La OSCL urge a nuestros miembros y simpatizantes a que salgan a las calles y organicen las protestas más amplias posibles el día después de las elecciones del 5 de noviembre. Sin importar el resultado, debemos seguir apoyando a Palestina y oponernos a la guerra cada vez más amplia de los Estados Unidos/Israel en el Medio Oriente. Y debemos avanzar una agenda progresista que defienda los derechos de los inmigrantes, los trabajadores, las personas LGBTQ, las mujeres y los derechos reproductivos.

Es cierto que Harris es una facilitadora del genocidio en Palestina, y que Trump es un tonto racista y reaccionario. Ninguno de los dos merece un voto ni apoyo, y es importante que estemos en las calles el 6 de noviembre diciendo que continuaremos la lucha por la justicia. No podemos descansar.

Sabemos que las protestas serán más grandes si Trump gana o se declara ganador, así que es importante que intentemos unir a todos los que se puedan unir. No tenemos que estar de acuerdo con todos los que marchan con nosotros, pero sí necesitamos llevar a la mayor cantidad de personas posible a las calles. Independientemente del resultado, queremos la respuesta más fuerte posible.

El futuro no está escrito, hay cosas de las que podemos estar seguros y cosas que ciertamente podemos hacer. Continuaremos apoyando a Palestina y exigiendo el fin de toda ayuda a Israel. Avanzaremos en la lucha por la paz, la justicia y la igualdad. Y seguiremos construyendo la lucha del pueblo, llevando a la mayor cantidad posible de personas hasta donde puedan llegar.

¡Todos a las calles el 6 de noviembre!

#PeoplesStruggles #FRSO #OSCL #Statement #Espanol #Elections #2024Elections #Harris #Trump

Las próximas elecciones presidenciales son un referéndum sobre el genocidio patrocinado por los Estados Unidos en Palestina y la guerra más amplia que los Estados Unidos e Israel están librando en el Medio Oriente. La administración Biden/Harris está coordinando el ataque a Irán, y los Estados Unidos ha enviado tropas y misiles a Israel. Hay un mínimo de 44.000 muertos en Gaza, e Israel está lanzando bombas de 2.000 libras sobre las ciudades del Líbano. Aunque debería ser obvio que un reaccionario racista como Trump no merece un voto, Kamala Harris tampoco lo merece.

La resistencia al apartheid israelí y la lucha en todo el Medio Oriente para poner fin a la dominación occidental son un punto de inflexión en la historia mundial — es una parte clave de un proceso revolucionario que pondrá fin al imperio estadounidense. La resistencia palestina encarna el progreso y las esperanzas de los pueblos oprimidos en todas partes.

La OSCL es una organización revolucionaria. Los gobernantes de Estados Unidos han demostrado que recurrirán a la violencia antes que ceder incluso una pequeña parte de su imperio, como Afganistán. Los gobernantes de Estados Unidos han demostrado que recurrirán a la violencia antes que ceder incluso una pequeña parte de su imperio, como Afganistán. Desplegaron tropas — la Guardia Nacional — por todo el país durante la Rebelión de George Floyd. Nunca entregarán pacíficamente su riqueza, sus privilegios ni su poder.

Aunque las elecciones no pueden establecer el dominio de la clase trabajadora (socialismo), las elecciones bajo el capitalismo son un ámbito de lucha.

Nuestra línea electoral siempre ha sido flexible y toma en cuenta una serie de criterios. Nunca hemos favorecido un enfoque abstencionista. En cambio, vemos la cuestión desde la perspectiva general de cómo podemos encontrar el terreno más favorable para luchar y construir la organización revolucionaria.

Los cuatro criterios para desarrollar nuestra línea sobre las elecciones en el pasado han sido los siguientes: 1) ¿Existe algún candidato en particular que represente un peligro especial? 2) ¿Es la elección un referéndum sobre una cuestión social importante, como guerra o crisis económico? 3) ¿Hay una campaña compitiendo en las elecciones que es la encarnación de un movimiento nacional, por ejemplo, la de Jesse Jackson en 1984? 4) ¿Existe una acción política significativa que sea independiente de los dos principales partidos capitalistas, como Nader en 2000? Aunque estos puntos sirven como referencias para evaluar lo que está en juego en cualquier elección particular, no todos son iguales todo el tiempo.

Consideramos estas elecciones como un referéndum sobre el genocidio en Palestina, que Harris y Biden han facilitado, por lo que no recomendamos votar por Harris como una forma de oponerse a Trump. Entendemos plenamente que hay diferencias de política entre los candidatos presidenciales en varios temas, como los derechos laborales y reproductivos. Sin embargo, debido a la importancia de Palestina en el proceso revolucionario a escala internacional y el papel que Palestina ha desempeñado en el movimiento popular en los Estados Unidos — la cuestión de Palestina se encuentra sobre los otros factores en la determinación de nuestra postura sobre la elección.

Es correcto decir que el capitalismo monopolista tiene dos partidos políticos en este país — el Partido Republicano y el Partido Demócrata — y que ambos están al servicio de las grandes corporaciones. Dicho esto, es incorrecto decir que no hay diferencia de política entre los dos. Los temas laborales y cuestiones como las leyes anti-sindicales de “derecho al trabajo” ilustran esto. Algunos de nuestros amigos en el movimiento sindical no están de acuerdo con nosotros en hacer de Palestina y la creciente guerra en el Medio Oriente una prioridad, por lo que nos dicen que tenemos que apoyar a Harris. Eso no va a suceder, pero podemos seguir trabajando juntos en cuestiones sindicales en las que estemos de acuerdo. Y vamos a seguir promoviendo grupos de “Trabajadores por Palestina” en el movimiento sindical.

Entendemos que muchos progresistas están preocupados de que Trump representa un peligro fascista y dicen que la única manera de avanzar es apoyar a Harris. No estamos de acuerdo. Aunque no hay duda de que Trump es un tonto racista y reaccionario, no creemos que gobierne mediante el terror abierto, que es la esencia del fascismo. El espectro de una victoria de Trump no debería dar un pase libre a la candidata del genocidio y la guerra, es decir, Kamala Harris.

No estamos abogando por que la gente boicotee las elecciones. No deberíamos ser indiferentes a los candidatos progresistas ni a las iniciativas electorales positivas, como las que defienden los derechos reproductivos. Pero aquí está la gran lección que podemos sacar de las elecciones de 2024: el capitalismo es un sistema fallido y sus dos principales representantes políticos no merecen nuestro apoyo. Más bien, las malas opciones son una crítica a un sistema que sirve a los ricos y que debe ser derrocado.

#AntiWarMovement #Palestine #2024Elections #Harris #Trump #FRSO #OSCL #Statement

Organizadas por Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW), varias organizaciones estudiantiles y otros aliados locales, estas manifestaciones destacaron la demanda de los residentes de Michigan de poner fin a la ayuda estadounidense a Israel y redirigir los fondos hacia las necesidades de la clase obrera estadounidense.

El sábado 26 de octubre, más de 30 personas se reunieron frente al Wings Event Center de Kalamazoo, sosteniendo carteles con mensajes como “Embargo de armas a Israel” y “Derechos humanos sobre la fuerza militar”. Marissa Wagner, representante de KNOW y de Estudiantes por la Justicia en Palestina en la Universidad de West Michigan, subrayó la urgencia de estas protestas.

“Estamos exigiendo un embargo de armas a Israel”, declaró Wagner. “Kamala Harris corre un grave riesgo de perder la elección si no toma medidas reales para apoyar a nuestra comunidad palestina. La administración Biden/Harris dice que apoya un alto al fuego, pero continúa financiando a Israel mientras ataca a sus vecinos. Así que estamos aquí para dejar claro a la campaña de Harris que no son bienvenidos a menos que empiecen a escuchar a sus electores.”

El viernes 18 de octubre, más de 40 manifestantes se reunieron en el Riverside Park de Grand Rapids mientras Harris hacía campaña en la ciudad. “Nuestros impuestos están financiando el asesinato masivo de palestinos”, dijo Wren Burns, residente del oeste de Michigan. “La administración Biden-Harris debe rendir cuentas por estas atrocidades, especialmente mientras los trabajadores de Michigan luchan por satisfacer sus necesidades básicas”.

Los manifestantes repartieron folletos a los asistentes al evento, educándolos sobre la participación de Estados Unidos en acciones militares en el extranjero y destacando el propio papel de Michigan a través de iniciativas como el Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, que fortalece los lazos estatales con los contratistas militares y los fabricantes de armas.

La manifestación en Grand Rapids también llamó la atención sobre el aumento de la retórica anti-inmigrante y xenofóbica dentro del Partido Demócrata.

“La clase trabajadora de Michigan exige el fin de estas atrocidades”, dijo Emerson Wolfe, presidente de PSGR. “Poner fin a la ayuda estadounidense a Israel es política popular”.

Estas protestas están ocurriendo en medio de una alarmante tendencia de represión política contra las voces anti-guerra, incluyendo las recientes acciones de la fiscal general de Michigan, Dana Nessel, quien presentó cargos contra 11 manifestantes antí-genocidio del campamento estudiantil en la Universidad de Michigan.

“La adopción por parte del partido del nacionalismo de derecha y las tácticas de represión están alejando a más votantes cada día”, dijo Wolfe. “La dirección actual de los demócratas está traicionando los valores de su propia base”.

Las manifestaciones en el oeste de Michigan son una clara advertencia de que el apoyo del Partido Demócrata a la ocupación de Israel y su adopción del militarismo corporativo son incompatibles con los valores de muchos de sus votantes en Michigan. A medida que se acercan las elecciones de 2024, los residentes de Michigan exigen un cambio que refleje las necesidades y valores de las comunidades trabajadoras en el estado. Para los votantes de Michigan, esto significa poner fin a la ayuda estadounidense a Israel, y priorizar los derechos humanos sobre los intereses políticos y corporativos.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #2024Elections #Harris

Grand Rapids, MI – In a powerful display of solidarity, pro-Palestine protesters gathered across West Michigan’s two largest cities this past week to condemn Vice President Kamala Harris's support of the U.S./Israeli genocide.

Organized by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW), several student organizations and other local allies, these demonstrations highlighted the demand from Michigan residents to end U.S. aid to Israel and redirect funds toward the needs of working-class Americans.

On Saturday, October 26, over 30 people gathered outside Kalamazoo’s Wings Event Center, holding signs with messages like “Arms embargo on Israel” and “Human rights over military might.” Marissa Wagner, representing KNOW and Students for Justice in Palestine at Western Michigan University, underscored the urgency of these protests.

“We’re demanding an arms embargo on Israel,” Wagner stated. “Kamala Harris is at a serious risk of losing the election if she fails to take real action towards standing with our Palestinian community. The Biden/Harris administration claims to support a ceasefire but continues to fund Israel as it attacks its neighbors. So, we’re here to make it clear to the Harris campaign that they’re not welcome unless they start listening to their constituents.”

On Friday, October 18, more than 40 demonstrators gathered in Grand Rapids Riverside Park as Harris campaigned in the city. “Our tax dollars are funding the mass killing of Palestinians,” said Wren Burns, a West Michigan resident. “The Biden/Harris administration needs to be held accountable for these atrocities, especially while working people in Michigan are struggling to meet basic needs.”

Protesters handed out literature to event attendees, educating them on U.S. involvement in military actions abroad and highlighting Michigan’s own role through initiatives like the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, which strengthens state ties with military contractors and arms manufacturers.

The Grand Rapids demonstration also drew attention to rising anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric within the Democratic Party

“Working-class people in Michigan are demanding an end to these atrocities,” said Emerson Wolfe, chair of PSGR. “Ending U.S. aid to Israel is popular policy.”

These protests come amid an alarming trend of political repression targeting anti-war voices, including recent actions by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who filed charges against 11 anti-genocide protesters from the student encampment at the University of Michigan.

“The party’s embrace of right-wing nationalism and suppression tactics are alienating more voters by the day,” said Wolfe. “The Democrats’ current direction is betraying the values of its own base.”

The rallies in West Michigan come as a clear warning that the Democratic Party’s support for Israel’s occupation and its embrace of corporate militarism are incompatible with the values of many of its Michigan voters. As the 2024 elections approach, Michiganders are calling for a shift that reflects the needs and values of working-class communities in the state. For Michigan’s voters, this means ending U.S. aid to Israel, and prioritizing human rights over political and corporate interests.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Harris #Palestine

The upcoming presidential election is referendum on the U.S.-sponsored genocide in Palestine and the broader war that the U.S. and Israel are waging in the Middle East. The Biden/Harris administration is coordinating the attack on Iran, and the U.S. has dispatched troops and missiles to Israel. There is a minimum of 44,000 dead in Gaza, and Israel is raining 2000-pound bombs down on the cities of Lebanon. While it should go without saying that a reactionary racist like Trump does not deserve a vote, Kamala Harris doesn’t either.

The resistance to Israeli apartheid and the struggle throughout the Middle East to end Western domination is a turning point in world history – it is a key part of a revolutionary process that will bring the U.S. empire to an end. The Palestinian resistance embodies progress and hopes of oppressed people everywhere.

FRSO is a revolutionary organization. We do not believe that we can vote our way to socialism. The rulers of the U.S. have shown that they will resort to violence rather than give up even a small piece of their empire, like Afghanistan. They deployed troops – the National Guard – all over the country during the George Floyd Rebellion. They will never peacefully surrender their wealth, privilege or power.

While elections cannot bring about the rule of the working class (socialism), elections under capitalism are an arena of struggle.

Our electoral line has always been a flexible one that takes a number of criteria into account. We have never favored an abstentionist approach. Instead, we look at the issue from the overall perspective of how we can find the most favorable terrain to fight on and build revolutionary organization.

The four criteria for developing our line on elections in the past have been as follows: One, is a given candidate is a special danger? Two, is the election a referendum on a major social question, such as war or economic crisis? Three, is a campaign contending in an election the embodiment of a national movement, for example, Jesse Jackson in 1984. Four is the issue of whether there is significant political action that is independent of the two major capitalist parties, such as Nader in 2000. While these points serve as benchmarks for looking at what is at stake in any particular election, they are not all equal all the time.

We see this election as a referendum on genocide in Palestine, which is facilitated by Harris and Biden – so we don’t advocate voting for Harris as a way to oppose Trump. We fully understand that on a number of issues there are policy differences between the presidential candidates, for example on labor and reproductive rights. But, given the importance of Palestine in the revolutionary process on an international scale, and the role that Palestine has played in the popular movement in the U.S. – the Palestine issue stands above other factors in determining our views on the election.

It is correct to say that monopoly capitalism has two political parties in this country – the Republican Party and the Democratic Party – and that both parties are in the pockets of the big corporations. That said, it is wrong to say there is no difference of policy between the two. Labor and issues like anti-union “right to work” laws illustrate this. Some of our friends in the trade union movement disagree with us on making Palestine and the growing war in the Middle East a priority, so they tell us we need to support Harris. That is not going to happen, but we can continue to work together on union issues we agree on. And we are going to continue to promote labor for Palestine groups in the trade union movement.

We understand that many progressives are concerned about Trump representing a fascist danger and say the only way forward is to support Harris. We disagree. While there is no doubt that Trump is a racist, reactionary fool, we do not think he will rule by open terror, which is the essence of what fascism is. The specter of a Trump win should not give a pass to the candidate of genocide and war, namely Kamala Harris.

We are not advocating that people boycott the elections. We should not be indifferent to progressive candidates or positive ballot initiatives such as those for reproductive rights. But here is the big takeaway from the 2024 elections: capitalism is a failed system, and its two main political representatives do not deserve our support. Rather, the rotten choices are an indictment of a system that serves the wealthy, and which must be overturned.

#PeoplesStruggles #Elections #2024Election #Trump #Harris #FRSO #Statement #Feature

Chicago, IL – More than 11,000 people marched for Palestine on the final evening of the Democratic National Convention, August 22. While Kamala Harris was giving her presidential nominee acceptance speech inside, the protesters outside chanted against the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza. Delegates inside the convention report hearing demonstrators on the streets inside the convention hall.

Despite pressure from police (hundreds of them clad in riot gear), demonstrators remained in the streets after the 8 p.m. permit deadline expired.

The protest was organized by the Coalition to March on the DNC, which includes more than 270 organizations including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #DNC #Harris #USPCN #NAARPR #SDS #FRSO

Tallahassee, FL – On Sunday, August 18, about 30 community members gathered at the Florida Capitol building to protest Kamala Harris and her policies regarding the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Protesters held signs within sight of the busy intersection in front of the capitol complex stating, “We won’t vote for genocide” and “Arms embargo now!”

Cas Casanova, representing Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated, “The Democrats can’t fool us. They say our democracy is at stake every four years, yet they expect us to be excited to vote for top cop Kamala who is completely unwavering in her support for Israel. The election is proof that this system is rotten. We need a government that actually serves the everyday working people of this country, not the ultra rich.” Members of Tallahassee FRSO traveled to Chicago that weekend to participate in the March on the DNC.

Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, drew attention to the links between the struggles for Black and Palestinian liberation, stating, “People have been calling the Palestinian liberation movement ‘anti-Black,’ but who taught us how to get police tear gas out of our eyes? Who created countless murals honoring the life of George Floyd during the 2020 uprising? It was the Palestinians. Because if anyone knows what it’s like to be a target of police terror day in and day out, it’s Black people in the United States and Palestinians repressed by Israel. Our struggles are connected.”

The event was put on by Tallahassee Dissenters as part of Not Another Bomb and the Uncommitted Movement’s National Day of Action for the Democratic National Convention. Also present were the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

After speeches, attendees marched down the block to City Hall to come together and share stories from family and friends in Gaza.

Jayci Qassis, a Palestinian leader of Tally Dissenters, closed the event, stating, “Voters within the Democratic Party are overwhelmingly in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and ending the United States’ support to Israel via the transfer of weapons. We are calling on Kamala Harris to do the right thing, to listen to voters and stop arming Israel with weapons funded by our tax dollars. Today we reinforce the message that began with the Uncommitted Movement: We will not elect a candidate who funds genocide over our communities.”

#TallahasseeFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Harris #DNC #Dissenters #FRSO #TCAC

Meredith Aby, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee,explains, “While dropping Genocide Joe off the Democratic ticket is progress, we have yet to get action or even promises that Harris/Walz will commit to an arms embargo on Israel. Progressive forces from around the country are coming to Chicago to tell the Democratic Party that we don’t just want an alternative to Trump, we want an end to the genocide in Gaza.”

Aby continued, “In Minnesota we have been pressuring Governor Tim Walz, as the chair of the State Board of Investment, to divest Minnesota public worker pensions from Israeli companies and companies that are profiting from Israeli apartheid and genocide. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten any movement from him. We are traveling to Chicago to keep up the pressure!”

Humberto Martin, an organizer with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, added, “The national news media has been celebrating the progressive agenda of Governor Walz as a reason to vote for Harris/Walz, but we know that the progressive legislation he voted for, from drivers licenses for all to free public school lunches, are because of the organizing of grassroots groups here in Minnesota.”

Nearly 100 protesters will be leaving from Bethel Lutheran Church at 10:30 the evening of the 18th. Organizations marching on the DNC from Minnesota include the Anti War Committee (AWC), Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J),MN Free Palestine Coalition, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Climate Justice Committee (CJC), MN Workers United (MWU), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), UMN Students for a Democratic Society (UMN SDS), Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).

#MinneapolisMN #Kamala #MarchontheDNC #MarchOnDNC24 #HarrisWalz #Walz #Harris #MarchonDNC2024 #FreePalestine

Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, July 23, Vice President Kamala Harris made her first stop as a presidential candidate in Milwaukee, less than a week after the Republican National Convention. For four hours straight, members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine (WCJP) chanted outside of Harris’ campaign rally.

Protesters were heard for blocks around the site where Harris was speaking. For months, the people of Milwaukee have made it known that genocidal policies will be met with resistance – whether those policies are pushed by Biden, Harris, Trump, or some other elected official.

Notably, no top Democrats could be seen joining the thousands of protesters in Milwaukee during the RNC. As protester Joe Jones put it: “The Democratic Party’s platform for the last 20 years has been ‘We’re not as bad as the Republicans, so you have to vote for us,’ rather than taking action on their words.”

Wisconsin is a sought after electoral arena by Republicans and Democrats alike. The Republicans chose Milwaukee as the site for their convention, with Trump making visits to Green Bay, Racine and Milwaukee in the last six months. However, the real will of the people can be seen in the streets, with over 3500 protesting the RNC and their agenda, and hundreds routinely protesting the Biden administration’s visits at a moment's notice.

When asked why he was out protesting Kamala’s visit, Russell Cutter, a rank-and-file trade unionist and letter carrier, responded, “One reason I came out, as a union activist, is to be in solidarity with the Palestinian trade unions and answer their call to action in October to stop arming Israel.” Cutter continued, “I want Kamala Harris to know that the truth about Palestine can't be hidden anymore.”

Similarly, protester Joe Jones said the facade is off for the ruling class parties. “They claim to be anti-racist while being fully complicit in the genocide in Gaza at the same time. Domestically, Kamala Harris spent her time as DA in California unfairly prosecuting her people while Joe Biden was a strong supporter of the 1994 crime bill which led to mass incarceration of Black people.”

As the demonstration was wrapping up, protesters made it known that they will march on the Democratic National Convention on August 19. There, they will once again bring the people’s agenda within sight and sound of the Democrats and their likely presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. This DNC will be an important one, but the real change will happen in the streets.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Harris #DNC #WCJP

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

Minneapolis, MN – More than 200 people gathered near South High School in Minneapolis, January 20, to demand a People’s Agenda that immediately reverses the policies of Trump and meets the demands of working people, immigrants and oppressed nationality communities. The protest rally started with the chant, “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

Meredith Aby-Keirstead, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee, welcomed the crowd, “The Anti-War Committee and the Climate Justice Committee along with a coalition of many other organizations wanted to join together to say we are not going home. Today, we are in the streets to send a loud and clear message to Biden from day one we need change. We are tired of the status quo and we are here to make demands on Biden. He is making a lot of promises and we will hold him accountable.”

Throughout the rally and march, many groups spoke about these issues and put demands on Biden and all elected officials.

Autumn Lake from the Anti-War Committee emphasized, “One thing is abundantly clear: the U.S. war machine will not stop with the departure of Trump. Biden has already stacked his cabinet with foreign policy officials that are committed to continuing the U.S.’s destructive campaigns of intervention and war. The Democrat’s own legacy of war and intervention continues with the inauguration of Joe Biden. We’re going to stay in the streets and keep fighting for an end to U.S. wars, no matter who is calling the shots.”

“Defeating Trump is a victory for everyone concerned about justice,” said Austin Dewey from the Climate Justice Committee, “but Biden’s track record shows that he is unwilling to make the radical changes needed unless there’s pressure from a strong people’s movement.”

Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the MN chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, rallied the crowd on the importance of staying in the streets, “They [the powers that be] want you to be scared to come out. But we are going to continue to be out in the streets until we get justice for all the stolen lives, until we bring back equality in all of our communities, until we free the wrongfully incarcerated, and until we protect water and our land from corporate greed that continues to rob people.”

With the chant of “Who's streets? Our streets!” the marchers took to the streets, followed by a 50-car caravan down Lake Street to the former site of the 3rd Precinct police building, which was set ablaze during the George Floyd uprising this past summer.

Marching down Lake Street, people chanted, “Take it to the streets and fuck the police! No justice, no peace” and “Too many stolen lives, we refuse to close our eyes.”

Speaking on the need for a people's agenda, David Gilbert Pederson of MN Workers United stated, “As the elites gather in Washington to celebrate the changing of the guard, working-class people all across America are still in the trenches fighting a war against U.S. empire, fighting a war against the COVID-19 virus, fighting a war against greed and austerity, fighting a war against police brutality, against deportations, against pipelines through indigenous lands, and a battle of against horrors of American capitalism.”

Monique Cullars-Doty, representing Black Lives Matter MN, was the last to address the crowd before they marched back to South High School, “It's great to be out here, we have to be out here. The people in power don't care about us, they don't care about people who don't have a voice. We want justice for all the stolen lives. An important thing I do is to work in solidarity and come out to support other movements because we all are connected. We have to remember that. We can't do it alone and you shouldn't have to do it alone. This for all us to get together in the face of injustice. Now that we have Biden in office, we must remember who this man is, a father of mass incarceration. We want our people free.”

As the march was leaving the 3rd Precinct, Jae Yates, one of the emcees and an organizer with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, said, “Every time I see this place, I remember all of us together, watching it burn. It was a beautiful moment.”

The rally was initiated by the Anti-War Committee and the Climate Justice Committee. It was endorsed by AFSCME 34, AFSCME 2822, AFSCME 3800, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, Brown Berets MN, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Good Trouble for Justice, Justice4MarcusGolden, May Day Books, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Peace Action Coalition, MN Workers United, MN Youth for Justice, Native Lives Matter, Nukewatch, Racial Justice Network, Students Against Pipelines, Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, Student Movement Activists of South High (SMASH), Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, UMN Climate Strike, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, and others.

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