News and Views from the People's Struggle
St. Paul, MN – On a cold autumn morning on November 2 over 90 pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in front of the O’Shaughnessy Theater at Saint Catherine University to stand in solidarity with the global Palestinian movement and to express their outrage for Israel’s bombing campaign of Gaza over the last three weeks.
St. Paul, MN – The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) called on its supporters in the anti-war movement, the Muslim community and the Palestinian community on to protest Representative Betty McCullom for her recent support for Israel’s war on Palestine.
Twelve protesters, aged 14 to 84, entered her office October 25 and refused to leave until they got to speak to the representative about her silence on the loss of Palestinian lives. Meanwhile, 1000 people rallied outside the representative’s office.
Historically, the anti-war movement has seen Representative McCollum as an important congressional ally for her introduction of the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, which would have prohibited Israel from using U.S. taxpayer dollars for “the military detention, abuse, or ill treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention; the seizure and destruction of Palestinian property and homes in violation of international humanitarian law; or any assistance or support for unilateral annexation of Palestinian lands in violation of international humanitarian law.”
On Sunday, October 22, over 400 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes in one day. McCollum’s own constituents are concerned about her silence on the incredible loss of Palestinian lives.
Members of the AWC, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) met with her Saint Paul staff in person and later with her chief of staff over the phone. The demonstrators demanded to meet with McCollum, but staffers insisted she couldn’t come to the phone because she was on the House floor. The activists later discovered, while still occupying McCollum's office, that while they were waiting to meet with her, she was busy voting in favor of House Resolution 771, which supported Israel’s “right to defend itself.”
Drake Myers, an activist with the Anti-War Committee, participated in the sit-in and said, “As Palestine solidarity organizers we are well aware that Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ – especially at this stage – is code for total U.S. support for the genocide of Gazans. Israel is fundamentally not defending itself; it was founded on the murder and displacement of indigenous Palestinians in 1948 and is widely recognized as an apartheid state. It is beyond shameful that McCollum, who has been a consistent voice opposing Israeli war crimes and supporting Palestinian self-determination, has made a total betrayal: voting for this resolution, issuing statements condemning the Palestinian resistance, and arresting Palestine solidarity activists instead of meeting with us in good faith.”
Andrew Josefchak, also a member of the Anti-War Committee, states, “After casting this disgusting vote, Betty McCollum had the audacity to say that Israel must constrain itself to a 'proportional response.' Israel has already cut Gaza off from water, food, fuel and electricity. Israel has already killed at least 7000 Palestinians. Israel has already demolished hospitals, schools and entire apartment blocks. Israeli politicians have called for a 'new Nakba.' For McCollum to say 'Israel’s response must be proportional and consider the innocent Palestinian lives at stake in Gaza' at this point is ridiculous. Israel's actions are genocidal.”
Protesters refused to leave until McCollum promised to vote no on Biden's proposed $14 billion in military aid to Israel and to release a statement calling for the immediate cessation of the Israeli bombing and siege of Gaza and for no ground invasion.
The sit-in began at 1:30 p.m. and continued until 10:30 p.m. All 12 people were arrested and charged with trespassing.
St. Paul, MN – On October 18, more than 8000 people demonstrated on the steps of the Minnesota Capitol building to show solidarity with Palestine and to highlight the U.S. role in endorsing and funding the ongoing Israeli war on Palestine.
The protest was organized by American Muslims for Palestine – Minnesota, Students for Justice in Palestine – University of Minnesota , and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee.
St. Paul, MN – On Friday, October 13, 70 Palestine solidarity activists answered the Palestinian Resistance’s call for a global day of action by attending the weekly Justice for Palestine vigil hosted by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) on a busy intersection near Macalester College. The pouring rain did not stop protesters from coming to express their outrage at the U.S. funding and unconditional support for the horrific, genocidal war being waged by Israel on Gaza, Palestine.
St. Paul, MN – On October 12, the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition rallied at the site of a new ForwardEdge ASIC LLC office. ForwardEdge is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, the world’s largest defense contractor. Amid the horrific Israeli bombing of Gaza, around 150 protesters gathered in a show of solidarity with Palestine and to demand “No Minnesota money for weapons manufacturers.”
St. Paul, MN – On September 24, cars participated in the Women Against Military Madness’ Solidarity Committee of the Americas (SCOTA) and the MN Cuba Committee’s monthly car caravans to show solidarity with Cuba, demand an end to the 60-year blockade against Cuba and that Cuba be taken off the U.S.’ state sponsor of terrorism list.
St. Paul, MN – Over 50 protesters gathered in front of Governor Tim Walz’s interim residence on Wednesday, September 13, at the Eastcliff mansion in Saint Paul to call for expanded abortion access and more money for clinics in the state of Minnesota.
St. Paul, MN – The Climate Justice Committee and allies held a press conference at Metro State University to hold the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) accountable as they start the three year rulemaking process for a new cumulative impacts law passed in Minnesota in 2023. This cumulative impacts law would not just take into account air pollution from one business at a particular site but would look at the cumulative impacts of pollution in the area and make permitting decisions based on historic pollution and how the community in the area has already been impacted.
The MPCA is responsible for permitting all businesses that have an impact of soil, water and air pollution and was responsible for the permitting of Enbridge’s Line 3 oil pipeline.
At this event, the CJC showed up to hold MPCA accountable for its current and future actions around the issue of air pollution.
“Why is the MPCA not working harder to outreach to the communities they say they want to protect, like East Phillips. I am a student at Metro State, and I wouldn’t have known this event was happening if the CJC hadn’t done this event. We see this as another time when communities like East Phillips in Minneapolis will be let down by legislation that could benefit them. It’s time to end half-measures and leniency for people who poison us!” said Mordecai Mika of the Climate Justice Committee.
Mair Allen from the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy stated, “I’ve lived in East Phillips for 13 years, and I think about my 11-year-old neighbor who died in his house of an asthma attack. And I think about the people who can leave their windows open and can walk around their neighborhoods without coughing; everyone benefits from the environment, but those benefits are uneven. There is no such thing as a ‘community benefit’, it’s not possible to benefit from not having pollution. We shouldn’t have to fight for clean air.” Mair was referring to one part of the legislation that includes making “community benefit” agreements with businesses that would be legally binding.
Climate Justice Committee members and supporters then went into the MPCA meeting to ask questions. The MPCA had intended to only take written comments, but CJC members and other community members forced the MPCA representatives to listen to comments. Several audience members talked about the current lack of community outreach and in particular the lack of indigenous input. Others pointed out the distrust of the MPCA because of its history permitting Line 3. MPCA now knows that the community is watching and will be there to force them to do the right thing and get polluters out of our neighborhoods.
St. Paul, MN – On August 23, over a dozen protesters gathered on the bottom floor of the Minnesota State Capitol building to demand that Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota State Board of Investments (SBI) divest all state funds from companies which profit from Israeli apartheid. Governor Walz and SBI members were greeted at the entrance of the meeting room with signs decrying Israeli apartheid and a large banner in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) meets quarterly to review investment reports and to hear from the public. Normally the meetings start around 10 a.m., but on May 25 the SBI started their meeting over three hours late. The Executive Board, which includes Governor Tim Walz, Secretary of State Steve Simon, Attorney General Keith Ellison and State Auditor Julie Blaha, heard testimony concerning taconite mining leases until after 1 p.m.