News and Views from the People's Struggle
New York, NY – On January 16, over 1000 New Yorkers gathered for a rally called for by the Palestinian Youth Movement in support of the recently announced ceasefire in Gaza. The rally took place in the middle of Times Square, where thousands of New Yorkers walked by either joining the rally, showing their support or simply taking photos of the event.
Minneapolis, MN – On January 17, supporters held a press conference and packed the room for Robyn Harbison’s pre-trial hearing. He is currently facing a fourth degree felony assault charge after his arrest alongside ten other protestors at the occupation of Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (UMN SDS) was protesting the university’s continued refusal to divest from Israel. Protesters renamed the building to Halimy Hall, after Palestinian student killed by Israel in August 2023.
The Palestinian resistance has forced the Israeli apartheid regime to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza. This ceasefire agreement is a significant achievement won by the bravery, sacrifice and unity of the Palestinian resistance, bolstered by the patriotic forces in Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and, until recently, Syria.
Dallas, TX – On January 16 a crowd drawn from around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex convened in response to the newly-brokered and fragile ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel.
New Orleans, LA – During a visit to New Orleans, Dr. Rabab Abduhadi held an evening talk addressing students, community members and activists about the dangers and impacts of institutional Zionism and ways to combat it in academia and beyond.
On January 11, at the University of New Orleans, Dr. Abdulhadi shared her decades-long experience battling institutionally embedded Zionism, its various modes of operation, and tactics it uses to repress Palestinian activism.
St. Paul, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) held their weekly Free Palestine Rally with 30 community members joining them. It was stressed that Israel’s genocide is still raging in Palestine.
However, the people are still resisting in many ways. This week we saw many healthcare workers call out at their workplaces and at many hospitals with the theme “Sick of genocide.” In many cities in the U.S., they held press conferences stating they can no longer sit back; they spoke out about the horrors Palestinians face in Gaza with extraordinarily little or no medical help. The situation is beyond dire. WAMM’s rally focused on Gaza’s healthcare crisis.
Grand Rapids, MI – On December 14, 30 people gathered at Fountain Street Church, a non-denominational church and event space in downtown Grand Rapids, for a teach-in about the role greenwashing plays in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
Hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), the event educated community members on the struggle for environmental sovereignty and national liberation in Palestine. The teach-in also connected this struggle to similar struggles around the world, including here in the U.S.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the Liberate and Unite New Orleans Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) statement on the suspension of Carson Cruse.
On December 13, Loyola University student and SDS member Carson Cruse was suspended for speaking at the Port of New Orleans public hearing in October. Carson was there supporting New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and their demands which included that New Orleans stop shipping arms to Israel, ends its ties to the Port of Ashdod in Israel, and to suspend its contracts with entities that do business with Israel, i.e. Møller-Mærsk.
Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday December 21 close to 100 people rallied in downtown Minneapolis to say, “All we want for Christmas is an end to the genocide.” The rally was organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and took place across the street from the WCCO TV studios, within sight of the Minneapolis Holidazzle Celebration, in the Nicollet Mall district of downtown.
Denver, CO – On December 10, 50 people marched in downtown Denver in honor of Human Rights Day and to condemn Colorado’s complicity with the genocide in Gaza. The event was organized by the Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA) in coordination with a national call to action made by the Anti-War Action Network.
Chicago, IL – To coincide with Human Rights week, dozens of protesters led by Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC) and Boycott Divest Sanctions – Chicago (BDS) descended on the offices of the Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI), December 13 in a militant action demanding Illinois divest over $120 million worth of bonds from Israel.
San Jose, CA – On Wednesday, November 20, around 40 students gathered at San Jose State University to protest the incoming second Trump presidency and the university’s ties to Lockheed Martin.
New Orleans, LA – About 25 people filled the benches at Municipal Court, December 12, to witness proceedings against two protesters from the Tulane-Loyola University Gaza encampment, which took place this past spring. These Palestine solidarity activists faced misdemeanors for trespassing and resisting arrest. The court dismissed both charges without trial for one of them, Brenna Byrne, because the Tulane University Police Department (TUPD) witness didn’t show up.
Detroit, MI – On December 7, 30 protesters marched on Theodore Levin Courthouse advocating a people’s agenda, an end to political repression and for the city to divest from institutions that benefit Israel.
By Elowyn Pfeiffer and Iemawn Chughtai
Saint Paul, MN – 110 members of the Saint Paul Federation of Educators Local 28 (SPFE) gathered on Monday, November 25 for a member meeting in which a vote was held for the union local to sign on to a letter urging President Biden to enact an arms embargo on Israel and work towards a ceasefire in Gaza, and to put pressure on their national union, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to do the same.
Minneapolis, MN – On December 3 and 5, activists from the Free Palestine Coalition and Students for a Democratic Society came together at the Public Service Center while the Minneapolis city council voted on a proposed resolution to stand in solidarity with the protesters arrested during the occupation of Morrill Hall – renamed Halimy Hall – at the University of Minnesota.
St. Paul, MN – On the morning of December 10, 80 members and supporters of the Minnesota Free Palestine Coalition rallied inside and outside the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) meeting. The rally came after the board’s decision to convert their quarterly open public meeting into a small hybrid in-person/online format, without live public testimony.
El 27 de noviembre, el Líbano y el gobierno israelí, que cuenta con el respaldo de los Estados Unidos y el apartheid, implementaron un alto el fuego. Hezbolá, un poderoso ejército en el Medio Oriente que lucha por liberar a Palestina, combatió a Israel hasta detenerlo. El Ejército Libanés ya está reportando que las fuerzas de ocupación israelíes han violado los términos del alto al fuego varias veces en los dos últimos días.
The Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns the ongoing U.S.-backed aggression against Syria. President Bashar Al-Assad has been forced to flee the country, and now sits in exile in Moscow. What is clear is that the Syrian government has collapsed. This blatant assault on Syrian sovereignty is part of a larger effort – by Western imperialists, Israel and reactionary forces in the region – to defeat the Axis of Resistance, which is fighting for the liberation of Palestine and to end U.S. control in the region.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following December 9 statement from the MN Anti-War Committee.
The government of Syria led by President Bashar al-Assad has collapsed. This upheaval has major implications for the struggle against U.S. imperialism and Israeli aggression in the region. Regardless of who leads Syria, the Anti-War Committee remains opposed to interference in Syria by the United States, Israel, and their imperialist allies.
Israel has occupied and illegally settled Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967, and is already using Syria’s instability to expand its so-called “buffer zone,” while continuing its bombing raids in Syria. Israel seeks to pressure Syria into accepting the theft of the Golan Heights and normalizing relations. It also may have its eye on expanding its occupation in Syria for future Zionist settlement.
As part of its support for Israel, the United States has been working to weaken and destabilize Syria for years. The U.S. has openly backed certain factions in Syria since at least 2012, with the now-declassified “Timber Sycamore” weapons smuggling operation led by the CIA, and the “Syrian Train and Equip” program led by the Pentagon. The U.S. has economically sanctioned Syria since 1979 when it first labeled the country as a “state sponsor of terrorism.” In 2020, brutal new U.S. sanctions devastated Syria’s financial, energy and construction sectors, severely limiting access to electricity and basic humanitarian goods for millions of Syrians, while harming reconstruction efforts. And since 2015, the U.S. military has directly had boots on the ground in Syria, notably occupying Syria’s oil fields.
Some are celebrating what they see as the fall of a repressive tyrant. Others are mourning the collapse of a bulwark of resistance to Israel, with Syria providing a crucial supply line for resistance groups in neighboring Lebanon as well as Gaza. In any case, we know Israel sees Assad’s downfall as a victory, and is already eagerly taking advantage of the situation with an unchecked onslaught of attacks on Syria.
Ultimately, it’s not yet clear what political forces will shape the new Syria. From our perspective of international solidarity against Israel’s expanding genocide in the Levant, we hope any new government that emerges is able to resist U.S./Israeli attacks, and continues Syria’s support for the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine.
We encourage our followers to remain committed to the principles of anti-imperialism, sovereignty and independence for all nations, and steadfast, united opposition to the U.S.-backed Zionist project.