Tucson, AZ – On Tax Day, April 15, more than a dozen organizations in Tucson united against Trump’s war on Iran. Organized by the Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC), the rally outside the Federal Building downtown drew a crowd of around 80 people and lots of honks in support.

TAWC is part of the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN), which called for a national day of action on Tax Day. Cities participating so far include New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Tucson, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C., Seattle, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tulsa, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Grand Rapids.

Protesters held signs that read “Stop Trump’s war on Iran!” “Money for human needs, not for war!” and “U.S. out of Iran.” A TAWC organizer led the chants, “No more money for working moms, you spent it all on building bombs!” and “Israel bombs, USA pays, how many kids did you kill today?”

The group first heard from Dr. Mario Acosta, a member of Common Defense, a progressive veteran’s organization, who stated, “People are dying as a result of what is going on. I am a psychologist and I spoke to a patient today who lost his Affordable Care coverage. He has a heart condition, and now he can’t afford his medication. You know what will happen to him? He will probably die because of the cuts to healthcare coverage that are now going to this war. We need to stop this war!”

Arlee Garcia, an organizer with TAWC stated, “At the same time that the government is spending such unfathomable amounts of money on war crimes, we can’t fund our schools. People are living on the streets. Parents skip meals to feed their kids. When we are sick, we have to seriously think about whether we can afford a hospital visit or afford an ambulance in an emergency. So today, while the government demands we pay our taxes while they are spending an average of $2 billion every single day on the war on Iran, it is up to us to seize this moment and work together to build a broad and united anti-war movement.”

Cosponsors of the action were Common Defense, Deflock Tucson, and the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance with endorsing support from Veterans for Peace Local 13, Nuclear Resister, Fluxx, Desert Rising, FRSO Tucson, Tucson Safety Team, RCA Tucson, CPUSA Tucson, and AZ ACTS.

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #TaxDay #Iran #AntiWarActionNetwork #TAWC

Tucson, AZ – As part of the March 15 No U.S. War on Iran National Day of Action called by the Anti-War Action Network, the Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC) and others answered the call. Organizers quickly identified an important location for their action: the Tucson Festival of Books.

“Not only does this event see tens of thousands of people all weekend, we know that weapons manufacturer Raytheon is a sponsor,” said TAWC organizer Maria Sohn Hasman.

“Even local TV news covered the fact that Raytheon’s Tomahawk is being used by the U.S. in their war against Iran. And despite Trump’s lies, we know the U.S. is guilty of killing more than 170 people at the Iranian girls’ school and Raytheon’s Tomahawk missile is responsible. It is beyond disgusting to see Raytheon’s booth have a child-oriented ‘Build a Rocket’ activity. We’re here to publicly shame Raytheon as a merchant of death, their profit gains from Trump’s war on Iran, and to call on the Festival of Books to end their partnership with Raytheon,” roared Sohn Hasman to the crowd.

A group of over 30 people marched to Raytheon’s booth. In addition to protest signs, organizers made a model missile with Raytheon’s logo aimed at the iconic pink backpack covered in blood found in the rubble of the bombed girls school.

University of Arizona police attempted to keep the protesters moving but the large group held their ground to deliver their message. Chants of “Raytheon Raytheon shame on you! The missiles you build kill children too!” echoed across the University of Arizona mall as attendees of the festival read signs with “Deadly rockets fill Raytheon’s pockets” and “Hands off Iran!”

“It is clear that Raytheon got the message that we were coming for them because they took down all signage with their name on it. We need to keep building this anti-war movement as Trump and Israel see bombings as the only way to achieve their agenda,” added Sohn Hasman.

Co-sponsors of the action included progressive veteran organization Common Defense, Tempest Collective, the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, Revolutionary Communists of America, Veterans for Peace Local 13, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Tucson.

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement

Tucson, AZ – As part of the National Week of Action against Howmet Aerospace, March 1 to 8, the Tucson Anti War Committee (TAWC) led a protest on March 7 outside of a Howmet facility that makes fasteners for Lockheed Martin’s F-35.

In an industrial area of Tucson unaccustomed to political protests, passing cars honked enthusiastically against Israel’s genocide of Palestine. Israel purchases a version of the F-35 that it has used to drop “bunker busters” that have murdered Palestinians and leveled homes as part of the Zionist genocide.

Most Tucsonans know Raytheon, RTX, as the local war profiteer, but the outreach by TAWC raised awareness about Howmet as another manufacturer that profits off of U.S. wars and destruction.

Before the protest, TAWC hosted a community teach-in and followed up with months of flyering and canvassing neighborhoods, small businesses, and community events.

Protesters held Palestinian flags and a big banner that read, “Howmet cut ties with genocide” along with signs stating “Tucson stands against genocide” and “Israel kills, Howmet profits.”

Melissa Cordero, a progressive, anti-war veteran and organizer with Common Defense stated, “We must hold corporations like Howmet accountable for their role in perpetuating this cycle of violence and neglect of our veterans. We need a shift in our national priorities where our resources are directed to supporting those who have served.”

This was the first protest TAWC has held outside the Howmet facility in Tucson. A member of TAWC stated, “The majority of Howmet’s products are engines and wheels made for commercial vehicles and planes, and only about 17% of their business comes from making parts for the F-35 fighter jet for Lockheed Martin. The F-35 is a lethal fighter jet capable of carrying tens of thousands of pounds of bombs and moving faster than the speed of sound. They are a critical component in the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide of Palestinians.” He also explained these F-35 fighter jets are being used by the U.S. around the world in Venezuela and Iran.

TAWC took on the campaign with co-sponsors Common Defense, Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance (APSA), PSL, Nuclear Resistors, Veterans for Peace, and the local Tempest Collective branch.

Speakers at the action echoed the campaign’s demands that Howmet permanently stop their production of parts for F-35s and cut all ties with Lockheed Martin. The protest ended with a TAWC member leading chants like, “Howmet, Howmet you will see, Palestine will be free!” and “Howmet can keep Gaza alive, just stop making the F-35!”

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Howmet

Tucson, AZ – On March 30, educators, labor unions and community members marched in downtown Tucson to tell the Trump administration, “Hands off the Department of Education!” The crowd gathered outside Davis Elementary, which is renowned for its bilingual education and mariachi, then headed toward the Federal and State buildings for a speaking program.

Union educators from Sunnyside and Flowing Wells spoke about the catastrophic impact that the dismantling of the Department of Education would have on Title I funding for low-income schools and Title III funding for English Language learners and the loss of special education rights.

Jennifer Cardenas, a school psychologist in the Sunnyside School District, said, “If we allow these cuts to happen, we send a message to children that their future is negotiable. But we have a choice. We can stand up and fight for these resources.”

Anthony Lovio, a 6th grade teacher in Flowing Wells, added, “Some 15% of all students in the U.S. require special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Eliminating the Department of Education would have a detrimental impact on my students, families, and the broader community.”

Parents of children in public schools also spoke about the need to protect students by maintaining services, staff and funding as well as being inclusive to all students, especially LGBTQ children to combat Trump’s bigoted agenda on gender.

As the chair of the Pima Area Labor Federation and member of CWA 7026, Cecilia Valdez spoke about the need to defend all workers and specifically those under attack like VA hospital workers and postal workers. She mentioned the recent rallies of the American Post Workers Union to fight the efforts for privatization of the mail service, stating, “We know these are union-busting tactics and an effort to make the rich richer.”

Educators from the AZ Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (AZACTS) at Arizona’s only unionized charter school, Basis Tucson North, shared their struggles in getting transparency on where the funding goes and how to get the resources their students need.

“We need to fight to defend the Department of Education so our students get the resources they need because the states will not make sure that happens. And a for-profit corporation sure as hell is not going to make sure that happens for our students,” added Duncan Sohn Hasman, vice president of the Arizona affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

The event received endorsements from five Arizona Education Association locals, Flowing Wells, Sunnyside, Marana, Amphi, and Tucson and the AFT affiliate AZACTS. Local labor unions also endorsed including, AFSCME 449, IBEW 570, CWA 7026, UFCW 99, and the Pima Area Labor Federation joined the call to defend public workers. From the community, LUCHA and ScholarshipsAZ also supported the protest with endorsements as they push for a halt to deportations, support for DACA students and a People’s Budget at the state level.

#TusconAZ #AZ #Labor

Since then, the picket line at the five operations, four in Arizona, one in Texas, has been held solid by Teamsters, Steelworkers and other trade unionists. Besides the picket line, there have been press conferences, demonstrations outside the Mexican consulate, protests outside Asarco’s office, a disruption of the Mining Association’s meeting by workers, and plenty of community outreach.

Recently, the strikers have met with a California legislator who has been close to the USMCA trade deal that Trump is pushing. On the opening day of the Arizona legislature, January 13, strikers took to the capitol to push their cause to state lawmakers who can enforce rules and regulations that Asarco is not following.

“It is clear a pressure campaign to shame this greedy corporation is necessary,” said Steelworker strike captain Eduardo Placencio.

#TucsonAZ #TusconAZ #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #Strikes #Asarco #AsarcoStrike

Tucson, AZ – As one of the country’s longest running strikes continues into week 13, educators from Arizona’s RedForEd movement brought food donations to the picket line. The eight unions serving nearly 2000 workers at five Asarco copper mining operations have created a tradition at the Pima Mine: Sunday dinner. It’s a beautiful display of worker solidarity and union power as striking workers and their families come eat a warm meal and enjoy their camaraderie. It is there that a van-full of non-perishable goods from Phoenix-area educators was delivered.

President of the Chandler Education Association, Katie Nash, said “I came down to the picket line to show solidarity to union siblings who showed us solidarity during our strike in 2018. It’s important as union siblings that we stand united and lift each other up when needed. Many educators contributed to this because we know their parents are doing the right thing by striking but we wanted to make sure their children continue to have food.”

The Arizona Education Association donated $1000 at the beginning of the strike in October and a handful of locals have followed suit the Chandler Education donated $200 to strikers and the Tucson Education Association donated $250 and raised another $260 from members.

#TucsonAZ #TusconAZ #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #strike #Strikes #RedforEd #Asarco

Earlier in the week, President Trump announced that U.S. troops would be leaving northern Syria. This created an uproar in the corporate mainstream media that the U.S. would be “abandoning an ally” in regional Kurdish forces. A few days later, Turkey, a U.S. ally and NATO member, began an aerial bombing campaign aimed at targets just across the Turkish border into northern Syria, its most oil-rich region. While Turkey’s recent actions need to be condemned strongly, U.S. attempts to destroy Syria set the stage for recent events.

“The Tucson Anti War Committee wanted to demonstrate our anger at the continued U.S. meddling in other countries’ affairs that have disastrous consequences for those people. We know the U.S. was only using the Kurds to try to balkanize Syria because the Syrian Arab Army, with help from Iran, Russia and others, have successfully defeated the coalition of terrorist groups backed by the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Israel. We must oppose the most violent regime on the planet: U.S. imperialism currently led by billionaire president Donald Trump,” stated co-organizer Brian Dutz.

“Turkey has long been a junior partner of U.S. imperialism through NATO, but we know that calls for continued U.S. intervention in Syria to help the Kurds is not the solution. We uphold the right of self-determination for Syria, and the U.S., with its 12 military bases in northern Syria, violate that right,” Dutz continued.

#TusconAZ #TucsonAZ #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #TucsonAntiWarCommittee

Tucson, AZ – On March 30, the Legalization For All Network completed the first day of an immigrant rights delegation to Arizona and the U.S.-México border.

Members of immigrant rights organizations and a Palestinian liberation movement organization from the Midwest are participating in the delegation.

The first day of the trip was in Tucson, Arizona, where the delegation learned about the history of the U.S.-México border and the struggles of the Chicano people in the Southwest, which was the top half of México until the U.S. invasion of México in 1848.

In the morning, the delegation participated in the 19th annual Cesar Chavez rally in Tucson, led by the Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition. The annual rally honors and celebrates Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers union’s legacy and brings attention to the current Chicano community struggles and immigrant rights and labor struggles. This includes the sharp struggles over the U.S./ México border in the context of President Trump’s declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ and his recent threats to entirely close the U.S.– México border.

The Legalization for All Network delegation members marched together as a contingent in the march that was led by a group from the Tohono O’odham Nation and included many Chicano and labor organizations. After marching about a mile, the delegation arrived at Rudy Garcia park for a rally. Speakers emphasized the importance of not only learning about the history of the Chicano movement, but continuing its legacy by carrying on the struggle today in the workplace, high school and college campuses, and on the streets. For 19 years, the Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition has been fighting to create a paid holiday in Pima County in honor of Cesar Chavez.

After the march, the delegation arrived at Global Justice Center, which houses several important organizations, such as the Alliance for Global Justice, No More Deaths, and Coalición de Derechos Humanos.

There, the delegation heard an engaging presentation from long-time activist Isabel Garcia of Coalición de Derechos Humanos (Coalition for Human Rights). They have been struggling against the injustices at the border and attacks on immigrant rights for decades. Garcia emphasized the roots of the oppression of immigrants in the capitalist system and corporations’ changing needs over time for cheap, exploitable labor. Garcia also talked about the need to fight against militarization of the border and to connect the immigrant rights struggle to the struggles for Black liberation and against police brutality, among many other things.

After meeting with Garcia, the delegation met with Saulo Escamilla, a leader in the struggle over Chicano Studies in Arizona, who works in culturally responsive pedagogy instruction. The Chicano Studies struggle has been very sharp in Arizona, with the state legislature banning all ethnic studies in 2010 – an attack on Chicano Studies in particular – leading to mass struggles for years until the law was recently overturned in the courts. Escamilla’s presentation was on the history of the Chicano movement, with a particular focus on lesser-known women leaders in the Chicano struggle, and also on Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, a key Chicano movement leader of the 1960s who organized the conference that led to the founding of the Chicano student group MEChA, which still exists today. Escamilla ended his presentation with an emphasis on the youth’s role in the struggle, reminding us that although change is slow, with continued struggle and youth empowerment, change is bound to come.

After the meetings, the delegation took a tour of some of Tucson’s Chicano street art, seeing an artistic representation on the streets of the struggles of the Chicano community. Street art the delegation saw included the mural “La Pilita” and the “Barrio Anita” mosaic. Members of the delegation also had a chance to drive through some of the historic barrios of Tucson, which are currently being subjected to gentrification.

The Cesar Chavez march and the presentations about the immigrant rights struggle in Arizona and the history of the Chicano movement provided a good framework for the rest of the delegation.

#TusconAZ #International #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Mexico #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #LegalizationForAllNetwork #CesarChavez #DonaldTrump #USMexicoBorder

Tucson, AZ - At the Annual Tucson Peace Fair, February 23, the Tucson Anti War Committee organized a short march through the event to draw attention to maneuvers of Trump and U.S. imperialism against Venezuela. On the international day of action calling for “No War on Venezuela,” to celebrate one month of successful resistance to the coup attempt against President Maduro, the solidarity activists shouted, “Hands off Venezuela” and drew supporters to the march from the crowd and the groups tabling.

A brief rally was held, with speakers from the Alliance for Global Justice, Pima County Green Party, DSA Tucson, ISO, and International Marxist Tendency, as they all denounced the coup by Trump and Guaido as illegitimate and unpopular. As Venezuela expatriate counter-protesters tried to attack the government of President Maduro for rejecting phony ‘humanitarian aid,’ a few people shouted that Venezuela’s government has accepted real aid from China and Russia.

As Eduardo Cott read the statement from the Tucson Anti War Committee, he noted that “Sanctions kill” and that “ending the U.S. sanctions is equivalent to giving $12,000 to every person in Venezuela. I think that could go a lot farther than a few bags of rice.”

Tucson was one of hundreds of cities around the world that told Trump and his war criminal officials John Bolton and Eliot Abrams: Hands off Venezuela!

#TusconAZ #AntiwarMovement #Venezuela #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #NicolásMaduro #TucsonAntiWarCommittee #DonaldTrump #TucsonPeaceFair

On October 29, President Trump ordered 5200 U.S. troops to the Mexican border in an attempted show of force with a caravan of refugees moving north from Honduras through Mexico. Trump has since threatened thousands more troops. The troop total could end up being more than the U.S. troops continuing the war in Afghanistan.

The caravan, composed largely of Hondurans fleeing gang violence and violent political repression, has seen as many as 7000 people. That figure has dropped to nearly 3500 because some 1700 have been said to have applied for documentation in Mexico. Regardless of the causes and the nature of the thousands of refugees seeking asylum, work and safety, Trump has rallied his rabid white racist base by unleashing the U.S. military to the border. The 5200 U.S. troops would be added to the existing 16,500 Border Patrol Agents and the extra 3500 National Guardsmen that Trump mobilized earlier this year.

The Tucson Anti-War Committee completely condemns this racist and militaristic move by Trump and calls for their immediate removal of ALL troops from the border. We are fully aware of the history of U.S. imperialism’s role in Central America that has led to the destruction of many countries like El Salvador. Presently, the nations of Central America today live among the concrete conditions laid in the wake of government overthrows, assassinations and military dictatorships. Moreover, the U.S. has only once admitted any culpability to their crimes in Central America. It has not contributed any reparations for the lives lost and damage done even though, in 1986, the International Court of Justice ruled the U.S. guilty of illegal support for the Contras and ordered the US pay reparations to Nicaragua.

More recently, in 2009, as the Pink Tide of leftist policies in Latin America was rising in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua, the U.S. and Honduran elites worked together to remove progressive President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras in a military coup. This coup was supported by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama. Since then, Honduras has seen a massive rightward shift of control, rife with brutal repression, and government collaboration with gangs. The result for the Honduran people has been the highest murder rate in the Western Hemisphere, increased poverty, privatization of public services, political assassinations and massive migration. The Anti-War Committee holds the U.S. government responsible for the lives journeying through Mexico and facing a now further militarized U.S. border.

Furthermore, the heavy U.S. military presence in Central America and the Caribbean is part of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), a combat command center that plans and implements covert and overt military operations throughout Latin America. Meanwhile, the U.S. 4th Naval Fleet stalks the shores of Central American countries like Nicaragua in order to enforce the agenda of Washington. Despite having been in the U.S. imperial crosshairs many times, including this spring and summer, Nicaragua’s Sandinista government programs have led to strengthening of economic and social stability, reduction in crime, and towards self-sufficiency. Compared to its northern neighbor Honduras, which suffered a U.S.-backed coup, Nicaragua has not contributed to mass migration.

Further south, the U.S. has used their influence over Colombia to operate bases that coordinate the war against the FARC and make Colombia a ‘global partner’ of NATO. As the neighbor of Venezuela, Colombia could now house nuclear weapons as the U.S. continues to seek regime change against President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela. It is clear that the U.S. continues to seek to impose its will on the peoples of Latin America.

The Anti-War Committee joins all popular forces in demanding that President Trump remove the troops from the border and give asylum to Central American refugees.

Troops Off the Border!

U.S. Out of Latin America!

Asylum for All Refugees!

#TusconAZ #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #US #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarCommittee #militarization #DonaldTrump