withholding degrees from four graduating seniors who had participated in the encampment on the quad in early May. The students were told they had been accused of “disruptive conduct.”

“There is no class of 2024 in Gaza because Israel has destroyed all the universities,” Youssef Hasweh, one of the students whose degree is being withheld, said to the crowd gathered in the rain just north of the main quad where the commencement ceremony was taking place.

“Our graduation is not more important than the tens of thousands of people being killed in Gaza while our university helps pay for the bombs,” Hasweh continued.

Withholding degrees is one of many attempts by the university to repress its students. On November 9 last year, 26 students and two faculty were arrested at a sit-in in a university building. Their charges were dropped after an outpouring of community support. On May 7 this year, UCPD violently tore down the student encampment on the quad.

Protesters chanted “Over 40,000 dead, you're arresting kids instead” and “UChicago you can't hide, you invest in genocide” among other chants demanding divestment from apartheid Israel and an end to repression by the university.

The crowd marched towards the main quad and stopped at a barricade put up by UCPD and Chicago police officers next to the home of UChicago President Paul Alivisatos. During an hourlong standoff, police pepper sprayed indiscriminately into the crowd of students, alumni, faculty and community members. Police also detained two people behind the barricade.

“UCPD acts like an occupying army on the Southside of Chicago in a similar way to how the Israeli occupation forces act in Palestine, so this violence is not surprising,” said Kobi Guillory, a UChicago alum who was one of a dozen protesters pepper sprayed by UCPD.

The protesters were undeterred by the brutality of campus police. They marched to one of the ceremonies happening south of the main quad and continued chanting. Before dispersing with a message that protests would continue, the marchers chanted “I believe that we will win!”

#ChicagoIL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #UChicago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Littleton, CO – On Wednesday, May 29, the Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA) continued their pro Palestine actions against weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin with another all-day picket at the corporation’s Colorado headquarters.

Around 50 protesters engaged in direct action throughout the day, forcing Lockheed employees to take fact sheets that laid out their location’s specific role in the ongoing genocide in Palestine, attached with explicit imagery of carpet bombing and the brutal effects of white phosphorus.

The fliers pointed out the connections between Lockheed Martin and Israel, included graphic imagery of war crimes, and the specifics of the activity that Lockheed Martin is engaged in in Colorado. Lockheed Martin’s primary roles in the genocide are sending F-35s, F-16s and C-130-Js to the occupation as well as providing the tools for mass surveillance and missile and drone targeting with satellites and GPS systems that are produced in Littleton.

One protester with the DAWA, Solveig Swain, explained, “We have to see these traumatizing images constantly by following the news coming out of Gaza. Those actively contributing to the genocide, the people providing the satellite surveillance used to target Palestinians, need to see the results of their crimes as well.”

These engineers of a genocide at Lockheed Martin did not appear out of thin air but were hand picked by Lockheed Martin. Tom Chaney, an organizer with the Students for a Democratic Society Denver (SDS) explained, “These young engineers are brought in with promises of money, with promises of safety and security for the future. There is no security when you’re funding a genocide.

Lockheed Martin, through “donations” and funding for “research” provided to Colorado universities, has deep ties to these institutions which allow them to aggressively recruit Colorado’s students. The end of this relationship is one of the demands of the SDS,and DAWA is also fighting to break the ties with corporations that arm Israel.

Another speaker with the DAWA, Julia Swezy, laid out the future of the movement, “We are building our discipline and militance daily. We will fight until the resistance achieves the victory they deserve, the liberation they are entitled toAs the resistance forces in Palestine wage their struggle against the occupation, those in the United States fight to end the supply of weapons that facilitate the genocide. By building militant people power in a similar fashion to the protests against the war in Vietnam, these activists hope to strike blows against domestic weapons manufacturers in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance.”

#LittletonCO #DenverCO #CO #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #DAWA #WeaponsIndustry