Edina, MN – On Monday, June 23, a crowd of Minnesotans gathered to join the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT) for a press conference and rally against right-wing violence, held in front of the Republican Party of Minnesota Office located in Edina.

In light of the targeted assassination of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and the attempted murder of Senator John Hoffman and wife, Yvette Hoffman, PACAT organized the press conference and rally to condemn the rise in violent right-wing extremism, fanned by the reactionary agenda of the Republican Party and President Donald Trump.

PACAT is a coalition composed of various grassroots organizations within the Twin Cities, working together to organize a fighting movement against Donald Trump and the reactionary rhetoric of the Republican Party.

The press conference was grounded in a tone of mourning and anger, as Olivia Crull, speaking on behalf of PACAT, said, “We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and our thoughts are with John and Yvette Hoffman in their journey to recovery. In the wake of this great loss to Minnesota’s fight for progressive change, what we will do is continue to organize in the hopes of making our communities better, safer, and free from reactionary violence.”

As more information surfaces from the tragedy on Saturday, June 14, it has become clear that both legislators, as well as the other individuals and organizations named on the shooter’s list of targets, were singled out because of their advocacy for reproductive rights and other progressive issues.

PACAT views the actions of the killer, Vance Boelter, not as an anomaly, but as part of the long history of anti-abortion violence in this country.

While addressing the crowd, Kristen Bledsoe of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee said, “Rhetoric that propagates the idea of ‘fetal personhood’ and equates abortion with murder, that dehumanizes abortion providers and people who have had abortions, will always lead to the kind of violence that killed Melissa and Mark Hortman. As much as they want to deny responsibility, the Republican Party knows this.”

Right-wing media accounts initially promoted the theory that the shooter was an immigrant or supporter of immigrant rights, given the recent cuts to MinnesotaCare for undocumented adults by the state legislature. Once the motives of the targeted attacks were revealed, the Republican party and conservative media have attempted to distance themselves from this political violence.

Yann Chen of the Minnesota Immigrant Action Committee spoke about this anti-immigrant rhetoric, saying, “Trump’s campaign against undocumented immigrants, against Black and brown people, against trans people, against women, against working-class folks of every background are not new. These platforms of hate have been promoted and associated with the Republican party for over 60 years.”

While some have praised the police response last week, activists against police brutality have pointed out the flaws in their response that led to Boelter getting away, as well as the double standard of how law enforcement treats oppressed nationalities.

Jae Yates of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice posed a question to Republicans, asking, “Will you racially profile white men who drive vehicles that are too similar to police cars or arrest them at nine times the rate of other racial groups? Of course not. Because none of you are willing to name the actual threat in the room, and none of you are willing to be honest about the fact that your enthusiastic embrace of white nationalism has fostered the environment for this horrific crime.”

On the day of the shootings, tens of thousands of Minnesotans protested at the Capitol as part of the national No Kings day of action. Drew Harmon of Minnesota 50501 referenced this moment, saying, “On the morning of June 14, we turned our sorrow into collective action as tens of thousands of Minnesotans came out in cities across the state, not just in Saint Paul, to highlight how sick and tired we are of this hateful rhetoric. But it will require continuous action, this is not something that can be fixed in one day. So, this is a call for everyone to continue the fight.”

#EdinaMN #MN #PeoplesStruggles #TCC4j #RightWingViolence #PACAT #MNAAC #MIRAC

Edina, MN – On January 8, more than 50 supporters of Edina students packed the school board meeting for the second time to express their concern about the political repression of pro-Palestine students. At their last meeting on December 11, 2023, the Edina school board adjourned their meeting instead of listening to the concerns of students and community members. The community returned, as promised, to demand an end to student repression.

Supporters demanded justice for a group of Muslim students that were targeted and suspended after participating in a walkout for Palestine at their school on October 26, 2023. School administrators punished the students for using the popular chant, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.”

Supporters of Palestinian liberation use this chant to call for a permanent end to Israeli apartheid and equal rights for all Palestinians. The demands expressed during the meeting included removal of any record of suspension or punishment from the students’ permanent records, investigation into the violence committed against these students during the walkout, and a formal apology from the administration for targeting their students’ first amendment rights. Speakers also demanded an end to the continued political repression of students, who have been told they can’t come to school wearing clothes with messages in support of Palestine or have Palestinian flags in school.

Sabry Wazwaz, a Palestinian member of the MN Anti-War Committee, addressed the board. “The students told the principal and staff that metal water bottles were thrown at them during the protest. That’s disgusting. What kind of board member does not protect their students? Who is the one that was violent? Those that simply said a chant that means everyone deserves equal rights? Or those that have thrown metal water bottles?”

Isaac Stets, a member of the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee and a Minneapolis public school high school student, shamed the actions of the school administration. “There is no excuse for censoring opposition to genocide. There is no excuse for the precedent your actions set for political repression of students. This sets a precedent for censoring the political speech of students everywhere and creates an atmosphere in which students must fear speaking out against war crimes. This is a punch in the face to any student who speaks up against injustice in the way that our schools have pretended to teach us to do.”

Several other speakers addressed the board with powerful speeches calling for the school to correct this injustice, including members of organizations leading the struggle against U.S. aid to Israel, such as American Muslims for Palestine, Jewish Voices for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine, the MN Council on American-Islamic Relations, and more.

At the end of public comment, supporters left the board meeting and rallied together outside to vow continued support for the students. They marched out of the building loudly chanting, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!”

This action was initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and endorsed by the Free Palestine Coalition.

#EdinaMN #International #Palestine #AntiWar #StudentMovement #HighSchool #MIRAC #MNAWC #MNFreePalestineCoalition #Feature

Edina, MN – On the evening of Monday, December 11, 300 community members gathered for a rally outside the Edina School Board meeting at the Edina Community Center, denouncing the suspension of Muslim Somali students who led a pro-Palestine protest on October 26.

The school issued false claims of antisemitism against the students for using the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during a walkout protesting the ongoing genocide by the Israeli apartheid state. “From the river to the sea” is a call for Palestinian liberation from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. It is not antisemitic to oppose apartheid and genocide. Monday’s protest began with that same chant.

A group of students, some of whom had been suspended, shared their stories as the crowd roared in support. One of the students who organized the walkout said, “We put this walkout together to show our support for Palestine, however Edina tried to actively silence us. Many students were afraid to attend the walkout due to the subtle threats Edina has made to the students, such as not being able to make up assignments or tests.” The students also spoke of getting water bottles thrown at them, and administration providing no consequences for these attacks.

The December 11 action was called by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), with support from the Free Palestine Coalition. American Muslims for Palestine , Students for Justice in Palestine, the Anti-War Committee and other groups endorsed the action and spoke.

Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of CAIR-MN, told the crowd that the reason Edina suspended these students was “to silence students from standing up and calling out for justice for the Palestinian people.” He continued, “Shame on this administration, shame on those who are silent, shame on those who want us to be silent, shame on those who want us to give up.”

Drake Myers, an educator himself and member of the MN Antiwar Committee said, “The most beautiful thing I have seen that gives us all hope is that young people are waking up to this genocide. What these students did in organizing for Palestine gives all of us in the Palestine solidarity movement a new hope for a future with justice and a Free Palestine. That’s why these students are under attack, that’s why my union is under attack, because the war-mongers are scared of our solidarity with Palestine, and they’ve lost their grip on public opinion for good.”

At the school board meeting

While the crowd listened to speeches and chanted outside, inside the Edina Community Center pro-Palestine community members and activists packed the school board meeting, ready to speak up during the public comment period of the agenda in support of the students who were unjustly suspended, calling on the school board to revoke their suspensions.

As speakers wrapped up outside, more of the crowd went inside to listen to the board meeting and support those defending the students.

With the crowd in the small meeting room overflowing into the hallway, the first of two public comment periods of the meeting began. An audience member started to talk about the Edina High School students who had been suspended, but a school board member ruled them out of order.

Soon after, the school board members left the meeting room, at which point the pro-Palestine community members remained to have their say. After a while, the school board members reentered the room, but only to hastily declare the meeting adjourned and quickly shuffle out again. All the protesters from outside joined the people inside the meeting room, and the speak-out continued.

It’s unclear if the Edina School Board will attempt to reconvene to finish the meeting, but community members pledged to return when they do so to speak out against the unjust suspension of the Edina High School students.

#EdinaMN #International #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #MIRAC #CAIRMN #MNAWC #Feature #StudentMovement

Edina, MN – In alignment with the national student walkout in solidarity with Palestine, held Wednesday, October 25, students at Edina High School held a walkout and speak-out for Palestine.

Edina is an inner-ring Twin Cities suburb; the school is a predominantly white institution, with enrollment of students of color being at only 33% according to US News. Nevertheless, Muslim students wanted to make sure their voices were heard, especially while faculty have made statements on behalf of the school that are pro-Israel. 

The Edina High School Walkout for Palestine group, which planned the walkout, stated in one of its posts,  “Those who remain silent inadvertently support this oppression. Not speaking up is giving the green light to the Zionist.”

On Wednesday, at least 100 students participated in the walkout. They held Palestinian flags, wore keffiyehs, and led chants. Students were invited to speak by the organizers, and it was made clear that all were welcome. However, Edina High School faculty did not share a similar sentiment. Instead of granting Muslim students and their allies space to exercise their freedom of speech, faculty wanted to take control of the narrative and actively silence students’ voices. Pro-Israel students even attacked and threw water bottles at people from a staircase during the event, but faculty has yet to take action.

Eyewitness accounts from the organizers reported that administrators claimed the students’ chant, “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free” was antisemitic, and also claimed that “it’s not Palestine’s land.” These comments are a blatant erasure on Palestine’s history as a nation, but for school officials it was seen as the best method to disband the walkout and avoid negative media coverage.

However, faculty only continued to escalate the situation. At least two administrators began to record students while at the walkout, visibly making students uncomfortable. When asked to stop, administrators refused to comply. These videos were eventually posted by faculty themselves and were circulated by a conservative local Twitter account @CrimeWatchMpls.

As a result, students were quickly and unjustly labeled as “criminals,” and adults, including parents of students and Zionists, used derogatory and hateful language targeted at protesters attending, who were as young as 14. One Zionist user tweeted “May all who support Palestine get their just due…with lead.” Wishing for violent death for high school students because they are protesting in support of human rights and the end to war crimes that have been taking place in Gaza by the Israeli occupation for over 75 years is a disgrace, and not one that faculty should take lightly.

At the time of writing, three students from Edina High School are now facing suspension for simply participating in the walkout. However, the organizers and community of supporters around them will not accept this without a fight. EHS Walkout stated, “We have the right to freedom of speech and expression. Our objective was to facilitate a platform for open discourse on a pressing global matter, especially that pertaining to Palestine, all while refraining from engaging in hate speech or discriminatory behavior.”

They are calling on the community and any allies to the Palestinian struggle to participate in their ongoing call-in/email-in to top administrators at Edina High School to say that their disciplinary actions against the students are unjust, and that “From the river to the sea” and implications of Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland is not antisemitic.

Follow @ehswalkoutforpalestine on Instagram for more details and upcoming solidarity actions happening locally in the Twin Cities.

 #EdinaMN #FreePalestine #TwinCities #StudentMovement #EHS #WalkoutForPalestine

Edina, MN – 50 protesters converged on the Minnesota Republican Party headquarters, November 10, to stand against U.S. President Donald Trump.

The event took place one month after President Trump held a rally in Minneapolis. According to a press release from the Anti-War Committee, “Trump’s lies led to a rise in hate crimes in every county where he held a campaign rally in 2016. Statistics show that hate crimes doubled compared to other counties, and it's because his blatantly hateful rhetoric is designed to incite violence and further racist and xenophobic views. The Minnesota Republican Party not only hosted him but has been silent as he attacked the immigrant and refugee communities that are a part of Minnesota.”

The afternoon began with the crowd holding signs and banners that read “Reject Trump and GOP bigotry!” and “Black lives matter!” Chants such as “Indict! Convict! Send his racist ass to jail! His whole damn system is guilty as hell!” rang loudly, to the dismay of the five Trump-supporters who had arrived to counter-protest the event.

Erica Zurowski from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) spoke out against the injustice facing immigrants in the U.S., stating, “This didn't begin with Trump. We were out here when Obama was in office orchestrating mass deportations, and we'll be here long after we kick Trump out of office!”

“[Trump supporters] claim to support equality and justice for all” exclaimed Haji Youseff, a member of the local Somali community in the Twin Cities. “But you do not look at me as an equal! You look down on me because of my color! Because of where I'm from! Because of my faith! Because of my sexuality!”

Autumn Lake, a member of the Anti-War Committee, closed out the program, saying, “When Trump rallied here, he took aim at our immigrant and refugee communities, themselves victims of U.S. foreign policy seeking refuge in the United States.” She continued, “We stand here today outraged that this call to racist violence was hosted and enabled by the Minnesota Republican Party. We are here to say that racist violence is not welcome in the state of Minnesota.”

The November 10 event was organized by the Anti-War Committee.

#EdinaMN #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarCommittee #GOP