News and Views from the People's Struggle
Madison, WI – On December 17, a crowd of 50 people marched around the State Capitol building to denounce “pinkwashing” and Democratic Party politicians using the LGBTQ+ community to justify genocide.
The action was organized by the Trans Resistance Action Committee (TRAC), a newer grassroots community organization in Madison which fights for trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people’s rights.
Miami, FL – Alex Saab, a Venezuelan diplomat, is now free after long negotiations between Venezuela’s government and the U.S. State Department. Saab flew back to Venezuela on Wednesday, December 20 into the waiting arms of his wife, Camilla Fabri Saab. He will be able to hug his children after more than three years of detention and imprisonment by the U.S. government.
Detroit, MI – On December 18, over 100 people gathered at Grand Circus Park to protest Congressman Shri Thanedar for his support of Israel.
Spring Lake Park, MN – December 19, 25 Palestine solidarity activists bannered over a busy highway at rush hour in a northern suburb of Minneapolis, near Spring Lake Park High School. The banners read, “The oldest Christians in the world are Palestinian. End Israeli apartheid. End Israeli occupation,” and “Equal rights for all! Say no to Israeli apartheid.”
Oak Creek, WI – On Friday, December 15, the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) and community members went to Astronautics Corporation of America in Oak Creek to continue their campaign against the company’s role in the genocide of Palestinians.
The rally marked the second time MAC has protested Astronautics over the last few weeks, as members made it clear that they will not be quiet while a company so close to home gets away with profiting from murder.
Minneapolis, MN – On December 18, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee held a press conference to proudly announce the installation of four billboards in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. These billboards will serve as a visual call to action, reinforcing the committee's demands: “Divest Minnesota from Israel” and “End U.S. aid to Israel.”
Strategically placed, these billboards will be a powerful tool to amplify the Anti-War Committee's demands that Minnesota divest from Israel and for the U.S. to end all support for Israel's apartheid regime.
Appleton, WI – On the evening of Friday, December 15, the community held a vigil for the Palestinian martyrs of the ongoing genocide. The event came in the wake of the grim milestone of over 19,000 Palestinians murdered by the U.S.-funded and armed Israeli regime since October 7.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Juliet de Lima, the Interim Chairperson, Negotiating Panel, National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Gibo Teodoro’s head-scratching insinuation that the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) was willing to surrender is simply untrue. To say that this is the basis for the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) agreeing to explore the resumption of peace negotiations is also incorrect. It was the GRP who first approached the NDFP and not the other way around.
Minneapolis, MN – On December 14 members of the Solidarity Committee on the Americas and the MN Cuba Committee rallied at Chicago and Lake Avenues to demand the U.S. government to take Cuba off the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list and continued to pressure the U.S. to end the blockade of Cuba. The people who live in the neighborhood are multinational working-class families. The people passed by cheering and waving fits in the arm in support of the people. As the rally continued, cars and trucks drove past honking loudly and continuously approving the message.
Madison, WI – 6000 people answered the call of the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine (WCJP) to go all out on December 9. The action marks the largest demonstration of solidarity with Palestine in the history of the state, passing the mark set only several weeks early at an action in Milwaukee.
The WCJP comprises 60-plus organizations from across Wisconsin and continues to grow nearly every day.
Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, December 11, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), alongside other students and community members, gathered at the Golda Meir Library to launch their Divest from Israel campaign and to honor the Palestinian martyrs.
The event began with speeches from the representatives of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Muslim Students Association and Un-PAC. Then SDS representatives officially announced the launch of the Divest from Israel Campaign and congratulated the Tampa 5 on their recent victory against political repression. This was followed by a Muslim prayer.
St. Paul, MN – On December 15, dozens of Palestine solidarity activists rallied and chanted at the weekly Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) bannering to call for an end to the bombing of Gaza, an end to U.S. aid to Israel, and for a free Palestine. The positive response from motorists was nonstop.
Minneapolis, MN – On December 14, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) led a caravan of over 40 cars with the Free Palestine Coalition to draw attention to the people of Palestine facing genocidal violence during evening rush hour.
Protesters decorated their cars with signs and Palestinian flags. Half of them drove slowly on Interstate-94 between Minneapolis and Saint Paul while the other half drove slowly south to Lake Street, then to Hennepin Avenue and to Franklin Avenue. At the same time, protesters held banners and Palestinian flags over I-94 on the 25th Avenue bridge near Augsburg University in Minneapolis and on the Lexington Avenue bridge in Saint Paul.
Bloomington, MN – Students from Jefferson and Kennedy High Schools in Bloomington walked out of class on December 14, to demand justice for Palestine. 70 students walked out before their sixth period class and marched to Bloomington City Hall for a joint rally.
This was the sixth student walkout in the Twin Cities metro area in the past two months. The Bloomington students organized this action to show their support with the people in Palestine and to express their concern about the rising death toll of Palestinians – over 18,000 so far.
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.
Minneapolis, MN – On the evening of December 11, eight Palestine protesters were arrested by Minnesota State Patrol while driving on Interstate-94 in Minneapolis.
Out of the eight protesters, five were released overnight. The next afternoon, supporters with the Free Palestine Coalition gathered across from the jail where the rest were being held to demand their release and that all charges be dropped. The remaining three arrestees were released during that rally.
Seattle, WA – On December 7, students at the University of Washington led an occupation of their administration building, Gerberding Hall.
Beginning in the Quad, students gathered for a march, with student groups joining together under the United Front for Palestinian Liberation at the University of Washington.
After arriving at the administration building, the sit-in was announced. Over 100 protesters entered the building. They announced their demands: to cut ties with Boeing; to end the repression of pro-Palestinian students, faculty and workers; and to materially divest from Israel.
Alon Lapid, a member of Students United For Palestinian Equality and Return, said, “For the last eight weeks we have been organizing on campus for an end to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. Even here we are facing immense repression just for holding actions, just for speaking on social media, just for advocating for the just right of return.” Militant actions have been held on campus including vigils, marches and rallies, though the only response from administration was to send an email to the student body denouncing disruptive actions.
As the students entered the building, they rushed into the third-floor lobby in front of the administration's offices and pushed into the offices of the vice provosts. During this time UW President Ana Marie Cauce’s chief of staff, Margaret Shepherd, scrambled to address the protesters. After an extended period of time, she told students that they would only get a meeting with the university president if they vacated the premises immediately. Further, she threatened to give them citations for trespassing if they remained in the building past 5:15 p.m.
During the occupation, the police immediately escalated. They stationed officers by every single entrance and tried to prevent anyone from entering the building. Shortly after the arrival of the police, Doug Schulz, a police lieutenant employed by the UWPD, shoved to the ground a person who was getting food from the outside.
Later during the occupation, the police chief and chief of staff entered the offices and tried to remove a Black student from an office chair. Craig Wilson, the police chief of the UWPD, whispered threats in their ear including, “You don’t want to be the Black student that’s arrested.” However, after five minutes of the crowd chanting “Shame on you!” and moving closer, and having people edge their way between the police chief and the student, the police chief and his lackeys left the room to the cheers of the students.
On the outside, about 60 people remained throughout the day despite the rain, with speeches about combatting state repression, praising the resistance of the Palestinian people, and a virtual speech by Husam Marajda, the co-founder of th