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

Minneapolis, MN – After a year of community pressure, Minneapolis cut funding for its contract with Zencity, an Israeli tech company whose surveillance technology emerged from Israel’s military intelligence center, Unit 8200, notorious for development of surveillance and phone hacking technology.

Throughout the campaign, community members expressed concern with Zencity’s complicity with violations of Palestinian human rights, as well as its role in racist policing practices in the U.S. The campaign to “Cut the Contract” noted that ending this contract will save Minneapolis $112,500 in 2026.

Erin Michaels, an organizer with the Free Palestine Coalition, explained, “Prior to the campaign, Zencity was largely unknown in Minneapolis. Over the course of a year, Free Palestine Coalition members organized across the city, engaging thousands of residents through webinars, social media, and petitions to build public awareness and opposition. Community members from all 13 Minneapolis wards then met directly with their city council members to educate them and demand that the contract be cut. We sustained and escalated that pressure by rallying at City Hall, hand-delivering more than 2000 signed petitions to Mayor Frey and consistently showing up at city council meetings to call for an end to the contract.”

Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, speaking for Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) -Twin Cities said, “Our tax dollars should be spent in our city, not on a company with origins in a genocidal military. As Jews we know that a budget is a moral document. We are grateful to the community members and city councilors who pressure the mayor to cut the contract with Zencity.”

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) was using Zencity to target residents with digital surveys to gather community perceptions of itself and public safety but did not proactively update the city council with such data and provided very little information to the community.

Zencity’s technology has been used by U.S. law enforcement nationally to surveil the Black community’s internet activity after high profile killings of Black people. For example, the Brooklyn Park police department contracted with Zencity after Brooklyn Center police killed Daunte Wright, a young Black man, in 2021.

Ray Himmelman of JVP-TC and Healthcare Workers for Palestine summed it up this way, “We know that investment in community means centering the voices of those who are systematically harmed by MPD and whose voices are erased by a survey targeting people via ads on social media. We need community engagement in the hands of the people of Minneapolis, with our powerful history of community care despite the abuses of MPD over the last 150 years.”

Community members have been clear – the contract with Zencity is a waste of taxpayer money and raises ethical concerns. Over 2000 people signed the petition to Cut the Contract, which was then delivered to Mayor Frey’s office in September, followed by multiple rallies that attracted hundreds of community members and public testimony. The campaign to Cut the Contract, which includes over 20 organizations including Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Twin Cities, MN BDS Communities and the Free Palestine Coalition, led a rally on November 19 outside of the city budget hearing.

After community members across Minneapolis expressed outrage, City Councilmembers Payne, Wonsley, Osman and Cashman issued a press release on November 26 requesting that Mayor Frey cut the contract by the December 1 deadline, a position supported by a supermajority of the council. On December 16, the council passed a budget that eliminates funding for Zencity, effectively withdrawing authorization for the contract and politically constraining Mayor Frey.

This makes Minneapolis the first U.S. city in over a decade to effectively cut a contract with a company in response to sustained community campaigning over ethical concerns, the most recent cases being the Veolia corporation in Boston and security firm G4S in Durham.

“Minneapolis's divestment from Zencity sets a historic precedent for divestment at the state and national level, and draws pivotal attention to the role of even our municipalities in the genocide of Palestinians. Our government institutions, including our cities, have been historically complicit – but this victory is the start of a dramatic shift,” explained Sanaa Wazwaz, chapter lead of the MN chapter of American Muslims for Palestine and a spokesperson for the Free Palestine Coalition.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #JVP #AWCMN #AMPMN

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

Minneapolis, MN – On a chilly Nov. 18, a group of over 70 protesters gathered outside Senator Amy Klobuchar's office in downtown Minneapolis to demand that she stand against President Trump’s attacks against Venezuela.

Venezuela has been in the crosshairs of U.S. imperialism for decades. The U.S. has used sanctions for over 20 years in an attempt to overthrow former President Hugo Chavez and current President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. has also backed multiple coup attempts against Chavez and Maduro. Trump is now escalating both his rhetoric and military violence against Venezuela. Protesters waved Venezuelan flags and held banners and signs as they participated in an international week of action in solidarity with Venezuela.

The Trump administration has killed at least 88 people in 20 recent military attacks on Venezuelan fishing ships. Trump claims these are “drug smuggling” boats, when in reality these attacks were on poor Venezuelan fishermen just trying to make a living. The U.S. military is continuing to grow its military force in the Caribbean with the hopes of being able and ready to strike. 15,000 soldiers and sailors have been sent into the region, and most recently the U.S. Navy has flown out the largest American aircraft carrier, the Ford, previously housed in the Mediterranean Sea.

Venezuela is home to the largest oil reserves in the world, oil that is being used to improve the lives of everyday Venezuelans under the Maduro government, instead of lining the pockets of wealthy U.S. oil giants.

Drake Myer, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Minnesota Federation of Educators, has also traveled to Venezuela on a solidarity delegation. Mayer stated, “When I was a child the U.S. government killed half a million or more children in Iraq with sanctions and then they bombed the country and invaded it, because they said Sadam Hussein was a terrorist leader and had WMDs. It turned out to be a war for oil and killed millions more over the years. U.S. soldiers are still there killing people and stealing oil even though Iraqis have voted over and over again for them to leave. Now here we are 20 years later.”

Myer continued, “There’s some attempt to lie about it, making up cartels that don’t exist and saying Venezuelans are all narcoterrorists, but no one even buys it. It’s about oil. Trump says it’s about oil, Maduro says it’s about oil.”

The emcee for the event was Sarah Martin of Women Against Military Madness. Martin said, “I visited in 2018 when life was very difficult. Hyperinflation was on the decline but still making life very difficult. Products were beginning to appear on shelves but there were dangerous and life threatening shortages of medicine and food. And the U.S. was in the midst of once again trying to destabilize the regime. When we arrived the electrical system had just been sabotaged by the U.S. and there was a nationwide blackout which lasted for days. How did Venezuelans respond? They organized and worked together to make sure everyone got water and food and checked on their neighbors to be sure they were alright. They held block parties every night. Instead of demanding Maduro leave office, they marched in the millions in support of him.”

Tracy Molm of the Climate Justice Committee also spoke to the crowd about her time in Venezuela during the 2018 attempted coup by U.S. backed Juan Guido, “At the end of April 2019 I joined 4 million Venezuelans to celebrate May Day, International Workers Day. Four months prior, Trump, then in his first term, declared Juan Guido to be ‘president of Venezuela’ despite him being mostly unknown within the country. A day or two prior to May Day that year Guido attempted a coup that fell flat on its face.”

Molm continued, “While we were in Venezuela we met with government and local organizers who showed us the achievements they are working towards despite the U.S. intervention. A food program that is built to ensure that no Venezuelan goes hungry providing food staples to a large section of the population; active dialog tents that encourage people to come and discuss the pressing issues of the day; housing that has been provided to all people at low or no cost.”

The action was organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition as a part of a week of action called by the United National Antiwar Coalition and the Anti War Action Network.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #AWCMN #MNPAC #UNAC #AWAN

Minneapolis, MN – On June 28, the Free Palestine Coalition and Minnesota Peace Action Coalition held a rally and march of over 200 people to oppose U.S. intervention in Iran and U.S. aid to Israel. The protest started in Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis after the Minneapolis People’s Pride festival ended.

Yossi Aharoni, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee told the crowd, “Two weeks ago, amidst U.S./Iran nuclear talks, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, whereby Israel attacked Iran, unprovoked, killing Iranian nuclear scientists, their families, and high ranking members of the IRGC. Five days ago, President Trump enacted Operation Midnight Hammer, dropping fourteen GBU-57, 30,000lb bunker buster bombs on the nuclear enrichment sites in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Aharoni continued, “Trump immediately claimed a total victory, that the U.S. had obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability. Not only was this an outright lie – Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity is still intact – both of these attacks were illegal acts of aggression and war under international law. But not just war, these were acts of unmitigated terrorism and war crimes. We have been told my whole life that Iran is the enemy and wants to use nukes against us. And this rhetoric has escalated this year. But has Iran attacked the U.S.? No!”

Aharoni concluded his speech, “The AWC has been working non-stop since before Oct 7 for a free Palestine. But we also have been working to end U.S. sanctions and war threats on Iran. The past two weeks have joined these two campaigns. We have both Palestinian and Iranian committee members and we are angered by the stories of people’s families trying to survive air strikes. We at the AWC stand in defense of the Iranian people against all U.S. aggression and Israeli barbarism. We demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel!”

Trelawyney Copley-Smith said they came to the protest, “to demand an end to the U.S. bombing of Iran and continued complicity in Israeli war crimes and attempts to escalate war in the Middle East. This meaningless attempt to enforce a ceasefire with Israel, when they have flagrantly ignored them in the past as they’ve continued the genocide against Palestinians, is merely an attempt for Trump to appear to be in control. We stand in solidarity with those who defend Palestinian liberation.”

The protest was the seventh in the Twin Cities in two weeks demanding an end to U.S. airstrikes and US support for Israel’s attacks on Iran.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Palestine #AWCMN

Activists from cities across the country, including Portland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and New Orleans joined the webinar to learn how to carry out divestment campaigns in their area.

Finn Cunningham, an attendee involved in Palestine solidarity work in Portland, Oregon, said “It was very helpful to hear the specifics from each presenter on what tactics worked in their cities. We will be taking these lessons and applying them to our work at home.”

The Anti-War Action Network plans to host more educational events and is calling for national days of action for Palestine on October 5 through 7. Those interested can follow them on Instagram at @antiwaractionnetwork.

#PortlandOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #Palestine #NOSHIP #AWCMN #SJAW

Minneapolis, MN – On September 16, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee held a rally in remembrance of those killed during the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre. About 100 people rallied to project a message of solidarity with Palestine.

The Sabra and Shatila massacre was one of the most brutal massacres that Israel should be held accountable for. Between 2000-3500 Palestinian refugees and Lebanese civilians were killed in refugee camps outside of Beirut. The massacre occurred between September 16-18, 1982.

Historians and politicians have compared the massacre to al-Nakba, “the catastrophe” in Arabic, a phrase used to refer to the displacement of around 750,000 Palestinians in 1948. This comparison is made due to the sheer ferocity of Israel's attacks on the refugee camps in Lebanon. Those refugee camps only existed in the first place because of the displacement inflicted by al-Nakba.

Speakers from all walks of life gathered to greet the crowd with words of encouragement for continued solidarity with Palestine and continued efforts to end Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has now gone on for more than eleven months. Speakers called for divestment from Israeli companies and international corporations complicit in Israeli genocide and occupation, and for an end to the funding of Israel from Minnesota and the United States.

“Nearly 18 years after the Sabra and Shatila Massacre, Hezbollah succeeded in ending the Israeli occupation in South Lebanon, inspiring the second intifada in Palestine,” stated Lina Jebara of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee. “Today, the people of Palestine inspire all of us to keep showing up. To keep demanding better for all of us. To Governor Tim Walz, who chairs the State Board of Investment, who has refused to act on our calls to divest Minnesota from Israel's genocidal regime, if you want this country to believe that you’re truly progressive, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and pull us out of this genocide.”

“There are two things that Sabra and Shatila have taught us. The first is that history did not start on October 7. It absolutely did not. I can name many massacres that Israel has committed,” said American Maysoon Wazwaz of American Muslims for Palestine. “I have Tantura Massacre, I have Deir Yassin Massacre, I have Kafr Qassem Massacre and of course today we are here for Sabra and Shatila. The second point is that Zionism is the demographic threat. Zionism has always been a threat, not just to Palestinians but to its neighbors surrounding Israel, from Syria, to Egypt, to Lebanon where the Sabra and Shatila Massacre took place.”

“At the University of Minnesota we held encampment after encampment,” said a member of UMN Students for a Democratic Society, addressing the crowd. “We made it clear to our university that it was time to divest from genocide and apartheid.”

Lizzie Palmer of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice touched on Israeli forces training United States police in the use of lethal force on citizens. “The perpetrators who enacted these atrocities, the IOF, are the enablers of police militarization, racism and brutality that we see today,” said Palmer.

Vash Lamp of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee concluded the rally by sharing encouraging words. “When this is all said and done, you know it's because people like you did everything you could to prevent this from happening; because people like you would not stay home; because people like you took action to send a message that's heard loud and clear,” said Lamp. “That message is, ‘until we are all free, none of us are.’”

The demonstration was part of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee’s ongoing campaign to force Minnesota’s State Board of Investment to divest its extensive holdings in Israel Bonds, Israeli companies, weapons manufacturers, and other companies profiting off of the occupation of Palestine and Israel's apartheid system.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWCMN #SDS #AMP

Washington DC – 300,000 people marched on Washington DC on November 4 in support of the fight to free Palestine. The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) organized a bus to take Palestinians and community activists to participate in the historic march. Bus riders boarded a bus for 20 hours on Friday evening, headed to Washington DC with their Palestinian regalia, keffiyehs, Palestinian flags and signs expressing their solidarity with the Palestinians who are under attack.

Since October 7, Palestinians in Gaza have waged a heroic resistance to occupation and have been experiencing what some are calling “another Nakba,” in reference to the forced expulsion of over 700,000 native Palestinians from their homes in 1948. There is a widely accepted consensus among activists, academics and even some politicians that Palestinians are experiencing genocide.

The March on Washington, which started at Freedom Plaza and made its way to the White House on Saturday afternoon, was a demonstration to urge President Biden – now widely referred to as “Genocide Joe” – and his administration to end the illegal Israeli occupation on Palestinian land, end Israel’s impunity, to acknowledge the state-sanctioned massacre a genocide, and to urge Washington to take responsibility for its complicity in the genocide against Palestinians.

The AWC bus trip began with introductions and an opportunity for participants to explain their personal and political motivations for coming on the bus ride. The riders explained how they feel called to denounce the Biden administration and Israel, held space for the Palestinian martyrs, and their own personal and political connection to the U.S. funded genocide. The riders ranged from ages 14 to 84 and included Palestinians, anti-Zionist Jews, students, anti-war activists, climate justice activists, and reproductive justice activists.

Sarah Cohen, an anti-Zionist Jewish activist, said, “I am Jewish, and I support a free Palestine. The liberation of Jews and Palestinians is closely connected, and a lot of Jewish people are being awakened to the fact that Israel doesn’t make us any safer. We are not a people somehow different or superior to other people. We should stay connected and struggle together. It’s a Jewish value to protect life, value culture and land. Israel has acted like it speaks for Jewish people and it’s just not true. We are reclaiming our collective memory and correcting things narrated to us that just aren’t true.”

The Ashkars, a Palestinian family, brought five family members to protest in DC together. Ashraf Ashkar expressed the significance of the trip, “knowing that it is a national march and a historical event and [being able to] tell [my] son that we are part of history in the biggest march for Palestine in the United States.” He also noted that seeing huge numbers in solidarity is really helpful for his parents who are visiting from Palestine to see there is support, including in the U.S., which is Israel’s biggest ally. The youngest Ashkar family member on the AWC bus stated, “Being part of history is a big deal for me at age 13.”

Sabry Wazwaz, a well-known Palestinian American activist in Minnesota, remarked he’s “proud to see so many people from so many different cultures and nationalities while nobody forgot the cause and its urgency.” His daughter, 24, remarked that she has seen the growth in solidarity grow in the last decade, “especially amongst our Jewish brothers and sisters. It felt like an unforgettable moment in history that she is excited to share with her kids in the future.”

Maggie Moynihan, an activist with the MN Abortion Action Committee who is Irish American, said that “Seeing a lot of other Irish people, especially Irish Americans, was great considering that many Irish Americans aren’t connected to their heritage as the first colonized people. And it felt good as Palestinians recognized our Irish flags and treated us like family.”

Sarah Martin, a member of Women Against Military Madness who is 84 years old, marched with the national movement for Palestine on Saturday and has a long history of showing her solidarity with Palestinians that dates back to the 1990s. She had tried to visit Palestine back in 2011 but was barred from doing so by the Israeli authorities. Martin stated, “Things have certainly gotten worse in Palestine as time has gone on. In some ways nothing has changed, in some ways things have changed. What has changed is the degree that the world is so appalled by all of this and opposes Israel’s terrorism. And the ability of the Gazans to persist; it’s a historical marker.”

Hani Hussein is a Kenyan and Somali student that joined AWC on their journey to Washington this weekend. Hussein said “it was liberating to be part of such a big movement.”

Hussein continued, “And to know, that now someone else can still tell you, ‘no, sit down’ while that liberation of life can be taken away is insane to me. How do you teach me right from wrong but skip that [freedom] now?” And the other notable element that Hussein felt important is the acceptance of Islamic culture, and it’s the time seen that “Muslims [be] seen as every other human being,” instead of being made out to be something, a stereotype, fostered in mainstream media.

Meredith Aby has stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people for 23 years through her community activism and her own visit to Gaza in 2002. Aby spoke on stage at the protest on behalf of the AWC and the state of Minnesota to express solidarity with Palestinians.

Aby told the crowd, “We think it’s imperative to be part of a national movement to stand up together to say that the U.S. does not support the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.” She spoke of Minnesota’s solidarity with Palestine, noting that tens of thousands of people in Minnesota have taken to the streets in protests in solidarity with other global protests denouncing Biden as “Genocide Joe.”

Aby demanded the U.S. defund Israel’s war on Palestinians on the federal, state, local levels, and “even the campus level.” She continued, “No – Minnesota does not support weapons, Minnesota does not support apartheid regimes, and we do not support ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.” She recalled shutting down Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum’s office with 11 other people on October 25 after the representative “sold us out” after being a longtime supporter of Palestinians, specifically the protection of Palestinian children, “if you’re a friend to this movement, then you need to be a friend of this movement in its most dire moment.” She concluded with the infamous and historical chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Overall, the national demonstration was a historical marker for the United States – and the Palestinian and Muslim communities – showing the role people can play against military and financial intervention as tools to impose genocide.

#MinnesotaMN #Palestine #AWCMN #SDS #Feature

Minneapolis, MN – On the evening of November 1, over 5000 rallied and marched in response to President Biden’s Minnesota visit. The protesters marched from the downtown Minneapolis Federal Building toward the location of an invite-only, closed-door fundraiser for Biden’s re-election campaign. Demonstrators hoped to be within view and earshot of the president in order to communicate their demand for an end to U.S. aid for Israel's ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

Outside the Federal Building, they enthusiastically chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Apartheid walls, shut it down! Apartheid laws, shut it down!” Commuters driving by honked and raised fists in support of the Palestinian cause.

The Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), and Students for Justice in Palestine organized the protest.

Speakers expressed their unconditional support for Palestinian liberation and a rejection of Israel’s colonial occupation. Hanin Moussa from AMP posed a question to the crowd regarding Biden’s claims that the number of Palestinian deaths was false. She asked, “If all the numbers and statistics of Palestinians were in fact inflated, does that excuse the genocide and prolonged ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people? Does that excuse neighborhoods in Gaza being leveled and several war crimes being done by Israel? Does that excuse the illegal disposition that began 75 years ago?” An emphatic “No!” resounded from the thousands present.

A speaker from AWC, Meredith Aby, asserted that Biden has blood on his hands, from sending financial and military aid to Israel in support of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. She also called out Biden’s deceitful statements to the public regarding what is going on in Palestine, explaining, “Yesterday Israel bombed the largest refugee camp in Gaza. Israel has now killed over 10,000 Palestinians – many of whom are children. And 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Meanwhile President Biden isn’t trying to stop the slaughter of Palestinians. He’s instead gaslighting the Palestinian Ministry of Health.” The crowd responded in unison, shouting, “Shame!”

The demonstrators marched through downtown Minneapolis, Palestinian flags waving down the length of multiple city blocks. As protesters neared their destination, police had barricaded the bridge leading to Biden’s fundraiser location. The rally could not get within view of Biden, but this did not seem to dishearten the demonstrators, who continued to chant, “Hey Biden, don’t you know? Aid to Israel’s got to go!” as they marched past the barricades.

Inside Biden’s event he was confronted by members of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), who demanded he call for a ceasefire. The JVP activists were forced to leave the event.

When protesters finished marching, Muslim community members made a call to prayer. After that, final speeches were given, where protesters were encouraged to keep posting the truth about the history and current situation in Palestine, and to keep turning out to Palestine solidarity actions in order to put pressure on government officials to end to U.S. aid to Israel.

#MinneapolisMN #Palestine #AntiWar #Biden #AWCMN #JVP #AMP #Feature

St. Paul, MN – The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) called on its supporters in the anti-war movement, the Muslim community and the Palestinian community on to protest Representative Betty McCullom for her recent support for Israel’s war on Palestine.

Twelve protesters, aged 14 to 84, entered her office October 25 and refused to leave until they got to speak to the representative about her silence on the loss of Palestinian lives. Meanwhile, 1000 people rallied outside the representative’s office.

Historically, the anti-war movement has seen Representative McCollum as an important congressional ally for her introduction of the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, which would have prohibited Israel from using U.S. taxpayer dollars for “the military detention, abuse, or ill treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention; the seizure and destruction of Palestinian property and homes in violation of international humanitarian law; or any assistance or support for unilateral annexation of Palestinian lands in violation of international humanitarian law.”

On Sunday, October 22, over 400 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes in one day. McCollum’s own constituents are concerned about her silence on the incredible loss of Palestinian lives.

Members of the AWC, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) met with her Saint Paul staff in person and later with her chief of staff over the phone. The demonstrators demanded to meet with McCollum, but staffers insisted she couldn’t come to the phone because she was on the House floor. The activists later discovered, while still occupying McCollum's office, that while they were waiting to meet with her, she was busy voting in favor of House Resolution 771, which supported Israel’s “right to defend itself.”

Drake Myers, an activist with the Anti-War Committee, participated in the sit-in and said, “As Palestine solidarity organizers we are well aware that Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ – especially at this stage – is code for total U.S. support for the genocide of Gazans. Israel is fundamentally not defending itself; it was founded on the murder and displacement of indigenous Palestinians in 1948 and is widely recognized as an apartheid state. It is beyond shameful that McCollum, who has been a consistent voice opposing Israeli war crimes and supporting Palestinian self-determination, has made a total betrayal: voting for this resolution, issuing statements condemning the Palestinian resistance, and arresting Palestine solidarity activists instead of meeting with us in good faith.”

Andrew Josefchak, also a member of the Anti-War Committee, states, “After casting this disgusting vote, Betty McCollum had the audacity to say that Israel must constrain itself to a 'proportional response.' Israel has already cut Gaza off from water, food, fuel and electricity. Israel has already killed at least 7000 Palestinians. Israel has already demolished hospitals, schools and entire apartment blocks. Israeli politicians have called for a 'new Nakba.' For McCollum to say 'Israel’s response must be proportional and consider the innocent Palestinian lives at stake in Gaza' at this point is ridiculous. Israel's actions are genocidal.”

Protesters refused to leave until McCollum promised to vote no on Biden's proposed $14 billion in military aid to Israel and to release a statement calling for the immediate cessation of the Israeli bombing and siege of Gaza and for no ground invasion.

The sit-in began at 1:30 p.m. and continued until 10:30 p.m. All 12 people were arrested and charged with trespassing.

#StPaulMN #Palestine #AntiWar #AWCMN #WAMM #MIRAC

St. Paul, MN – On October 18, more than 8000 people demonstrated on the steps of the Minnesota Capitol building to show solidarity with Palestine and to highlight the U.S. role in endorsing and funding the ongoing Israeli war on Palestine.

The protest was organized by American Muslims for Palestine – Minnesota, Students for Justice in Palestine – University of Minnesota , and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee.

International human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Israel’s own B’Tselem, have long charged the Israeli government with violating international law and functioning as an apartheid state.

Last week, Israel established an even more brutal and barbaric blockade of Gaza, cutting the entire population off from essential resources. On Tuesday, Israeli forces bombed the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, killing over 600 people. This strategy of collective punishment was clearly outlined by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who on October 9 stated, “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly.”

At the capitol, speakers addressed how the American public's tax dollars enable the Israeli government's human rights abuses. Since 1949, the U.S. has given over $150 billion in aid to Israel – more than ever sent to any other country. Every year the United States issues $3.8 billion to Israel.

Andrew Josefchak of the MN Anti-War Committee spoke to the crowd and connected the war on Palestine with the state capitol, saying, “Our government’s support for the war on Palestine didn’t start last week. We know that the thousands of bombs being dropped on Gaza right now – including the one Israel dropped on the hospital yesterday – are paid for by our federal tax dollars. But U.S. aid to Israel also comes from our state government right here in Minnesota. Minnesota’s State Board of Investments has invested hundreds of millions of our pension funds into supporting Israel. It has over a million invested in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company that advertises its products as ‘field tested’ on Palestinians. It has $55 million invested in Lockheed Martin, which builds the jets currently massacring the people of Gaza. The state of Minnesota recently spent another million to help open a new Lockheed facility right here in Saint Paul.”

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that he will send billions in additional aid to support Israel in its war on the Palestinian people. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has publicly stated, “Minnesota joins the nation in condemning the horrific acts of violence against Israeli civilians by Hamas,” and, “the United States and Israel are united by a shared commitment to democracy, economic prosperity and regional security.”

Since October 7, Israeli bombing of Gaza has killed over 3000 people and has injured many thousands more. The Israeli government ordered Palestinians to evacuate Gaza but then repeatedly bombed the border checkpoint between Gaza and Egypt, killing civilians and making fleeing the violence impossible. Israel also claimed south Gaza would be a “safe zone” but has continued to drop bombs there.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency stated on October 13, “The call from the Israeli Forces to move more than 1 million civilians living in northern Gaza within 24 hours is horrendous. This will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into an abyss.”

There have also been reports that Israel is using white phosphorus, an illegal chemical weapon. Israel previously used white phosphorus in the Gaza war in 2008 and 2009.

The capitol protest in Saint Paul followed an emergency action called in response to the hospital bombing on Tuesday, when local Palestinian-Americans blocked the busy Hennepin and Lyndale Avenue intersection in Minneapolis during rush hour. Hundreds of local supporters joined them, shutting down traffic for hours.

Last Sunday, over 15,000 people marched for Palestine through Minneapolis’s Uptown neighborhood. Additional protests for Palestine are being planned.

#StPaulMN #Palestine #AWCMN #SJP #SJPUMN #AMP #AMPMN