St. Paul, MN – On April 14, members of the WAMM (Women Against Military Madness) Palestine Solidarity Committee (FPC) again attended the monthly meeting of the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners to demand they cut the contract with Waterfall Cyber Security Systems, an Israeli tech company that oversees the city’s water infrastructure.

Waterfall is deeply implicated in the genocide in Palestine. Lior Frenkel, the CEO and founder of Waterfall fondly remembers his experience conducting “offensive” cyberwarfare for Israel, where he served in their air force. WAMM sees the Waterfall contract as a cruel insult to Palestinians and their supporters.

FPC members organized their supporters to attend the water commission meeting to point out the irony of Israel “securing” Saint Paul’s water supply while that country simultaneously forces Palestinians to search futilely for their own clean water, and to highlight how this Israeli tech company helps prop up an apartheid system.

The cut the contract with Waterfall campaign started during the summer of 2025 and for almost a year WAMM has sustained pressure campaign to get the city of Saint Paul to hire a company not complicit in genocide. WAMM has collected hundreds of names on their petition, gotten their supporters to flood the water commission lines with phone calls, and organized for the water commission meetings to be packed with protesters several times.

There are various signs that the water board is cracking. They have publicly admitted that community pressure has had an impact on their work. Released documents show that behind closed doors, they’ve complained that even on a functional level, Waterfall’s services are not all they were cracked up to be. In January they announced they would issue a request for proposals which would allow companies to submit proposals to ultimately replace Waterfall.

On April 14, the meeting room was once again filled with FPC supporters holding signs that read, “Palestinians want water too,” “Waterfall we don’t want blood in our water,” and a banner reading, “St. Paul cut the contract, we say no to Waterfall and genocide.”

After a very short meeting, Nathan Phillips, a FPC member, delivered pages of signed petitions and said, “We are giving you these petitions demanding you cut the contract with Waterfall and we ask you to be swift. And to find a new company because Israelis are slaughtering Palestinians, Iranians and Lebanese with impunity. We don’t want Waterfall in our water infrastructure.” The room erupted in chants., “Water commission you’re out of time, No more funding genocide,” and “Water commission don’t you know, Waterfall has got to go.”

Saint Paul Councilwoman Nelsie Yang then came up to the protesters and thanked them for being there and said if it wasn’t for WAMM the commission wouldn’t know about Waterfall.

Racquel Vaske, regional manager of Saint Paul Regional Water Services, was grilled with sharp questions and comments which she defensively tried to deflect. An organizer called her out as she tried to minimize the role of Waterfall as “just a piece of hardware here on campus.” But she did disclose more information on the process to replace Waterfall to the activists, said she’d find out if activists could be a part of the evaluation process, and said she would consider making it an agenda item at future board meetings.

Mary Benrud spoke for everyone when she told Vaske, “This is the absolute worst company to provide water security for me and my family.”

WAMM will continue to mobilize supporters to attend the water commission meetings and to increase momentum in their campaign to cut the contract with Waterfall.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) hosted CODEPINK Co-founder Medea Benjamin at three events in the Twin Cities the weekend of March 28-29 to discuss her recent trip to deliver aid to Cuba, Trump’s attacks on Iran and Venezuela, as well as the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Benjamin first spoke Friday afternoon at the weekly WAMM Free Palestine rally, held at the intersections of Summit and Snelling in Saint Paul. Speaking to the crowd, Benjamin said, “I see things changing; way too slowly, agonizingly slow, certainly for the Palestinian people, certainly for the people on the West Bank who are being attacked every day by violent settlers. Certainly for the people in Lebanon, one million of whom have just been displaced, over a thousand of them killed in this recent time, since a ‘ceasefire’. And we know that in the case of Gaza, over 600 people have been killed since a supposed ceasefire. So it’s agonizingly slow, but it is changing.”

Benjamin continued, “The issue is: do you want a foreign power coming in to bomb the heck out of you, destroy your culture, and tell you who should be governing your country? No, you don’t! And that’s what the U.S. is doing in Iran, and of course we see that’s what the U.S. has just done, and tried to do, in Venezuela, that’s what they want to do in Cuba.”

Later that evening Benjamin spoke in an intimate setting of WAMM members and community members about many topics, one of which being her trips to Cuba and experiences with the Cuban people.

Benjamin stated, “The most remarkable source of income for Cubans was medical missions,” Benjamin said. “It became the number one source of income at one point. Which is just remarkable to think about, how a poor country could create so many professionals and send them all over the world to help people. And I say this with great expertise, because my life was saved by Cuban doctors.” Benjamin went on to explain that Cuban doctors in a poor region in Guinea-Bissau saved her from a horrible case of malaria.

On March 28 about 100 people gathered for WAMM’s annual meeting, themed “Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad,” featuring Benjamin alongside Layna Crandell of the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump and the MN Anti-War Committee. Guests enjoyed a community meal before the talk began.

During the panel, Benjamin emphasized the ways unlimited funding for war harms us here at home. “In Minnesota, 69% of fourth graders do not read at a proficient level. Eighth grade, 72%,” she said. “And of course we know how defunded our healthcare system is, and everything else that’s good for people.” She ended by saying “It is a multipolar world. While sometimes we might feel lonely in our work here, the majority of people around the world want the same thing we do. They want to live in peace and cooperation around the world.”

The panel also featured Layna Crandell, a member of the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT), who stated, “U.S. intervention has destabilized countries, supported coups to carry out regime change, and imposed deadly sanctions that strangle economies. This forces people to migrate for survival, only for them to be criminalized and targeted when they come here looking for better conditions. All the while, the aggression we see directed at our own communities relies on the same tools used to destabilize nations abroad. The brutality carried out on the periphery becomes normalized, making it easier to carry out similar repression here through the degradation of human rights, through policing, surveillance, and border control.”

After the event, many attended the No Kings protest in Saint Paul, featuring guests like Senator Bernie Sanders, Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen. Upwards of 200,000 people were said to be in attendance, making it the largest single protest in Minnesota history. Benjamin attended and talked with demonstrators at the event. The weekend was a large success, giving hundreds of Minnesotans opportunities to learn from Benjamin’s experiences fighting U.S. imperialism in the belly of the beast.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #WAMM #CodePink

Minneapolis, MN – 30 people gathered in 16-degree weather in the heart of Minneapolis on February 7 to call for U.S. hands off Venezuela, Cuba and Iran, after weeks and months of tension, threats of escalation, and direct attacks on these sovereign counties.

The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition organized the action as part of an International Day of Action called by the Unione Sindicale di Base (USB), a dockworkers union located in Genoa, Italy. The dockworkers union called for the day of protest to shut down the U.S. war machine.

The cold weather did not discourage the crowd in their energy as they filled the streets with chants of “We will say it every time; U.S. sanctions are a crime!” and “From Venezuela to Falasteen, stop the U.S. war machine!”

Speakers addressed the parallels between the attacks from ICE in Minnesota to Trump’s attacks on Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran.

Yossi Aharoni, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, stated, “Six months ago in a brazen act of aggression and escalation the Trump administration attacked the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz in Iran. One month ago, the Trump administration kidnapped the sitting president of a sovereign nation, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, killing over 30 Cuban bodyguards along with dozens of Venezuelans. Two months ago in December 2025, the Trump administration began Operation Metro Surge, which can only be described as a federal occupation of the Twin Cities.”

Aharoni continued, “Both ICE and the IOF [Israeli occupation forces] rely on Palantir’s AI surveillance technology data to track and capture their victims. The bombs dropped on civilians in Gaza are made by the same companies that build the bombs that Trump and Netanyahu drop on Iran. The same 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine that Trump uses to justify attacks against Venezuela are used against Cuba; Trump believes the U.S. can treat Latin America like its own backyard! The same threats that Trump makes against Venezuela are made against Cuba.”

Allison Gunderson, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and the Women Against Military Madness, participated in a U.S. delegation to Venezuela in December and spoke about the need to stand with the people of Venezuela and President Maduro against U.S. attacks.

Gunderson stated, “It is our duty to stand with Venezuela, Cuba, Latin America and the Caribbean and demand an end to U.S. interventions, devastating sanctions, and the stealing of resources and wealth from these countries!” She continued, “We cannot allow the Trump administration to do whatever it wants, especially not waltz into any country it pleases and kidnap their democratically elected leaders, as Trump has made it clear he intends to do to Cuba next! We must demand President Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores be released and we must be ready to get in the streets to protest these sham court proceedings. We have to let it be known we say hell no to Trump's efforts to criminalize the Bolivarian revolution!”

Oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba have been cut off as a result of the U.S. attack on Caracas, Venezuela. Cuba is now facing an energy crisis; this, combined with the pre-existing embargo, will directly threaten the lives of the people.

Demonstrators held signs saying, “Hands off Venezuela” and “No war with Iran.”

Dex Davis explained why he felt the need to show up in the streets. “How can anyone build a life when a foreign power controls their access to medicine, food, fuel, electricity and education? This is the reality for people in Cuba, Venezuela and Iran.”

As Minnesotans continue to respond to the attacks by ICE in their communities, it is clear they are making connections to Trump’s attacks abroad and will keep showing up in the streets.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Venezuela #Cuba #MNAWC #WAMM #MPAC

St. Paul, MN – On Tuesday, January 13, about 20 protesters attended the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners meeting to demand that the city cut its contract with Waterfall Security Solutions, an Israeli cybersecurity company with direct ties to the IDF.

Activists held up signs and banners with slogans such as “Waterfall – no blood in our water” and “Dump Waterfall Security.” Later, they chanted “Hey, Saint Paul, heed our call: Cut your ties with Waterfall!” before presenting a stack of signed “Cut the Contract” petitions to the Water Board.

This action was organized by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM).

The campaign to cut the Waterfall contract began last summer. At that time, Saint Paul Water Board officials quickly claimed that Waterfall was the only company in the world that could meet Saint Paul's specific water security needs, but as pressure from the community mounted, including call-ins, emails, and actions to pack the meeting room – the board began to more seriously explore its options.

At the Tuesday meeting, the Water Board ultimately approved a “Request for Proposal,” the next step towards formally selecting an apartheid-free alternative to Waterfall.

Activists understand this to be a partial victory for their campaign, but they are not taking it as an opportunity to rest. According to Kim DeFranco, an organizer with WAMM, “We demand that the board cut the contract immediately. We do not want our city to be complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people, especially when Israel has continually denied the Palestinians access to water. No blood in our water!”

As Minnesotans reel from murderous ICE raids at home and criminal U.S. attacks on Venezuela, Tuesday’s action shows that even through times of chaos and uncertainty, Saint Paul residents have their eyes glued to the issue of Palestine and that they will not stop until their city cuts the Waterfall contract and ends its support for genocide.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On January 11, over 50 people rallied to demand an end to state terror from Minneapolis to Palestine.

Attendees waved Palestine and Venezuelan flags in the busy intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Oak Grove on the corner of Loring Park and displayed a banner on the pedestrian bridge over I-94 reading “Free Palestine: End ethnic cleansing.”

Minneapolis has once again become the epicenter in the struggle against state terror. Earlier this month, the Trump administration deployed 2000 ICE agents to Minneapolis. As a result of the escalated ICE presence, on January 7, ICE agents killed Renee Nicole Good, who was protecting immigrant community members. The crackdown on civil liberties and human rights in the U.S. mirror the experiences that Palestinians encounter in the West Bank daily.

Cece Maves, a member of the AWC stated. “Renee Good was denied medical care on the scene. She was called a ‘domestic terrorist’ by our government before her body was even laid to rest. It reminds me of the raids in the West Bank that Palestinians still face to this day, where emergency services are denied, and the victims of violence are immediately villainized by Israeli forces.”

Dr. Christine Harb, a member of USPCN told the crowd, “On January 6, my brother sent me videos from Birzeit University in the West Bank, where Hamas has no control or jurisdiction, of Israeli soldiers raiding the school with tear gas and wounding dozens of students who are simply pursuing their education. On January 7, ICE raided Roosevelt High School here in Minneapolis, terrifying students and their teachers to the point that kids don’t want to go to school anymore.”

Allison Gunderson, a member of WAMM and the AWC ended the rally, stating, “As anti-imperialists, we know these events don’t happen in a vacuum. We know they are all rooted in one cause: U.S. imperialism. Every innocent life taken in Palestine, every innocent life taken defending the Bolivarian Revolution, and every innocent life taken by the hands of ICE and MPD all serves to feed the same bloodthirsty machine that will continue to lash out and cause chaos and violence until it is put down like the sick dog that it is! So we have one job: and that is to keep showing up and keep strengthening the solidarity between these struggles!”

The event was organized by the Minnesota Anti War Committee (AWC) and included speakers from the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM).

This protest took place just a day after a massive anti-ICE rally, showing that Minneapolis continues to show up to fight back against state terror both here and abroad.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWCMN #WAMM #USPCNMN #MIRAC

Minneapolis, MN – On January 3, 400 people rallied and marched to demand an end to U.S. intervention in Venezuela. The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) organized the emergency protest after reports of overnight bombings in Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by U.S. special operations forces.

The action began with a rally, where protesters gathered on a cold afternoon near a busy Minneapolis intersection, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting “No war on Venezuela,” “No blood for oil” and “Free President Maduro!”

Drake Myers, a Freedom Road Socialist Organization member and public school educator with MFE 59 stated, “The U.S. wants oil money to go straight to the wealthiest of Wall Street, while Maduro and Venezuela want the Venezuelan poor provided for in their own sovereign country.” Myers also addressed how Venezuela used its oil revenue to make enormous strides to eliminate poverty, create social services and provide free education.

Allison Gunderson, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness, addressed Venezuela’s resilience in the face of U.S. attacks, stating, “They are an example to the world that this reality is possible, a country taking care of its people rather than pouring billions into efforts of wars that only benefit oligarchs like Trump, his cronies, and U.S. oil companies!” Having recently returned from a delegation trip to Caracas in December, Gunderson added, “when I was in Caracas, I witnessed a country that had love and solidarity not only for their own country but with all peoples struggles against U.S. imperialism.”

Relating U.S. foreign policy from Venezuela to Palestine, Nadiyah Salawdeh of the Minnesota chapter of U.S. Palestinian Community Network spoke about the term “narcoterrorist” to show the connection between these struggles, stating that “when the U.S. empire evokes the image of the scary terrorist to justify its murder of Venezuelan people it is yet more proof that nobody is free until we are all free. In the eyes of the U.S. – both the government and, let’s be honest, many of its citizens – ‘terrorist’ is a word that is used to describe somebody that they can kill with no repercussions.”

After a march through busy streets and the surrounding neighborhood, the action closed with a video message of solidarity from Chris Gilbert, who was in Caracas among a crowd ready to defend the Bolivarian process and President Maduro.

Minnesota made clear its solidarity with Venezuela, calling for the defense of national sovereignty, opposition to U.S. intervention in Venezuela, and an end to U.S. imperialism.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #MPAC #AWCMN #WAMM #Feature

St. Paul, MN – On October 29, the world came together to support of the United Nations voting on Cuba’s resolution to end 63-year U.S. blockade on Cuba. Participating in the national day of action, the Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) and Minnesota Cuba Committee gathered at the Women Against Military Madness’ End War weekly vigil on the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street bridge.

About 45 people rallied to expose the United States government’s brutal blockade on Cuba. It was a pleasant and sunny day as supporters walked up and down on the bridge that goes over the Mississippi River between Saint Paul and Minneapolis. They carried carrying signs expressing their message, “Cuba si, bloqueo no,” “Hands off Cuba,” “Take Cuba off the U.S. terrorist list” and “Say yes to the U.N. resolution.”

As people continued to cross back and forth, they cheered and waved when cars and buses honked in support.

As the rally ended, Sarah Martin, member of SCOTA (WAMM) called the group together by chanting, “Cuba si!, ¡Bloqueo no!” along with “When the people of Venezuela are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Martin addressed the crowd, “That's why we're here tonight, right? Two pretty outrageous things going on in the Caribbean and in our backyard. The blockade on Cuba and Trump’s bombings on boats in international waters and threatening Venezuela. All of this really has been alarming and we want to highlight Venezuela along with supporting Cuba.”

Rebecca Pera from Solidarity Community of the Americas stated, “As we draw awareness to the 33rd annual vote to remove Cuba off of the SSOT and to end the over six-decade illegal and inhumane embargo and blockade against our Cuban neighbors. We know that Ronald Reagan put Cuba on the U.S. State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT) originally for when Cuba accepted people who were being persecuted by racist, illegal persecution in the United States, like Assata Shakur.”

Pera continued, “They can't get medical supplies. They can't get food, construction supplies, or infrastructure supplies. We know that Cuba's medical brigades and medical professionals are the best in the world.”

Sandi Sherman, member of the MN Cuba Committee, talked about the solidarity of countries standing with Cuba. “This was demonstrated before the United Nations General Assembly when 165 countries voted to oppose the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.”

Sherman continued, “Cuba makes a new call to mobilize the international community to stop military action against Venezuela. Once again, this is their statement, we declare our firm and unwavering support for the Bolivarian and Chavista government of Venezuela and for the popular and military unity of the Venezuelan people. Latin America and the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace.”

As the Trump administration heightens their attacks in the Caribbean, the Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) and Minnesota Cuba Committee will continue to speak out for Cuba and Venezuela.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Cuba #Venezuela #SCOTA #WAMM

St. Paul, MN – On October 2, about 15 protesters held a bannering in support of Palestine on the Snelling Avenue bridge over Interstate 94.

The action was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) of Women Against Military Madness.

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held up banners reading “Divest from genocide! Dump Waterfall Security” and “St. Paul: Cut the contract,” raising public awareness for a new campaign against Waterfall, an Israeli tech company that directly oversees the security of Saint Paul's water system.

The amount of support this action received from passersby highlights just how repulsed Minnesotans are by U.S. support for the genocidal Israeli regime. Waterfall, whose CEO has bragged about how “fun” it was to do offensive cybersecurity for the IDF, stands as an egregious example of this collaboration – in this case, between Israel and the city of Saint Paul itself.

Joining statewide calls to divest Minnesota from apartheid Israel, residents of Saint Paul and surrounding suburbs can get involved with the Cut the Waterfall Contract campaign to pressure the city into replacing Waterfall with a security company whose hands are not stained with Palestinian blood.

The PSC intends to continue the momentum at the October 21 Board of Water Commissioners meeting, where activists and concerned residents will make their voices heard directly to the board.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, August 15, more than 50 Twin Cites residents gathered at Lucy Parsons Center for the event “China: A Contrasting Vision for the World,” hosted by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) talking about China and constructing a socialist society.

While China is growing influence in the world, it is being seriously threatened, both militarily and economically, by the U.S. and other Western powers. The Western press is constantly vilifying the country, pumping out disinformation on a near-daily basis. It was the goal of this panel to help dispel some of these myths.

Sarah Martin, a longtime member of WAMM, opened the panel by talking about some of the ways China is building socialism, “from ground-breaking achievements, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection to China’s role in promoting a global future built on mutual prosperity and a just peace.” Martin then introduced the main speaker for the event, Sydney Loving.

Loving, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s Central Committee, went to China as part of the Friends of Socialist China delegation. She traveled to five different cities, including Xa’An and Shanghai, to see up close how China is building socialism.

Loving began the presentation with a brief history of the conditions of pre-revolution China, stating, “The countryside was being looted by elites, you had millions of deaths due to famines.” Indeed, “starvation was a feature of society. There was a life expectancy of around 24 years in the countryside, opium addiction was rampant, warlords ruled vast regions of the country. It was hell.”

Loving contrasted that with conditions in current-day China, stating, “With 75 years of socialist construction it has the largest economy, the largest industrial manufacturing and trading economy, absolute poverty eliminated, and life expectancy that is two years longer than the U.S.”

Loving continued, “China is the only renewable superpower in the world. 60% of all wind and solar production in the world is in China, 98% of all electric buses are made in China, 70% of all high-speed rail is in China, two-thirds of electric vehicles are in China, and they are a world leader in biodiversity and forestation.”

With wealth inequality growing, violence increasing around the world, and climate change continuing rapidly, the world is now more than ever looking to China for how to build an equal and just society, one that puts people's needs first. Panels like this are critical for understanding the path forward.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #International #China #Socialism #RevolutionaryTheory #WAMM

St. Paul, MN – On August 12, the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners meeting was adjourned just minutes after it started when Nathan Phillips, an anti-Zionist Jew with the Palestine Solidarity Committee of WAMM, stood up and loudly proclaimed, “I am Jewish, and I stand with the Palestinian people! There’s no time to be ‘reasonable’. Gazans are being starved and massacred!”

At first the board tried to ignore Phillips and carry on with business as usual. But Phillip’s voice only grew louder as he chastised the board for its failure to act on the request to terminate a contract with the Israeli cyber security firm, Waterfall Security Solutions.

When Phillips could no longer be ignored, the chair warned the audience that further disruption would result in adjournment of the meeting. That seemed to suit the crowd just fine as they then began to chant “Free Palestine! Free, free Palestine!” The meeting was adjourned, and the members of the Board of Water Commissioners left the room.

Palestine solidarity activists then marched through City Hall chanting “Board of Water Commissioners you should know, Waterfall has got to go!” as their voices echoed through the atrium.

Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) organized for over 30 supporters to pack the Board of Water Commissioners meeting to show their opposition to Saint Paul’s contract with Waterfall Security, a company based in Israel. WAMM has organized multiple call-in days this summer to show its opposition to Waterfall’s contract. Activists also attended the last water board meeting on July 15 with signs reading, “Cut the contract.” No activists were allowed to speak to the board.

Waterfall Security is an Israeli tech company which secured a contract with Saint Paul last year for $74,000. The international Palestine solidarity movement is championing boycott, divest, sanctions (BDS) as the main tactics to challenge Israel’s apartheid and genocide. WAMM members want the city of Saint Paul to secure contracts with companies that do not facilitate or profit from human rights abuses.

The BDS Movement says the “tech sector is a pillar of the apartheid economy that feeds Israel’s war chest, making up 20% of Israel’s GDP (in 2023) and 53% of its exports (2023). In addition to being a pillar of the Israeli economy, tech companies knowingly provide Israel with weaponized technologies of oppression (including spyware) used to commit grave human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.”

The Waterfall contract, despite pressure from the Palestine solidarity movement, was automatically renewed by the board to continue for another year.

Members from Veterans for Peace (VFP) tried to get on the board’s agenda for the August meeting but were denied. VFP member Dan Wall approached the commissioners’ table and asked if testimony on the Waterfall contract would be taken from the audience. When told it would not, he asked “Why?” The chair gave the unsatisfactory answer, “It’s not the way it’s done.” Wall insisted on a better answer. The official gave a couple more non-answers before settling on “It’s not on the agenda.”

Activists have not been given any way to get to give public comment at the public Water Board Commissioner meetings.

At the end of the meeting, the Palestine supporters gathered outside the Saint Paul City Hall and committed to continuing to call and to give public testimony, regardless of whether it was allowed, on the need to cut the Waterfall Security contract.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM #VFP

St. Paul, MN – Local residents including members of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Veterans for Peace and the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) protested at the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners meeting on July 15 with signs reading, “Saint Paul cut the contract, free Palestine!” to pressure the board to not renew Waterfall Security Solutions contract this fall.

Waterfall is a company headquartered in Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel. In 2024 it entered into a contract with Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) to provide cybersecurity for the water department’s computer system. Protesters asked to speak at the meeting but were denied and not allowed to have their prepared statement entered into the minutes.

“If we can’t officially be a part of this meeting, I will take my leave, and I wish you well with the remainder of your work,” Mike Madden of Veterans for Peace told the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners, before launching into chants of “All that evil needs to succeed is for good people to stand by and do nothing.”

“We sent them letters, we sent them requests to address the board, we even asked them questions as simple as, ‘When will you have to review the contract and when do you plan to renew it or not?’ And they can’t answer questions as simple as that,” said Madden after the protest.

Madden said the Board of Water Commissioners President Mara Humphrey “tells us that we can’t address the board or even accept this into the minutes, but she will meet with us afterwards when we can be blown off again. There needs to be an official record of what we’re doing. They’re not willing to accept that. So that’s why this went down as it did.”

A statement endorsed by WAMM, Veterans for Peace, the MN Aati War Committee and the MN Peace Action Coalition said, “Under the Genocide Convention, contracting parties, of which the United States is one, have an affirmative obligation to prevent genocide. It is not an obligation that is specifically assigned to Congress, the State Department, or even the White House. Indeed, by providing weapons to Israel, blocking UN Security Council resolutions intended to restrain Israel, and hosting rather than arresting the criminally indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the federal government has utterly failed in its legal responsibility to prevent genocide, and should properly be considered complicit in genocide. In the dark shadow of this failure, we assume the moral responsibility to prevent genocide. As part of that responsibility, we call upon the City of Saint Paul to refrain from economic cooperation with any entity complicit in, or profiting from, apartheid or genocide. In particular, we call upon the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners to allow its contract with Waterfall to expire.”

The statement concluded, “Israel is acknowledged to be a leader in the development of spyware and other intrusive surveillance technologies. The most notorious, Pegasus, has been used to surveil, detain, and sometimes kill dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists. Compromised phones have also been used by Israel to geolocate individuals algorithmically targeted for assassination by aerial bombardment, with predictable results for innocents in the vicinity. It is disconcerting that a company with a history of ‘doing offensive cybersecurity for the Israeli Government’ should be allowed entry into SPRWS computer systems that hold sensitive data on water customers in the City of Saint Paul and the thirteen surrounding suburbs that receive SPRWS water and services.”

Women Against Military Madness plans to organize their Saint Paul supporters to call the water board and their city council members to pressure them to cut the Waterfall contract.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MNAWC #WAMM

St. Paul, MN – On June 11, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) held a joint rally at the Lake Street/Marshall Bridge over the Mississippi River to demand an end to Trump’s war on immigrants, and the militarized attacks on Los Angeles residents by local and federal law enforcement.

In the first six months of the Trump administration there has been an upsurge in the militarization of federal agencies as well local law enforcement. This rally came on the heels of the massive protests by LA residents against the increasingly frequent immigration raids by Trump’s ICE. These protests have been met with severe and disproportionate violence from LAPD and federal forces, with deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines.

Cedar Larson, a member of Women Against Military Madness, explained why that group opened up its weekly protest against U.S. militarism abroad to make connections with the immigrant rights movement, “Women Against Military Madness knows a military presence can never make women and girls safer. ICE abductions and the deployment of the National Guard in LA is a danger to all who call the city home. Wherever the U.S. military goes, violence follows! Here in Minneapolis, we have also witnessed violence at the hands of these officers – from ICE to the MPD, we must stand against violent and illegal attacks and repression.”

Minneapolis was also the site of a federal raid on June 3. Around 10:30 a.m. members of MIRAC received reports of ICE and the presence of other federal agencies at the intersections of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in South Minneapolis. MIRAC verified over 40 heavily armed and masked officers present as part of the operation, wearing insignias from various agencies, including FBI, DHS, HSI, ATF, DEA and ICE. The apparent targets of the raid were people inside of a taco restaurant. A call was made by MIRAC to the community to show up to the scene and document any racist or illegal activity by law enforcement. In the ensuing confrontation between community members and agents, officers sprayed tear gas, pepper spray, and shot pepper balls at members of the crowd. Due to the strong community turnout, none of the alleged targets of the raid ended up in custody.

Mira Altobell-Resendez, an organizer with MIRAC explained, “Here in Minneapolis, we won’t stand idly by as federal agents are allowed to invade our neighborhoods or those of our compañeros in Los Angeles and around the country. We have a duty to make it known that when ICE comes into town, our communities will show up to defend ourselves from their racist terror and the repression of our movement.”

Protesters denounced the militarized attacks on the Minneapolis and Los Angeles communities and called for strengthening ties and creating unity in a shared fight against Trump, and his use of federal agencies to terrorize working class neighborhoods of oppressed nationalities.

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIRAC #WAMM #MNAWC

St. Paul, MN – On January 24, members of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and up to 30 activists celebrated the Palestinian resistance and their success in gaining a ceasefire. WAMM also understands that the fight towards liberation for Palestinians goes beyond a ceasefire.

As the Israeli army is continuing to carry out attacks in North Gaza and the West Bank, we vowed to continue the fight to end U.S. support for Israel, without which these attacks wouldn’t be possible. WAMM’s Middle East Committee and Palestine Solidarity Committee pledged to continue gathering every Friday until Palestine is free; until then, those of us in the U.S. are watching their tax dollars kill Palestinians.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

St. Paul, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) held their weekly Free Palestine Rally with 30 community members joining them. It was stressed that Israel’s genocide is still raging in Palestine.

However, the people are still resisting in many ways. This week we saw many healthcare workers call out at their workplaces and at many hospitals with the theme “Sick of genocide.” In many cities in the U.S., they held press conferences stating they can no longer sit back; they spoke out about the horrors Palestinians face in Gaza with extraordinarily little or no medical help. The situation is beyond dire. WAMM’s rally focused on Gaza’s healthcare crisis.

Sarah Martin, member of WAMM and a retired nurse who worked at Regions Hospital, told the crowd, “I receive a public employee’s pension. It is managed by the SBI [State Board of Investment] which has billions of dollars invested in financial entities and companies carrying out the genocide in Gaza. It sickens me that the money I earn healing people is being used to murder and injure Palestinians by the tens if not hundreds of thousands.”

The people at the rally, layered up in Minnesota’s winter cold weather, held signs reading, “Free Palestine,” “Stop the bombing of Gaza,” “End U.S. aid to Israel” and “Divest MN from apartheid Israel.”

Martin laid out some horrifying statistics highlighting why the healthcare in Gaza is disastrous, “Per The Lancet journal, since October 7, 2023, 46,000 people, including children, were martyred.” She added, “In the first week of January 2025, 395 killed, 936 injuries, 74 children killed and now eight newborn babies have died from hypothermia.”

Martin spoke of the destruction of Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals in the north. “Al Adwa hospital is the last one operating in the north and only just barely and with no electricity but continues to provide treatment even though there is no fuel and there is severe shortage of medical supplies and medicines. There are almost no fuel reserves because little is getting through due to Israeli restrictions. This means incubators, O2 generators and refrigeration for medicines are barely functioning.”

As the rally continued, people heard the continuous honks from cars, buses and trucks as they drove by. People happily waved back to acknowledge their support. As they passed, drivers could see a banner tied between two light poles saying, “Don’t look away, keep resisting genocide” with a Palestine flag in the background. While one car was stopped at a red light, the driver lay on their horn until the light turned green.

Haley Mosely, an emergency medical technician, thinks of Palestine at every point during the shift, and said to the crowd, “Every time I step into an ambulance, I see those images from Palestine in my head. I see the burned, damaged ambulances, ambulances turned into shrapnel, the volunteers rushing to pull people out of the rubble, videos of medics giving compressions on stretchers while being pushed through entrances and hallways full of bleeding and crying people. The patients lying on the floor, the children receiving IVs and fluids without a bed. The emaciated. The crushed. The bleeding. The dying. The dead.”

Mosely continued, “Our hospitals here are overwhelmed. The times I have brought a patient to the emergency department with a head wound, wearing a c-collar, and I have to take them to the lobby to wait – because there are no beds available – I think of Palestine. Of the chaos. The rows of children lining the hallways. I think of them and I feel sick. What Israel is doing – with our tax dollars – is sick, it's demented, it's deranged. The targeting of healthcare is devastating. Israel and its defenders have tried to justify the unjustifiable. The killing of patients. The kidnapping of doctors. The shooting of people seeking refuge in hospitals. The bombings of maternity wards.”

Mosley stressed to the rally, “It is critical that we are not silent. That we as medical professionals stand up and speak out and get involved in stopping this genocide. If we care about our communities and our patients here, we must care about Palestine. Free Palestine! From the river to the sea – Palestine will be free!”

In between speeches, the crowd at the intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues chanted, “Free free Palestine!” “Netanyahu, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” “Gaza must have food and water! Israel, Israel stop the slaughter!”

Sylvia Schwarz, member of the MN BDS Community, stated, “How is it that hundreds of doctors and medical workers have been assassinated or incarcerated without an outcry from this country’s medical institutions? How is it that hundreds of journalists have been assassinated without an outcry from international media organizations? So, because I am so depressed, I want to address this speech to those people over there, those counter-protesters who think that supporting genocide is the way to show support for Israel.”

Schwartz ended by stating, “Even though many people can’t believe the genocide of the Palestine people of Gaza still is happening and many are sad, depressed and righteously angry, but they will never be deterred.” WAMM’s Middle East Committee and Palestine Solidarity Committee pledged to come to the corner “every Friday not only because it's the right thing to do but because their fight is our fight.”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday December 21 close to 100 people rallied in downtown Minneapolis to say, “All we want for Christmas is an end to the genocide.” The rally was organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and took place across the street from the WCCO TV studios, within sight of the Minneapolis Holidazzle Celebration, in the Nicollet Mall district of downtown.

Fourteen months into Israel’s genocide in Palestine the death toll has reached over 45,000 people, and attacks on civilians, their homes and refugee camps continue to be a daily occurrence. On Friday December 20, Israeli airstrikes killed 25 people in the Gaza Strip, with one strike in particular hitting the home of the Khalla family in Jabalia Al-Nazla. The result was the death of ten members of their family, including seven children – the oldest age six, according to civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal. Meanwhile in Jenin, a city in the occupied West Bank, Palestinians awoke to find the Bir al-Walideen mosque had been set on fire by Israeli settlers. The words “Death to Arabs,” among other slogans, had been spray-painted on the building’s facade.

Incredibly, this all continues to take place during a month in which we’ve also seen the collapse of the Syrian government in Damascus, swiftly followed by a rampant Israeli bombing campaign on Syrian airfields and naval bases, rendering any new government that takes shape essentially defenseless in the face of Israel’s incursions into sovereign Syrian land. The Israeli Defense Forces bragged about the operation being the largest in the history of its air force, claiming to have destroyed 70 to 80% of the Syrian state’s strategic military capabilities.

Representing the Anti-War Committee at Saturday’s rally, Layna Crandell spoke about the contradiction between the joy many Americans feel during the holidays, and the horrors that Palestinians are facing this December.

Crandell stated, “While we are celebrating with our friends and families this holiday season, families in Palestine lose children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. While we are celebrating, children in Gaza say that they wish they were dead. While we are celebrating, exchanging presents and taking time off work, our country plunders resources abroad with cheap labor, destroys nations’ sovereignty through destabilization efforts, and bombs civilians for U.S. geopolitical and economic interests. Because to our government, the interests of the ruling class are more important than people's lives.”

Mike Madden of Veterans For Peace also spoke to the crowd. He pointed out how many U.S. officials appear to be above the law when it comes to supplying weapons and support for Israel’s crimes, when Israel has been declared to be committing genocide by the International Criminal Court. He proceeded to juxtapose those officials with Robyn Harbison, a Minneapolis activist and member of Women Against Military Madness and the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee who is currently facing a bogus and trumped-up felony charge for his participation in the occupation of Halimy Hall at the University of Minnesota in October.

In comparison to U.S. politicians’ “above the law” status, Madden explained, “And then there is the flip side of the coin: those honorable people who are doing all they can to stop the genocide, only to have the rules and laws turned against them for minor and fabricated offenses. In their effort to uphold international law, these anti-genocide activists are being unfairly bludgeoned with the law in order to silence criticism of the real criminals; those who are committing genocide in Palestine, and their enablers in Washington DC.”

Educators For Justice In Palestine at the University of Minnesota was represented at the rally by Sima Shakhsari. Shakhsari stated, “As we get close to Christmas and as people shop for Christmas presents, let’s not forget that our tax dollars and pensions are being invested in a genocide in Palestine, where Jesus was born. Rather than buying into the spirit of capitalism, let’s make sure not to buy from companies that are complicit with the genocide in Gaza. In a time when all Gaza’s universities are demolished, what I want this Christmas is for the University of Minnesota to divest from Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to drop suspensions and charges on students who are being punished for standing for justice.”

Rallygoers also heard speakers from the organizations Women Against Military Madness and Families Against Military Madness. The Minneapolis Ceasefire Choir led Christmas carols with revised lyrics which called for an end to the genocide. Hundreds of Holidazzle goers shuffled by the rally, with dozens stopping to listen and some even participating.

The coming weeks will no doubt be a critical juncture for Minnesotans who support Palestinian liberation as we see a transition into Trump’s second presidency in January. The solidarity for Palestine across vast sections of the people’s movements must continue to remain a centerpiece in our organizing and a major thorn in the side of those who hold power and seek to maintain the status quo.

This includes the need for outspoken opposition to Minnesota’s complicity in genocide via the State Board of Investment chaired by Governor Tim Walz, and more broadly the United States facilitation of the genocide in Palestine. This is why the work of coalitions like MPAC are so important to our movement. Their organizing this holiday season proves that regardless of religious affiliation and despite freezing temperatures, Minnesotans will continue to show up and demand an end to the genocide.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MNAWC #EJP #WAMM #FAMM #Feature

St. Paul, MN – On the afternoon of Saturday, December 14, Twin Cities community members came together to protest outside the offices of Pro-Life Action Ministries, an anti-abortion Christian organization. The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee held a vigil to remember those who have passed away due to restrictions on abortion care, then transitioned into a rally to show that the community does not welcome Pro-Life Action Ministries and its hateful rhetoric.

The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee hosted the vigil to honor and remember victims of abortion bans by holding a banner bearing the names and ages of those that have passed and commemorating the many others who have gone unnamed. Among those honored were Amber Nicole Thurman, Candi Miller, Nevaeh Crain, Josseli Barnica and Porsha Ngumezi, all women who have died since the overturn of Roe v. Wade after being denied abortion care. Attendees placed flowers and candles around portraits of the deceased to offer a heartfelt tribute to those women.

After an emotional vigil, the action transitioned into a rally against Pro-Life Action Ministries, an organization known for organizing “sidewalk counselors” to harass people seeking care at Planned Parenthood locations. Pro-Life Action Ministries also supports and funds “crisis pregnancy centers.”

June Gromis of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee talked about how pro-life organizations like Pro-Life Action Ministries are using the guise of religion to further their agendas and expressed that her own faith is rooted in love for all. Gromis sang the song Amazing Grace and the crowd joined in, honoring “everyone who has endured suffering as a result of anti-abortion legislation.”

In a similar vein, a member of Women Against Military Madness, spoke of her own story of ending pregnancies in the past and how “she is at peace with this.” She spoke about her mother, a devoted Christian, who taught her to be pro-choice, and affirmed that her dedication to the fight to “respect people’s choice!”

Michael Wood of the Climate Justice Committee connected the struggle to save the climate with the movement for abortion rights and emphasized the fact that pro-life organizations are not for the people. He spoke about his experience of growing up Catholic, but resisting the anti-abortion beliefs of the church. Wood said that instead, he now stands for reproductive justice for all, which includes “fighting for clean water and air for our children to breathe in!”

A member of the Anti-War Committee spoke about how the fight for reproductive freedoms is connected with the liberation of Palestine, touching on the fact that movements need to be connected. “We cannot be pro-choice here at home, while turning a blind eye to the horror the U.S. and Israel impose on Palestinians and their reproductive rights!” she said.

The emcees ended the rally with a reaffirmation of their commitment to the fight against anti-abortion laws and rhetoric, encouraging the community to keep up the struggle for bodily autonomy in memory of the dead and in honor of all of us still living.

#StPaulMN #MN #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #Abortion #MNAAC #WAMM #CJC

St. Paul, MN – On November 29, around 50 Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) Palestine solidarity activists held their weekly bannering at the busy intersection of Snelling and Summit Avenues in Saint Paul.

The day marked the start of the holiday shopping season People driving or walking by the rally saw Palestinian flags waving in the wind and activists holding signs, as a reminder that there is still a genocide taking place in Palestine.

“While you are shopping, bombs are still dropping,” the crowd chanted. Many can hear the loud honks from cars in support of the Palestinian people and the rally. A man in a car that was stopped at the light shouted, “Thank you!” As a person from the rally said, “We are here every Friday.” The man responded, “I know and thank you!”

Cedar Larson, member of WAMM’s Palestine Solidarity Committee, addressed the crowd, “As we stand in the belly of the beast, we can identify these related struggles. But today specifically of the Palestinians and the indigenous Americans. What a tragically familiar tale; an indigenous population is living comfortably and cohabitating for centuries until a colonizing force arrives. The colonizer claims they cannot be safe unless the indigenous peoples are eradicated from their homeland. The colonizer proceeds to ethnically cleanse the original inhabitants of the land by any means necessary. And so, in order to survive, indigenous resistance must take place.” Larson continued, “This weekly rally is necessary! We will be here every week until Palestine is free!”

Throughout the event people were holding signs, “Stop the genocide,” “Massacre after massacre equals genocide,” and “End U.S. aid to Israel”. They continued chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.”

Robyn Harbison, director of WAMM, told the attendants, “It is an international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people and it has been over 410 days of the Gaza genocide. We have seen the continuation of the Gaza genocide, and we have seen and experienced the growing repression of pro-Palestine activists. However, we see that the world refuses to take the violence lying down and neither will we! We will always stand with Palestine! Long live Palestine!”

WAMM’s Middle East Committee and Palestine Solidarity Committee pledged to come to the corner “every Friday not only because it’s right thing to do but because their fight is our fight.”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On November 20, the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) held an emergency response rally to protest the United States escalation of the Russia/Ukrainian war. The protest focused on the United States’ deployment of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine for use in expanding the ongoing U.S. proxy war with Russia.

Around 40 people gathered outside of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's office to demand “Stop the U.S. proxy war with Russia” and “No to World War III.” Protesters expressed concern that the U.S. is using the war in Ukraine to try to isolate Russia, harm its economy, and divide up Europe.

“The U.S. finds someone willing to unleash chaos on its behalf, to start interminable conflicts that will erode the ability of anyone who isn't the U.S., or a subservient ally of the U.S., to pursue their own goals, their own independence. And it tries to convince the world that it’s doing it for noble reasons, that in Israel it is supporting ‘the only democracy in the Middle East,’ that in Ukraine it's fending off completely irrational Russian aggression,” said Andrew Josefchak, of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC).

Also speaking to the protesters, Cedar Larson of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) explained, “U.S. imperialism and intervention knows no bounds and the thoughtlessness with which Biden is attempting to leave his campsite worse than he found it is infuriating. As he brings us to the brink of nuclear war and World War III, it is important to understand why this war is happening,” adding, “Biden will not tell you what his end goal is, but the truth is to use Russia’s aggression as an excuse to invite Ukraine into NATO.”

MPAC, long time Twin Cities coalition of anti-war and anti-imperialist organizations, will be hosting an upcoming protest outside of the Minneapolis Holidazzle festival on December 21 to say, “End U.S. aid to Israel” and “Hands off Bethlehem” this holiday season.

#MinneapolisMI #AntiWarMovement #MPAC #AWC #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On October 28, Cuba solidarity activists rallied at the Federal Building in downtown Minneapolis to demand the Biden administration vote at the UN to end the economic war on Cuba. For 32 years, the United Nations has voted every year almost unanimously to end the cruel economic blockade against Cuba which the U.S. has imposed for over 60 years. To tighten the noose, in 2021 the U.S. added the designation of Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism” (SSOT) a ridiculous charge that leads to only more sanctions.

This vote took place while Cuba is experiencing a severe power outage. For over a week the entire island has had little to no electricity up to 20 hours a day due to fuel shortages and lack of equipment to repair the infrastructure because of the brutal U.S. blockade.

The demonstrators heard from several speakers including Gary Prevost, a member of the MN Cuba Committee, who said, “There is a groundswell of support to remove Cuba from the SSOT list here in Minnesota and around the country, including resolutions from 120 labor unions and cities as large as NYC, Washington DC and San Francisco.” Prevost also spoke of the U.S. role in the blackout, saying, “Make no mistake, the recent blackout in Cuba occurred because of a lack of fuel, and that’s directly a result of the fact that ships carrying badly need fuel, can’t dock in Cuba because most are insured by U.S. companies.”

Joe Callahan, a member of the Solidarity Committee on the Americas, described the concerns of a visiting Cuban, stating, “We were fortunate to have Cuban filmmaker Gloria Rolando here with us last weekend. She lives in central Havana, and she said people on the street were feeling at the end of their rope, “finito.” She fears it will mean an ongoing exit from the country by young people. The population has declined by a million people in the last few years.”

Amina Sheikh, a trade unionist who recently visited Cuba, spoke about how inspired she is by the gains Cuba has made for its people and its importance in the world. Sheikh emphasized, “Cuba has a history of internationalism and solidarity. It has been so generous in giving scholarships to people from all over the world, including countries under attack from the U.S. like Palestine and Syria. In spite of crippling U.S. sanctions, it teaches the world how to be generous.”

The rally concluded with Robyn Harbison, a Cuban-American who is the director of Women Against Military Madness, describing the current dire hardships the people are experiencing since the beginning of the blackouts on October 18, stating, “There have been failures in the obsolete water system, meaning no running water for most of the island, food and medicine are spoiling without refrigeration, there is no air conditioning, and essential workers are home indefinitely. This is the total fault of the U.S. sanctions and blockade.”

The activists vowed to stand with Cuba now and forever and to double down efforts to fight to take Cuba off the “terrorist” list and to end the U.S. blockade on this heroic island and shining example for the world.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #International #Cuba #SCOTA #WAMM

St. Paul, MN – On October 19, Jill Stein, presidential candidate for the Green Party, stopped by the weekly Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) Solidarity Palestine bannering. Stein stopped by to show support for the Palestine solidarity movement on the way to her Green Party fundraiser.

For over a year, every Friday, community activists have steadfastly came to the busy intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues in Saint Paul to call for an end to the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza and for a free Palestine.

The intersection was filled with chants like “They call it a war, that’s a lie, it’s systematic genocide.” Protesters held Palestine flags and signs calling for divestment and an end to U.S. support for genocide. Passing motorists responded resoundingly positively with their unending honks.

Meredith Aby, a member of the MN Anti- War Committee and an educator, closed out the rally, stating, “We have a task. We have to raise the level of consciousness in this country about the genocide. The media won’t do it. We have to do it. Genocide is not a single issue voting issue. The money I need to teach my kids is being spent on the other side of the globe killing kids.”

WAMM organizers pledged to “continue to come to this corner every Friday not only because it’s right thing to do but because their fight is our fight.”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #JillStein #Palestine #WAMM #GreenParty