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

Minneapolis – On the evening of Saturday February 28, 200 protesters answered an emergency call from the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) to gather at Chicago Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis to oppose U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Overnight the news broke that the U.S. and Israel had begun carrying out coordinated strikes by land and sea which struck the Iranian cities of Tehran, Qom, Tabriz, and Khorrashahr. Dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the Pentagon, the attack took place in the midst of negotiation talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Saturday’s protest featured speakers from many anti-war groups in the Twin Cities, many of which are member organizations of the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition.

In their speech, Lina Jebara of the U.S. Palestinian Community told the crowd, “We should be clear with ourselves and with our peers, that the U.S. bombing Iran is not evidence that Israel controls the U.S. Trump is not being blackmailed to drag us into this war, and this is not something that could only ever happen under the Trump administration.”

Jebara pointed out, “Taking down Iran has long been an aim of this country because this country prioritizes lining the pockets of billionaire oil execs and friends rather than its own working-class people.”

Yossi Aharoni of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke to the crowd about the bombing of an elementary school in the Iranian city of Minab, “the largest attack of which was directed against an all-girls school, murdering at least 108 young girls and injuring 80 more. This is all amidst the backdrop of two and a half years of the ongoing genocide of Gaza, four years of the U.S. proxy war against Russia, two months after the illegal kidnapping of President Maduro of Venezuela, three months of the federal occupation of Minneapolis by ICE, and barely one month since the murder of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”

Naveen Borojerdi, an Iranian American with family in Iran, spoke as a representative of MPAC and had a message regarding his recent meeting with a staffer for Minnesota Senator Tina Smith.

Saturday’s protest was just one of dozens that were held across the United States to oppose Trump’s war with Iran. The nationwide Anti-War Action Network called on member organizations in cities ranging from New Orleans, Portland, Dayton, Tucson, Philadelphia, Colorado Springs, Dallas, New York, and many others to hold demonstrations against the war.

The next protest against U.S. attacks on Iran will be on Tuesday, March 3 at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis at 5 p.m. as a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s call for action for that day.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Iran #AntiWarCommittee #USPCN

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, January 22, organizers in Anti-War Committee (AWC), Chicago, United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), and BDS Chicago braved the cold to host a press conference demanding that Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs divest state funds from Israel Bonds. They were joined by rank-and-file members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 to announce that they are filing their third ethics complaint against Frerichs for his investments.

“Michael Frerichs, what don’t you understand? We are not going to stop until you divest from Israel,” declared AWC Chicago Co-chair Jae Franklin, addressing the crowd gathered outside the Illinois State Treasurer’s office.

A representative from 73 for Palestine, Gaby Martinez, explained the reason for the complaint. “Treasurer Frerichs needs to be censured in that he is not investing for the people of Illinois, but for his personal political agenda.” The charges submitted to the Executive Inspector General include “abuse of authority, corruption, favoritism, improper use of state time and other resources, and prohibited political purposes and misuse of political assets.”

The state of Illinois currently has $100 million actively invested in Israel Bonds, making Illinois one of the leading state governments supplying material support to Israel. Funds raised from the sale of Israel Bonds are unrestricted. They are transferred directly into Israel’s general budget and can be used for any purpose. “We’ve seen what they do with these resources,” stated Franklin, “mass starvation, occupation, the destruction of schools, hospitals, places of worship.”

Organizers spoke to the repression they have faced from the state treasurer’s office, as well as from the Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI), who are also under fire from the public for their investments in companies that provide material support to Israel.

Tulsi McDaniels from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) recounted her experience of being forcibly removed from the most recent ISBI meeting. “State police separated us and purposefully brutalized another protester in the room – but not before denying us entrance unless we removed our keffiyehs.” The meeting was also delayed by over an hour, and protesters were left to stand outside in freezing temperatures.

Noura Ebrahim from the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) summed it up, “Frerichs is clearly more comfortable engaging with representatives of Zionist organizations and supporters of genocide than with the people whose money he manages—a profound breach of public trust.” Michael Frerichs still has not publicly addressed any calls for divestment.

Protesters were also joined by state senator and candidate for Illinois comptroller Karina Villa, who represents the 25th District of Illinois. She spoke to the connections between these atrocities overseas, and the violence being committed by ICE within the United States itself, both of which are funded by taxpayer dollars stating, “These monsters that are wreaking havoc at home or abroad, this Donald Trump regime, understands one thing: he understands money. We understand money, too. This is Illinoisans’ dollars.”

Organizers attempted to deliver a copy of the ethics complaint to the state treasurer’s office but were denied entry. They were told that a representative from the office would come down to receive the papers, but no one ever arrived to do so. Eventually, the papers were handed off to the state police officer managing the entrance, who said that they would be delivered.

Call Frerichs’ office and sign the letter to divest!

Organizers are urging the public to call Michael Frerich’s office and demand for him to divest from Israel Bonds, starting with two bonds with a total value of $15 million that are set to expire on February 1.

Illinois residents can also sign the letter to divest as an individual or endorse as an organization to join the divestment network. For updates about the campaign and further calls to action regarding divestment, follow @uspcn, @bdschicago, and @antiwarchicago on Instagram.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Divest #Palestine #Labor #SEIU #BDS #USPCN

Chicago, IL – On January 23, Chicagoans across the city targeted various Target locations to protest the corporation’s support for ICE terror.

The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) led and mobilized people to the Target in Hyde Park. This included members from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Mexican Students de Aztlan (MeSA), U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC) and more.

Outside the Target store in Hyde Park, Kobi Guillory, a member of CTU stated, “We are here in solidarity with our siblings in Minnesota who are right now 100K strong outside of the Target Center saying that Target should stop helping ICE. Target should stop its complicity with the violence that ICE is inflicting on Black and brown communities. Just the other day, Target employees in Minnesota were abducted by ICE in a Target. Did Target take a stand to defend their employees? Did they take a stand to defend the communities who make Target’s profits?”

Guillory continued, “We are demanding that Target honor the Fourth Amendment that you cannot be subject to unlawful search and seizure inside your workplace. This is illegal, what ICE is doing. We the people are going to use our people and we are going to force these corporations and elected officials to do the right thing.”

Inside the Target store, protesters delivered a list of demands to the store manager, including, “Call for an end to the ICE surge in Minnesota, and for ICE to leave the state; we want Target to affirm the Fourth Amendment; we want Target to post signage prohibiting ICE from entering their buildings, and we want Target to publicly call on congress to stop funding ICE.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #CATA #CTU #CAARPR #MESA #USPCN #AWCChicago

“We know the freedom of Palestinians and Arabs is incomplete without the liberation of all people who live with the violence of Western imperialism.” With these words, Nadiyah Salawdeh, co-chair of the Minnesota chapter of U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), explained the necessity of uniting all peoples’ struggles at the January 17 webinar held by USPCN and the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN).

First to speak was Suzanne Adely, president of the National Lawyers Guild and USPCN member. Since 2006, Adely has visited Venezuela many times to monitor elections, advocate for Alex Saab – the now released political prisoner – and lead a fact-finding mission on the effects of U.S. sanctions.

But, for good reason, her efforts are not limited to Venezuela. “I really see the Palestinian liberation struggle, the Bolivarian Revolution, and the Cuban Revolution as three of the most important fronts of anti-imperialism,” said Adely, “as leading and showing us an example of what it means to fight for self-determination, to fight for sovereignty, to fight for equality.”

Next to speak was Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza, former consul general of the Venezuelan Consulate in Chicago and founder of the Orinoco Tribune. Rodríguez-Espinoza began by recounting the details of the January 3rd attack on Venezuela, which killed 100 people and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores.

Like Adely, Rodríguez-Espinoza saw the connection between the attack on Venezuela and the genocide in Gaza. He also saw a connection to the crackdown against dissent within the United States.

Rodríguez-Espinoza echoed the need for a united front of resistance. “Solidarity is extremely important. It is not only an act of friendship; it is an act of self-defense.”

He concluded with a powerful call to expand our actions beyond solidarity protests and letter writing. “Those are necessary things, but we need to find out new ways, more disruptive ways to protest and to fight imperialism.”

Finally, the panel rounded out with Meredith Aby, co-founder of AWAN. She talked About the ICE terror being inflicted by the federal government stating, “Here in Minnesota, it feels like nowhere is safe.”

As Aby said, this is a feeling the world shares. She recounted the attacks and threats made by the U.S. against Gaza, Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, Nigeria and Congo since Trump retook office

“Trump’s increasing international threats and attacks are giving us an opportunity to take all these politicized people that we have been organizing since October 7 and develop them into becoming more consistent anti-imperialists,” Aby urged.

Aby asked listeners to point out the connections between different liberation movements. Activists must show how Palestinians, Venezuelans and Iranians all struggle for self-determination and sovereignty.

Aby continued, “Our job is to organize as many people as possible to oppose the U.S.’ use of its military to attack and threaten the people of the world.”

The webinar concluded with a Q&A that covered how the anti-war movement can continue to organize, broaden, and deepen.

To view a recording of the webinar go to:

#AntiWarMovement #USPCN #Palestine #AWAN #Venezuela

Minneapolis, MN – The People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT) organized a massive mobilization to protest Jake Lang’s planned “Crusader March,” where he announced that he would burn a Quran on the steps of City Hall before marching into the predominantly Somali Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

He and a handful of other racists were confronted by extreme cold weather. They were shut down and chased away by an overwhelming crowd of at least 1000, who answered PACAT’s call for a “Protest to defend our neighbors!”

Lang is a January 6 rioter pardoned by Trump; he is a reactionary provocateur making a name for himself through social media stunts targeting Muslims. Lang announced his plans to march in Minneapolis over a month ago, falsely claiming he had a permit for the City Hall rotunda.

Since that announcement, Trump unleashed Operation Metro Surge, bringing some 3000 federal agents to carry out abductions and deportations, in the name of immigration enforcement. Community anger at the operation has only grown since the murder of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross last week.

Organizers from Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, and the Anti-War Committee gave speeches and led chants on the mic, as Lang huddled in a city hall window recess well across the street. As the massive crowd chanted and shouted, it was impossible to hear any of the hate Lang tried to spew.

Lang was pelted with water balloons, sprayed with silly string and super soakers. As he grew increasingly frustrated, several members of the American Indian Movement appeared on the scene, and that seemed to be the last straw for Lang. Unable to be heard, or to burn any Qurans, Lang turned heel and was chased back to his hotel by a crowd that refused to tolerate his pro-ICE anti-Muslim message.

Lang has since taken to social media, claiming he was “literally lynched by an anti-white mob.” He continued, “I’m at the hospital now getting staples in my skull… Nearly ripped limb from limb in Minneapolis!!!!” He asked his racist supporters to send him money for his hospital bill and future security.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #JakeLang #Reactionaries #Nazi #MIRAC #USPCN #PACAT #Feature

Chicago, IL – On Saturday, January 3, around 2000 people gathered downtown in Chicago’s Federal Plaza to join an emergency rally denouncing the U.S. empire’s latest series of military aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

This rally was one of many emergency responses called by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) after the United States government conducted bomb strikes across several Venezuelan territories: the capital Caracas, Aragua, La Guaira and Miranda. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the invasion concluded with the kidnapping of the democratically-elected president Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

This latest escalation was preceded by months of the U.S. military targeting and striking boats in the Caribbean waters off the coast of Venezuela, and the illegal seizure of two Venezuelan oil tankers. Organizers from an array of anti-war and anti-imperialists organizations joined forces to condemn the strikes and kidnapping as the violation of Venezuela's sovereignty. Protestors in the Saturday night rally chanted “Hands off Venezuela!”

Hands off Venezuela!

“These actions do not represent the people of the U.S. We want an end to forever wars. We absolutely demand it!” stated Jae Franklin of the Anti-War Committee Chicago. Franklin was one of the anti-war activists on a solidarity delegation to Venezuela recently.

Franklin recollected and reassured who the Venezuelan people are, stating, “The people there are strong, they are determined, and they refuse to back down from their enemies like Trump and his administration!”

The rally had speeches from Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC), Alma de Izote, United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), and 25th ward alderperson Byron Sicho-Lopez. These speakers represented different areas of the people’s movement, drawing the parallels between the struggle for national liberation in Latin America, Palestine, and the liberation of the nationally oppressed in the U.S.

The rally then moved to march from Federal Plaza to Trump Tower. The crowd for the protest stretched across several city blocks. The march paused at the midpoint of a busy city shopping center when Nesreen, an organizer from the USPCN, made an impassioned call to people on the sidewalks to join the march.

The march route ended at the Trump Tower where the crowd gathered on the streets of Michigan Avenue to hear from Joe Isobaker of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and David Borris of Chicago Area Peace Action.

Chicago was among the 75 cities in the U.S. to rally in solidarity with Venezuela and denounce another U.S. forever-war. The protest’s turnout was one of the largest that the city has seen in recent months, many seeing this show of solidarity as a display of revolutionary optimism at a time where the U.S. erratically grows more desperate to maintain their imperial control of the developing world. Activists and organizers vow to continue their support for the Bolivarian Republic and demand the release of President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, who is being held captive at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. will work on a team to enforce an existing “oil quarantine” in Venezuela, and preparations for a military occupation are on the way. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as acting president in Maduro’s absence, has vowed to defend the sovereignty of the country.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #AWAN #USPCN #AWCChicago #PYM

Chicago, IL – Over 60 protesters gathered on the frigid morning of Friday, December 19 outside of the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) quarterly meeting. Protesters demanded the board divest from all corporations complicit in Israel’s genocide and occupation against the Palestinian people, and that State Treasurer Michael Frerichs (ISBI’s vice chair) divest from Israel Bonds. 

This action marked the one-year anniversary of protests targeting ISBI and Frerichs co-led by Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC-Chicago) and BDS-Chicago—a project of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). In the last 12 months, the campaign has grown into a network of over 55 organizations throughout Illinois. 

“Illinois is one of the leading state governments in the U.S. in regards to supplying material support to Israel. The state of Illinois has $100 million actively invested in Israeli Bonds,” said Tulsi McDaniels from Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR). “[Israel’s] 25 months of slaughter, of destruction, of violence has resulted in a man-made famine affecting over 2 million people in Gaza alone. The governing bodies of Illinois enable this by choosing to renew Israeli bonds.”

River Argyilan from the New Students for a Democratic Society at University of Illinois Chicago (New SDS at UIC) spoke to the board’s investments. Instead of investing Illinoisian public funds “in housing, healthcare and education, ISBI invests our money in war profiteers like Boeing, Cadre Holdings, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin and Palantir, that directly benefit from bloodshed and genocide in Gaza. While Illinoisans live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to put food on the table, our government funds starvation overseas,” stated Argyilan.

Chanel Crittenden from AWC-Chicago stated, “ISBI has invested millions of dollars in private companies that aid and profit from the federal occupation, raiding and kidnappings of our neighbors. Companies like Motorola Solutions and Cadre Holdings have made a profit-building surveillance technologies and repression tools that have been used by the Israeli occupational forces to repress Palestinians and uphold their apartheid regime.”

After ISBI kept members of the public outside in the cold by delaying their meeting by over an hour, building security let 20 people in one by one, telling them to remove “political paraphernalia” such as keffiyehs and hats with pro-Palestinian or anti-police violence messaging. Over 40 members of the public were left outside the building, in freezing, 10 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, and were given no access to an overflow area or lobby. 

Once in the meeting room, Noura Ebrahim from BDS-Chicago handed board members research packets describing the complicity of their investments in genocide and attacks on our immigrant communities, including a photo of an empty Cadre Holdings tear gas canister left by ICE during Operation Midway Blitz. She then addressed the board stating, “We know divestment can happen because we have seen it. Michigan has divested from Israel bonds. Minnesota has divested from Israel Bonds. North Carolina has divested from Israel Bonds. What is the holdup, Illinois?”

At the end of public comment, six protesters peacefully linked arms and stated clearly that they would refuse to leave without a verbal confirmation from the board that they would divest. Not only did Illinois State Police violently drag them out of the room and the building, they also aggressively pushed, grabbed and shoved members of the public out of the building. Those people were simply attending the meeting and recording proceedings, which is a legally protected right under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Husam Marajda from USPCN closed the rally, stating, that ISBI “escalated their oppression against us, and so we have to escalate our actions and our pressure. And so let’s make sure that they know, loud and clear, that we’ll be back! We’ll be back!” The crowd joined in the chant, turning their voices up toward the fifth floor of the building where the board members carried on with their meeting.

Sign the letter to divest!

Illinois residents can sign the letter as an individual or endorse as an organization to join the divestment network. For updates about the campaign and further calls to action regarding divestment, follow @uspcn, @bdschicago, and @antiwarchicago on Instagram.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWCChicago #USPCN #BDSChicago

Minneapolis, MN – On December 14, a freezing cold Sunday, over 100 activists, protesters and community members gathered for an indoor rally at Salem Lutheran Church on Lyndale Avenue to commemorate International Human Rights Day in Minneapolis.

Historically this event has been a protest or march organized by the MN Anti-War Committee, but unfortunately the weather this year, nearly 0 degrees, made being outdoors nearly impossible so event organizers made the last-minute decision to hold it indoors.

The program featured speakers from a wide range of human rights and social justice movements including immigrant rights, anti-police brutality, Palestine solidarity, gender rights, climate justice and more. With ten speakers and two emcees the event featured a full and dynamic program. Many people in the audience held signs standing up for their Somali and immigrant neighbors. It was clear, immigrant rights and Palestine were at the front of people’s minds this year.

The first speaker was Allison Gunderson of the MN Anti-War Committee who had just returned from a recent delegation trip to Venezuela with the Anti-War Action Network. Gunderson told the excited crowd “We went to stand in solidarity with Venezuela in defiance of Trump' s no fly zone and recent escalations. Just one of the many ways the U.S. has been violating Venezuelan human rights! This escalation and quite frankly, act of war on Venezuela, is a disgusting attempt at fear mongering and an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty! While we were in Caracas on December 10, the U.S. seized an oil tanker on the coast, under the facade that it was transporting sanctioned oil to Iran.”

Gunderson continued, “There is no evidence to support this claim. Before the U.S. blockade on Venezuela, they used to send one million gallons of oil for free a year to 200 Native American tribes, one of many examples of how Venezuela serves the people while the U.S. only exploits. The delegation I was in was able to see Maduro speak on this, and he said this seizure was an act of robbery. The U.S. will steal this oil and keep it for themselves to profit off of!”

The next speaker to take the stage was Nadiyah Saladeh, a leader in the MN chapter of the US Palestinian Community Network. Saladeh gave a fiery speech saying, “It seems to me that, before we fight for our human rights, we have to – again and again and again – assert our humanity. Because, to have human rights, Palestinians first have to be seen as humans. Maybe that’s why the same year the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was established – 1948 – was the year that the UN established the so-called state of Israel. When murdered Palestinian children are called terrorists, that is stripping them of their humanity. When our martyred journalists are simply called ‘Hamas’, their humanness, the fact that they have family, friends, children, is being shattered. When Palestinian freedom fighters are martyred and their deaths are reported as numbers, the fact that they are humans fighting for their land and our collective freedom is ignored.”

Next was Aizar Cabrera of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee , who told the crowd, “Today the horrors and atrocities have become evidently clear, we see them every day, on every street, on every single block, we see them every hour 24-7. It is not a secret that the Trump administration has declared a war against immigrants. Specifically nonwhite immigrants. What they don’t say is that we're the ones cleaning their houses. Building their houses. Just like any other human being we are just trying to make a living. As ICE attacks escalate our movement grows, we'll keep fighting for each other, we'll keep protecting our neighbors and well keep holding our leaders accountable. Immigrant rights are human rights!”

Michael Wood of the Climate Justice Committee stated, “There won’t be human rights to demand if we don’t have a planet. There won’t be human rights to demand if all the air and water and land are sold to billionaires. The climate crisis has been wreaking havoc and right now the Trump administration is doing everything to accelerate it. Trump is selling off our planet’s resources just as he strips us of our democratic rights. This administration is selling us the dream of paying for clean air and water on a subscription plan. Is that acceptable? Hell no!”

This event was held in conjunction with a national week of action for Human Rights Day initiated by the Anti-War Action Network.

At the end of the rally protesters were encouraged to go to the MN Peace Action Coalition’s protest on Saturday, December 20 at 3:30 in front of Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #ImmigrantRights #USPCN #AWCMN #Palestine #Venezuela

The Trump administration has maximized its weaponization of xenophobic and racist sentiments to justify unleashing hordes of militarized ICE agents and National Guard troops across several U.S. cities — many of which have long been strongholds for grassroots activism.

Meanwhile, arbitrary arrests of Palestinians by Israeli forces are rampant. Despite the latest Palestinian prisoner release, over 9300 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons and detention centers. Over 3300 of those prisoners are being held indefinitely under administrative detention, without charges or trials.

The panelists of the event — members of the national chapter of the USPCN, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council MN (WIAOFC-MN) — emphasized the significance of political prisoners in our movements. Panelists shed light on why imprisonment is such a heavily employed tactic by oppressive forces and the importance of fighting back against it.

Rania Salem, a leading organizer in USPCN national’s political prisoners committee, opened the panel. Salem spoke to the grotesque conditions Palestinian prisoners endure in Israeli prisons and how those conditions relate to the unrealized effort by the Israeli government to shatter the spirit of Palestinian resistance. Salem highlighted a handful of Palestinian political prisoners, including Khalida Jarrar.

Jarrar, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was first arrested in 1989 after her participation in an International Women’s Day demonstration. Jarrar’s fifth and most recent arrest took place in December 2023. While imprisoned, Jarrar was subjected to significant abuse, forced to spend several months in harsh solitary confinement and deprived of basic necessities including hygiene products, food and water.

“The systematic torture and abuse inflicted on Khalida Jarrar, as well as all Palestinian political prisoners, are a form of this slow death that appears to be designed to break Palestinians both physically and psychologically,” said Salem.

Jarrar was released in January of this year as a part of the ceasefire prisoner release and has not shied away from speaking about the inhumane conditions faced in Israeli detention.

“Jarrar is an example of the many Palestinians who have been imprisoned and tortured as a way to silence and deter Palestinians from speaking out against the occupation,” continued Salem. “Israel is targeting our national, political and social leaders intentionally. They do this to attempt to weaken Palestinian civil society as a whole and to weaken our movement for liberation, which, to be quite honest, is never going to work. That’s never going to happen.”

Salem concluded, “To fight for the liberation of Palestine, we must also defend and fight for the liberation of all our prisoners everywhere. The phrases like ‘to break the chains’ and ‘free them all’ — they’re not just statements to us. They are the very thing that drives us to keep fighting for liberation as a whole.”

Liz Bolsoni, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, continued this thread, and spoke to imprisonment as a tactic abused by the U.S. to stifle political dissent beyond Palestine.

Bolsoni began by covering the Anti-War Committee’s work around Venezuela and Alex Saab: “U.S. strikes in the Caribbean since September have killed nearly 100 people, and before that, U.S. imposed sanctions had killed tens of thousands. Alex Saab, a Venezuelan diplomat and a former political prisoner, challenged these sanctions and did so by facilitating necessary humanitarian needs like medicine, food and fuel to his country.”

In 2021, Saab, a Columbian-born Venezuelan, faced up to 20 years in U.S. prison for circumventing the U.S.’s deadly sanctions on Venezuela. Saab was subjected to beatings and torture while in detention. After sustained pressure campaigns, Saab was released in December 2023.

Bolsoni went on to talk about how similar attacks are frequently deployed within the U.S. as well, highlighting the cases of Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil, two student organizers who were abducted and detained by ICE agents earlier this year for protesting their universities’ roles in the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

The panel concluded with Alissa Washington, the founder of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council MN, whose work focuses on advocating for individuals imprisoned in Minnesota. Washington spoke about the process of dehumanization and demoralization that’s shared between Palestinian and American prisoners alike and the inherent politicization of prisoners in the United States.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCNMN #USPCN #WIAOFCMN

Chicago, IL – On November 19, over 100 protesters gathered at Federal Plaza for a Venezuela solidarity rally, chanting “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!” and “No war on Venezuela!” 

“The U.S. has tightened its ongoing sanctions on Venezuela and doubled its bounty on President Maduro to $50 million because U.S. billionaires have set their eyes on Venezuelan oil. Invading Venezuela is a violation of international law, so the Trump administration is fabricating a completely false pretense to justify its war: narco-terrorism and immigration,” said Caeli Kean, co-chair of Anti-War Committee (AWC) Chicago. 

President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are attacking boats in missile strikes off the Caribbean coast. Trump also approved CIA operations within the country in an effort to overthrow Venezuela’s current government under the leadership of Nicolás Maduro. 

The U.S. military has staged 15,000 troops and large military aircraft carriers off the coast of Venezuela. The escalation has left other Caribbean nations in the crosshairs. Trinidad and Tobago, within eyesight of Venezuela, has U.S. warships docking in its capital. Trinidadian and Colombian fishermen were among the 83 victims killed from the illegal U.S. military strikes.

“To be clear – war is being waged from Chicago to Caracas. All over the Americas region, the consolidation and strengthening of military forces to be deployed against colonized people is taking place,” stated a member of BAP. “This is why, in the Black Alliance for Peace, we are calling for a population movement to build a Zone of Peace in our Americas.” 

“Trump and his administration are using similar propaganda to manufacture consent that the U.S. used in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other places. And we all know the damage that these lies have caused. He’s using the same rhetoric and fear mongering about drugs and crime to justify illegal invasions of our cities and the kidnapping of our people by ICE agents. We call bullshit!” said Husam Marajda of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN).

“Look at this country. Every year, they swear they’re broke. But when it’s time for war, ICE raids, some new billion-dollar weapon, suddenly money appears like magic,” Jai from Good Kids Madd City stated. “We have to unite against oppression globally.”

“We cannot see U.S. imperialism abroad and defending immigrant rights here at home as separate issues. Our struggles are interconnected. U.S. imperialism forces people to leave their homes; thus standing with immigrant rights and standing against U.S. imperialism is something that we should all do,” stated Gianna of the Immigrant Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

The action was organized by Anti-War Committee Chicago and Black Alliance for Peace. It was part of a week of action calling for the international anti-imperialist movement to defend the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela under attack by the Trump administration.

After the rally, the crowd marched to the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) office. ISBI invests public funds into companies like Defense Technologies, Motorola Solutions, Palantir and others which supply ICE and police agencies with tear gas canisters and technology deployed against residents. These were used during everything from neighborhood ICE raids to attacks on protesters during the George Floyd Uprising. 

These companies also contract with the Israeli occupational forces aiding the recent genocide on Gaza. In addition, ISBI Vice Chair and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has invested $100 million of public funds into Israeli bonds, directly supporting the Zionists’ occupation of Palestine. 

AWC, USPCN, Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) Chicago, and the Illinois Divest From Genocide Network, representing more than 50 organizations, have mobilized to ISBI’s quarterly board meetings since December 2024 to demand divestment The next board meeting is on December 19th. 

Follow AWC, BAP and AWAN on social media at @antiwarchicago, @BAP-Chicago and @antiwaractionnetwork, and sign as an individual and/or as an organization to divest Illinois from genocide, apartheid, and ICE. 

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #AWCChicago #USPCN #BAP #AWAN #USPCN

The Anti-War Action Network, a national network of grassroots organizations, held a October 28 webinar to address the meaning of the recent ‘ceasefire’ deal for the Palestine solidarity movement.

Husam Maradja with the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), a leading force in the Palestinian liberation movement in the U.S., laid out an analysis of the ceasefire deal and our role as organizers in this period.

Marajda began by lowering expectations that the ceasefire deal will hold due to ongoing Israeli attacks, historic patterns of aggression, and attempts to undermine the agreement through support for collaborationist forces in Gaza. At the time of the event, there were 125 recorded violations of the ceasefire since implementation that killed 94 Palestinians and injured 344.

Despite the attacks, Marajda outlined the gains of the Palestinian liberation movement, shown by its ability to negotiate with leverage after two years of bombing, emphasizing the “will and the steadfastness of our people. They did not accept a ceasefire without demands met to allow for the entry of aid, withdrawal of Israel as far back as possible, the refusal to disarm, the release of 1700 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom were sentenced to life in prison, and allowing for people to mourn, recover, and for the resistance to build militarily and politically.”

Marajda emphasized that Israel was forced into the deal under pressure from Trump, the Gulf States, and Egypt after its failure to achieve any of its military goals including an inability to defeat the resistance despite extensive US. and Western European support, its international isolation and need for rehabilitation, and the strengthening of the Palestine solidarity movement shown through growing BDS campaigns, general strikes, international flotillas, and more.

Maradja also warned that Israel is going to further try to erase or conceal evidence of war crimes with the aid of its Western allies, invest in global campaigns to repair its image, and continue its attacks on Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank.

In response, Marajda called for organizing as “intensely as we were during the genocide before the ceasefire. We have to build the anti-war movement and statewide divestment campaigns, hold politicians accountable, support student organizers, and keep talking about Palestine. We have to make connections with Black liberation and the immigrant rights movement, and stand in solidarity with Venezuela.”

#AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCN #AWAN

Chicago IL – On Friday afternoon, September 19, over 50 people gathered outside the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) office in downtown Chicago to hold a press conference to declare a small victory. The ISBI quarterly meeting was abruptly cancelled just two days before, proving that Illinois State Treasurer (and ISBI Vice Chair) Michael Frerichs and the rest of the board are feeling the organized pressure from the Illinois Divest from Genocide Network.

Co-led by Anti-War Committee-Chicago (AWC) and Boycott Divest Sanctions-Chicago (BDS), a project of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)-Chicago, the press conference took place in an atmosphere of unprecedented global condemnation of the Israeli regime.

As Israel’s criminality and instability becomes increasingly impossible to ignore, the Illinois Divestment Network continues to grow, now encompassing 50 organizations from across the entire state.

“We know that the main reason for the [meeting] cancellation is fear of facing the people of Illinois, and the embarrassment of having to sit through dozens of public comments calling them out on their hypocrisy and complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people. We claim this as a small victory, our pressure is working, our network is ever-growing and more organizations and individuals from all over the state of Illinois are joining. And we promise the entire board that we will not stop until there is full divestment from companies who do business with Israel, and that Michael Frerichs abandon and publicly commit to never renewing Israeli Bonds ever again.” said Husam Marajda of USPCN.

Marajda continued, “There is mounting pressure and precedent for divesting from Israeli bonds and companies that do business with Israel. The country of Colombia has abandoned energy trade with Israel. Spain has committed to stop trading arms with Israel. And Norway’s two trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund has also divested from Israel as well. All of this shows not only that it is possible to divest from the genocidal Israeli government, it is also the correct thing to do.”

Armed with well-researched facts, Elinor Keener of Anti-War Committee Chicago lambasted the board: “The Illinois pension code is clear: ISBI’s job is to grow state worker’s pension funds through ethical and sustainable investment decisions. Instead, they burn millions of taxpayer dollars on companies that profit from Israel’s genocide, including weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Moog and Teledyne that operate within the deadly F-35 supply chain. According to their economic interest disclosures, some of ISBI’s board members also own public stocks in several of these companies, meaning, they get richer while tens of thousands of innocent people, including children, are murdered, imprisoned, tortured, sexually assaulted and systematically erased. Shame! Gambling public funds away on unimaginable destruction is irresponsible, embarrassing and shameful!”

“Oppressed people all over the world share a common struggle. This was made clear by Black revolutionaries like Malcolm X, Kwame Ture, Nelson Mandela and Fred Hampton. Today we must also clearly understand that our fight against police crimes and mass incarceration is connected to the fight of the Palestinians against genocide, apartheid and settler-colonialism. Our freedom depends on unconditional solidarity with Palestine and liberation movements worldwide,” declared Alec Ozawa, a co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

Ozawa continued, “We want Palestine to win because a victory for them is a victory for us. When Nelson Mandela said, ‘Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians,’ he was not speaking metaphorically. We quite literally have the same enemy. We uplift the demand that State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and ISBI divest from Israel and reinvest those funds in places of moral consciousness.”

Labor allies from SEIU Local 73 for Palestine and GEO Local 6300 were also present. Underscoring a key strategic point: labor solidarity is the most crucial ally in a divestment campaign. This was proven by the historic success of the movement to divest from apartheid South Africa. Joe Iosbaker from 73 for Palestine drove this lesson home, leading the assembled crowd in a powerful call-and-response chant borrowed directly from that victorious struggle: “No business! No business! No business with genocide!” This moment powerfully connected the past fight against apartheid to the present one, reminding everyone that economic pressure, backed by organized labor, is the most effective path to victory.

Husam Marajda again spoke to close out the press conference: “I once again want to reiterate that we all are winning. The board and Michael Frerichs cancelled the meeting because they’re afraid to face us. That means that our pressure is working. Our network is now over 50 organizations and continues to grow.”

He encouraged organizations to endorse the campaign to divest Illinois from genocide. “We need to continue pressuring Michael Frerichs and ISBI. All power to the people!”

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCN

Chicago, IL – On August 31, 200 people protested outside the Broadview ICE facility. The protest was organized by the Immigrant Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (IRWC – CAARPR), which launched a campaign earlier in the summer with aims at closing the Broadview facility.

Kayla Nguyen of the IRWC opened the rally, stating “The so-called Broadview Processing Center has no beds, no showers and no hot meals. They are holding people in there for days. That’s not a processing center, that’s a de-facto detention center. Today we’re protesting to call on State Attorney Eileen Burke and Attorney General Kwame Raoul to launch an investigation into these injustices, uphold the Illinois Trust Act, and close the Broadview facility!”

The Broadview ICE facility has been a key location for federal immigration operations around Chicagoland, and where many kidnapped community members have been taken for processing. Under Illinois law, ICE can operate processing centers for very brief holding times, but is restricted from operating detention centers, including local jails. Many people kidnapped by ICE are taken to such processing centers and then shipped off to another state to await deportation. However, the Broadview facility has been holding people for prolonged periods of time, sometimes up to a week, which has made it into a de-facto detention center.

The Broadview facility lacks beds, meals, kitchen, showers, access to communication and basic dignities for those held there.

“I have seen firsthand the horror within this facility. I have worked within immigrant rights for almost ten years. We have never seen these kinds of conditions in the Chicago area. It’s important that we note them and that we stand against them because we cannot allow this to be our norm,” said Louise Carhart, a lawyer and member of the IRWC.

Carhart continued, “We have laws against detention in Cook County. We have laws against detention in Illinois. We need to enforce our laws and make sure we are showing up for immigrants like Tito Ernie who was released this past week. Tito Ernie was originally detained at the Broadview ICE Facility and at O’Hare. Chicago and Illinois are leaders in this fight and we need to show them why that is.“

Upon arrival, organizers and protesters were met with a significant response from local Broadview police, who eventually closed down the street to block additional traffic due to the amount of people. ICE agents hid inside the building, periodically sending out third party contractor security to pester and provoke those gathered. This protest took place just days after several protesters from an unaffiliated group were arrested for civil disobedience while blocking the entrance of the facility.

Outside the facility, protesters heard from various speakers in the immigrant rights movement, joined in chants to raise their demands, and blocked the entrance of the facility for two hours before departing.

The protest was attended by many people from the community who had heard or seen flyers online or in their neighborhoods, and by many members of endorsing organizations such as the Casa Dupage Worker’s Center, the Arab American Action Network, Tanggol Migrante, and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.

Readers can take action by calling and emailing the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Illinois Attorney General to demand they investigate the Broadview ICE facility and shut it down. An automated message can easily be sent to these elected officials by using the form at: https://www.caarpr.org/irwc#send-letter-to-close-broadview

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #IRWC #CAARPR #CPWC #AAAN #TanggolMigrante #USPCN

Chicago, IL -The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine held another weekly protest on Saturday, August 16. Around 100 protesters came out to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza, an arms embargo, and justice for Anas al-Sharif, the martyred Al Jazeera reporter who the Zionist entity bombed outside of a hospital.d

Protesters banged pots and pans and held signs that read “Justice for Anas” as well as a list of the names of the recently martyred Palestinian journalists. Then they brought out a casket to represent and honor the martyred Palestinian journalists.

“The genocidal state of Israel deliberately targeted the Al Jazeera tent, murdering Anas Al-Sharif — he fought with nothing but a lenses and his words,” said Nadia Alyafai with the US Palestinian Community Network.



Alayafai continued, “He stood against the bombs and the occupation armed with billions of dollars and global complicity. And he never stopped telling Gaza’s story. They feared him because he revealed reality,”
adding, “They believed if they silenced reporters, they could silence Gaza, that the world would forget their war crimes — but they are wrong, because we remember.”

Alyafai told protesters that they must live to tell the stories of the reporters and highlighted the importance of disrupting representatives who are guilty with perpetuating this genocide — such as Congressman Sean Casten of Illinois, who refuses to support the Block the Bombs Act.

A member of American Muslims from Palestine (AMP) stated, “Gaza’s fight is our fight, and while we may not be in Palestine, Palestine lives in every single one of us. Those bombs over Gaza, they bear our fingerprints. We are part of the story, so we must continue protesting and talking about Gaza in every single conversation we have.”

“Right now, we have to continue the legacy of resistance, and unite with people all around the world, from Yemen to Puerto Rico; from Palestine to the Philippines,” said Kobi Guillory with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR). “When Trump attacks DC, Chicago, Rafah, immigrants, Mexico, South Africa – we have to stand up, fight back – and loudly – in solidarity with oppressed people in the fight against oppression.”

The crowd then took to the streets and marched around the Loop area chanting, “Hey Israel what do you say? How many reporters did you kill today?” As they marched, it began to rain, but that did not stop them.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCN #CAARPR #NAARPR #AMP

Chicago, IL – 100 Chicagoans braved pouring rain in Daley Plaza on Tuesday, August 12, for an emergency protest for Gaza. The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine  (CJP) called the protest in response to the Zionist entity’s assassination on Sunday of Al Jazeera crew members Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qraiqea, Mohammed al-Khaldi, Ibrahim al-Thaher and Mohamed Nofal. 

Protesters continued demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza, as well as a call-out against the Western press that has refused to support their Palestinian colleagues or report on the mass murder of 270 journalists in Gaza since October 2023.

After a rally, the protesters went from Daley Plaza to the front of the CBS News building across the street. They confronted the news corporation during its nightly broadcast for its silence and complicity in the genocide.

Nashwa Bawab with the Palestine Youth Movement (PYM) is a media worker. She asked, “How often do these news stations cover the genocide in Gaza? How often do you hear them talking about the murders of journalists, doctors, healthcare workers, civilians?”

“The occupation and the U.S. believe that if they silence journalists, that they can silence Gaza – that if they murder the reporters and the camera crew, that the world would forget their war crimes,” said Nadiah Alyafai, an organizer with the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). “We will keep their stories alive, we must live to tell their stories.”

Alyafai led chants including, “We will honor all our martyrs! All our journalists and doctors!” 

The chant included doctors because doctors and hospitals in Gaza have been a consistent target of the genocide. The Al Jazeera crew was murdered by an Israeli drone that struck the media tent, which was located near the Al-Shifa Medical Complex. 

Protesters set up a memorial in front of the window of the main CBS newsroom on Dearborn Street to make the protest visible and audible to everyone watching the nightly CBS broadcast.

In response, CBS closed its windows to hide the protest.



“These are editorial decisions that are being made from the bottom to the top,” Bawab said. “Where are all the journalists crying out for their fellow colleagues?” 

“What does that mean about the state of journalism today? It means it doesn’t exist anymore. It means our newspapers, magazines, news stations, are just PR agencies for genocide,” she added before calling on journalists and laypersons alike not to be silent about Gaza.

After the rally, protesters solemnly placed flowers on a memorial stand set up for the journalists. Muslim protesters called an evening salat.

The organizers thanked everyone for coming out and reminded them that the next CJP protest would be on Saturday, August 16 at 3:30 p.m. The location for Saturday's protest and information about future weekly protests in Chicago will be announced on USPCN social media.

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

Chicago, IL – “We are here today to demand that the U.S. government stop funding and being co-conspirators in this genocide!” With these words, Father Michael Pfleger added Saint Sabina Catholic Church, a prominent Civil Rights congregation, to the chorus of voices calling for an end to U.S. support of Israel’s military.

“Shame on the faith of Christians, Muslims and Jews who are silent while babies are being murdered and starved,” continued Pfleger.

50 members of Saint Sabina came from Chicago’s South Side on a workday morning, August 7, to protest in front of the Israeli consulate, located in Chicago’s downtown West Loop area. They were joined by speaker from the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Council on American Islamic Relations, and Jewish Voice for Peace, among other organizations.

Husam Marajda of USPCN, said, “Palestinians are like the Black Liberation movement here. We have fought for over a century for our freedom, and we will continue to resist the settler colonial, genocidal regime until our final victory in a free Palestine!”

Erica Nanton, community organizer for Saint Sabina Church, closed the protest rally, “praying fire down from heaven for our Palestinian family.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #USPCN