Chicago, IL – Around 150 people gathered outside of the Hyatt Regency hotel on Saturday, June 6 to demand that the American Medical Association (AMA) advocate for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian pediatrician who was abducted by the Israeli military in late 2024 due to his refusal to abandon his young patients.

The campaign to demand his freedom was formed in August 2025 by US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and Healthcare Workers for Palestine and was later joined by Code Pink. The organizations called Saturday’s action to target AMA’s House of Delegates and Board of Trustees, who were gathered inside the Hyatt Regency for the organization’s annual conference.

“The inaction and silence of the AMA and its leadership in regard to a medical colleague who survived a genocide and horrific imprisonment in Israeli prisons is a betrayal to its oath. It is directly violating AMA’s own civil and human rights policy and only exposes the organization’s anti-Palestinian bias, hypocrisy and selective advocacy,” said Rania Salem of USPCN.

“We've tried a lot of different things,” stated Erin of Healthcare Workers for Palestine, “We tried to go and talk to them, we tried to get them to meet with us. We've had call campaigns, we've had email campaigns. 
We've had press conferences outside of their central office, which is here in Chicago. We've gone to their House of Delegates meetings where we were outside because they wouldn't let us inside.”

One campaign tactic that proved successful happened a few months ago when organizers cornered the president of the AMA, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, and set up a meeting with him. In this meeting, Mukkamala stated that the AMA prioritized remaining “neutral” to not alienate either side. Yet on Saturday, the campaign learned from a medical student attending the conference that on the opening night, the AMA gave a special acknowledgement to the members of the Israeli Medical Association that were invited and present in the room with the entire organization.

The call for Dr. Abu Safiya’s release became even more urgent when on Thursday, June 4, he was placed in solitary confinement. When April Ward of Mothers Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity (MAMAS) heard the story of Dr. Abu Safiya, she thought of her son, Mickiael Ward, who was tortured into a false confession by Chicago police and held in solitary confinement. She described it as “mental torture.”

“We hear, watch, and talk about the cruelty and inhumanity in Palestine and Gaza, specifically, and we want the mothers, the sisters, the aunties, and the caregivers in Palestine to know that we are in unconditional solidarity with you,” Ward stated.

Many of the methods of torture that the Israeli military uses against Palestinian prisoners are also used by the Chicago police. “There are hundreds of people who are locked up here with credible, verified accounts of torture by the police, who still, and were forced into signing false confessions, who were still locked up in prisons today,” said Merawi Gerima on behalf of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), “and so we know that Black people, brown people, working and poor people here in the United States, have every interest to stand in solidarity with Dr. Safiya and all Palestinian prisoners.”

Despite its location on a small side street, the rally drew lots of attention as it unfolded. Many medical professionals attending the conference watched the speakers from the building’s glass skywalk, and several passersby stopped to listen and join the chanting.

“Dr. Husam represents a value that is often forgotten among doctors today. He represents the value of the medical fight against imperialism. That's why it's crucial we organize globally like how we are today to demand the release of Dr. Husam,” said Alfonso Castillo of Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC).

The rally ended with a reading of testimonies of Palestinian medical workers and naming the 83 medical workers who are in Israeli detention today.

Individuals can send a letter to the AMA delegates demanding they immediately advocate for the release of Dr. Abu Safiya and follow @uspcn and @hcw4palichi and @codepinkalert on Instagram for updates on the campaign.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #USPCN

Minneapolis, MN- Al-Nakba, meaning “The Catastrophe,” is a day of remembrance when communities grieve the over 15,000 Palestinians the Israeli occupation murdered in 1948 and the over 750,000 Palestinians displaced from their homeland. After the Anti-War Action Network called for their third annual day of action commemorating Al-Nakba, the Twin Cities hosted two protests to mark the importance of resisting U.S. funding for Israel.

On Friday, May 15, Women Against Military Madness held their weekly protest at the Summit and Snelling intersection in Saint Paul with a specific focus on the Nakba. Speaker Wyatt Miller from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) said, “I’ve given plenty of speeches like this on past Nakba Days. I usually say something about how Palestinians are the bravest people on Earth. I still believe that, but let’s have this year’s Nakba Day be the one where we say, the Palestinians have been brave enough. They have made enough sacrifices. The world can no longer deny the injustice of the occupation. It’s time for the rest of us to learn to find that bravery in ourselves. The Palestinians have taught the world that dignity doesn’t mean mere politeness or etiquette; true dignity means standing up for what is just and refusing to tolerate anything less than justice.”

On Sunday, May 17, over 30 cyclists gathered at Minnehaha Falls for the Gaza Sunbirds solidarity ride in commemoration of Al-Nakba. The Great Ride of Return global bike rides are organized in support of the Gaza Sunbirds, a Palestinian para-cycling team bringing awareness to the ongoing Israeli siege on Gaza and its production of disability under occupation. The cyclists biked through Minneapolis with Palestinian flags attached to their bikes, chanting “Free, free Palestine” over their bullhorns.

The bikers joined hundreds of activists and community members gathered at Chute Square to march along the Mississippi River in protest of 78 years of Israeli occupation in Palestine. The Nakba Day march was organized by the Minnesota chapter of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and the AWC.

Nadiyah Salawdeh, co-chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network’s Minnesota chapter stated, “Palestinians had been rebelling against British and Zionist forces for decades,” they said. “Every time a fascist settler murders a Palestinian, it’s a catastrophe. Every time a Palestinian is illegally detained, it is a catastrophe. Every time a child starves to death, it is a catastrophe. Home demolition, poisoned water, burning olive trees—these are all catastrophes. Just as the Nakba was not confined to 1948, it is not confined to the borders of historic Palestine. The Lebanese people and the Lebanese resistance have been on the front lines defending their land from Israeli settler expansion. Since the U.S.-Israeli war was launched on Iran and Lebanon, thousands have been murdered, and over a million have been displaced. That is a catastrophe.”

Joe Yamine of the AWC told the crowd, “Today, the Zionist entity is more callous, more destructive, more depraved, and more afraid than it has ever been.”

Yamine continued, “The Western regimes [that] back it have revealed their utter contempt for their people, who turn out in the streets demanding justice and liberation for Palestine now. In Minnesota, we're confronting our municipal governments as they try to sign contracts with Israeli tech companies like Zencity and Waterfall. We are fighting for an end to our state's complicity in Israeli apartheid and the ongoing Nakba by pressuring the State Board of Investment to divest.”

Alissa Washington of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice and the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council expanded on the theme of state detention as she discussed the Palestinian right of return.

“The right to resist oppression, occupation and dehumanization is rooted in the struggle of oppressed people across the world,” Washington affirmed. “That is why we also demand freedom for Salah Sarsour and all people targeted, criminalized, or punished for standing with Palestine and speaking out against injustice.” Sarsour, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s president and an AMP board member, has been held in ICE detention since March 30.

Washington contined, “Today, let us remember: They want us divided because united people are dangerous to systems built on oppression. From Minneapolis to Palestine, our struggles are connected. From the prison walls to the refugee camps, our people are connected. From the streets demanding accountability to the marches demanding liberation, our resistance is connected. And as long as oppressed people continue to rise together, there will always be hope for freedom.”

Before the protesters flooded the streets to express their grief, hope and rage, Taher Herzallah of AMP articulated Israel’s commitment to dehumanization, breaching international law and fostering a culture of settler violence, concluding, “Israel has absolved itself of its right to exist.” In this spirit, the crowd marched down to the Mississippi River and disrupted business as usual to demand an end to the ongoing Nakba, Sarsour’s release, and a free Palestine.

After two and a half years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its continued annexation of the West Bank and southern Lebanon, people of conscience know that the Nakba is an ongoing ethnic cleansing project that the U.S. government has funded for over three-quarters of a century. Indeed, Minnesota state pensions are currently funding Israel’s crimes to the tune of $5.5 billion in SBI investments. The SBI canceled two of its quarterly public meetings in 2025, and on Wednesday, May 13, it deleted the details of its previously announced meeting scheduled for June 3 from its website.

The MN Anti-War Committee will demand answers at the 2026 DFL State Convention, taking place in Rochester, Minnesota on May 29.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Nakba #AntiWarCommittee #USPCN #AMP #SalahSarsour

Chicago, IL – On Tax Day, April 15, a crowd of protesters gathered in Chicago to oppose Google’s complicity in Israel’s genocide and occupation of Palestinians and ICE’s attacks on immigrant communities. Protesters demanded no taxes for war or for ICE, legalization for all, U.S. out of the Middle East, no war with Iran, and the end to U.S. aid to Israel.

Protesters stood in front of Google’s building in the West Loop holding signs and banners reading “Michael Frerichs, stop buying Israel Bonds,” “Like Zionism, apartheid cannot last,” “We need a regime change in DC, not Iran or Venezuela” and “End CPD and ICE collaboration.” While speakers rallied the crowd, others gathered petition signatures from the passersby to demand Illinois divest its public funds from Israel.

“Google has been complicit in genocide in the Gaza Strip and in Palestine. Google’s Nimbus project provides the Israeli military with AI technology and cloud computing services to help the Israeli military choose targets and bomb them in the genocide that has killed over 70,000 people directly and thousands more indirectly,” said Husam Marajda with USPCN.

“We demand that Google immediately stop all business with the Israeli military and the federal government that is committing mass violence here in the U.S. through ICE, but is also committing war crimes in Iran.”

Maya Sánchez with IRWC described Google’s role in the kidnapping of our immigrant neighbors, stating, “Google is not some neutral tech company, it is an active participant in systems of oppression. Google holds contracts with the U.S. government including DHS [Department of Homeland Security] and ICE.”

She continued, drawing the connection between U.S. and Israeli aggression towards Palestine and attacks on immigrant communities in the U.S.: “What happens in Palestine and Iran is not separate from our struggles with ICE here at home. The same systems of surveillance and control abroad are used here in the states. Spyware and other technologies developed for the military are used for policing and immigration enforcement. The IOF uses Palestine and other parts of the Middle East as a testing ground for surveillance and violent technology in America.”

Caeli Kean with AWC called for ongoing mass protests in response to these injustices, shouting, “We are not helpless, because we have the numbers, and we can unite and fight back. The observable truth is that millions of people across the country are standing with immigrant communities against ICE and across the world, billions of people are standing with Palestine, with Venezuela, with Cuba, and other oppressed nations and people!”

The action ended with protesters chanting, “Money for jobs and education! Not for war and occupation! Google, Google, it is time! We charge you with genocide!”

The rally was organized by Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC), US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), and the Immigrants Rights Working Committee (IRWC) – a committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

To hear about future actions opposing imperialist wars and attacks on immigrant communities follow @antiwarchicago, @uspcn, @caarprnow on social media.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #AWCChicago #USPCN #CAARPR

Although the Tuesday, April 7th, ceasefire announced after 40 days of U.S. / Israeli war on Iran has gripped us all, the criminal U.S. and Israel can never be trusted to uphold ceasefires or good-faith negotiations. This morning, April 8th, USPCN and the entire world were awakened to the horrific news that Israel has carried out a massive bombing raid in Lebanon, killing over 300 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross. The number will undoubtedly rise as the raid continues and the emergency responders report.

In response to this massacre, a senior Iranian official said to Al-Jazeera, “We will punish Israel in response to the crime it committed in Lebanon…The ceasefire includes the region, and Israel is knowingly breaking its promises.”

According to Fars News Agency, Iran has halted the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz over Israel's strikes in Lebanon, even though unblocking the strait was one of the stipulations of the ceasefire. And Tasnim News Agency reported that if ceasefire violations “persist,” Iran will cancel the two-week agreement and not attend the planned talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The New York Times broke news this morning that Netanyahu said in a statement that “the cease-fire did not include Lebanon,” and just hours later, Israel carried out the aforementioned large-scale bombing raid across Beirut, the Bekaa, and southern Lebanon, targeting over 100 sites it claims belong to the Lebanese resistance. The Israelis are doing what they do, massacring more and more people and destroying more and more of our homelands, with early reports stating that this raid is the worst Lebanon has seen since the vicious 1982 war. That means this war is not over, and it means that we cannot and will not celebrate even a temporary victory!

But we can discuss and analyze the past 40 days. Only hours after the war criminal Donald Trump announced on social media that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not unblock the Strait of Hormuz, the announcement of this two-week-long ceasefire in the U.S. / Israeli war against Iran is an historic moment for the Islamic Republic and its brave and resilient people, especially considering that it was prompted by a 10-point peace plan proposed by Iran itself, which presumably will be the basis for these two weeks of negotiations.

The plan includes the lifting of sanctions, the imposition of a $2 million fee per ship transiting Hormuz, an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon (violated already), and an end to all regional fighting against Iranian allies, with the understanding that the “Iranian allies” include the Unified Palestinian Resistance in Gaza and the rest of Palestine. It is a victory for the Axis of Resistance, and for all the people of the world, especially those in the Global South.

Conversely, no matter how much the increasingly unhinged Trump wants to declare that U.S. pressure forced the pause, this is a huge defeat for his administration and for U.S. imperialism. Trump was forced to move the goalposts continuously, to amend his objectives and back down numerous times, and to ultimately fail in accomplishing his primary goals, which included the destruction of Iran’s ballistic missiles and nuclear program.

The ceasefire is also a major defeat for Israel, which again was not able to accomplish its own goal of restricting Iran’s support for the other resistance forces in the region, especially in Palestine, Yemen, and Lebanon. Even with big brother U.S. jumping in as always to support the vassal state by attacking Iran and together killing over 1,600 Iranians (including the almost 180 schoolgirls killed by U.S. missiles early in the war) while Israel killed nearly 1,500 Lebanese, Israel was again exposed as conquerable like it has been since the Gaza Genocide. Seventy-two thousand Palestinians and counting have been killed, but neither the Palestinian nor Lebanese resistance has been defeated.

And as we are witnessing in Lebanon now, in a barbaric response to not being able to impose its will even after two and a half years of genocide in Gaza and indiscriminate attacks in Lebanon, Israel just continues to bomb neighborhoods and infrastructure and kill civilians. The racist, zionist, white supremacist, settler-colonialist state is out of control, and is supported unequivocally by the out of control Trump and the entire U.S. government, regardless of political party.

In addition, Israel’s Iron Dome, the defense system that U.S. taxpayers spent 1.6 billion dollars on, was not able to stop the strategic Iranian missile program developed for five decades under intense, U.S.-imposed sanctions. Israel's racist, genocide-apologist society has also been shaken to its core, as even the Occupation Forces’ chief of staff, only two weeks ago, said that the “[IOF] is going to collapse in on itself.”

For 40 days, the Israeli public lived in their shelters – reminding us of the mass flight of Israelis from the north of Occupied Palestine as the Lebanese resistance defended Gaza during the genocide – while the brave people of Iran marched daily in the streets defending themselves, their lands, and their sovereignty against this illegal war.

The U.S. / Israeli project is failing. And this moment cannot be understood without also recognizing the role played by the steadfast Unified Palestinian Resistance in Gaza. Since October 2023, Gaza has endured unimaginable violence while continuing to resist, exposing the limits of military power and helping to reshape the political landscape of the region. The resilience of the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and others has not only challenged narratives of dominance, but has also galvanized broader regional and global movements, making clear that struggles for liberation are interconnected.

We salute the courageous Iranians who are standing firm in supporting their people, their revolution, and their sovereignty, as well as the entire Axis of Resistance. Despite all U.S. and Israeli attempts to destabilize the Iranian government, including mass assassinations by both, and machinations by the Mossad to promote uprisings in the streets of Tehran and beyond, Iran stayed united and rejected the contemptible plans of the zionists, the U.S. imperialists, the Arab reactionaries, and the monarchists who want to reinstate a new Shah.

Iran’s strategic control of the Strait of Hormuz delivered an economic shock to the whole world, forcing the west to recognize that the U.S. is not the world's peace keeper, but rather one of its most dangerous liabilities. Even most of the other imperialist European states would not support this U.S. venture, and the corresponding economic blow will leave an impact on U.S. markets for years to come.

In just over four weeks – with the blocking of the Strait and the unstoppable attacks on U.S. bases in the Gulf states, which are essentially U.S. protectorates – Iran may accomplish militarily what 47 years of diplomacy could not, the possibility that sanctions against its people could be lifted. Under a constant, strategic barrage from Iran, the U.S. abandoned those bases and those Arab regimes “in a day and a night,” as the old Arab adage goes, making it clear that it was never there to accomplish anything but secure the economic interests of U.S. imperialism.

The bravery of the people of Iran and the rest of the Axis of Resistance – plus supporters that reject and resist U.S. hegemony, like China, which has provided technology and materials to help Iran’s missile program and has bought close to 80% of Iran’s oil to lessen the impact of sanctions – have inspired the entire globe to recognize what anti-imperialists and those fighting for national liberation and economic independence have always believed, that the U.S. empire is a paper tiger prone to wild attempts to control the entire world, and that this overextension may eventually lead it to collapse and defeat.

But even with these new developments and the slight change in the regional game, Israel commits another war crime with impunity, and the U.S. again allows it. Our movement must continue to be in the streets to stop the bombing in Lebanon, and we must also recognize that a genocide in Gaza; ethnic cleansing, settler attacks, and land expropriation in Al-Quds and the West Bank; and racist death penalty laws targeting Palestinian political prisoners all continue unabated, so our struggle continues as well.

Iran’s defense of its nation and solidarity with the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria has set a new standard in resisting empire in this world. It has proven, similar to Palestine and Lebanon, that no matter how powerful and well-funded Israel and the U.S. are, the people’s resistance will never be broken.

Long live international solidarity! Long live the struggle for a free and just world! Hands off Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine! End all U.S. sanctions and wars now!

U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

#USPCN #Palestine #Iran #Leabanon #AntiWarMovement

Chicago IL – A group of 50 residents protested outside the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) quarterly meeting in downtown Chicago, Friday March 27. The action was organized by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC), BDS Chicago, and the Illinois Divest from Genocide Network, a group of 60 organizations. Protesters demand that ISBI divest from all companies complicit in Israeli, U.S. wars, as well companies materially supporting ICE and other federal immigration enforcement here in the U.S. 

The network hosted a rally outside of the quarterly meeting as they have been for the past year and a half.

“The aggression on Iran both by our government and the Zionist state happened because boards like ISBI and treasurers like Michael Frerichs refuse to divest from genocide and war. When we gift companies with government contracts, investments and tax incentives, they will continue doing the evil things that our so-called politicians stand against and oppose,” stated Husam Marajda of USPCN during the outside rally portion. 

In addition to ISBI’s investments, Michael Frerichs, the Illinois state treasurer and vice chair of ISBI, has invested $100 million in Israel bonds. He renewed $15 million worth of bonds as recently as this February, despite growing demands for divestment.

After the outside rally, several people went through intense security checks and were even threatened with arrest to give public comment at the board meeting where they expressed their concern over ISBI and Frerichs’s inaction and demanded divestment. Several commenters discussed how money invested in companies like Palantir, L3Harris, and Boeing directly funds ICE kidnappings at home, and Israeli war crimes and genocide in West Asia. 

Several directly invoked ISBI and Frerichs’s responsibility. As Dominic Robolino, a healthcare worker and commenter stated, “We can stop this. We can end the genocide. We can end the wars. All we have to do is turn off the tap. Pull the money out. No money for genocide. Set an example for others to follow.” 

Speakers at public comment and the outside rally, including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) spoke to how the Israeli state and complicit companies fund police violence on the streets of Chicago, ICE deportation blitzes around the country, and U.S. imperialist aggression around the world. 

Gianna Escareño, another public commenter and a member of CAARPR, highlighted the ways that Boeing, L3Harris, and Palantir sell weapons and software for genocide in Palestine, and terrorizing immigrant communities in Chicago. Palantir, for example, “uses data to surveil our immigrant communities here at home and they are used in Palestine as well. They develop a kill list that is then used to brutally murder families in Palestine. How disgusting is that?”

At the end of the meeting, the network presented its research on the atrocities that Israel has committed using weapons from companies in the ISBI portfolio. They also presented signatures added to the organization’s divestment petition.

ISBI has still not released their 2025 annual report which should have been released by the end of 2025. The network had to get the data through FOIA, showing the importance of keeping pressure. 

Illinois residents can sign onto the petition demanding ISBI and Frerichs divest from genocide, warmongering, and ICE raid and can keep up with any actions surrounding the campaign by following @antiwarchicago, @BDSchicago, and @USPCN on social media.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #AntiWarChicago #BDSChicago #USPCN #BDS #Divestment

Chicago, IL – On Friday March 13, about 500 people gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in a protest led by People United Against Oppression (PUAO), US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Anti War Committee – Chicago (AWC) and many other organizations. This day is known as Al-Quds day within the Shia Muslim community and coincides with the last Friday of Ramadan.

“Trump wants war, Trump wants oil, hands off Iranian soil!” Joe Iosbaker of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) Chicago led the crowd to chant before they marched through downtown to Daley Plaza.

Al Quds day was declared by Iran shortly after it overthrew its U.S.-backed monarch, Reza Pahlavi in 1979. Around the same time, Iran nationalized its oil. Declared by founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, it was meant to be a day in public solidarity with the struggle of the people of Palestine and its capital Jerusalem, or Al-Quds in Arabic, and symbolizes Iranian national liberation as well. Al Quds is commonly observed throughout the world through public demonstrations and marches.

Iosbaker said in his speech, “The fool in the White House has made not only the biggest mistake of his life, but this could be the greatest military debacle faced by the United States since Vietnam!”

The United States military has been taking defeats throughout the war, from the massive equipment and property damages to the economic losses of key U.S. allies, including Israel. While this has happened, thousands across the U.S. have mobilized in opposition to the war, with it being the most unpopular war ever in its history, even more so than the infamous war on Vietnam.

Sami Elmuti of USPCN stated, “This illegal and illegitimate war has been launched to punish Iran and its people, just for the sole stance of being against the U.S. empire.” Iran for years has built up what it calls the axis of resistance in the Middle East fighting for its and the Palestinians liberation in the face of the U.S. empire and its puppet, Israel.

Elmuti continued, “The same atrocities we saw over the past couple of years in Gaza are now spreading throughout the world funded by this government at the expense of its own people.” Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran to “liberate” the women there, using an old talking point that Israel also uses against Gaza and Palestine. He had infamously started this war with bombing an all-girls school, calling his claims for liberation into question.

Yusuf Masood of AWC highlighted the impact of local politicians' decisions on funding the war on Iran, stating, “Michael Frerichs is investing our taxes into Israel bonds, and the board he sits on, the Illinois State Board of Investment or ISBI, continues to invest in weapons manufacturers.”

Despite thousands of signatures, emails and calls, Michael Frerichs and the ISBI board have committed to investing in companies that profit from ice raids, war in Iran, and around the world.

Masood continued, “The politicians are afraid of us because they know the power we have when we stand together against them. And we have a chance to show that power Friday morning where we will stand and protest in front of ISBI’s office protesting their funding of the war in Iran, Palestine, and against our communities.”

For more updates on actions against the war with Iran, follow @antiwarchicago, @uspcn, and @puao.313 on social media. Additionally, updates surrounding Illinois investments in Israel and weapons manufacturers can be seen at @antiwarchicago, @uspcn, and @bdschicago.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Iran #AlQuds #USPCN

Chicago, IL On Wednesday afternoon, February 25, dozens of demonstrators gathered downtown Chicago at the State Building, carrying signs that read “Zionism, like apartheid, cannot last” and “Stop buying Israel Bonds.”

This protest, organized by Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) Chicago – a project of the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), and Anti-War Committee Chicago – was called after Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced in early February that he would renew Illinois’ investment in two Israel Bonds, totaling $15 million together.

“We are here today outside Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ office because for over a year, his constituents, Illinois taxpayers, pension holders, and community members have been consistently coming to him with one simple demand; And that is to divest our public funds from genocide!” said Noura Ebrahim, an organizer of BDS Chicago, opened up the rally.

Michael Frerichs released a statement about the renewal of the bonds on February 5. Ahead of the February 1 bond expiration deadline was a mounting pressure campaign demanding Frerichs not renew the two expiring investments in Israel Bonds. Calls and emails from constituents were left unanswered by Frerichs’ offices, and phone lines disconnected. Despite the elevated calls for divestment, Michael Frerichs remains committed to investing Illinois taxpayer dollars in Israel Bonds. 

Wednesday’s event was organized as part of a statewide campaign of the Illinois Divest from Genocide Network, made up of 56 organizations across Illinois demanding divestment of Illinois public funds from genocide. While demonstrations took place outside of Frerich’s Chicago office, Illinois residents and organizers with the Illinois Divest From Genocide Network in Springfield gathered to demonstrate in front of the Treasurer’s Springfield office. Michael Frerichs was confirmed to be at his Springfield office during the time of the rally.

Although Illinois investment in two Israel Bonds has been renewed, activists vow to continue to demand the end of the treasurer’s appropriation of taxpayer dollars to aid in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. 

“We will keep showing up, we will keep organizing. No police violence will intimidate or stop us. And we will keep exposing his hypocrisy until every single Illinois dollar is divested from genocide, and reinvested here at home,” Ebrahim stated.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #BDS #USPCN #AWCChicago