Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Executive Director, of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR).

Leonard Peltier, renowned Spirit-Warrior of the Dakota people, symbolizes the courageous centuries long resistance of the Indigenous peoples against racism, genocide and national oppression. In the spirit of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, Leonard has maintained his innocence and fought for his freedom for five decades.

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has stood in unconditional solidarity with Leonard Peltier, the oldest and one of the longest held political prisoners in U.S. history.

The reason the federal government held Leonard in captivity and behind bars for half a century is not because he was guilty of any crime but because the FBI agents who were killed were white men. Leonard himself said “When a white is killed, even if he brought it on himself, all Indians are guilty. Isn’t that the way it’s always been?”

Yes, that is the way it’s always been. However, with Leonard the situation is even more aggravated by the fact that he is a freedom fighter for his oppressed people.

Decades ago, Leonard’s lawyer, Ramsey Clark (former Attorney General of the United States) said, “I think I can explain beyond serious doubt that Leonard Peltier committed no crime whatsoever.”

We now know that the government knew what Ramsey Clark knew, yet they refused to release Leonard.

Leonard was accused of murder in 1975 and in 1985 the government prosecution admitted, “We did not know who shot the agents...” he was accused of killing. Forty-nine years later a government prosecutor repeated this admitted truth to President Biden. Apparently, Biden listened, and in response to the demands of the people, at the age of 80 and after 50 years of torturous imprisonment, Leonard is coming home.

It’s definitely a people’s victory and we celebrate it as such. It is not “Justice at Last.”

We acknowledge and salute the Indigenous people’s movement, Leonard Peltier’s family, and his decades long standing Defense Committee. It was the mass movement of the people demanding justice that moved President Biden to issue an order of Executive Clemency.

Based on the evidence, Leonard deserved an apology and a pardon of innocence. The sober reality is that the U.S. government continues its genocidal policies against the Dakota people and all the Indigenous people of America.

We stand in unconditional solidarity with the first nations indemanding their sovereign rights and their struggles for freedom.

#LeonardPeltier #Clemency #ExecutiveOrder #Biden #IndigenousSovereignty #Dakota #RamseyClark #NAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On August 13, pro-Palestine activists rallied to protest President Biden as he visited Tulane University. About 50 people came together outside Tulane’s campus, including locals and university students. Many stayed home out of fear of the dozens of local and federal police cars that were watching the area.

The protest was organized by students and their allies in less than 48 hours. Tulane tried to prevent a response to the visit by slyly calling it a “scheduled event” in communications with students. The protest focused on Biden’s support for Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. It is estimated that more than 186,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since October 2023.

Protesters also pointed out the hypocrisy of Biden’s support for cancer research while expanding oil and gas usage in the U.S. “My great-grandfather died of cancer. My grandfather died of cancer. My uncle is dying from his fourth time with cancer. I will die of cancer someday, because we live in Cancer Alley, a toxic region of Louisiana created by the oil industry that Biden supports,” said Jack Saucier, speaking for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

LGBTQ liberation activists also came out to protest Biden. “We will not see trans and queer liberation here while our president is eradicating our queer siblings in Palestine,” said Blu DiMarco, speaking for the Queer and Trans Community Action Project. Protesters wore shirts that read “Queers for Palestine” and held signs with slogans like “End U.S. aid to Israel.” Security volunteers handed out water to keep people safe in the 100-plus degree heat.

Before Biden arrived, police officers made metal barricades two rows deep. When people saw Biden’s car, the crowd burst out with energy, booing and chanting, “Genocide Joe has got to go!”

After about an hour of chanting and making noise while Biden was on campus, the action ended with a collective shaming. The crowd shouted “Shame!” in unison three times. The cry was audible a block away, while the president was in a building less than 150 feet away.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Biden #FRSO #QTCAP #

Atlanta, GA – Hundreds of community members gathered June 27 to protest the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in Midtown Atlanta. The event was sponsored by a broad coalition of Atlanta and Georgia-based activist groups united around the demand for a free Palestine.

The protest began shortly after 7 p.m. and ran at the same time as the presidential debate. The event featured reps from a large number of organizations who spoke against the bipartisan support for Israel and its genocide of the Palestinian people, the need for divestment and an end of all U.S. aid to Israel. They tied the local people’s struggles in Atlanta to the fight against U.S. imperialism.

“What we all know is that neither Trump nor Biden is going to resolve the issues that have brought us out into the street. Neither of them can even fake empathy for the ongoing genocide in Palestine, much less do anything to stop it,” said Erica Schneider, a member of the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “Neither of them has any interest in putting a stop to mass incarceration and closing the Atlanta jails where we've seen dozens of preventable deaths in the last few years.”

The Atlanta Alliance is currently running a campaign to shut down the Fulton County Jail, stop the construction of a new $2 billion jail, and grant immediate compassionate release of inmates to prevent further deaths. The Fulton County Jail at Rice Street has gained national notoriety in recent years as inmates continue to suffer from inhumane conditions. Over a dozen inmates have died at the jail in the past year alone.

“We're here protesting because we want a ceasefire now. We want a ceasefire now” said Geovani Serrano, a community organizer from Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. “But at the same time, we're here because there is so many connections between what is taking place in Palestine and what is taking place at the border.”

Serrano continued, “When I say ‘take back tech’ I say ‘take back’ for a reason, because the U.S. currently is taking all this technology that has been used to surveil Palestinian people and they're using it to surveil immigrants here in the United States. They’re using it to create profiles to criminalize them. And not only just that but profiles also for entire families. It is a close connection that we have.”

Immigration has become a hot-button issue during the 2024 presidential election as racist right wing rhetoric against undocumented people continues to escalate. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently signed HB 1105 into effect, a state law requiring local and state police to identify, arrest and detain undocumented persons.

Alex Carson, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and one of the recently arrested Emory University protesters, spoke about the need for solidarity in the fight against political repression, stating, “The monopoly capitalist class and their police happily tear gassed, brutalized and jailed us for resisting their genocide of Palestinians at the Emory encampment. Our solidarity is always stronger than their repression. Instead of scaring people they have awoken a strong tide of internationalism in Atlanta and the whole country.”

#AtlantaGA #GA #PeoplesStruggles #RNC #DNC #Biden #Trump

Fight Back! is circulating the following statement by the Legalization for All Network (L4A).

Legalization for All Network Statement on Biden Executive Order

The June 17 Biden Administration Executive Order to facilitate the legalization of spouses of U.S. citizens affects up to 500,000 undocumented people. The Legalization for All (L4A) network considers the order a positive step towards the goal of legalization for all of the undocumented.

At the same time, this positive action does not absolve the Biden administration of adopting a Trump-like policy on the U.S.-Mexico border. On June 4, 2024, Biden issued an effective ban on those seeking asylum. The ban goes into effect when the daily average of border arrests tops 2,500.

This spring, the average daily number of border arrests was 4,300. In other words, as many as 1,800 people a day attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border now face quick deportation or being turned back to Mexico without starting an asylum claim.

Shortly following the ban, immigrant rights groups took to the streets around the country and in Washington D.C. demanding that Biden remove the ban and expand Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Undocumented immigrants need much more concrete and secure immigration policies that are not at the mercy of an upcoming election. The newly announced executive order does the following:

• Allows undocumented people married to US citizen for ten years to legalize their status while remaining in the United States. This would benefit about 500,000 undocumented.
• Gives temporary status to undocumented children of US citizen parents, aiding about 50,000.

While L4A views this as a victory for our movement, Biden’s executive order applies to less than 5% of the undocumented.

President Biden and the Democrats have lost a considerable amount of voter and public support due to their role in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. At the same time, the Republican Party has made it clear that anti-immigrant measures are a centerpiece of their political agenda. Trump continues calling for mass deportations, more detention centers, and for other bigots, like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, to buildemergency facilities to further militarize the Rio Grande.

Rather than fall for the Biden administration's cynical political moves, L4A has endorsed both the march against the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention. We ask all people and organizations who are part of our network or follow our work, to do the same and march with us in our immigrant rights contingents.

Send us a message now to notify us about your attendance at either the march on the RNC or DNC: Legalization for All on X, Instagram, Facebook or https://legalizationforall.wordpress.com/

#LegalizationForAll #Legalization4All #MarchOnTheRNC #MarchOnTheDNC #Biden #ExecutiveOrder #ImmigrantRights #Immigration #UndocumentedRights

Philadelphia, PA – During the North American SEIU convention on May 21, around 50 union members and staff led a walkout against Vice President Kamala Harris. The International hosted around 4000 people including delegates, guests and staff.

About ten minutes into Harris’ speech, about 50 delegates, guests and staff stood up and started chanting “Free Palestine!” Harris paused and stuttered for a moment, and some delegates broke out into “Four more years.” Protesters soon overshadowed them. They walked to the entrance and pulled out hidden cloth signs, reading “Workers of the world unite” and “Free Gaza.” They chanted “Harris, Harris you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and sang the union anthem Which side are you on? .

Chants continued for five minutes during the Harris speech. Members left singing Solidarity Forever before joining a rally outside.

“As members of Starbucks Workers United, we have made our stance on Palestine clear, and we did not feel comfortable sitting through a speech from the current administration. Kamala and Biden are directly responsible for the deaths of over 35,000 people, this is an emergency, and working people have a responsibility, and power, to make sure not a single cent more goes to genocide,” said Abbey Lodwig, a SBWU organizer and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“As a collective, we passed a resolution essentially saying, ‘No to genocide,’ but our union continues to endorse an administration, with $200 million, that has denied the existence of the genocide and continues to provide arms money to Israel. It is hypocritical,” said a delegate with the committee of interns and residents.

On Monday, a resolution was passed in support of Palestine, but some felt it did not go far enough.

Local 1000 member Sam Lieu, who helped organize the interruption of Harris, stated, “The principled and accurate resolution on Palestine submitted by SEIU Local 1021 was blocked by the ossified IU leadership and a watered down version was adopted through less than democratic means on May 20, 2024. A small but class-conscious group of delegates and attendees met afterwards to organize a demonstration that not only spoke to the inefficient resolution but also to heighten the contradiction of the IU adopting a resolution on Palestine and then the very next day to invite Genocide Joe’s second-in-command to speak to the delegation.”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #Labor #Biden #Harris #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SEIU #SBWU #Feature

Jacksonville, FL – More than 200 community members rallied alongside Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) to protest the visit of Vice President Harris, May 1, who had come to campaign the same day the Republican-led state began enforcing the six-week abortion ban.

The Democratic party is using this ban as an opportunity to shore up support for Democratic candidates that will appear on the November ballot alongside Florida Amendment 4, which would codify reproductive rights in the state's constitution.

“We won't allow Harris to coopt the hard work of grassroots organizers,” said Sara Mahmoud of JPSN. “The Biden-Harris administration has no leg to stand on in coming to our city to virtue signal support for reproductive rights when they are the butchers of Gaza, where miscarriages have tripled since October and the U.S.-backed siege has forced Palestinians to use tent fabric to substitute menstrual products.”

JPSN organizers led the crowd in chants against the vice president and her guests as they arrived at the speaking venue, along with segments of political education. At one point, a Christian faith leader who was among Harris' invited guests approached the crowd, exclaiming “I wanted to come get a picture with you all. Because I want everyone to know we support you!”

“I need everyone here to understand,” shouted Ryan Delaney of JPSN and FRSO through a bullhorn, “that we are stronger together. We are here making an impact because we are organized. We must be strong because our strength is the strength of the Palestinian people. When we strike a powerful blow against the empire, it brings those in Gaza hope to keep going, which is why you see them writing messages of gratitude to the Columbia students on the tents in their refugee camps. It's our duty to be as strong as we can be for their sake, and to do that we must organize!”

The Harris campaign fled the venue from the opposite end of the building. JPSN says they will continue to fight for a free Palestine no matter who wins in November or how long it takes.

#JacksonvilleFL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #JPSN #FRSO #Biden #Harris

Tampa, FL – Protesters converged in solidarity with the struggle in Gaza to denounce Joe Biden’s visit to the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry campus on April 23. Nearly 400 protesters thronged the sidewalks surrounding the entrance, chanting and waving Palestinian flags.

Biden’s visit was ostensibly to speak in support of women’s rights in the face of the Florida abortion ban, a ban Biden and the Democratic Party essentially allowed to happen. Many protesters were quick to point out the hypocrisy of Biden claiming to champion women’s rights while he continues to sell weapons to Israel who have used them to murder tens of thousands of women in Gaza. One major focus of the protest was showing Joe Biden that his adamant support for Israel will cost him the upcoming presidential election in November.

The protest was organized by several groups including the Tampa Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, and the Bay Area Dream Defenders, and drew together mainly college students and Arab American community members.

The event was a major success, with only 24-hour notice as to the location of Joe Biden’s speaking event. The local coalition of organizations working to provide solidarity to the Palestinian resistance is on the move and continuing to put pressure on politicians to end the support the United States is providing to Israel.

#TampaFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #Biden #DNC2024 #NAARPR #DreamDefenders

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following April 3 statement from the Wisconsin District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Palestine solidarity activists are celebrating the success of a protest vote campaign in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary. 48,000 people voted “uninstructed” in the April 2 primary, Wisconsin’s version of “uncommitted,” that has found success in several state primaries.

The Wisconsin campaign more than doubled its goal of 20,682 votes, representing Biden’s margin of victory over Trump in Wisconsin in the 2020 election. The “uninstructed” campaign was led by Listen to Wisconsin, and supported by 60 pro-Palestine, progressive, and left organizations across the state, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s Wisconsin District.

The success of the “uninstructed” campaign demonstrates the growing popular support for the Palestinian people in their just struggle for liberation from U.S.-backed Israeli occupation and genocide. Since October 7, mass protests in support of Palestine have reached historic levels, along with the development of a strong state-wide Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine.

The Democratic Party has tried to downplay the huge number of protest votes in several critical swing states, dismissing concerns over Biden’s support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, but the numbers are undeniable. In nine states that have an uncommitted/uninstructed option, the campaign has already garnered over 415,000 votes, with more states to come. After six months of marches, disruptions, and boycotts, Biden continues to send billions of dollars of weapons to re-arm Israel’s occupation forces, who have killed over 33,000 Palestinians. Many voters see the protest vote as one of the few options to force Biden and the Democratic Party to face political consequences for continuing to support the genocide in Gaza.

With a Biden vs. Trump rematch on the horizon, the two-party system doesn't offer any solutions for oppressed people. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have been relentless in their support of Israel’s racist, settler-colonial occupation of Palestine for over 75 years. Israel serves an important role for Western imperialist domination of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The two capitalist parties want Israel to continue its role as an outpost of U.S. capitalist interests. But the Palestinian people are waging a fight that has the potential to end the Zionist project and limit the influence of U.S. imperialism in the Middle East, and we want them to win.

Over the past six months, millions of people across the U.S. have joined actions in solidarity with Palestine. Hundreds of thousands of protest votes against Biden are one manifestation of the power of the growing movement for Palestine. The movements that are being built have real potential to stifle U.S. support for the occupation of Palestine.

We encourage supporters of Palestinian liberation to continue bringing the demands of the movement to the doorstep of the Democratic and Republican parties by participating in the March on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024, and the March on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, August 19 – 22, 2024.

#WI #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #Biden #Elections #DNC2024 #RNC2024

Milwaukee, WI – Another visit to Milwaukee by President Biden resulted in a protest by the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine (WCJP) to denounce him. On Wednesday, March 13, Biden made multiple stops across Milwaukee, issuing promises to improve the living conditions for Black residents and visit the new Democratic Party headquarters.

The WCJP called for an emergency rally at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park and led a crowd of hundreds within sight and sound of the Democratic Party headquarters. Chants of “Free Palestine” and “Genocide Joe” reverberated throughout downtown Milwaukee while the crowd waited for Biden to arrive. The crowd, proudly lifting Palestinian flags and displaying signs demanding an end to the genocide, was met by dozens of cops and members of the Secret Service.

For over two hours, the crowd led chants and sent a clear message to Biden and the rest of the Democratic Party – end U.S. aid to Israel and end the genocide now. Khaled Abukhamireh of the US Palestinian Community Network stated, “Rafah stands as the final sanctuary for the people of Gaza. There is an imminent threat as the genocidal Israeli army prepares to advance, posing a great danger to this beautiful city.”

Channeling the unified energy of the crowd, Audari Tamayo of Students for a Democratic Society at UW-Milwaukee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “Today we’re here to tell Genocide Joe that he’s not welcome here, that he’s not welcome anywhere, and that there’s people here with a conscience. Just as the revolutionary socialist leader Hugo Chavez said, ‘Fuera de aquí yanqui que aquí hay un pueblo unido!’”

The WCJP brought together multiple movements that have become increasingly angrier with the ineptitude of the Biden administration, including the immigrant rights movement. Executive director of Voces de la Frontera, Cristine Neumann-Ortiz, stated, “We’re calling on President Biden to support a ceasefire in Gaza and to use executive action to fulfill campaign promises he made to the Latinos and immigrants here in Wisconsin – to end 287g that makes our communities less safe by deputizing local law enforcement to act as immigration and to expand access to work visas for essential workers and their families and asylum seekers, including Palestinians.”

Biden’s team made it clear that Wednesday’s visit is the first of many he plans to make to Wisconsin in the coming months. As proven by the WCJP’s action, no matter where Biden goes in Wisconsin, there will be a crowd there to confront him.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WCJP #SDS #SDSUWM #USPCN #VDF #Biden

#DetroitMI #AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine #Biden #UAW

Dallas, TX – On Monday, January 9, hundreds of pro-Palestine community members gathered for a rally at Dallas Love Field Airport to protest the arrival of President Joe Biden in Texas.

The rally was held outside of the entrance to the airport where Joe Biden was landing, with banners and signs denouncing the president’s support for the ongoing U.S.-backed Israeli genocide and occupation of Gaza. Attendees chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Biden was visiting Dallas to attend the funeral of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who had voiced support for Palestinians facing occupation and apartheid during her career.

Shortly after Biden landed in Dallas, the protesters stood in front of the Cedar Springs entrance to the airport calling for a ceasefire, blocking all traffic into and around the airport for over 20 minutes. During this time, the demonstrators continued chanting and some people left their cars to start chanting “Ceasefire now” along with the crowd.

Eventually, the police cleared out the cars and began roughly arresting community members at the protest, 13 individuals in all. The large crowd surrounded the police cars chanting “Shame, shame, shame” and “Dallas PD, KKK, IDF they’re all the same.”

After the arrests, the rally turned into a march around the airport, demanding the release of all arrested protesters. The march continued to block traffic around the airport and eventually forced the police cars to stop and wait before taking the protesters to the Lew Sterrett Jail in downtown Dallas.

Lanay Hyatte, who was arrested at the demonstration, remarked during the wait a Palestinian women who was arrested was in pain from overly tight zip-tie handcuffs cutting off circulation in her wrists and it took the police “about 20 minutes to find a pair of scissors to cut them off.”

Hyatte also spoke about how the women who were arrested who wear headscarves were all forced to remove them in front of male guards and for their public mugshots, remarking “that triggered me and made me feel violated.” She mentioned that another woman who was arrested told her that a male officer “touched her back multiple times and had touched her hand in a way that felt inappropriate,” also noting that they were all forced to remove their clothes in front of officers.

Additionally, all of the community members were marked as “white” in the court system, despite Lanay Hyatte being a Black woman and many of the others being Arab, which made it more difficult to obtain information on their booking through the county jail website.

Dozens of showed up at the entrance of the jail to demand the quick release of the 13 arrested demonstrators. Many people stayed the night in the atrium of the jail, playing music and calling the court to demand a speedy release. All 13 were released the following morning without bail and were greeted by the cheers and embrace of the crowd. As police nervously ushered the crowd out the door, cheers of “Free free Palestine!” filled the jail lobby.

Hyatte remarked “As somebody who has always been on the other side advocating for people who have been incarcerated in the jail system, seeing it on the inside is really a testament to how resources are being wasted on a system that clearly has failed and is doing a disservice to the community when those resources could be used elsewhere to prevent houselessness and to create economic mobility.”

Hyatte concluded by saying “The reason why I had chosen to be a part of the protest yesterday is because I understand the interconnectedness of Black liberation with Palestinian liberation. As a biracial Black woman, Palestinian people have always stood for Black lives and I feel it is my duty to show solidarity as an ally to also show solidarity with Palestinian people in ending the occupation and calling for an immediate ceasefire and for lifting the siege.”

After their release from the Lew Sterrett jail , Jo Hargis of the Dallas Anti-War Committee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “Joe Biden and the government of the United States provide Israel the political support, bombs, technology and money that make the genocide in Palestine possible. Joe Biden has the blood of over 22,000 Palestinians on his hands. While there is no justice in Palestine, Joe Biden should have no peace.”

Fari Cinna, another of the arrestees, remarked “Even in a cell, we were guaranteed some degree of safety, something that Palestinian prisoners do not have the luxury of. Being held for hours is nothing compared to the years of administrative detention suffered by Palestinians under the Zionist occupation. Our action was designed to amplify the voice of Palestinian resistance, and we hope to have accomplished that goal.”

#DallasTX #International #Palestine #AntiWar #Biden

Milwaukee, WI – U.S. President Joe Biden paid Milwaukee a visit on December 20 to deliver remarks at the Black Chamber of Commerce as part of his “Bidenomics” talks. Details of his visit were kept minimal until Tuesday evening, but that did not deter members and supporters of the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine from assembling outside of the security perimeter set up around the venue.

For the Biden campaign, it was a strategic visit, as Wisconsin will play a key role in the presidential elections next fall, and if Biden can’t win Milwaukee, odds are small for winning Wisconsin.

As the anticipation of Biden’s arrival grew, the crowd of protesters grew to several hundred people. Chants of “Genocide Joe” and “Free Palestine” were loud enough that the venue resorted to playing music in a desperate attempt to drown out the protesters.

Tensions grew as Milwaukee police multiplied their presence and threatened arrest, but they failed to move the protesters further away from the venue. The fierce and brave protesters began to loudly chant, “We will not move!” and they held their ground. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the people of Milwaukee delivered a clear message to Joe Biden and the complicit Wisconsin Democrats: End all U.S. aid to Israel and stop the genocide of Palestinians, or else lose in 2024.

To provide an opportunity for people who were at work during Biden’s brief visit to protest him, the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine had also called for a rally and march at 6 p.m. Although Biden had already fled Milwaukee, nearly 500 people gathered at Dontre Hamilton/Red Arrow Park ready to march.

Alan Chavoya, Outreach Chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, welcomed the energized crowd and reminded them of the significance of marching from Dontre Hamilton Park: “We must not forget that almost ten years ago, Milwaukee police killed Dontre Hamilton in this park. These are the same police officers who were threatening us with arrests as Genocide Joe spoke. These police officers who terrorize Black and brown communities in Milwaukee are the same ones who train with the Israeli occupying forces!” Chavoya said.

While the focus was rightfully on the Palestinian struggle, speakers at the march also established links between Palestinian liberation and other issues that the Biden administration has been failing at. Jacob Flom, president of AFSCME Local 526, spoke on behalf of the Wisconsin Labor for Palestine and said, “We’re protesting Biden today because he’s going around saying he’s the most ‘pro-labor’ president in history. I can tell you that nickname didn’t come from us, the workers. Pro-labor presidents don’t bomb hospitals, schools, civil defense workers, journalists and media workers, and they don’t commit genocide!”

Flom delivered a powerful message of labor solidarity with Palestine, stating, “When workers in Palestine are calling on solidarity from the workers of the world, especially those of us here in the U.S., the belly of the beast, because they are getting slaughtered and massacred by our government, we’re going to stand in solidarity with them.”

Over the past 75 days, Biden has been rapidly losing support on many fronts, but the losses aren’t only materializing in electoral support. U.S. imperialism and the murderous Zionists are becoming increasingly isolated, and the armed Palestinian resistance is winning.

Ryan Hamann of Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke to the significance of these conditions. “The popular Palestinian armed resistance is winning the war on the field of battle, and it’s winning the fight for the hearts and minds of the people of the world,” Hamann said. “The blows are coming from all sides now as the allies of resistance flex their muscles. Eleven of the world’s largest shipping companies have shut down all traffic to Israel through the Red Sea on account of the broader resistance in the region.”

The combined actions represented a significant and historic day for Palestinian solidarity in Milwaukee. Much like the global trend, the movement for support of Palestinian liberation has grown tremendously in Milwaukee over the past decade. Thousands of people from young children to elders carrying signs reminding the world that they are “older than Israel” denounced Biden’s visit to Milwaukee. They confronted the Milwaukee police with bravery and courage, and they made it clear that there is unwavering support for Palestine in Milwaukee.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #Biden #Elections #Palestine #International

Chicago, IL – When U.S. President Joe Biden arrived at a fundraiser in West Town, Chicago on Thursday afternoon, November 9, he was met by a crowd of 5000 people chanting “Genocide Joe” among other slogans condemning Biden for his role in maintaining U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Protesters demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. support for Israel.

“Joe Biden, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!” was one of many chants targeting Biden. Speakers at the rally referenced the billions of dollars in financial support for apartheid Israel from the U.S. government, as well as Biden's comments casting doubt on the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

“Joe Biden knows that, with his approval, our tax dollars have murdered over 10,000 Palestinians!” said Lara Hadadin, a leading member of USPCN and the Arab American Action Network.

The protest was organized by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine, which consists of Palestinian community organizations including the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Students for Justice in Palestine and others.

“60 people from my family have been killed in the recent massacres in Gaza. 40 in one airstrike,” said 13-year-old Palestinian American Salma Elghoul. “They said the old will die and the young will forget. I'm young and I haven't forgotten.”

“I will not forget how our government is donating billions to the deaths of Gazans.” Elghoul continued. “I will not forget how so many politicians, including many here in Illinois, refused to defend the lives of Palestinian children.”

Protesters also targeted Illinois congressional Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Sean Casten, both of whom have had recent protests in their offices to demand that they call for a ceasefire. One of the speakers was Merawi Gerima, a member of the executive committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, who was arrested recently for protesting at Jan Schakowsky’s office.

“All the struggles we're involved in are linked to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,” Gerima said.

“Move cops, get out the way, we know you're Israeli trained,” was one chant in reference to how the Chicago Police Department, like many police departments in the U.S., receives training from the Israeli Occupation Forces.

“Israel has a long history of arming and training police and military forces in Latin America, including Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and the list goes on,” said an organizer with Organized Communities Against Deportation.

“Their greatest weapon against us is division,” Gerima explained about imperialists. “What is our greatest weapon against them? Why are we winning? The answer is solidarity!”

Chants escalated when Biden exited the fundraiser, then ended with “We are the revolution” and “I believe that we will win!”

#ChicagoIL #Palestine #Biden #USPCN #SJP #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

Baltimore, MD – Dozens of protesters gathered on February 5 in downtown Baltimore to speak out against a possible U.S./NATO war on Russia and Donbass. Speakers called on the U.S. government to fight COVID and poverty instead of Russia.

Protesters chanted demands for money for social investments in healthcare, housing and jobs instead of the military budget and war. Cars honked their horns in solidarity as they drove by the picket. A caravan of protesters drove throughout the city after the initial picket, before meeting up with another group for a joint closing rally at a different intersection.

A coalition of local Baltimore organizations called for the protest, including the People’s Power Assembly and Maryland Peace Action. Organizers from Freedom Road Socialist Organization participated in the picket.

The United States has been aggressively posturing for war with Russia. The Biden administration recently deployed 3000 troops to Eastern Europe in an act of hostility toward the people of Russia, Ukraine and Donbass. Meanwhile, thousands of people continue to die from COVID each day in the United States – a country with no universal healthcare program – as public housing and other infrastructure continue to crumble.

#Baltimore #AntiwarMovement #NATO #Donbass #Biden

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “Following the Biden administration’s announcement that 3000 U.S. troops are being moved to Eastern Europe, people will be taking to the streets in the U.S. and around the world to raise the alarm about the dangers of a U.S.-Russia war.”

“Saturday, February 5 will be a global day of protest because the only sane course of actions the U.S. can take is a commitment to diplomacy with serious negotiations, not military escalation – which could easily spiral out of control to the point of pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war,” the statement continues.

The statement continues, “The roots of this crisis start with the failure of the U.S. government to live up to its promise made in 1990 by then-Secretary of State James Baker that NATO would expand not ‘one inch to the East.’ Since 1999, NATO has expanded to include numerous countries, including some that border Russia.”

“For the last 20 years the U.S. has been in a series of endless wars, interventions, drone strikes and bombings, the U.S. has occupied or bombed Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. The real threat to peace is the U.S. war machine. The people of the U.S. need an end to the endless war threats, people need housing, COVID relief, a real struggle against inequality and racism, not new wars and war threats,” the statement continues.

The Minneapolis protest was initiated by Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and endorsed by: Anti-War Committee, Veterans for Peace, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and others.

Protests are taking place during this weekend in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Portland OR, Minneapolis, Asheville NC, New Orleans and many more.

#Minneapolis #AntiwarMovement #NATO #Ukraine #Biden #NoWarWithRussia

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “Following the Biden administration’s announcement that 3000 U.S. troops are being moved to Eastern Europe, people will be taking to the streets in the U.S. and around the world to raise the alarm about the dangers of a U.S.-Russia war.”

“Saturday, February 5 will be a global day of protest because the only sane course of actions the U.S. can take is a commitment to diplomacy with serious negotiations, not military escalation – which could easily spiral out of control to the point of pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war,” the statement continues.

The statement continues, “The roots of this crisis start with the failure of the U.S. government to live up to its promise made in 1990 by then-Secretary of State James Baker that NATO would expand not ‘one inch to the East.’ Since 1999, NATO has expanded to include numerous countries, including some that border Russia.”

“For the last 20 years the U.S. has been in a series of endless wars, interventions, drone strikes and bombings, the U.S. has occupied or bombed Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. The real threat to peace is the U.S. war machine. The people of the U.S. need an end to the endless war threats, people need housing, COVID relief, a real struggle against inequality and racism, not new wars and war threats,” the statement continues.

The Minneapolis protest was initiated by Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and endorsed by: Anti-War Committee, Veterans for Peace, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and others.

Protests are taking place during this weekend in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Portland OR, Minneapolis, Asheville NC, New Orleans and many more.

#Minneapolis #AntiwarMovement #NATO #Ukraine #Biden #NoWarWithRussia

The images are searing. Helicopters ferrying diplomatic personnel from the U.S. Embassy while plumes of black smoke billow from the building. Taliban fighters with heavy artillery parade through the thoroughfares of provincial capitals. The International Airport, still under U.S. control, is in chaos as collaborators try storm planes to flee the country. In the space of a few weeks the puppet government collapsed, and its figureheads have vanished. The decades of occupation have come to an end. Those that fought to end it now sit at the former president’s desk.

The U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan was never the right thing to do. The events of September 11, 2001 served as a pretext for the war on Afghanistan, a war that was cruel and unjust. Before the troops arrived, U.S. planes unleashed bombs on the country’s cities, destroying hospitals clearly marked with red crosses on the roofs. The invasion came with the brutality of a medieval crusade – marked by torture and summary executions. The U.S. and its accomplices always treated the Afghan people as the enemy. That is why we are seeing what we are seeing. The vast majority of the Afghan people welcome the expulsion of the foreign occupiers.

The occupation was never about helping people. It was about the domination of a strategic region of the world that is rich with resources. Nothing complicated about it. Empires doing what they always do – help themselves to land, labor and natural resources of others.

At the end of the day, and the end of the occupation, the Taliban are in fact a national liberation movement. A movement with real defects, largely lacking an agenda of social liberation that is product of a long historical process, which includes U.S. intervention to defeat the left in Afghanistan. That said, the people of Afghanistan have the right to determine their own destiny free of imperial arrogance.

The main way for assessing any movement for national liberation is by asking and answering the question, “does it weaken imperialism?” Undoubtably monopoly capitalism, or imperialism, was just handed a setback in Afghanistan. The rich and powerful who rule the U.S. rob people aboard and they rob us here at home. What is bad for them, is good for the rest of us. Their setbacks bring us closer to freedom.

President Biden heading out of Afghanistan is not a mistake – it is the recognition of reality. The U.S., along with the other Western powers, were defeated long ago, and we are witnessing the end of that process.

There is something fundamental going on here – U.S. imperialism is in a period of decline, and that decline is accelerating. In Latin America, Cuba and Venezuela are standing strong, and others are joining in. The Palestinian resistance is picking up steam, along with the other resistance movements across the Mideast. The revolutionary struggle in the Philippines is growing. Socialist China grows more powerful. The world is changing.

The outstanding Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong remarked, “Now U.S. imperialism is quite powerful, but in reality, it isn't. It is very weak politically because it is divorced from the masses of the people and is disliked by everybody and by the American people too. In appearance it is very powerful but in reality, it is nothing to be afraid of, it is a paper tiger.”

That is where we are at today. People everywhere, including here at home, are tired of the obnoxious elite that rules the U.S. The paper tiger, monopoly capitalism, can and will be defeated. It will take time, but time is on our side.

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #Obama #Afghanistan #PeoplesStruggles #taliban #Bush #Trump #US #Biden #Asia

The working people of Cuba are mobilizing to defend the Cuban revolution and drive pro-U.S. reactionaries from the streets. The Cuban people are united in overcoming the costly U.S. economic embargo and subversion. Cubans steadfastly refuse to return to being a colony controlled by the U.S. Older Cubans remember when it was a playground for American millionaires and gangsters, with widespread poverty, abuse of workers and death an everyday part of life.

Back in 1959, the Cuban revolution shook the captains of Wall Street to their core. The rich have still have not gotten over it. With the working class and its allies in power for 60 years now, it will take more than a few scattered protests demanding the privatization of health care to bring down the system of worker rule.

Health care is now the main sector of the economy in Cuba, and its importance has only risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuba has one of the lowest rates of infection and death in the entire world. However, the U.S. encouraged the people and groups they funnel money toward to protest a recent surge of infections and rise in deaths. Instead of sending medical aid, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken try to stir up trouble.

Cuba is facing economic hardships too. The start of COVID-19 pandemic shut down the other big sector of their economy – tourism. If President Biden really wants to help out Cuba, then he should pursue and go beyond President Obama’s policies to ease economic restrictions, restore travel and diplomatic relations. If the U.S. can trade and cooperate with China and Vietnam, why not Cuba and Venezuela?

Due to Cuba’s rapid development of vaccines, it is unlikely the COVID-19 crisis will last much longer. Cuba is already sharing its vaccine variant with other countries like Venezuela. What may have happened with these COVID-19 protests in Cuba, is that the U.S. State Department saw their chance to act, and likely wanted to take our eyes away from the massive protest movements for democracy and social revolution in Colombia and Haiti. Those are real crises.

Cubans understand the goal of the U.S., whether Trump or Biden is in the White House, is to turn their country into a colony like Puerto Rico or perhaps neo-colonies like Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Remember Trump throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans after their country was devastated by a hurricane? Puerto Rico has seen little aid, causing masses of people to flee to the U.S. mainland. Haiti may soon be occupied by U.S. troops again after their president was killed by U.S. and Colombian mercenaries. The U.S. empire is in crisis and weakening year by year, no matter whether there are Republicans or Democrats in office.

Most Cubans work hard to strengthen and improve socialism in their homeland. Many tens of thousands travel overseas every year as doctors, nurses, teachers and sports coaches to help working people in other countries, from the Caribbean to Africa, and even to Italy. Cubans travel the world and see the realities, sometimes harsh, of many other countries under U.S. control. They understand that without socialism the majority of Cubans will have lives like the poor masses in parts of the rest of the world, without access to health care, education, food or culture.

In response to the ridiculous pro-U.S. marches, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared, “We call on all the revolutionaries of the country, all the communists, to go out in the streets where these provocations will occur, from now on and in the next few days. And to face them in a decisive, firm, and courageous way!”

We should stand with the Cuban people. We must oppose U.S. aggression. We call to end the U.S. harmful and deadly sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela.

#UnitedStates #Cuba #Socialism #frso #Statement #Biden #Castro #Americas

Minneapolis, MN – Well over 50 people attended an emergency protest in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 27, to speak out against the Biden administration bombing of targets in Syria two days earlier.

The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition initiated the call for the protest, which was endorsed by other organizations including the Anti-War Committee, Climate Justice Committee, Veterans for Peace and Women Against Military Madness.

Participants lined Cedar Avenue on the West Bank in Minneapolis with anti-war signs and banners. Most passersby showed support for the anti-war message.

At a closing rally Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee said, “We are here to oppose the Biden administration's bombing strike on Syria. This is a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty. It is an escalation against Iran – which is in direct violation of the campaign promises that he made. With this airstrike, Biden is continuing Trump's aggressive foreign policy against Syria and Iran, now cloaked in tones of supposed ‘reasonability.’”

Kristin Dooley, director of Women Against Military Madness said, “For Biden, war trumps human needs. The people need funds to fight COVID, for jobs and housing, not more wars.”

Minneapolis area peace groups will be continuing to call actions against the endless series of U.S. wars.

One member of MPAC, the group that initiated the protest said, “Biden has already indicated that the U.S. will not fully withdraw from Afghanistan by the deadline set in the agreement signed last year. Now the escalation of bombing targets in Syria and the endless wars are the wars of empire, not specific political figures. The process to end these wars will take a massive outpouring of anti-war sentiment.”

#Minneapolis #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #Syria #MinnesotaPeaceActionCoalition #Biden