Flagstaff, AZ – After their September 4 “ICE out!” protest, members of the Flagstaff chapter of Students for a Democratic Society received identical Code of Conduct charges from Northern Arizona University. The charges meant the students were facing potential suspension or expulsion.

After holding a march, a sit-in, multiple call-ins, posting statements on social media, and sending a cease and desist notice from a lawyer, suspension or expulsion was avoided for all three students, and SDS Flagstaff declared victory over the university on September 28.

On Friday, September 11, SDS Flagstaff Vice President Sarah Rogala received an email informing her she was being charged with violations of the following Code of Conduct policies: “Other Rules,” “Failure to Comply,” and “Disruption.” Rogala was already on university probation due to similar charges stemming from SDS’s April 10 “ICE out” protest.

“Considering suspension was brought up as a possibility in that first hearing, when I had nothing on my record, I was thinking suspension was the most likely outcome of the hearing,” said Rogala.

On September 13, Claire Wagoner, president of SDS Flagstaff, received a notice from Jeffery D. McKay, NAU’s vice president for capital planning and campus operations. The letter stated that she is permanently trespassed from campus property for the repeated use of amplified sound equipment (megaphones) which were not registered with the university in advance. If Wagoner were to step foot on or drive through the NAU campus, she could potentially face several months in jail for trespassing.

“SDS is currently discussing our options with lawyers for rescinding this unconstitutional trespass order, which was served to restrict our First Amendment rights,” said Wagoner.

After Wagoner’s trespass order and the charges against Rogala, SDS Flagstaff organized a protest on September 18. Thirty minutes before the protest, two more SDS members, including Judah Francabandera, received the same charges as Rogala, with hearings scheduled for September 23.

The protest on September 18 started with a rally at NAU’s First Amendment Plaza and was attended by an estimated 80 to 100 people. At the rally, an SDS member read a speech written by Claire Wagoner, who could not attend due to the trespass given to her. Wagoner wrote, “Since the formation of our SDS chapter, we have been dealing with constant retaliation from NAU admin. They have made it abundantly clear they would rather target and punish student protesters than protect NAU students from ICE.”

Wagoner continued, “We can see clear as day that NAU is deeply afraid of the students rising together to demand better policies. They are doubling down in this fear, trespassing me for simply using a megaphone. They can and will arrest me and put me in jail for up to six months if I were to walk on campus, but we aren't scared!”

After the speech, the gathered crowd of students marched around the Student Union with the demands that the charges be dropped and NAU protect its students from ICE.

After being rescheduled multiple times, Rogala’s hearing was ultimately held on September 25. A sit-in and a call-in were held in support of Rogala. Lawyers were also contacted, and a cease and desist letter was emailed to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and NAU President Cruz Rivera. The letter was also emailed to the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Access, whose program director, Bernadine Lewis, filed the charges against Rogala. These actions culminated in Rogala being told in her hearing with Julia L. Czekaj that the school was not considering suspending or expelling her, which were two of the most severe possible outcomes.

After Rogala’s hearing, and the hearings of the other students, SDS Flagstaff released a statement on social media on September 28 declaring victory and reaffirming their goal of fighting for “sanctuary campus” policies at NAU, which would restrict ICE officers’ presence on campus and ensure that campus staff do not cooperate with ICE.

“We have faced many challenges in the last two weeks, but we have not let ourselves get demoralized, we have fought back hard, learned lessons from the struggle, and won! So please join us as we resume our fight for a sanctuary campus at NAU! Because when we fight, we win!” the statement said.

#FlagstaffAZ #AZ #StudentMovement #NorthernArizonaUniversity #ImmigrantRights #FreeSpeech #Featured

Tucson, AZ – Nearly 30 community members joined the Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC) on September 19 to protest 200 days of U.S. war on Iran outside of Howmet Aerospace, held as part of the Anti-War Action Network’s (AWAN) nationwide call to action.

TAWC connected the war to their local campaign to demand that Howmet Aerospace cut their contract providing parts for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet program, which allows them to profit from genocide and war.

TAWC collaborated with local anti-war organizations for the event, including Common Defense, Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Nuclear Resister, Veterans for Peace, Tempest, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Communist Party USA, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

TAWC organizer Noel Todd led with chants exposing strife such as, “Howmet, Howmet, shame on you, the planes you make kill children, too!” “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more jets for Israel’s crimes!” and “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil, hands off of Iranian soil!” Passing cars honked in support of signs which read “Money for human needs, not war!” and “U.S. out of Iran, U.S. out of the Middle East, U.S. out of everywhere!”

Melissa Cordero from Common Defense shared her story as an Air Force combat veteran and how veterans have not yet received relief from previous U.S. wars, suffering abuse while deployed and suicide while at home. Cordero expressed how the U.S. military “brainwashes” soldiers and “made [her] believe everyone had a bomb strapped to them.”

Kaliana Venet of the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance emphasized that 200 days of U.S. war is, “200 days of war crimes, committed by our government, in our name, with our tax dollars, with weapons being built right here on our streets.”

Venet continued, “This war has always been a war against resistance, a war against anyone who dares to challenge the genocidal status-quo of the U.S.-Israeli regime, but we also know that this war was started because they are terrified of resistance, and in that same way, they are terrified of us.”

Jack Cohen-Joppa from Nuclear Resister discussed the expansion of neighboring weapons manufacturer Raytheon as part of a land grant in Tucson, and their complicity in the U.S.– Israeli missile strike on an elementary school in Minab earlier this year.

“Our friends and neighbors are stuck with those kinds of jobs,” Cohen-Joppa said, “And that’s why we go out and vigil every month at Raytheon, just to remind the workers there that it’s the product – it’s not them – that we object to, and we want better for our community than this kind of job.”

Maria Sohn Hasman of the TAWC demanded an end to U.S. aid to Israel and asked that money go towards human needs instead of war, while TAWC organizers held a banner reading “Howmet Arms Genocide!”

“Trump immediately claimed this war would be over in weeks, he loves to lie,” said Sohn Hasman, “The reality is that Trump is not in control. Israel can still not claim victory. This week, the cost of this war hit $38 billion dollars and Trump approved another $2.8 billion arms sale to Israel. While we are struggling to afford rent and groceries and our bills, Trump and the U.S. are using our taxpayer dollars to fund war and genocide.”

TAWC organizer and emcee of the event, Duncan Sohn Hasman, thanked attendees and closed out the action by listing the organization’s upcoming events, including a letter-writing workshop for President Maduro and First Lady Flores on October 3, and a protest to commemorate three years of genocide in Palestine on October 7.

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Palestine #AWAN

Fight Back! News is circulating the following statement and call-to-action from National Students for a Democratic Society:

SDS members – Sarah Rogala, Jay Francabandera, community member Claire Wagoner, and one other student – are at threat of suspension, arrest, and job loss at Northern Arizona University due to protests that mobilized hundreds to say no to any ICE presence in Flagstaff, Arizona, as well as to say no to the opening of a new ICE office across NAU.

On Wednesday and Friday, Rogala and Francabandera face conduct hearings. We in SDS call on our supporters to call NAU on Wednesday Sept 23, and to tell them these hearings must end at once.

This is a flagrant violation of these students' and community member's First Amendment rights to free speech. Civil liberties and constitutional rights, especially ones as fundamental as the First Amendment, do not end at the threshold of a university, especially a public university, regardless of what made-up, slapdash, hastily fabricated, inconsistent, and unprecedented conduct policies might be sent in an email from one administrator to another.

College protest, flyering, and student assembly is a longtime tradition of campus life. Just because administrators would rather keep silent about Trump and ICE's crimes, does not mean they should have the power to crush student dissent and expression. We said no when similar attacks happened across universities in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and the Midwest, and we are saying no here now!

Call in on Wednesday morning, between 9am PDT and 5pm PDT (MDT Arizona), and help us defend free speech at Northern Arizona University!

When: Wednesday, September 23rd, between 9am and 5pm PDT (Arizona MDT)

Who to Call:

1. Megan Gavin, Dean of Students

928-523-5181

2. Justin Mallett, Vice President of “Inclusion Excellence” and Director of SPEAK

928-523-0373

3. Jose Luis Cruz Rivera, President of NAU

928-523-3232

Script:

“Hi there, my name is NAME and I am from, CITY, STATE. I am calling to say no to the conduct hearings on Sarah Rogala, Jay Francabandera, and a third SDSer whose hearing is also today, as well as to demand the repeal of the trespass warning and arrest threat on Claire Wagoner. We will call in until this repression on students at Northern Arizona University stops at once. Hands off campus free speech and the First Amendment right to assemble!”

#FlagstaffAZ #AZ #StudentMovement #NAU #PoliticalRepression #FlagstaffSDS

Student activists at Northern Arizona University, members of the Flagstaff Students for a Democratic Society chapter, are facing harassment and threats of suspension for holding anti-ICE rallies this past spring. One leader, Sarah Rogala, is facing a second round of conduct hearings heading towards suspension. Another leader, Claire Wagoner, has been trespassed by campus police and is threatened with arrest if she appears on campus.

We wholeheartedly condemn this violation of their First Amendment rights to free speech and the right to assembly.

Flagstaff SDS came into existence in January 2026. By February and March, they were holding rallies of up to 400 people each, first demanding a sanctuary campus and then denouncing the construction of a new ICE office across from NAU. These rallies culminated in a 200-student sit-in at the president's office, spanning dozens of student organizations. These demands clearly reflected the will of the student body. By mid-April, the administration hit both Rogala and Wagoner with bogus conduct hearings and threats of suspension.

A student group like SDS, which takes a fighting approach to organizing, is a special target for administrators. Justin Mallett, the vice president of NAU Center for “Inclusive Excellence and Access” and a stooge for administration, was heard saying, “I'll be damned before I let SDS become an official student organization.”

The retaliation bears an eerie resemblance to similar anti-free speech policies enacted across the country. In Florida, long-standing SDS chapters that have been around for over a decade have leaders facing potential suspensions for even witnessing the act of people passing out fliers, such as at the University of North Florida and Florida State University.

Student leaders at University of Texas Austin have been suspended for protesting Trump's compact, which sought to bribe universities to wipe out any ethnic cultural organizations, programs such as women's and gender studies, and any course that addresses racism or oppression. Students in Louisiana have been hit hard with constant conduct charges, even for simply for giving speeches about Palestine in other parts of the city, including off campus.

These anti-protest policies take many forms: so-called “time, place and manner” policies at schools such as Cal Poly Humboldt in California, where any expression-related activity has to be approved by the university; bald-faced criminalization, where youth, such as Claire Wagoner in Arizona and SDS leaders in Tampa, Florida, are trespassed from campus and told that campus police will arrest them if they appear; policies setting strict limits on the ability to meet, give out flyers, or hold protests where students can actually see them; and more.

These policies began to appear everywhere at the end of the encampment for Gaza movement in 2024. They have become a norm across campuses and are wielded against protests of ICE and of Trump.

University presidents, such as NAU President Cruz Rivera, want everyone to think that there is nothing wrong in the U.S. and nothing to protest. They lie. They side with the Trump administration for chump change. They want to force students to look the other way as ICE strives to deport record numbers of immigrants and sets up an office across from campus. They will trample on students so that ICE can have free rein over students and staff at NAU.

So far, the brave student organizers in SDS will not let them, and neither will we. We condemn NAU's violation of Rogala and Wagoner's First Amendment rights to free speech and the freedom of assembly. We call on all progressives to do the same. We assert our right to protest on campus, and we will not let it go without a fight.

And when we fight, we win!

#FlagstaffAZ #AZ #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #PoliticalRepression #ICE #NAU

Flagstaff, AZ – On Friday, September 4, the Flagstaff chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held their first protest of the school semester at Northern Arizona University (NAU). The organization has been fighting to demand a sanctuary campus, and has held multiple marches, call-in campaigns and sit-ins during meetings with university administration.

SDS Flagstaff President Claire Wagoner and Vice-president Sarah Rogala have been charged with several policy violations by the university’s administration for their protests and actions advocating for a sanctuary campus, including protesting the opening of an ICE administrative office in Flagstaff.

According to multiple SDS members, the organization as a whole also faces repression from university administration.

SDS member Eris Wolfer said, “Admin constantly restricts where we can distribute flyers, where we can table; we have to fight to reserve rooms to hold meetings. The policies being cited to restrict us are contradictory, confusing, or just entirely nonexistent when we look for them. The conservatives on campus aren't faced with the same scrutiny and are actively assisted when their events fail to capture attention, it all just feels really targeted.”

At the start of the September 4 protest, students gave speeches condemning both ICE and NAU admin. Claire Wagoner told the crowd, “NAU needs to immediately take action to become the ‘progressive’ campus they claim to be.”

Wagoner continued, “We know everything they say is a lie, they are willing to protect their image and profit over the well-being of their students.”

The final speaker, Judah Francabandera, said, “This year we have seen ICE take the lives of countless people, both with direct lethal force, and by starving them of their human needs. We have seen ICE lease a building just a mile off campus. They’ve already taken people out of our city.”

Francabandera concluded, “Will we be spineless? No? Then let’s fucking march!”

The students then marched from the south side of campus to Flagstaff City Hall, chanting on the NAU campus and the streets of downtown Flagstaff. The protesters carried both a handmade banner and flag reading “Students for a Democratic Society,” as well as signs with such slogans as “Stop deportations!” “ICE kills children!” and “Join us against ICE!”

As they marched across campus, several students not participating in the march opened their windows to shout words of support.

While heading both to and from Flagstaff City Hall, the students marched through a monthly city art fair known as the First Friday ArtWalk. Hundreds of attendees parted the way for the protestors and cheered them on.

The protest ended with speeches in which anyone to share their perspective. One student gave an account of how her aunt was taken by ICE. SDS member Giovanni Alvarez stated, “A family friend of mine, who is Navajo, by the way, was detained by ICE and was taken to Page, Arizona. She has no family in Page, and never went there prior.”

Alvarez added, “I have been stopped by ICE myself when I lived in Scottsdale. They asked me if I was ‘legal,’ if I had ‘paperwork.’ I was born here in Arizona, what do you want from me?”

SDS Flagstaff plans to escalate its campaign for a sanctuary campus while continuing to oppose the ICE office in Flagstaff.

#FlagstaffAZ #AZ #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #SanctuaryCampus #PoliticalRepression

Tucson, AZ – On Saturday, August 29, a dozen people attended a brief presentation and documentary screening of Chicano! A Quest for Homeland to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. Hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the event was held at Southside Presbyterian Church, known as the birthplace of the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. The Church served as a home for volunteers who provided aid and shelter for thousands of Central American immigrants. The Church continues to be an important pillar in the immigrant rights movement.

The presentation highlighted the political program of the FRSO and the National Question in the U.S. and how Chicanos in the Southwest constitute a nation, oppressed by U.S. imperialism, with the right to self-determination. The crowd heard about the conditions of Chicanos in the 1960s that fueled the rise of the Chicano National Movement.

The presentation also reviewed the role that the U.S. war on Vietnam had on Chicanos. The disproportionately high casualty rate among Chicanos sparked three large anti-war rallies. The largest, with 30,000 people marching in Los Angeles, California on August 29, 1970, was the biggest rally by any single ethnicity at the time. The documentary showed footage of the brutal repression from LA County Sheriffs and LAPD that led to the deaths of journalist Ruben Salazar, and Brown Beret members Lyn Ward and Angel Diaz.

Arlee Thwing of FRSO said, “We believe all nations have a right to self-determination and liberation up to and including secession, and that includes Aztlán. Our strategy is clear: we need a revolution, led by us, the working class, with the strategic alliance of the multinational working class and oppressed nationalities at its core.”

FRSO member Jessica Moreno shared her own experience growing up as a Chicana in Tucson in the 1990s, saying, “No soy de aqui, ni de alla – a famous quote that represents the sentiment of not feeling like we belong, but the reality is that we do belong, and this is our land.”

This is the first Chicano Moratorium event in Tucson since FRSO hosted Chicano Revolutionary and Brown Beret cofounder Carlos Montes in 2017. Participants also learned about local organizations that were tabling, including Tucson Anti-War Committee, Veterans for Peace, and Common Defense.

#TusconAZ #AZ #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoMoratorium #Chicano

Tucson, AZ – On August 20, members of the Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC) hosted a call-in event to tell war profiteer Howmet Aerospace that companies that profit from endless wars and genocide are not welcome in their community.

However, when TAWC members started calling, they discovered Howmet Aerospace shut down their phone lines, not even allowing voicemail messages.

As part of a national campaign, the TAWC led teach-ins on Howmet. They also flyered the community with educational information, protested outside the Howmet facility, and hosted regular call-in days. In June, TAWC members and supporters filled Howmet’s Tucson voicemail with 130 messages. They demanding that Howmet quit arming war and genocide and cut their contract with Lockheed Martin.

In response, Howmet completely shut down their phone lines for the August 20 call-in event. Howmet had the phones back up and running the next day, so TAWC members pivoted. The new tactic by TAWC is to send emails demanding Howmet stop building parts for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet and expressing outrage that tax dollars help Howmet profit off of war and genocide while people struggle to afford groceries and rent. 

Howmet primarily produces wheels and engines for commercial trucks and planes. However, 17% of their revenue comes from building specialty parts for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets. Like all U.S. weapons, these lethal fighter jets are used to commit war crimes across the world in places like Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and more.

They were also used in support of the murder of more than 200 fishermen off the Caribbean coast. Each jet can carry up to 18,000 pounds of bombs. These bombs strike civilian infrastructure like homes, schools and hospitals. 

Howmet shows that they prioritize profits, purposely ignore the concerns of the people. The Tucson Anti-War Committee will continue to bring the fight straight to the weapons manufacturers like Howmet.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #TAWC #WeaponsIndustry #Palestine

Tucson, AZ – For 53 days, the social movements of indigenous peoples and trade unions blockaded streets across Bolivia to protest the neoliberal agenda of President Rodrigo Paz. Shortly after Paz’s inauguration in November of 2025, unions and community organizations issued economic demands that included stopping the privatization of the nationalized resources of country, reinstating fuel subsidies, and ending tax cuts for the rich.

When Paz refused to meet and dialogue for solutions, the popular forces in the country united for a national strike and blockaded major highways. The movement's escalated tactics brought an escalated demand that President Raz resign immediately. For almost two months, amid heavy repression under the “state of exception” that allowed for detentions and arrests without warrants and state violence, the peoples’ movements held strong.

A longtime indigenous leader from the trade union movement who served as Bolivia’s president from 2006 to 2019, Evo Morales had been protected in his home by indigenous organizations. It was reported that workers took over a nearby airport to prevent state forces, in coordination with present U.S. military advisers, from kidnapping him like they did democratically-elected Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.

Now, the far-right, pro-U.S. government of Rodrigo Paz is out to get Evo Morales for bogus charges of “armed uprising against the security and sovereignty of the state, terrorism and attacks on the safety of means of transport.”

Other leaders facing this political repression include Juan Carlos Huarachi, a leader from the trade union federation Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), and Freddy Mamani, a professor and leader in an educators’ trade union.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #International #Bolivia #EvoMorales

Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Anti War Committee (TAWC) along with nine other organizations rallied outside the Mexican Consulate on June 27 to demand: U.S. hands off Cuba! U.S. hands off Mexico!

The crowd of nearly 30 people received numerous honks from vehicles passing by the busy street corner. The action joined the national Week of Action called for by the National Network on Cuba and endorsed by Black Alliance for Peace, UNAC, Resist US-Led War, Anti War Action Network (AWAN), and many others.

James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ) initiated the call for an action to support Mexico’s solidarity with Cuba and demand an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba. Jordan wanted to raise the profile of U.S. interventions in Mexico, like the recent appearance of CIA agents in Chihuahua and the bogus indictments against elected representatives who are members of the Morena party.

Protesters held signs that read: “Let Cuba live!” “E.E.U.U. fuera de México!” “Bloqueo no! Cuba si!” and “CIA fuera de México!”

While not present for health reasons, James Jordan sent important talking points that Jim Byrne of TAWC shared in a speech, “There is a lot of U.S. activity in and on Mexico these last few months, like the CIA agents invited to Chihuahua by the PANista governor without telling the President Claudia Sheinbaum. The U.S. claims it has ten indictments, many of whom are members of the party of past president AMLO and current President Sheinbaum, the popular Morena party. Meanwhile, Trump pardoned a convicted drug trafficker, past Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. This ‘HondurasGate’ threatens any sitting progressive president in Latin America.”

Byrne continued, “Mexico has sent over 4800 tons of aid to Cuba during this U.S. blockade. They deserve our solidarity! Cuba is surviving a decades-long embargo and now an inhumane blockade, they deserve our solidarity!”

The action was endorsed by the immigrant rights organizations Coalición de Derechos Humanos and Paisanos Unidos, progressive veteran organizations Common Defense and Veterans for Peace, and political organizations CPUSA Tucson, PSL Tucson, Pima County Green Party, and FRSO Tucson.

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Cuba #Mexico #AWAN

“May 15 marks the day when Zionist militias destroyed hundreds of villages, massacred thousands, and violently forced 750,000 Palestinians out of their homes and off of their historic land in order to create the state of Israel. Since 2023, the U.S. has sent over $25 billion in aid to Israel and has outfitted the Israeli military with its advanced weaponry. It is a fact that Israel wouldn’t be able to carry out these crimes of massive scale without the backing of the U.S. empire,” said Tucson Anti-War Committee member Nick Winsten when speaking to the crowd.

“That’s our tax dollars, that’s mine and yours, used for the depraved war crimes of the U.S. and Israel. That’s our hard earned money used for the razing of homes, the bombing of schools and hospitals, and the killing of countless families. That’s money not going to health care, education, housing, or any real human need but that has gone to murdering over 70,000 Palestinians,” Winsten added.

Organizers from Arizona-Palestine Solidarity Alliance and Jewish Voice for Peace also spoke to the crowd. Other co-sponsoring organizations of the event were Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, Veterans for Peace, Common Defense, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Tucson.

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Nakba #Palestine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tucson was a part of mobilizations across the U.S., Venezuela and the world in solidarity with the democratically-elected President Maduro and Bolivarian Revolution leader Cilia Flores, who is also an elected deputy in the Venezuelan National Assembly.

Maduro was a bus driver and trade union leader and Flores was the lawyer who built the case for Hugo Chavez to be freed from prison in the 1990s. Since the illegal bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of these leaders on January 3, Venezuelans have constantly taken the streets demanding the return of their leaders.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #TAWC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#TusconAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Howmet

Tucson, AZ – On February 28, around 100 people rallied outside the Davis – Monthan Air Force Base on only a few hours’ notice to protest the deadly missile strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran. The Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC) activated an emergency action plan that it built with progressive veteran organization Common Defense, the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance, and the Nuclear Resistors.

TAWC is one of 20 organizations across the country in the Anti-War Action Network to have held an emergency protest within 24 hours of the strikes.

TAWC organizer Maria Sohn Hasman led chants and told the crowd “We want to make it clear that we oppose any and all U.S. interventions. Trump is lashing out around the world in a desperate attempt to assert U.S. dominance – we see it in the illegal kidnapping of democratically-elected President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, the threats to Cuba's government, and the missile strikes on Iran and the assassination of Iran's supreme leader. U.S. hands off Iran!”

Dozens of vehicles honked their horns in solidarity with the action, a sign that Trump’s wars are unpopular.

“Trump’s actions abroad are bold and brazen. We need to be bold and build a bigger anti-war movement! We need to challenge ourselves to reach out to co-workers, neighbors, friends, centers of faith, labor and more to build the kind of power that can stop this war machine,” added TAWC organizer Jim Byrne.

The Tucson Anti-War Committee will be participating in the International Day of Action on March 3 in solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela and Iran.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC) led an anti-war contingent in a march of around 3000 people in downtown Tucson on January 20. The action was called by a coalition of organizations in Tucson to protest the first anniversary of Trump’s second term. The call brought out hundreds of high school students who walked out of school around the city in the early afternoon. 

The crowd disrupted downtown Tucson banging on pots, pans and drums and blowing whistles. They started with a rally outside the Federal Building, but the crowd quickly filled the sidewalks for many blocks until they began marching and shut down streets for hours. 

Anti-war activists joined protesters as they took the streets with signs in their hands that read, “Hands off Venezuela” and “Free President Maduro!” People chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” as they made their way throughout downtown with people on the sidewalks and in restaurants cheering on. 

Once the march returned to the Federal Building, a speaking program began. TAWC organizer Maria Sohn Hasman spoke to the crowd, “It has never been more clear that Trump and the United States are grasping for straws as they fail to maintain power on a global stage. We see this in the attacks and threats against Palestine and Venezuela and now Iran and Greenland.”

Sohn Hasman continued, “We also see it here at home in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Portland as the same forces send out ICE agents to kill us and threaten the Insurrection Act!” 

The event ended with a performance of The Internationale by James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice as the crowd sang along.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #TAWC

Tucson, AZ – Tucson joined nearly 100 cities across North America in mobilizing against the illegal bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Around 200 people rallied at the entrance of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, constituting the largest protest in solidarity with Venezuela in Tucson’s history.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is the home of Air Force South (AFSOUTH), the air wing of the U.S. SOUTHCOM. AFSOUTH has been carrying out Trump’s extrajudicial killing over 100 people in the Caribbean and now the illegal bombing and killing of civilians and capture of a democratically elected president.

The Tucson Anti War Committee (TAWC) called for the emergency action in the early hours of January 3 when the world learned of the actions of President Trump against a peaceful, sovereign nation. Sponsoring organizations quickly came aboard as endorsements from the Alliance for Global Justice, Common Defense, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Tucson, and the Venezuelan Solidarity Network.

Protesters filled out the four corners of the intersection outside the base with signs reading “No blood for oil,” “No war on Venezuela,” and “Hands off Venezuela.” Tucson Anti War Committee organizer Maria Sohn Hasman led spirited chants of “No coup, no sanctions, U.S. out of Venezuela!” and “Air Force, CIA, you’re not welcome, go away!”

A press release from TAWC yielded multiple local news outlets attending to get footage and interviews. While the sound of the passing traffic created recording challenges, the reporters also battled the honks of solidarity frequently as people demonstrated their rejection of Trump’s war.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela

Tucson, AZ – On November 22, The Tucson Anti War Committee (TAWC) and a host of organizations wanted to let the thousands of bicyclists in the annual El Tour de Tucson know that, as they passed the Air Force base, people with a conscience demand “Hands off Venezuela!”

“With a race of nearly 10,000 and 40% registered from out of state, we saw this as a great opportunity to let as many people know this beautiful landscape is also the HQ for Trump’s war crimes in the Caribbean. People need to know that we can stand up to Trump and stand with Venezuela,” said TAWC organizer Maria Sohn Hasman, addressing the race onlookers.

Riders signaled their support for the signs reading “No war on Venezuela” and “no blood for oil!” A handful of riders even yelled “Viva Venezuela!”

Tucson participated in the international week of action which saw commitments for actions in over 50 U.S. cities and dozens more internationally.

The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson is the brain center for Trump’s war crimes in the Caribbean. It is here generals and officers plan the coordination of all U.S. SOUTHCOM air forces in its “area of responsibility” of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Trump ordered SOUTHCOM to carry out missile strikes on 21 different boats with a death toll at 83. Trump is the judge, Rubio the jury, and AFSOUTH at Davis-Monthan is the executioner. These extrajudicial killings of people from five different nations constitute war crimes. The primary target is Venezuela, as Trump has brought 15,000 troops and an excessive amount of force to their door.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #TAWC #AWAN

Tucson, AZ – Cities all across the U.S. and world are mobilizing for “Hands Off Venezuela “rallies – an International Call for a Week of Action endorsed by hundreds of organizations is taking place November 15-23.

In Venezuela, the youth, the neighborhoods, and the armed popular militias are rallying to defend their country and support President Maduro. A march of tens of thousands, with Maduro in the crowd, was part of the Communal Youth day, November 14, in which the president announced the plan to grow the commune movement from 4000 to 6000 by 2027. A commune is a democratic, participatory body in neighborhoods in cities and small towns, where youth decide what happens in their area and what projects need to be funded and carried out. They are currently activated to defend their homeland from Trump’s threats of war. November 23 will be a national vote for such – a “popular consultation.”

Since September, the Trump administration has used missile strikes to hit 21 boats, with the death toll now at 83 people. With the arrival of the $8 million a day USS Gerald Ford, there are now 16,000 U.S. troops and dozens of destroyers in the Caribbean. Multiple aircraft carriers with loads of aircraft hawk the Venezuelan coast, while U.S. missiles rain down on small vessels.

In the past two months, Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth have yet to produce one shred of evidence that those boats were carrying drugs. These are extrajudicial killings; an attack on civilians of one nation by another nation constitutes a war crime. So far citizens of five nations have been killed.

While there is no evidence that the boats struck by U.S. missiles are carrying drugs, there is also no evidence to back up Trump’s lies about Venezuela and Maduro’s connection to drugs. International and even U.S. intelligence reports show that Venezuela is not a producer of illegal drugs, is not a major trafficking route, and that government programs have largely eradicated drug cartels.

Venezuela is certainly not home to the “Cartel of the Suns.” That is because it does not exist. It is a CIA fabrication. Just ask the former U.S. Green Beret and mercenary, Jordan Goudreau, hired to carry out Operation Gideon, a failed coup attempt on Maduro in 2020.

That coup attempt, like the one against President Chavez, and all the other coup attempts, was thwarted and overcome by the immense power of the civic-military union in Venezuela. The military is united and patriotic, ideologically aligned to serve its people and their national democratic revolution. The people are united, organized, mobilized, and 5 million more have joined their popular militias, bringing the total to 9 million, out of a nation of 30 million.

So, it would be hard for one to see a path forward for the plan recently proposed by the Venezuelan opposition, headed by so-called Peace Prize winner Maria Machado. Venezuelan official Jorge Rodriguez ripped apart this neoliberal project that would undo nearly every gain of the Bolivarian Revolution. From privatizing major nationalized assets like oil and minerals, handing over control of banks, and rewriting labor laws in favor of companies, Machado’s plan will be resisted by those 9 million militia members and many more.

It is no mystery what Trump, Rubio, and traitorous elites like Machado want to do with Venezuela: lie, murder and steal. They want a U.S. war so they can take over and profit.

Transnational mining companies, U.S. oil corporations, lithium hounds like Elon Musk, and Wall Street banks will swoop in like vultures if Venezuela falls to U.S. intimidation or war.

The U.S. empire is declining quickly, and another major economic downturn will shake the core. It is clear that Trump and Hegseth want to change U.S. strategy to gunboat diplomacy in an attempt to stay competitive with China. Chinese mutual trade agreements and investments have clear benefits to the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as China invests in ports, roads, infrastructure and is a market for agricultural goods.

Trump is saying he will talk with President Maduro. Trump is still using excessive force and deadly violence in an attempt to have leverage at the bargaining table with Maduro.

It is safe to say that for Trump, all options remain on the table, and the Venezuelans are prepared to fight. Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that he intends to designate the fictitious “Cartel de los Soles,” and Tren de Araguas and Mexican Sinaloa cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This would provide the Trump administration more latitude and access to a U.S. legal apparatus to use the military. This designation can also be used against the peace and international solidarity movements in the U.S.

Trump’s approval rating is sinking, millions march against him, he’s been forced to walk back his tariff strategy month after month. It is clear that he is in crisis. The Venezuelan people stand united against Trump and his war plans. A similar movement is growing in the U.S., and we need to grow it and lead it!

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #Trump #AWAN #International

Tucson, AZ – Three progressive Veterans organizations and others joined the Tucson Anti-War Committee outside the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on Veterans Day, November 11, to protest the Trump administration’s war escalations on Venezuela. The group of nearly two dozen protesters received many more supportive honks from passing cars than in previous years – a sign that the tide has shifted as more Americans are fed up with the endless war machine.

With signs reading “No blood for oil” and “Hands off Venezuela,” the group heard from veterans and anti-war organizers.

Melissa Cordero, an organizer with Common Defense, shared that she’s a veteran of three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, stating, “I still don’t know what we were allegedly doing there. For what? And here we go again.”

Cordero added, “I’m from Guam and there are only two options to get off the island and one of them is the military. Guam puts more people to the U.S. military than any other U.S. city. They don’t give a damn about that island, it’s just strategic.”

Jim Driscoll, a Vietnam War veteran and member of Veterans for Peace Local 13, said “war is not helpful for any living thing and we should avoid it.” Driscoll added “to have the advances like Cuba in the hemisphere, the United States just can’t stand it.”

James Jordan from the Alliance for Global Justice and Venezuela Solidarity Network said, “the United States is working overdrive to overturn the governments of South America to the center-right and far-right and they’ve already achieved that in Perú. When it comes to Venezuela, we can’t let a flip flopper set the agenda. We can stop this war and this happening all over the country and world. Together, we stop this empire.”

“Davis-Monthan is home to the U.S. SOUTHCOM, which claims its ‘Area of Responsibility’ as all 31 nations of the Caribbean and Latin America. The SOUTHCOM Air Command leads the coordination of these murderous missile strikes on hardworking fishing people in the Caribbean. Tucson has a direct connection to Trump’s escalating threats on Venezuela,” said Jim Byrne, an organizer with the Tucson Anti-War Committee.

As part of the International Call for a Week of Action against the War on Venezuela, the Tucson Anti-War Committee and others will be holding an action outside of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on November 22 to continue to raise awareness that the base is home for the missile strikes on fishing boats and the air war on Venezuela.

#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela