Billings, MT – On Friday, May 1, the Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights (BAIR) held a protest at the Yellowstone County Courthouse to celebrate International Workers’ Day. 40 people rallied to demand ICE get out of Billings, stop the deportations, and to fight for workers’ and immigrants’ rights.

As the rally was beginning, a pro-ICE disrupter stumbled around the crowd, belligerently shouting anti-immigrant statements. Protesters quickly shut this down by chanting “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportations!” and blocking the man with their bodies and signs. The racist counter-protester quickly gave up and walked into traffic to shout by himself on the opposite side of the road. Rally-goers celebrated and held that militant and enthusiastic energy for the rest of the protest.

Mindy Nielsen, a member of BAIR and retired, forty-plus year rank-and-file member of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 132 addressed the crowd first. Nielsen spoke about the 46-year-old Amazon warehouse worker in Oregon who died while working. His peers were forced to continue working as his body lay on the floor for over an hour before medics were called.

Nielsen recalled similar treatment working at USPS, saying, “The lack of concern for workers was the same before I retired. We were not allowed to call 911, even if we could find a phone with an outside line. And this was before cell phones. My APWU union was able to stop that insanity!”

Delphine Camarillo, granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and executive board member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 775 has worked as a homecare giver for 34 years. She spoke about the protection for immigrant workers won by her union.

“We formed immigration working committees and added language to our contract to protect those who need it. Our employees will not cooperate with ICE any more than they have to according to the real and pre-existing laws,” Camarillo stated. She closed her speech by chanting “When we fight, we win!” with the crowd.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) member Lain Dorsey, gave the final speech, explaining the logic behind Trump’s attacks. “Donald Trump is a reactionary! The cuts to social services, launching illegal wars, and using ICE to terrorize immigrants is a reaction to the progress that we’ve made for workers’ and immigrants’ rights.”

Dorsey continued, “Trump and his billionaire friends want to turn back the clock on the progress our movements have made. Are we gonna let them do that?” Protesters shouted “Hell no!”

May Day is a celebration of the contributions of labor activists, but it is also a reminder that the struggle continues. This was highlighted as the workers, union members and family members of immigrants closed the protest by invoking the late Assata Shakur, chanting, “We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

#BillingsMT #MT #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay

Billings, MT – On March 7, about 20 people rallied to celebrate International Women’s Day and to stand with immigrant women. The action was organized by the Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights (BAIR) and took place on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn.

Protesters learned about the ongoing violations of immigrant women’s bodily autonomy that occur at ICE detention centers, including forced sterilization and sexual assault. This issue was tied to the ongoing battle for reproductive rights in the U.S., which have been gutted in the past few years, through the overturning of Roe v. Wade and restrictive laws at the statewide level.

The protest also highlighted women who were victims of ICE murder, including Renee Good and Linda Davis. Good and Davis were killed during ICE operations, and the agents involved have yet to be brought to justice. Protesters chanted “Justice for Renee Good! ICE out of our neighborhoods!” and “Justice for Linda Davis! Down with ICE! Down with racists!”

Local artist and BAIR member Isabella Franklin spoke to the crowd, noting that it was her first protest and saying, “I came here because I am sick and tired of the dehumanization that is happening under the Trump administration!”

Franklin continued, “I come from a Black woman and a Mexican father. My family has been subjected to racism and terror in our community because of the propaganda from the Trump administration!”

At the rally, BAIR continued to push their demands of no Billings PD cooperation with ICE, just as the group has been during city council meetings. On the issue, BAIR co-founder Lain Dorsey said, “Billings Police Lieutenant Samantha Puckett has already said that the police would work with ICE if asked to.”

The crowd shouted “Shame!” One rallygoer said “Those are our tax dollars!”

Dorsey responded, “Our taxes are supposed to be going to Billings PD to protect and serve our community! But Billings PD signing a 287(g) agreement would mean our tax dollars are being used for our police to take part in ICE terror!”

The courthouse lawn, across the street from the Billings Police Department, rang out with chants of “Hey Billings PD! No 287(g)!”

The Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights will continue putting pressure on the city and Billings PD to not sign onto a 287(g) agreement with ICE. To join BAIR in their efforts, attend the upcoming city council meeting on Monday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m Follow the group on Facebook or Instagram @Billings_AIR for more information.

#BillingsMT #MT #InternationalWomensDay #WomensMovement #ImmigrantRights

Billings, MT – Billings activists gathered on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn on the evening of February 28 to demand an immediate end to the war on Iran. Organized by members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the protest was in response to the late-night bombing of multiple schools in Iran, killing over at least 200 people, including 100 schoolgirls.

The crowd stood in disbelief and anger at the horrific attack, chanting “We won’t buy your lies again! No war with Iran!”

Event emcee and FRSO member Lain Dorsey stated, “While Donald Trump and his capitalist friends are waging war against the people of Iran, war is being waged on our cities here! Trump is sending ICE to kidnap, brutalize, and murder us in the streets, so we share the same enemy as Iranians.”

Dorsey continued, “This won’t end when Trump leaves office. The Biden administration funded Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Republican or Democrat in office, the same shit will continue to happen! We need a workers’ party that can defeat U.S. imperialism and bring about world peace! FRSO is working to build that party.”

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization is working to build the people’s movements and fight Trump’s agenda on all fronts. To get involved, sign up at frso.org/join.

#BillingsMT #MT #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Billings, MT – The Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights held a protest at the Yellowstone County Courthouse on Thursday, January 29 in honor of Alex Pretti, who was murdered by Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis. Over 100 people turned out to support BAIR's demands that the Billings police department not sign a 287(g) agreement, justice for all victims of ICE terror, and legalization for all.

The Trump administration has praised the federal agents for their crimes and labeled civilians who fight back as “terrorists.” While the rally was called to protest the injustice of Alex Pretti’s murder, BAIR shared other stories of victims of state-sanctioned violence.

“Silverio Villegas Gonzales was a father with three children who was shot by an ICE agent in Chicago after dropping his kids off from school. The DHS tried to justify the execution by claiming self-defense. Bodycam footage and eyewitness testimony contradicted this lie!” BAIR co-founder Andreas Storey stated.

The protest received support from the Billings chapter of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. MMIP advocacy involves highlighting indigenous people who have gone missing or been murdered without their cases resolved. The work to investigate these cases has been stalled by the Trump Administration, notably its removal of the “Not Invisible Act Commission” report from the DOJ website.

The founder of MMIP Billings, Charlene ‘Charli’ Sleeper, told the crowd, “ICE and Border Patrol both have innocent U.S. citizen blood on their hands because they're poorly trained and overcompensated for incompetent work. We need to call for Kristie Noem to be removed from her position in DHS and improved funding dedicated to missing and murdered indigenous peoples. Yet here we are spending billions on ICE instead.”

Across from the protest, three men stood cosplaying as ICE agents: faces covered, bulletproof vests and tactical-style gear, each with a visibly holstered firearm. A segment of the rallygoers crossed the road to disrupt the counter-protest. Brooke Lynn, of Billings held a sign that said “Fuck ICE! Say no!” in front of the ICE supporters.

“We showed them a picture of Liam Ramos, the five-year-old from Minneapolis, they said it was AI. There was no reasoning with them. I concluded that you can’t argue with people in cults, so we shamed them and covered their signs with ours,” Lynn explained.

On that side of the road sits City Hall, which has been eyed by Billings residents as a place to demand change. Since the murders of Keith Porter, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti, community members have been attending city council meetings to demand that local law enforcement do not sign a 287(g) agreement with ICE.

On January 26, Helena, the state’s capital city, passed a resolution that proactively limited Helena PD’s cooperation with ICE. This resolution specifically instructed Helena police to not enter a 287(g) agreement and not to stop, investigate, detain, or arrest anyone based on their suspected immigration status.

BAIR is demanding that a similar resolution be passed in the city of Billings immediately. Lain Dorsey, a BAIR co-founder said, “Council member Kendra Shaw claims that ‘state law prohibits Billings from enacting local ordinances limiting ICE.’ Well Helena just proved that that is bullshit! So the Billings city council needs to take action now!”

The Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights will be mobilizing community members to the Billings City Council meeting on Monday, February 9 at 5:30 p.m. to demand that Billings PD does not cooperate with ICE. Stay updated by following BAIR on Facebook or Instagram @billings_air.

#BillingsMT #MT #ImmigrantRights #ICE #BAIR #Featured

Billings, MT – On January 8, around 20 people rallied together to demand an end to the U.S. war on Venezuela and the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

The protest was organized by members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization after the bombing of Caracas and kidnapping of the Venezuelan leaders by U.S. forces in the early morning of January 3. The strike that took place reportedly killed 100 people and comes after months of the Trump administration bombing civilian fishing boats, murdering non-combatant Venezuelans.

Protesters gathered on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn in downtown Billings and chanted “Free Maduro, free him now!” and “No more bloody wars for oil! U.S. off Venezuelan soil!”

Homa Masood, a member of Students for a Democratic Society at Montana State University, told the crowd, “This was not about protecting human rights. If it were, the U.S. government would not openly side with dictators when it’s convenient for them. They would not openly support war criminals like Benjamin Netanyahu!”

The crowd also showed anger toward the murder of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, with several attendees holding signs that read, “Fuck ICE.” Protesters called for justice for Good, chanting “Justice for Renee Good! ICE out of our neighborhoods!”

FRSO member Lain Dorsey, in an interview with local news station KTVQ, stated, “Trump has called Nicolás Maduro a dictator, but he is acting like a dictator by sending out his ICE thugs to kidnap men, women and children – from their schools – and to murder civilians in broad daylight. It's absolutely shameful.”

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization is committed to fighting Trump's agenda on all fronts. To get involved, sign up at frso.org/join.

#BillingsMT #MT #AntiwarMovement #Venezuela

Billings, MT – On November 6, People United Billings (PUB) rallied outside the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Billings to protest the “Liberty Dinner” put on by the Mountain States Policy Center, a local right-wing think tank. The event was headlined by former Trump cabinet member Ben Carson, with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte listed as one of the featured guests.

PUB promoted the protest with the slogan “Gianforte dines while Montanans starve!” highlighting the hypocrisy of the governor's refusal to assist SNAP recipients during the federal government shutdown, while attending a dinner event with plates costing from $80 to $150.

The protest was sparked by a statement released from the governor’s office on October 29, which read, “While the governor believes these benefits are vital for vulnerable Montanans, he has been clear that the state cannot fund this federal program, which is funded by federal dollars, without promises of reimbursement.”

Danny Choriki, the president of People United Billings, responded saying, “Montanans can’t survive on half-rations and political excuses. Winter is coming fast, and every day of delay means empty cupboards and cold homes. Governor Gianforte must act now – not when it’s convenient, but when it’s critical!”

Shortly after the rally began, protesters learned that the governor would not be attending the dinner in person, appearing via Zoom instead. Gianforte’s office claimed that this was due to “scheduling conflicts,” but the organizers view it as an act of cowardice. Just as the dinner’s attendees avoided the entrances where protesters were positioned, the governor avoided facing his outraged constituents.

“Stamp out hunger! Stamp out thirst! Greg’s gotta grow a backbone first!” PUB member Dan Schaeffer chanted as he stomped with rally goers, calling out the governor's complicity with Trump's agenda.

Lain Dorsey, a member of PUB and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, addressed the crowd of around 40 community members stating, “Gianforte donated 25% of his salary – $20,694 – to Montana’s 77,000 SNAP recipients. That amounts to 25 cents per person! The governor had an estimated net worth of $190 million in 2018 and can only muster a quarter per Montanan that he has been elected to represent? Shame!”

In addition to the rally, PUB and another local group called Montana Resistance set up a food drive for rally goers to donate items to help food-insecure Billings residents. Billings Family Service, Fellowship Baptist Church, Billings Food Bank, and Peace Lutheran Church have more resources for community members that may be in need.

People United Billings meets every Thursday at the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 6 p.m. To get involved in the fight against Trump’s agenda in Billings, attend a meeting or visit peopleunitedbillings.org to see the group's events calendar.

#BillingsMT #MT #PeoplesStruggles #SNAP #PUB #Feature

Billings, MT – On Saturday, September 20, People United Billings (PUB) rallied with about 20 people in front of the local federal building, which houses an ICE field office. The event, called “Rally Against Racial Profiling,” was organized in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to allow federal agents to stop and question people based on their race, ethnicity and spoken language.

PUB joined Legalization For All’s weekend of action to condemn this ruling.

Lain Dorsey, a member of PUB and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) emceed the event, leading chants and speaking on behalf of both groups. Dorsey told the crowd, “Immigrants pose no threat to our safety or well-being. ICE does!”

The Supreme Court’s decision was issued as an “emergency order,” stemming from the case of Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo. The ruling reverses a lower court’s injunction to prohibit racial profiling. The practice of racial profiling is a flagrant violation of human rights, as well as the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.

The rally focused on ICE raids, both local and nationwide, and the devastating effects these actions have on oppressed groups. PUB member Brooke Lynn helped lead chants, shouting, “Hey hey! Ho ho! Racial profiling’s got to go!”

Recently in Billings, a 90-year-old woman named Eva Sigsworth was raided by ICE, FBI and a SWAT team. The early morning attack was carried out using smoke bombs, flash grenades and a sound cannon. The agents ransacked Sigsworth’s home and other buildings on her property, causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Sigsworth, affectionately known as “Mamacita,” was formerly a prominent restaurant owner and a beloved figure in the Billings area. Her grandson was taken into custody in nearby Worden, Montana that same night. No information on his current status is available at this time.

The Billings protesters stood in solidarity with immigrant rights activists across the country, including Isavela López, who is facing up to eight years in prison for standing up to ICE in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In Whitefish, Montana, three members of Flathead Democracy were arrested for allegedly blocking a Border Patrol vehicle. The protest occurred after a mother and daughter were detained while attempting to help with a traffic accident. Colton Little, Aggie Putnam and Leanette Galaz are facing disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, and obstruction charges. Their next court appearance will be on Tuesday, September 30. Rally attendees chanted “Protesting is not a crime! Drop the charges now!” in support of Isavela López and the three protestors in Whitefish.

People United Billings will continue to organize against Trump’s agenda. The group holds a rally every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon outside of the Yellowstone County Courthouse and “visibility brigades” at the 27th Street overpass on I-90, Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m.

#BillingsMT #MT #ImmigrantRights #ICE #L4A

Billings, MT – On Thursday, August 21, the Billings Chapter of Montana for Palestine (MT4P) held a rally outside of the local IRS building as part of the Global Strike for Gaza. The rally focused on the recent airstrike and murder of Anas al-Sharif and several other journalists covering the genocide in Gaza.

The death toll of journalists in Palestine has reached around 270 since Israel escalated its genocide on October 7, 2023. As such, the group’s demands were to “Stop the murder of Palestinian journalists” and to “End U.S. aid to Israel.”

Lain Dorsey, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, emceed the rally. She opened the rally by describing the events that brought the group to action, “On August 10, journalists in Gaza were intentionally air struck by Israel in order to cover up their war crimes that they have been committing for nearly two years. Israel lies and uses the excuse that they were members of the Palestinian resistance, but we in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization say that it is right to resist occupation and genocide!”

Will Ryerson, a member of MT4P spoke on his experience as an early childhood educator, stating, “It sickens me to my core to see starving children in Gaza. Over 18,000 children and babies have been murdered with direct support by the U.S. government!” Ryerson and other speakers repeated the staggering $46 million that is sent from Montana to Israel annually, with an estimated $8.3 million of that coming from Billings taxpayers.

Billings, which lies in Yellowstone County, is facing cuts to public institutions like the Yellowstone Art Museum, to pay for expansions to the county jail. While the Yellowstone county commission does little to address poverty, homelessness, and access to healthcare, they allow Billings tax dollars to be used for genocide and criminalizing the poor. Protesters showed their outrage by shouting “Shame!”

Toward the end of the protest, Lain Dorsey tied the fight for a free Palestine to the broader fight against Donald Trump’s agenda stating, “The way that the National Guard and federal police are occupying Washington, DC and targeting Black residents, is the same way that Palestinians are treated in apartheid Israel. If it can happen there, it very well could and is happening here!”

Israel’s targeting of journalists hit close to home for several members of MT4P who are journalists themselves. Closing the action, Jenna Martin, a frequent photojournalist in the West Bank shared the devastation of seeing her colleagues losing their lives and shared the final words of Anas al-Sharif. Quoting al-Sharif, Martin stated, “I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland.”

To stay up to date with Montana for Palestine's upcoming events, follow them on Instagram @MT4Palestine.

#BillingsMT #MT #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MT4Palestine