St. Paul – MN – The Twin Cities had the honor of hosting two diplomats from the Cuban Embassy to the United States. Second Ambassador of Cuba Alejandro García del Toro and Vice Consul of Cuba Tatiana Martinez were invited by musician Nachito Herrera and Aurora González to attend Herrera’s concert on September 24.

Minneapolis, MN – AFSCME at the University of Minnesota is holding an informational picket on Monday, October 10, from noon until 2 p.m. at Walter Library on the East Bank campus here. This coincides with a meeting between President Joan Gabel and Twin Cities deans at the same location. They will demand university leadership respond to their demands for raises, respect and racial equity.

Minneapolis, MN – Twin Cities Cuba solidarity activists organized a car caravan, September 25, to “End the U.S. Blockade of Cuba.” It is part of a campaign initiated by the Puentas de Amor (Bridges of Love) out of Miami. For over a year they have called on supporters of Cuba from around the world to hold car caravans on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Minneapolis, MN – On September 16 members of the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) held banners on the footbridge over Interstate 35W at 24th Street in south Minneapolis during rush hour to raise awareness of Israeli attacks on the human rights of Palestinians.

Minneapolis, MN – The Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) and the Minnesota Cuba Committee held their monthly rally and car caravan, August 28, demanding the end to the blockade against Cuba. The caravans have been continuing for over a year as a part of an international effort with the participation of many cities across the world, most notably inspired by Cuban Americans who oppose the blockade in Miami, Florida.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 300 University of Minnesota (UMN) service workers represented by Teamsters Local 320, along with members AFSCME, students, faculty, and others, protested on the school’s campus, August 30, to demand an end to poverty wages and abusive employment practices.

Minneapolis, MN – Chants of “When abortion rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” could be heard up and down Chicago Avenue and 41st Streets in South Minneapolis on Thursday, August 18, as 40 protesters gathered outside the Tandem Family Resource Center – one of Minnesota’s now-infamous “crisis pregnancy centers” – for a rally for women’s and reproductive rights. The action was organized by the newly formed Minnesota Abortion Action Coalition (MNAAC) to demand an end to state funding for Tandem and other “crisis pregnancy centers” like it.

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, August 28, dozens of protesters gathered with signs, noisemakers and flyers across the street from Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. The demonstration was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and is also part of a national call to action for DACA by the Legalization for All Network, coinciding with the 52nd anniversary of the historic Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles, California.

Minneapolis, MN – On August 9, around 100 Palestine solidarity and anti-war activists packed the sidewalk outside Senator Amy Klobuchar’s downtown office to demand immediate action to end U.S. aid to Israel. The action was called on an emergency basis after several days of Israeli military attacks on Gaza as well as ongoing raids on the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank.

Minneapolis, MN – Around 75 people rallied on August 6 to commemorate the deadly U.S. atomic bombings of Japan during World War II and to call for an end to U.S. wars and provocations that threaten nuclear war in the present. Activists lined busy Lake Street with signs and banners while chanting anti-war slogans and delivering speeches.

Minneapolis, MN – On July 26, in response to the Biden administration's decision to deploy 500 special forces troops to Somalia, the Anti-War Committee hosted a forum with the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota and Women Against Military Madness to educate community members on the current political situation in Somalia.

Minneapolis, MN – Twin Cities activists participated in a car caravan, July 31, calling on the Biden administration to end the 60-year-long U.S. blockade of Cuba. The WAMM Solidarity Committee of the Americas (SCOTA) and the MN Cuba Committee organized this one as a part of an international day of action. Car caravans have been held once a month for two years in cities across the world to show solidarity with Cuba and to call for an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

Minneapolis, MN – Workers at the Starbucks on 47th Street and Cedar Avenue location in Minneapolis walked out on strike, Sunday, July 31 in protest of Unfair Labor Practices committed by the company. Strikers lined the sidewalks in front of the store, chanting, “Venti, grande, mocha double; union busters, you’ve got trouble” and “Starbucks, Starbucks rich and rude. We don’t like your attitude.” The strike has full participation from the workers and the store is fully shut down. Customers were turned away at the drive-thru on Sunday morning and were told there’d be no coffee today or tomorrow.

Minneapolis, MN – On July 26, workers at Crystal Sugar in Minnesota and North Dakota voted to reject the latest offer from management in bargaining for their next union contract. The workers are members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM).

Minneapolis, MN – On July 21, 435 Planned Parenthood workers from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska joined the Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa (SEIU HCMN&IA) in a resounding 90.1% yes vote. 238 workers voted to join the union, and only 26 voted not to.

Demand action from mayor and city council

Minneapolis, MN – On Thursday, July 21, just before the 9 a.m. city council meeting, immigrant rights leaders, labor leaders, and city council members held a press conference at City Hall in the rotunda. They publicly launched and explained their “Immigrant Power Now” campaign, unveiling a ten-point platform to make pro-immigrant changes at the municipal level in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis police once again proved that Black lives in this city do not matter when they shot and killed a 20-year-old man, Tekle Sundberg, who was having a mental health crisis, July 14. MPD officers Aaron Pearson and Zachary Seraphine shot him early Thursday morning after a six-hour standoff at an apartment building in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. Both officers were also part of the SWAT team that murdered Amir Locke in Minneapolis in February of this year.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by the Minnesota-based Climate Justice Committee.

Minneapolis, MN – On July 2, over 100 people marched across the University of Minnesota campus calling for the opening and funding of abortion clinics across the state.

Minneapolis, MN – On June 28, over 60 people gathered alongside Washington Avenue outside of Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Minneapolis office in solidarity with international protests against the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, where world leaders discussed the expansion of NATO, among other things. Rush-hour traffic honked in support as protesters chanted, “No war with Russia! Disband NATO now!”