News and Views from the People's Struggle
New Orleans, LA – On the night of December 11, organizers and activists marched towards the Audubon Tea Room at the beginning of “FedFest 2024,” a fundraiser hosted by the Jewish Federation, an organization dedicated to supporting the apartheid state of Israel.
New Orleans, LA – Protesters gathered twice at New Orleans Municipal Court during the week of November 18, as six activists who were arrested during the student-led Popular University for Gaza encampment attended their first days of trial.
They all face misdemeanor charges, ranging from trespassing to battery on an officer. The activists were all arrested by Tulane University Police Department in the first hours of the Encampment, which was held for two nights in April and May this year.
New Orleans – On October 7, students walked out of classes at three campuses in New Orleans to protest their universities' ties to Israel. Chapters of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organized demonstrations for students at Loyola University of New Orleans, Tulane University, and the University of New Orleans. Rallies of about 20 people took place simultaneously outside of Tulane and Loyola campuses at noon.
By 12:30, the rally led by Tulane SDS marched around their campus to join the rally outside Loyola. Students from the two schools combined forces with local allies like New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Together the crowd of 40 sat in on Saint Charles Avenue, a major road in the area. The students chanted and read the names of Palestinians killed by Israel since October 7 while blocking traffic. The sit-in successfully held the street for over an hour. During the sit-in, students celebrated one year of global resistance to Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza.
“Palestinian liberation won’t happen on a college campus. No liberation movement will. But the Boycott Divest Sanction National Committee is calling on us to fight for divestment!” said Silas Gillette, speaking for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Loyola students carried a large puppet depicting their university’s president Xavier Cole. Cole, who, according to students at Loyola, has refused to meet with them about their demands. Loyola student Juleea Berthelot joined the sit-in on Saint Charles, wearing a red “Popular University for Palestine” t-shirt. They described being fired from their job earlier this year for protesting.
“Two students were fired, and our school newspaper wrote about it, but my boss lied,” said Berthelot. “Those students chose to leave their jobs. I sat in her office and begged for my job because I loved it. But she fired me.”
Another Loyola student, Nour Saad, joined the celebration of the resistance in a black Palestinian Youth Movement shirt. “I honor our warriors in Palestine because I know what it feels like to have the world against you when you’re just trying to fight for your freedom.”
Students at the University of New Orleans (UNO) also walked out in solidarity with the axis of resistance. Students from Xavier University joined the action on UNO's campus. The action was led by both the Palestinian Youth Movement and Students United, a chapter of national Students for a Democratic Society, who demanded an end to weapons manufacturers on UNO's campus. General Dynamics, one of the largest weapons manufacturers in the country, has an IT development center on campus.
“Human rights organizations repeatedly say General Dynamics is a pivotal company in the violation of human rights and war crimes,” said Lucas Harrell, an organizer with UNO Students United. Further confrontation is guaranteed as General Dynamic's role in the Gaza genocide is unfolded to the students.
#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #NOSHIP #SJP
New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 5, a broad coalition of community organizations rallied at Congo Square for a march to commemorate one year of resistance since the genocide in Gaza began. The action drew a large crowd of about 500 people, whose chants for a free Palestine ricocheted off city walls downtown.
During the rally, speakers emphasized the steadfast endurance of the Palestinian resistance.
“Our people in the homeland inspire us every single day here [in the US] to continue to resist – to stay strong and not give up. Our people endure and that’s what it means to be Palestinian,” said Leila Abu-Orf, a member of the New Orleans chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
New Orleans, LA- On the evening of Wednesday, September 25, close to 100 New Orleanians gathered in front of the Federal Building to protest Israel’s increased offensive in Lebanon and the U.S. government’s continued facilitation of Israel’s atrocities.
The rally began by paying tribute to Khalifa Ibn Rayford Daniel, who was mercilessly executed by the State of Missouri the day before. Despite the prosecution’s serious doubts regarding the integrity of his conviction and pleas from his family, the State refused to grant Daniel clemency.
Portland, OR – On September 21, the Anti-War Action Network presented a webinar on divestment campaigns for Palestine and the anti-war movement. The event featured speakers from New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, Minneapolis Anti-War Committee, San Jose Against War, and UW Milwaukee SDS.
New Orleans, LA – On September 4, 40 students and community members rallied outside of Tulane and Loyola Universities demanding the Tulane and Loyola drop the disciplinary sanctions against students involved in the Popular University for Palestine encampment. They also pushed the demands of each university’s Students for a Democratic Society chapter – disclosure of university investments and divestment from apartheid Israel.
Despite the rainy weather, they chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “The students, united, will never be defeated!” and caught the attention of passersby.
New Orleans, LA – On August 6, at 9:30 a.m., nearly 100 local activists and community organizations converged onto New Orleans City Hall. They gathered to stand against the New Orleans City Council adopting a “Statement of Peace,” and demanded instead a resolution for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The so-called “Statement of Peace” was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, an openly Zionist organization. It calls for peace while conveniently omitting Palestine or Palestinians, ignores local victims of Israeli genocidal violence such as Tawfic Abdeljabbar, and implies that local anti-genocide protests are “calls for violence.” After only a few weeks in circulation, the statement has been put forth on the council agenda.
Fight Back News service is circulating the following statement from the New Orleans Ceasefire Coalition, which includes Masjid Omar, Jewish Voice for Peace – New Orleans, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, Voice of the Experienced, and others.
In recent days, our coalition has been made aware of this ‘Statement of Peace,’ being distributed to local leaders and institutions, and signed by all of the New Orleans City Council Members. This statement seeks to address the “ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel,” and is likely to be introduced as a resolution on the council’s agenda for a vote on Thursday, August 8th. Our coalition, which has been tirelessly advocating for a ceasefire resolution to this council, was not consulted about this statement. We consider this ‘Statement of Peace’ insidious in its language, and firmly reject it.
New Orleans, LA – On July 25, a total of about 50 people came out to protest at meetings of the New Orleans City Council and the Board of the Port of New Orleans. The crowd demanded that the city council pass a ceasefire resolution and that the port cut all ties with Israel. Activists left unsatisfied with responses from both institutions.