Detroit, MI – On October 7, around 50 students and community members walked out of class and their jobs in protest of two years of genocide in Gaza. Wayne State Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for a Democratic Society, Detroit Anti-War Committee, and several other organizations gathered on Gullen Mall to show that Detroit continues to stand with Palestine, the right of Palestinians to resist occupation, and to demand an end to Israel’s slaughter.

Only feet away from the protesters location was the strip of grass where, in May 2024, students set up an encampment to demand Wayne State University divest from Israel. The rally was opened with a speech reflecting on the significance of October 7, detailing how it was both a day of resistance but also a day in which the whole world could no longer look away and ignore Israel’s occupation of Palestine. From these opening remarks, it was clear that the reason why the students began the encampment resonated in the heart of every student in attendance.

A march ensued, with the students chanting, “Wayne State, your hands are red!” and “Long live the intifada.” As the crowd moved around campus, onlookers watched as the leaders of the march called out the administration for their continued complicity in the genocide. It was clear that the demand for divestment continues on campus, with the march being led with SJP’s banner that read “Refusing to hear us won’t change the truth.”

At the same time, the student movement at Wayne State has grown and expanded due to the continued attacks from Donald Trump’s administration and Wayne State admin’s capitulation to the attacks. Next to SJP’s banner was SDS’s banner, calling for WSU to end student deportations. Alongside divestment, students demand administration stop assisting Trump and his attacks on their peers.

At the end of the rally, members of Turning Point USA attempted to heckle and drown out the remaining speakers, but they failed. The rest of the rally continued, ending in chants of “Free Palestine.”

In the spirit of October 7, Wayne Student students and the Detroit community stood up and showed they will continue to fight for a free Palestine and will not back down from Trump or any of his allies.

#DetroitMI #MI #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SJP #SDS

Chicago, IL – On October 2, 60 protesters disrupted Union Station to take a militant stand against the U.S./Israeli genocide of Palestinians. Momentum was high after the illegal kidnappings of 497 activists of the Global Sumud Freedom Flotilla from 44 countries. This is the first time since 2009 that a boat has made it into Palestinian waters and broken Israel’s siege of Gaza.

The emergency action was led by Students for Justice in Palestine-Chicago (SJP Chicago) and successfully disrupted traffic as well as people trying to leave and enter the Amtrak station.

Escalating for Gaza

Protesters gathered on a corner across from Union Station. A member of SJP set the tone, chanting defiantly, “Gaza must have food and water! We won’t pay for Gaza’s slaughter!” As momentum built up, members of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC (New SDS at UIC) and more took to the streets.

As the march proceeded, protesters rushed inside of Union Station. They progressed downstairs as the racist Chicago Police Department (CPD) attempted to isolate and intimidate young activists. Rather than freeze and look away, protesters surrounded said officers chanting, “Back up, back up, we want freedom, all these racist ass cops we don’t need em need em!” and “Move cops get out the way, we know your Israeli trained!” leaving officers no choice but to stand idle and concede to their demands. Protesters continued, rushing to the lower level and catching people there by surprise.

Protesters gathered at the center of the station as Jinan Chehade, from American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), expressed the urgency of the situation in Gaza, stating, “We are here today to make some noise! Over the last 24 hours, 500 activists from 44 countries have been kidnapped by the Israeli military for delivering baby formula and medicine to Gaza. The global Sumud Flotilla showed us that Israel is not invincible. That the siege can be broken and will be broken.”

The final vessel made it through to Palestinian waters despite the seizure of 44 boats. This is the first time a boat has entered Palestinian waters since 2009. Chehade continued, “This just shows, two years later, that our movement is strong, it is not weak, we are strong, we get louder every single day! They are calling this week the global crossing to Gaza, from Naples, to Rome, to Italy, to Malaysia, to Chile, these people have taken to the streets to protest against Israel.”

Chehade concluded, “Finally I want to end by saying this showed us that even though Israel has U.S. backing and billions of dollars it is not invincible, their navy is not invincible. Let a thousand flotillas sail next time, while a thousand conflicts still happen, we will keep sailing, we will keep marching, we will keep screaming, until we break the siege on Gaza.”

As protesters continued further into the station, attempting to reach the railroads, CPD proceeded to continue grabbing protesters, brutalizing them, smashing megaphones, threatening arrests and stealing megaphone batteries in the process. Through this hectic confrontation, it was clear the police were caught completely off guard by the youth.

Protesters proceeded outside, marching in downtown Chicago, chanting and creating a spectacle of green smoke that gained support from onlookers. The march ultimately landed in front of the Israeli consulate. Protesters gave full energy as Farah Chalisa, an international human rights lawyer for a U.S. Freedom Flotilla member, spoke, along with a member of the Malcom X Grassroots movement.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PYM #SDS #AMP #SJP #MXGM #StudentMovement #Feature

Chicago, IL – Hundreds of people rallied outside McNally Capital headquarters on Tuesday evening, July 22, and chanted “Stop starving Gaza now!” Some banged pots and pans to make noise in a way symbolic of Palestinians waiting for food aid in Gaza.

The emergency rally was hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).

“The U.S. and Israel have turned humanitarian aid into a weapon of war to ethnically cleanse Palestinians, and U.S. companies like McNally and their CEO are responsible for this famine,” said a speaker with PYM. “The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a ploy from the Israeli Occupation Forces and America to hire killers to hunt our people. If we stand by and watch idly, then we too are participants in their genocidal crimes.”

McNally Capital is a Chicago-based investment firm that invests in Safe Reach Solutions, the logistics company which manages the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Since May 27, nearly 1000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured while seeking aid, by Israeli forces and American contractors.

“Chicago is Palestine’s city,” said Nick Sous of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). “We have no space for any business that funds genocide, ethnic cleansing and occupation of our people in Falasteen and Gaza.”

Sous also highlighted the complicity of Michael Freirichs and the Illinois State Board of Investments, stating, “In addition to McNally, there is Michael Freirichs. He’s invested, just like McNally, millions of dollars in the state of Israel, profiting off of the destruction of Gaza. It's also the Illinois State Board of Investments, which has invested in similar companies like Boeing and other weapons manufacturers, and probably McNally’s at this point, who are invested in the ethnic cleansing of people in Gaza.”

Protesters also attacked the Boston Consulting Group’s involvement in the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Egyptian government’s reluctance to open the Rafah border, and the policies of Donald Trump’s administration.

“We have reached the limits of moral outrage. You know what we need now? We need power. We need people power. The kind you build here on the street, the kind you build in your workplace, the kind you build in your neighborhood. If you are not organizing, we are not winning,” said Eman Abdelhadi from Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.

“The same people who want to put our neighbors in cages are the people who believe in starving our siblings in Gaza and Palestine. Our enemy is the same and our job is to fight that enemy everywhere we can and any way that we can,” Abdelhadi added.

Chicagoans walking by showed support for the protesters. One UPS worker on his break said, “Anyone aiding in the genocide will not get away with it; we are all watching what they are doing.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCN #SJP #PYM

San Jose, CA – On May 17, the San Jose State University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine announced an end to their hunger strike, after ten days without food. San Jose State administration reached a working agreement with the hunger strikers, after ongoing pressure from students.

The hunger strike was officially declared on May 5. It was part of a statewide effort across the California State University system, in which chapters of SJP called hunger strikes to focus attention on the 2 million Palestinians facing starvation in Gaza due to the genocidal efforts of the Israeli regime, and their ongoing blockade which prevents the entry of humanitarian aid into the area.

SJSU SJP board member Haddy Barghouti told why the group joined the statewide hunger strike, stating, “No food has entered the Gaza strip in over two months, the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are surviving on less than one meal a day, and are facing starvation,” he said. “This cannot continue.”

“The Israeli government has announced its plan to occupy Gaza and forcibly expel 2 million Palestinians from their homes,” said SJP board member Maya Abou Kewik. “This comes right after the complete blockade of food, water and electricity for two months.”

SJSU SJP president Lara Aburahma stated, “We demand that our schools divest from the companies aiding and abetting Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people. This includes but is not limited to Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, Palantir and Leonardo.”

Other demands specific to SJSU included the suspension of study abroad programs and the revision of Time, Place, Manner policies that restrict students’ right to assemble and protest.

The number of students participating in SJSU’s hunger strike only grew as it progressed, with at least two faculty members joining the hunger strike and announcing their support of the students.

With the end of the hunger strike, the working agreements SJSU SJP reached with administration were publicized on their Instagram page. SJSU administration promised preventative measures to ensure that study abroad programs with Israel would not be reestablished at the CSU level. The administration also promised to meet with various leaders of activist groups to revise and change existing Time, Place, Manner policies in June. Lastly, the administration promised to continue working on a website that would disclose investments in a more transparent manner.

SJP has promised to continue to hold the administration accountable to the promises they have made.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SJP

Chicago, IL – On March 13, over 150 students, staff and faculty members at the University of Illinois-Chicago rallied in front of their administration building to protest budget cuts which threaten five majors, non-tenured faculty, and cultural programs. The emergency protest was called to demand funding for education and a “chop from the top” model, as inflated admin salaries were called to attention. The protest had support from a broad collection of student organizations, faculty and local activists.

Speaking on behalf of Student for a Democratic Society at UIC, Jeremiah Munoz kicked things off by stating, “Instead of cutting out classes, cut the bloated administrator salaries, not our education! Don’t play with our future for that bloated salary. Stop funneling money into police while students struggle to afford tuition. Invest in our cultural centers, our language programs, our communities—not in executives who do nothing but approve cuts to education while collecting a premium salary.”

Next was Liz Rathburn, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who stated, “UIC can find the money to advertise its diversity, it can find the money to raise the salaries of its admin, it can find the money to fund its own police force and it can even find money to buy new real estate, but when students and faculty need support, when it comes to funding what actually makes our university great, admin pleads poverty.”

Ending the rally on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society at UIC, April Rogers stated, “UIC is probably paying a lot to bring military recruiters on campus. They are probably paying a lot to have the CIA, the FBI, and even the State Department come to campus, as has happened multiple times since the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. UIC also gives millions of dollars to companies involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including Boeing and Caterpillar. In 2023, this alone amounted to $21 million. Instead, UIC goes after cultural and language studies.”

Speakers from the Italian Club, Eastern European Student Association and Housing Staff United made it clear that the budget cuts are targeting the entire student body, and a cultural performance during the rally demonstrated the importance of preserving cultural studies and programs at UIC.

Although UIC administration forced the protest to move locations at the very last minute, students, staff and faculty remained undeterred. Despite the change in location, over 150 people marched through the campus chanting, demanding proper funding for education.

The protest was endorsed by Anakbayan, Sokoly, Housing Staff United, Eastern European Student Association, Italian Club, New Students for a Democratic Society. Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#ChicagoIL #StudentMovement #SDS #Anakbayan #Sokoly #HousingStaffUnited #EasternEuropeanStudentAssociation #ItalianClub #SJP #FRSO

Richardson, TX – On March 18, community members gathered to protest in front of the Raytheon company’s building in response to Raytheon’s complicity in the Israeli genocide in Palestine. The Dallas chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement called the emergency protest after Israel broke the recent ceasefire agreement and continued bombing the Gaza strip.

Raytheon, second to Lockheed Martin, is one of the world largest weapons manufacturers, and has been targeted by anti-war activists in north Texas. Aside from Raytheon, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has seen protests and actions against local Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics plants.

Hundreds of community members shouted chants, “No more ships, no more cargo, we demand an arms embargo” and “Ron, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” The demonstration lasted from 3 to 6 p.m. Volunteers were out and about helping community members and directing people towards the front of the Raytheon building.

Omar Suleiman, a local imam serving at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center stated, “We know that this evil will come to an end inshallah, we know that it is a matter of time. We know that the days of the oppressors are numbered.”

It has been 17 months since October 7 and countless Palestinians continue to lose their lives. Just within the first 12 hours of the breaking of the ceasefire, over 400 were murdered; of those, over 170 were children.

Besides Palestinian Youth Movement, the action was endorsed by many community organizations such as the Dallas Anti-War Committee, MAS Peace, Dallas Palestine Coalition, as well as Dallas chapters of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jewish Voices for Peace, Democratic Socialist of America, and multiple Student for Justice in Palestine chapters.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWC #PYM #DPC #JVP #SJP

Minneapolis, MN – On March 11, over 300 people protested in front of the Federal Building downtown Minneapolis to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and an end to the Trump administration’s criminalization of the pro-Palestine student movement at U.S. The protest was a part of Student for a Democratic Society’s call for a National Day of Action in solidarity with Khalil.

On the evening of March 8, the Department of Homeland Security detained Palestinian Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil. This was the first detention after Trump ordered the State Department to deport students for pro-Palestine activism. Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a green card holder, and his arrest is an unlawful violation of freedom of speech and immigration laws.

Trump’s Executive Order 13899 requires “the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with each other […] report activities by alien students and staff relevant to those grounds and for ensuring that such reports about aliens lead, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to investigations and, if warranted, actions to remove such aliens.”

On February 28, The Department of Justice announced that a federal task force to “Combat Antisemitism” would visit ten college campuses that “experienced incidents of antisemitism.” Trump’s administration conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and criminalizes students, staff and faculty who have protested a deadly genocide that has killed over 48,000 people in Gaza. This is a discrimination against Muslim, Palestinian and Middle Eastern students, faculty and staff. Columbia University and University of Minnesota are among campuses under investigation.

Crista Ocampo, an organizer with the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, spoke to the crowd, “We condemn this egregious case of political repression at the hands of ICE. ICE officers have terrorized communities across the country for far too long and now they are being used as a tool by Trump to further repress the Palestine movement. Shame! We won’t let them get away with this. Just look at the hard fought battle SDS put up and won against their administration to get the suspensions dropped for the Halimy Hall students. When our oppressors’ attacks become more blatant, it only makes it easier for us to unite with each other on the path to justice. We will never stop fighting because we know that that’s how we win.”

Lina Jebara, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, closed out the protest, “These acts of political repression – of plucking community leaders from movements, of threatening organizers with unconstitutional deportations or with phony felony charges, as we’ve seen here in our community – are not new for this country. These are deliberate actions taken to make us fear retaliation for standing up against depraved injustices, to push us towards acquiescence. We’re out here today, after witnessing months of harrowing genocide in Palestine carried out by Israel on our dime, to say that these tactics do not and will not work on us.”

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee, UMN Educators for Justice in Palestine, UMN Students for a Democratic Society, and endorsed by UMN Students for Justice in Palestine, Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, and American Muslims for Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #Trump #SDS #MNAWC #SJP #MIRAC #JVP #AMP

New York, NY – On February 25, over 20 NYU students, faculty and workers picketed the board of trustees meeting demanding they disclose and divest from all companies supplying Israel in its genocidal occupation of Palestine.

In addition to disclosure and divestment, the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition demanded the closure of the NYU Tel Aviv campus, built upon stolen Palestinian land, and the reversal of all suspensions and probation charges of Palestine student activists. The coalition’s demands aim to cut the university’s ties to the state of Israel.

As board of trustee members were escorted into their meeting by campus security officers, they were confronted by picketersdemanding that they disclose and divest. As the meeting went on, picketers chanted “Trustees pick a side, justice or genocide” and “We want justice you say how! Answer our demands now!”

The picket was called for by the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition, which consists of the NYU Students for a Democratic Society, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, Shut It Down NYU, NYU Graduate Student Workers Union – UAW, and several other organizations.

The participating organizations vow to continue their fight against NYU, no matter what repressive tactics are thrown their way. They will continue struggling until they win all their demands.

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #NYU NYUPSC #SDS #NYUSDS #NYUSJP #SJP #BDS #UAW #NYUGSWU #FreePalestine #Disclose #Divest

Chicago, IL – On Tuesday, February 11, over 70 students rallied and marched at the University of Illinois at Chicago to defend immigrant rights after a rise in ICE raids.

The protest was called by New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC (New SDS at UIC) in coordination with the emergency national week of action called by National New SDS. Some of the endorsing campus organizations included Anakbayan, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA), Jewish Student Collective (JSC), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and Radical Public Health (RPH).