Grand Rapids, MI – On the evening of July 8, members from the Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW) and others gathered at Monument Park to demand an immediate end to the U.S.'s attacks on Iran.

This rally comes as an emergency response to the Trump administration's escalation with Iran, which happened just earlier in the week. Rally attendees held signs that read “Hands off Iran” and chanted “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation.”

Honks of support were heard from passing vehicles throughout the course of the rally, and some passersby even stopped in to take a photo of themselves atop the park statue holding a sign that read “No war on Iran.”

From the energy of the evening, it was clear that the recent attacks on Iran by the U.S. have sparked an outrage from the Grand Rapids community that will not be going away any time soon.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #GROW #Iran

Grand Rapids, MI – In the late afternoon on July 4, around 40 people gathered in Roberto Clemente Park to socialize, eat and condemn 250 years of U.S. war crimes. For many of the attendees, this was the first anti-war event they've attended.

In addition to food and drink, the event featured speakers, educational games and a piñata printed with Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The piñata was enthusiastically destroyed to close out the event. Flags of countries recently and historically repressed by the U.S. were displayed around the park, including Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and Palestine.

Speakers represented the following organizations: Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW), Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), and the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN).

Tyler Stalorites, a veteran of the U.S. Army and organizer with GROW, talked about his experience being recruited during high school: “At 17 years old, I was plucked from the small town of Bridgman, Michigan and shortly after placed in the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment. I was driving a Humvee before I could vote, smoke or go to a bar.”

Stalorites then discussed how his world view started to change as he was deployed to Eastern Europe, “I noticed I felt a stronger bond with the Turkish construction workers or the Hungarian shop owners near our base than I did with my commanding officers.”

Tom Burke spoke for AWAN, and gave a shout out to a number of upcoming electoral campaigns: Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate, Lily Cheng-Schulting for State Representative, and Ivan Diaz for Michigan Senate.

Burke spoke to the public reception to Trump's war on Iran. “War is unpopular, and the Iran War is especially unpopular. When the loss in Vietnam struck the U.S., it took decades to launch another unpopular war. The loss in Iran will be an even more devastating loss for the U.S.”

Burke continued, “This country kidnapped the democratically-elected president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. Very soon I will be traveling to the New York City courtroom to stand in solidarity with him and his wife Cilia Flores.”

The speakers closed out with chants like “No to war, yes to peace, U.S. out of the Middle East” and “Free, free Palestine!” The event was organized by GROW in response to the AWAN July 4 call to action.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #GROW #AWAN

Grand Rapids, MI – The Grand Rapids Coalition Against Trump hosted “Pride in the Park” at MLK Jr. Park, Sunday June 28. This was the first event hosted by the coalition this summer. Food, games, tarot card reading and live music were present, creating a celebratory environment for the community.

The event brought together several different community groups, both from within and outside of the coalition, to commemorate the history of Pride as a celebration, but also as an act of resistance against the oppression faced by the LGBTQ community.

Halfway through the event several coalition member groups and friends of the coalition gave brief speeches on the need to unite against Trump and the necessity to stand with our LGBTQ community members.

“Our campaign is proud to be a member of the Coalition Against Trump. In our society, immigrants, unhoused people and members of the LGBTQ community are often treated as second-class citizens, and that’s why it’s important to have events like these to demonstrate that we must build community and stand up for each other’s rights,” said Ivan Diaz, a coalition member and political candidate running for Michigan State Senate District 29.

Each speaker addressed the need to fight back against increasing repression around the world, highlighting specifically the heightened repression of the queer community by the Trump administration.

“As an organization, Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression fights against all forms of political repression, including repression of our LGBTQ community. Pride is a celebration now, but its roots are as an act of resistance,” said Magret Hawley-Lowry representing the Grand Rapids Alliance, noting also, “Today, June 28, marks 67 years since that attack. We remember that event in particular because the people targeted chose to get loud and fight back, and through this they found community and created organizations to continue fighting for their rights.”

The Grand Rapids Coalition Against Trump ended the event with a promise of future actions and events, as well as encouraging everyone attending to join one of the groups present and to get involved in political struggle.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #LGBTQ #Pride

The 39th Constitutional Convention was held at an important time in the labor movement. Recent times have seen attacks on public sector workers from the Trump administration, heavy investment in AI threatening jobs, and at the same time, auto workers in the South have struggled to win union recognition. All of these things directly impact the UAW and its members. At the convention, UAW members reflected on the past four years of developments.

At the 38th convention in 2022, members passed a resolution creating the “one member, one vote” system for the first time, creating a direct democratic election of leadership. The passage of that resolution is seen as having played a significant role in the election of UAW President Shawn Fain’s victory. The convention held this month saw members come out and organize for measures to protect their democratic gains and make advances toward a more bold and powerful international union.

Significant changes were made regarding strike pay. The Constitution Committee recommended a strike package that included an increase of minimum weekly strike pay from $400 to $550, an increase to the maximum strike fund withdrawals for organizing drives from 60 million to 100 million, and an increase to the Strike & Defense Fund thresholds. This allows the strike fund to grow to approximately $1 billion. The recommended package was debated on the convention floor and passed after delegates argued that the package would enable the union to prepare for a major upcoming battle they expect to see with the Big Three automakers when contracts expire in May 2028. The big three refers to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis (formerly known as Fiat Chrysler).

Newly-organized UAW Local 42 members won their first contract at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee this year, and were honored with the UAW Social Justice Award. Their victory is a breakthrough in the UAW’s strategy to unionize auto production in the South.

“They [Local 42] sent a message across Tennessee, across Region 8 and across America: the South is not for sale,” declared Tim Smith, the director of UAW Region 8, “Workers cannot be bought, and when workers stand together, corporate greed can be defeated!”

Alongside the resolutions that passed to build a more powerful and militant UAW, there is still an ongoing struggle to maintain and strengthen democratic reforms that the membership won in 2022. An amendment was raised on the convention floor, proposing that any changes to the current policy of direct democratic election of the International executive board, known as the “one member, one vote” system, only be permitted by a referendum of the entire union membership. The “one member, one vote” system that was won in 2022 replaced a previous delegate system that had been used to elect the International executive board.

This amendment’s intention was to protect democratic gains and practically enshrine direct democracy in the membership. To the confusion and frustration of membership on the convention floor, UAW General Counsel Bill Karges recommended to Convention Chair Laura Dickerson that the amendment be struck down as unconstitutional, and, as such, the membership was denied the opportunity to vote on it. The same day, a separate amendment, also deemed unconstitutional by Karges, was allowed to be debated and voted on. In the past four years, Karges has reportedly opposed President Fain’s efforts to create a more aggressive legal counsel in bargaining. Continued behaviors, such as opposing the “one member, one vote” amendment this year, are in alignment with the positions taken by the old guard leadership that opposed the democratic reforms that were passed.

“We feel that the UAW counsel made an improper interpretation of the amendment for one member one vote. We feel that this interpretation is not consistent with other earlier decisions at the Constitutional Convention,” said Gary Chynowrth, vice chair of the UAW Member Action caucus and Local 160 member, “Member Action is going to do everything in our power to help members keep their right to vote, as that is the cornerstone right to prevent the fraud perpetrated by the Administration Caucus leaders.”

A resolution was also passed that around international solidarity. UAW members won an estimated $400,000 divestment of their union from bonds in the state of Israel, after an over 50-year campaign, which began when Arab American members led strikes across Detroit and Dearborn in 1973 to demand divestment.

In an interview posted by UAW4Democracy, UAW Local 2325 member Olga Karounus stated, “This is a moment that is going to resonate far beyond just this room. I know we just answered the call of the Palestinian trade workers, who have been calling for this for over 50 years.”

The UAW is set to convene again for the 40th Constitutional Convention in 2030. In the next four years, rank-and-file members who worked to win the recent reforms say they will continue to chart the path ahead for a more militant, powerful and democratic international union.

“We’ve got to build a global movement of workers everywhere,” said UAW President Shawn Fain, “not pitted against each other across borders, but united in a common cause for a society that works for the working class.”

#DetroitMI #MI #Labor #UAW #Featured

Detroit, MI – On Tuesday June 16, activists rallied outside of the Reindustrialize Summit to oppose war profiteers, surveillance tech billionaires, members of the war mongering Trump administration and high-ranking military personnel. The companies that attended the conference seek to bring war industry manufacturing and surveillance tech jobs to Detroit and other Midwest cities to expand their businesses. For this reason, protesters demanded that the attendees and the companies they represent have no place in their city.

The event was organized by the Detroit Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization Detroit, and Engineers Against Apartheid with many other organizations participating.

The conference was hosted in the Hudson’s building, which is owned by Detroit Zionist billionaire Dan Gilbert. The speaker list of the conference included capitalists from war-profiteering companies such as Boeing, Hadrian, Lockheed Martin, GM, Castelion, and the Summit’s marquee sponsor, Govini, which makes “defense” software.

The conference included speakers from the Trump administration such as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, United Nations Ambassador Waltz, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of War David Lorch, and Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael. The Reindustrialize Summit featured pre-recorded videos from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

At the beginning of the rally, a few members of Detroit Anti-War and Freedom Road Socialist Organization protested on the street corner closest to where the attendees were exiting the Reindustrialize Summit. These protesters were met with antagonism by several attendees, including keynote speaker Campbell Meyers, CEO of CreateMe, who pushed a protester. Not long after this encounter and others, the Detroit Police Department exited their vehicles nearby and told the activists to join the rest of the rally on the other side of the street. Despite providing no clear legal justification for this request, Sergeant Johnson threatened to arrest the activists if they failed to comply.

Though the police prevented the activists from taking one street corner, they occupied two out of the four corners of the intersection, forcing many attendees to either walk around the crowd in the street, walk through the crowd where they were heckled, or completely change the direction they were walking.

Detroit Anti-War Steering Committee member Daanyal Syed said, “We cannot allow these companies to make Detroit their home. The jobs they might bring are ones soaked in blood. The services these killer companies will offer the city will only increase surveillance and the deadliness of our police force. Services that these companies want our tax dollars to fund them. These people are not only murderers, but they’re also thieves, stealing from our paychecks to fund their bloodsport.”

Celia Erikson, a member of El Comité de Acción Comunitaria de Detroit, spoke on how some of these companies collaborate directly with ICE. These companies include Palantir, Northop Grumman and Ford, which is headquartered in Dearborn and provides vehicles to CBP and ICE. The Department of Homeland Security uses prison labor to modify their vehicles for agency-specific purposes.

Erickson finished her speech, “The technologies created by these companies and their use by ICE harm real Detroiters, real children, parents, families and community members. That is why we are here to say, Reindustrialize, get the fuck out of Detroit!”

Jackson Robak of Freedom Road Social Organization Detroit stated, “Detroit doesn’t need reindustrialization, if it means slaughter. Detroiters don’t need bomb factories; we need factories that build up the people. We need to bring back automotive and working-class jobs that better society. We need union jobs, not jobs run by war profiteers or jobs that kill children.”

Towards the end of the action protesters gathered outside of the Shinola Hotel, which is also owned by Dan Gilbert, where CEOs, speakers and attendees of the conference were staying. Protesters chanted “Detroit makes it clear, war profiters aren’t welcome here!” and proceeded to heckle the speakers by shouting their names and their crimes.

Some of the high profile attendees took it upon themself to “speak” with the protesters, coming down from the balcony to the rally across the street. Two of these individuals were Cody James, CEO of OpenX, a company that works with the Air Force and war profiteer Raytheon, and Brian Greeley, senior vice president and chief banking officer of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. While James was quickly deterred from interacting with the protesters, Greeley proceeded to antagonize the crowd. As he was escorted by a line of police officers, Greeley called one of the protesters a queer slur.

The rally continued for an hour after that, with the protesters continuing to target the men on the balcony. After chanting, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, loser chuds go away!” for several minutes, a vast majority of the people on the balcony returned inside the hotel. Despite earlier being driven off the balcony due to the activists recognizing him, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr returned outside, smiling and waving at the protesters as they continued to call out his complicity in the Trump administration’s warmongering and targeting of immigrants at home. Not long after this, the rally concluded with only Carr and a few others remaining on the balcony.

Beyond just the scope of the protest, the Reindustrialize Summit showed itself to be a hub of imperialist networking and a platform for the Trump administration’s destructive agenda. For example, while at the Summit, General Motors announced a partnership with Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest weapons manufacturer well known for producing the Hellfire missiles Israel has dropped on Gaza throughout the genocide.

At the same time, despite the struggles of the day, from Detroit police department’s repression to Brian Greeley’s bigotry, Detroit made a clear stance against the summit. The fight against these companies and the Trump administration continues. As the protesters yelled to Brendan Carr as the rally ended: “See you next year!”

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Divestment

Benton Harbor, MI – Miembros de la comunidad están exigiendo que el Departamento del Sheriff del Condado Berrien corte lazos con ICE al terminar la participación en el programa federal 287(g).

El Departamento del Sheriff del Condado Berrien es una de dos agencias en el suroeste de Michigan que han optado por entrar al programa, que permite que departamentos locales de policía se asocien con ICE en varias capacidades. El acuerdo del condado de Berrien con ICE estipula que los oficiales pueden entregar órdenes judiciales de inmigración para aquellos en la cárcel del condado y detener a individuos por hasta 48 horas hasta que sean arrestados por agentes de ICE, generalmente de Grand Rapids.

El condado de Berrien está ubicado en el suroeste de Michigan y representa numerosas ciudades, incluyendo Saint Joseph, Benton Harbor, y Niles. El trabajo inmigrante es vital para la economía agricultora de la región, con un tercio de los obreros migrantes agrícolas del estado trabajando en el suroeste de Michigan. La mayoría de estos trabajadores están concentrados en el condado de Berrien y áreas cercanas.

Más de 60 personas han sido arrestadas por ICE después de ser detenidas en la Cárcel del Condado de Berrien desde el año anterior. El acuerdo fue firmado entre ICE y el Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de Berrien a comienzos del año 2025, aunque un proceso similar ha estado operando en el condado por más de dos décadas.

Una reunión de ayuntamiento llena de gente fue organizada recientemente por We The People Michigan, en la cual residentes hablaron con oficiales del condado, urgiendo al departamento del sheriff a terminar su colaboración con ICE. Antes del evento, miembros de la comunidad circularon una petición presionando al departamento del sheriff a retirarse del acuerdo. Firmas en apoyo fueron entonces presentadas a los oficiales presentes en la reunión.

Un obrero agrícola inmigrante habló durante el evento, diciendo que han trabajado en los campos por 18 años y que el condado necesita terminar su participación en el programa 287(g).

#BentonHarborMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Grand Rapids, MI – On the evening of June 2, more than 40 people showed up outside the entrance of Devos Hall to protest the visit of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill J. Clinton to Grand Rapids. The war criminals were speaking as guests of honor at the annual dinner put on by the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, a networking club for local elites.

The protest, which was organized by the Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW) took the form of a “People’s Indictment” of Bush and Clinton. Speakers from GROW condemned the Economic Club for hosting these men, while listing their record of war crimes. These condemnations included the sanctions, invasion and occupation of Iraq, as well as intervention in Somalia, Haiti and Sudan.

“There is no Trump without the past decades of history, without Bush, Clinton and their ilk. We cannot soften or blur our historical memory, lest we be made fools of again and again,” said Julian Cortez of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Joining GROW, with speeches and chants directed towards the imposing steel and glass frame of DeVos Place, was Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Michigan Senate District 29 candidate Iván Diaz.

“It’s important to show up in coalition as a candidate because as a grassroots organizer, I know we can’t do this work by ourselves,” said Diaz after the protest. “Bush and Clinton represent the bipartisan neoliberal, corporate and imperial order that we are seeking to disrupt and end. As a voter, I want the people who want to represent me to show up in exactly these kinds of spaces.”

Around 6:15 p.m., as Diaz was giving his speech, Grand Rapids police quickly rushed in between him and the protesters on bikes, leading to a tense confrontation between the two sides. Diaz and the protesters managed to stand up to the police, asserting their First Amendment rights to speak on a public sidewalk, but a citation was issued to Diaz for using a bullhorn.

An officer with GRPD was heard making a comment meant to intimidate Diaz, who continued to speak unfazed after the officers withdrew a short distance. Despite GRPD prohibiting amplification, protesters continued speeches and chants, increasing their volume without it, for nearly another hour. The unity and anger with the GRPD's show of force was palpable.

Throughout the demonstration, it was reiterated by attendees and speakers alike that the two former presidents sitting comfortably inside had laid much of the groundwork for the crises the world now faces.

“In my 57 years on this planet, I have realized the deliberate divide between us – the distractions, the lies,” said Kym Combs of the GR Queer Coalition. “We have been in a state of the haves and have-nots for decades, and it’s been cloaked by other things by the powers that be.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PSGR #GROW #Featured

Benton Harbor, MI – Community members are demanding the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department cut ties with ICE by ending participation in the federal 287(g) program.

The Berrien County Sheriff's Department is one of two agencies in Southwest Michigan that have opted into the program, which allows local police departments to partner with ICE in various capacities. Berrien County’s agreement with ICE stipulates that deputies can serve immigration warrants for those in the county jail and hold individuals for up to 48 hours until they are detained by ICE agents, typically from Grand Rapids.

Berrien County is located in Southwest Michigan and represents numerous towns, including Saint Joseph, Benton Harbor and Niles. Immigrant labor is vital to the region’s agricultural economy, with a third of the state’s migrant farmworkers employed in Southwest Michigan. The majority of these workers are concentrated in Berrien County and neighboring areas.

More than 60 people have been detained by ICE after being held in the Berrien County Jail since last year. The agreement was signed between ICE and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department in spring 2025, although a similar process has been operating in the county for over two decades.

A packed town hall was organized recently by We The People Michigan, in which residents spoke to county officials, urging the sheriff's department to end its partnership with ICE. Before the event, community members circulated a petition pushing the sheriff’s department to opt out of the agreement. Signatures in support were then presented to the officials present at the town hall.

An immigrant farmworker spoke during the event, saying they have worked in the fields for 18 years and that the county needs to end its participation in the 287(g) program.

#BentonHarborMI #MI #InJusticeSystem #ImmigrantRights

Grand Rapids, MI – The Grand Rapids district of The Freedom Road Socialist Organization assembled for a May 17 reportback from Jessica Plichta on their recent humanitarian aid trip to Cuba. The event took place at Fountain Street Church

The presentations began with an introduction by Sam Tunningley, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who stated, “This country has a long history of militant labor organizing, much of which is intentionally buried, forgotten and written out of history. That's why it's important to commemorate the Haymarket Affair and own the righteous achievements made by the working class as a foundational part of this country.”

Jessica Plichta, the community activist and FRSO member, spoke on her humanitarian aid trip to Cuba. She underlined the importance of standing in solidarity with Cuba and what life is like under increasing sanctions.

Plichta stated, “In Havana, Cuba alone, over 500,000 Cubans participated in May Day that day without any oil.”

“That means every person walked on foot to get there, 500,000 people, walked to May Day in Havana,” said Plichta, adding the Cuban people love their country so much they were willing to walk in the early morning darkness to reach Havana and participate in May Day.

To close out the event, community members asked questions about Plichta’s experiences in Cuba and lessons that can be applied here at home. The organizers also had cultural art and books on display for community members to interact with.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Cuba #International #MayDay #AntiWarMovement

Hamtramck, MI – On May 10, hundreds assembled on the corner of Joseph Campau and Caniff Streets following a call put out by the Detroit Resisting Oppression by President Trump Coalition (DROPT Coalition) to push Jake Lang and other racists out of Hamtramck. Lang and his crew had publicly announced what they claimed would be the “largest book burning in American history,” including the burning of a Quran outside of Al-Islah Islamic Center.

On the day of, Lang and his followers began to back out of their book-burning in Hamtramck, posting on social media that he was going to Dearborn, while messaging his followers that he was going to Hamtramck. For over four hours, he repeatedly changed his arrival time, showing his fear of the community and the organizers who sought to chase him out.

Jackson Robak of Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “They are weak because they know they are not supported by the people.”

Afterward, Hamtramck community leader Dr. Mohammad Alam spoke on the pride immigrant families take in Hamtramck. “We came from all over, but this is our home here and abroad. Hamtramck is the beacon and hope for many of us; we cherish Hamtramck. We are law-abiding citizens, yet you come from somewhere and try to slam on our faith, we aren’t going to take it.” Showing the connection between these racist thugs and the Trump administration, Alam added, “Just like when ICE comes taking families, they are deporting, they are removing, they are destructing [destroying]! We do not want to see this!”

Minutes later, Jake Lang attempted to drive past the crowd in a U-Haul, but was hit with water bottles, flag poles, and other objects, forcing him to speed out of the city.

He would soon drive to Dearborn in the hopes of going to the Islamic Center of America, only to be pulled over for being on his phone while driving. While he was pulled over, dozens assembled on Evergreen Road in Dearborn to continue the attempt to chase him out of the communities he intended to intimidate. Even as he was protected by police, the protests got closer and louder to Lang, and saw him get his U-Haul towed and himself arrested for possession of psychedelic mushrooms.

The next day, he attempted to once again burn a Quran outside the ICA in Dearborn, only for the community and activists to once again assemble to stop him. This time, initially, the police used fire extinguishers to stop Lang’s attempted burning, but gave up, leaving the activists to use their own fire extinguishers to put out the fires and take books from his hands.

Lang, as well as three activists, were arrested. Shamefully, Lang was released quickly from the Dearborn Police Station, while protest organizers went to the jail to demand the timely release of the activists arrested. After hours, they were bailed out due to community support.

Jake Lang is a racist grifter who seeks to violently intimidate Arab and Muslim communities around Metro Detroit, Minnesota and New York. However, every time he comes, he gets driven out, arrested, and shown to be weaker than the last time. In Metro Detroit, these facts were once again made obvious by the communities and activists who he attempted to threaten.

#HamtramckMI #MI #PeoplesStruggles #Lang #RightWing #Featured

Grand Rapids, MI – The Grand Rapids May Day Committee organized a rally commemorating International Workers Day, Saturday, May 2, at Fountain Street Church.

Co-hosted by the May Day Committee chair, Tom Burke of IATSE 26, along with Ivan Diaz, candidate for Michigan State Senate District 29, the event started with songs of solidarity by Carsten Forester of AFM Local 56. After the music, local labor leaders and community activists spoke on meeting the attacks from the Trump administration. Many focused on standing in solidarity with immigrants and fellow workers.

Tom Burke told attendees, “We are coming together with unions and community leaders to stand with the workers of the world. We oppose the ICE raids and deportations being pushed by the Trump administration.”

Burke continued, “We celebrate the great victory of the unions and activists in Minneapolis/Saint Paul who forced President Trump and ICE to back down. We stand together with our immigrant neighbors in West Michigan. An injury to one, is an injury to all!”

A trio of educators from the Grand Rapids Education Association (GREA), Noemi Tobar Arellano, Kaitlyn Holmwood and Lucas Southwell, spoke of the devastating impact of ICE on the students and families in the community. They emphasized that it takes a village to raise a child and it will take a village to fight Trump's agenda.

Eduardo Montiel of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression introduced Andrica Cage, the mother of Samuel Sterling, who is a man murdered by the Michigan State Police. Cage stated, “When you see me out here fighting, come stand with me.”

Next, Tom Nieboer of IWW and AFSCME 435 reminded the audience that, “Unions bring power to the workers. It's time for workers to bring power to the unions!” After his speech, Lily Cheng Schulting, candidate for Michigan House District 80, inquired of all those elected, “When the power structures come to attack you, will you stand strong?”

Finally, special guest and candidate for U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, was introduced by IATSE 26-member, Josh Roskamp.

El-Sayed took the stage, starting with call and response chants. One of these chants was “Money out of?” and the crowd would respond with “Politics!” His remarks came at a time of rising prices and worsening cost of living crisis exacerbated by President Trump’s war on Iran. Speaking poignantly, he declared that “We have to take our democracy from the corporations who tell us what we cannot have,” and “We must build together with unlikely allies to achieve it.”

Closing out the event, Tom Burke again raised the call, “Solidarity!”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Labor #ImmigrantRights #GRAARPR #AFSCME

Detroit, MI – On Saturday, April 18, the Detroit Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a rally at the corner of Clark Avenue and West Fisher Service Drive to demand that the Detroit City Council pass the People’s Bodycam Ordinance, a progressive city ordinance that would force the police to release body-worn camera footage from incidents of police violence. Banners were held by the road and over the highway overpass, with the slogans. “Stop protecting killer cops! Pass the People’s Bodycam Ordinance!” Protesters at the rally chanted, “When killer cops are on patrol, what’s the answer? Community control!”

Ten minutes into the rally, protesters were confronted by the Detroit Police Department, who insisted that the holding of a banner over the highway overpass was unlawful, and that several protesters would be issued citations for taking part in setting up the banner.

When pressed, none of the police officers were able to find the specific language stating that the display of a banner in such a fashion was illegal. Nevertheless, they stayed at the scene for 45 minutes, eventually confiscating the banner held on the overpass and informing protesters that they would be issued citations in the mail. During this time, the crowd continued chanting, this time directly at the police: “Biggest threat to the block? The chief and his racist cops!”

After an hour of chanting, Marcel Ulacia of DAARPR spoke about the People’s Bodycam Ordinance and its place in the larger struggle against police violence, stating, “This is year two of our struggle, and we’re in it for the long run. And it doesn’t end at our bodycam ordinance; our end goal is to fully establish community control of DPD and finally put them on the leash they’ve been needing since the founding of their institution.”

Kassandra Rodriguez from El Comité de Acción Comunitaria de Detroit told the crowd, “We will not stand aside while our city government surrenders our communities to ICE and police violence. Our city needs to serve us, and we, the people, should be the ones deciding how our communities get policed.”

Last to speak was Jacob Smith of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who stated, “We need the People's Bodycam Ordinance so that the public can make their own judgement calls on police conduct, and we need to establish community control of the police so we can properly discipline these rabid dogs when they step out of line!”

After the speeches, protesters continued chanting for an additional half hour in defiance of the repression enacted by the Detroit Police Department.

#DetroitMI #MI #InjusticeSystem #PoliceAccountability #Bodycam #DAARPR

Detroit, MI – On Sunday, April 12, another protest took place in Detroit to demand an end to the war on Iran. The second weekly protest brought around 90 participants to the Spirit of Detroit sculpture and through the streets around Woodward Avenue and Campus Martius Park.

The weekly protests are organized by the Detroit Anti War Committee, along with the support of US Palestinian Community Network, Code Pink, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Engineers Against Apartheid.

The protest began with people lining the edge of the street holding banners and signs, such as “Detroit divest from war profiteers!” Cars passed and honked in support of the anti-war messaging. With the route going around Campus Martius, the One Campus Martius Building sparked up heated chants of “Fuck Dan Gilbert!” referring to the billionaire Zionist who owns the building and contributed over $80,000 to Detroit election campaigns, including that of Mayor Mary Sheffield.

Bryce Morin from Students For A Democratic Society stated, “We here at SDS oppose Wayne State’s support of these mass killings and displacements through investments in companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. And we are against our university allowing ICE to continue to deport students from our campus. Because we believe that our tuition and tax dollars should go towards funding education, not towards supporting war.”

Hiba Elturk, a founding member of the Detroit Anti-War Committee came out to speak on her experience having familial ties to Beirut and Bechamoun in Lebanon, “When Israel broke the ceasefire, it felt like the weight of the entire world had come down on me. I pray to God none of you ever have to reach for your phones and make the decision of who to call first to check and see if they’re still alive! Thanks to the Zionist entity, these decisions I’m being forced to make,”

Elturk continued, “My uncle was on his way home from work when the street he was driving on got struck by a missile. Five minutes too early, five minutes too late, and he would have been murdered.”

Jo Pico, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “Ultimately, in this moment of uncertainty, trauma, and pain, there is one fact we can hold onto: we have power. This is what gives us clarity to meet the moment.”

After marching, the demonstrators rallied in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, which is where the city council meets.

Daanyal Syed of Detroit Anti-War Committee stated, “The city of Detroit is complicit in genocide, as it has contracts like Shot Spotter, whose technology is used to surveil Palestinians, is used to surveil our Black and brown communities.” Syed closed out the protest by calling on everyone to show up to protest next week.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #DAWC #Iran #Palestine #FRSO #SDS

Detroit, MI – On Sunday, April 5, around 100 people joined Detroit Anti-War Committee at the Spirit of Detroit statue to begin weekly protests against Trump’s war on Iran. Daanyal Syed, speaking on behalf of the committee, explained why the organization began these protests, saying that while the U.S. and Israel continue to ramp up their violence, “we must ramp up our opposition.”

These protests began in collaboration with U.S. Palestinian Community Network, CodePink-Detroit, Engineers Against Apartheid, Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, Love & Liberation, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The organizers chose to begin the protests on Easter Sunday, partially in response to Israel’s recent death penalty law that targets heroes of the Palestinian liberation movement, such as Marwan Barghouti and Dr. Abu Safiya. However, the protest also highlighted the U.S. and Israel’s terror on the region as a whole, protesting the Zionist state’s continuous attacks on Lebanon and the threats from Trump to bomb Iran “into the Stone Age.”

People rallied with Iran flags, and many came with signs highlighting all three issues, some holding signs of Palestinian prisoners, others holding signs demanding an end to the attacks on their families in Lebanon, and more.

After the rally, the crowd marched through Campus Martius, chanting, “Money for Detroit, not for war!” Upon returning to the Spirit of Detroit, people continued to hold space despite the march being over. Several people came up to the organizers and promised to come back the following week.

While Iran and the U.S. came to a ceasefire agreement as of April 7, the Detroit Anti-War Committee plans to continue its weekly protests.

Protesters demanded an end to the U.S. and Israel’s terror on the region, from occupied Palestine to Lebanon to Iran. The committee remains steadfast to the demand that Trump and his allies cease all hostilities on Iran and honor Iran’s 10-point ceasefire plan.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Iran

The Grand Rapids Alliance is stunned but not surprised at the decision by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker to shield the murderers of Da’Quain Tre Johnson. We condemn this decision and are filled with emotion alongside his family as they will no longer get their day in court due to the inaction of the justice system in Grand Rapids. We call upon the Attorney General Nessel to rectify this and bring charges against these officers.

Once again, we see a justice system that protects the powerful and not the broader community. We see decisions made behind closed doors with no explanation in court. The police department plays public relations games while investigations are ongoing, tainting evidence and swaying the public before any decision can be made. Officers are empowered to be judge, jury, and executioner with no recourse for the victim or the community.

The city should launch an independent 3rd party investigation immediately and begin a review of its policy of deadly force by police officers. We stand by the Johnson family as they pursue a civil case against the city. We renew our call for community control of the police department. Until those who use deadly force are held accountable by the community they are supposed to keep safe, peace is not possible.

Justice for Da’Quain Tre Johnson!

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #DaQuainTreJohnson #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

Detroit, MI – On Saturday, March 7, Detroiters took to the streets of downtown to protest the ongoing bombing of Iran, Lebanon and Palestine. Over 200 people came out to protest Trump’s warmongering.

The protesters stood at the entrance to Hart Plaza where passing cars and pedestrians heard their chants calling for an end to the war, including “No more weapons, no more bombs, the people stand with Lebanon!” and “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil, hands off Iranian soil!”

Friendly honks vastly outweighed any boos from agitators.

Detroit Anti War Committee member Daanyal Syed told the crowd, the $3.7 billion spent on the first 100 hours of the attacks on Iran “should be used to improve our education system, our transportation, our healthcare, and our communities – not to bomb children overseas.”

After marching through Campus Martius, a few more speeches were given and a protester came up to the mic to read aloud the names and ages of a few of the martyrs, many of which were children and elderly.

Afterwards, people lingered in the plaza, discussing ways to get involved with efforts beyond the day’s action and the impact of Trump’s actions on their families across the globe. Beyond being a clear showing that Detroit opposes Trump’s warmongering, the action also proved that Detroiters are willing to fight back to stop his war on Iran, including joining the fight for divestment.

The action was put on by the Detroit Anti War Committee, the US Palestinian Community Network of Detroit/Dearborn, Students for a Democratic Society Wayne State, Engineers Against Apartheid, CodePink Detroit, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Palestine

Grand Rapids, Michigan – 30 community members gathered at the East Church on Saturday for a panel discussion of International Women’s Day. The three panelists who spoke were Jessica Plichta of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jess Westra of IATSE Local 26, and Kawiye Jumale of A Glimpse of Africa.

Kawiye Jumale spoke of her experience as a child refugee of the Somali civil war, and the long struggle to immigrate to the United States stating, “It was a lengthy process. They [her parent’s] had already stayed in the camp for eleven years, before the process began. In those eleven years, is when I was born.”

Jessica Plichta stated, “Here in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, we’re in the streets and the meeting halls, and we’ll let it be known that we stand with undocumented women, children and families. ICE terror needs to be stopped now.”

Plichta continued. “During my time in Venezuela, I met revolutionaries who fought and defended the Bolivarian Revolution against U.S. intervention and won. There have been significant advancements for women in society, the workplace and education. Most of the government officials I met and heard speak were women, such as Delcy Rodríguez, the vice president and current acting president of Venezuela.”

Trade unionist Jess Westra taught the crowd about the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, when 146 women and children died due to the ownership’s disregard for safety.

“Let’s talk about the manager that was on site, who was in the room and saw the smoke. Do you know what his response was? He leaves, and locks the door behind him,” Westra said. “Children and women were throwing things at the fire, trying to put it out, and they reached for the firehose which had disintegrated. The water won’t come out of the pipes because they haven’t been checked.”

Afterward, the crowd asked several questions of the panelists and made comments from their own experiences as women or as allies to women. To finish off the event, the group gathered for a picture and chanted, “Long live International Women’s Day!”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #InternationalWomensDay #WomensMovement #LGBTQ

Detroit, MI — Over 80 people came out to a protest called by the Detroit Anti-War Committee, on March 3, to oppose the bombing on the Iran by the U.S. and Israel, as well as the continued attacks on the Venezuela and Cuba.

Detroit Anti-War Committee was joined by Code Pink Detroit, and Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society, along with community members. Many people were waving Iranian flags, and signs reading, “Detroit for peace not war!” During the protest, people chanted, “Israel bombs, USA pays, how many kids we kill today!”

Rose from Detroit Anti-War Committee stated that these attacks on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran “is Trump’s playbook.” At the same time, she also said, “The people aren’t falling for the lies that Venezuelans are all narco-terrorists, nor are we falling for the lie that he has the interest of the Palestinian, the Iranian or the Cuban peoples at heart.”

Even as the sun was setting for the day, many of the attendees of the rally who were fasting for the month of Ramadan were still outside chanting, “We want justice, you say how? Detroit, divest now!” It is clear that Detroiters oppose Trump’s war on Iran and stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and Cuba.

#DetroitMI #MI #Cuba #Venezuela #Iran #AntiWarMovement

Grand Rapids, MI – On Sunday, March 1 people rallied in downtown Grand Rapids to oppose the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. The Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) called the rally to voice public outrage about the U.S. and Israel killing hundreds of people and the illegal assassination of the head of state.

PSGR joined dozens of cities across the U.S. protesting the strikes on Iran.

The protesters chanted demands like “No war with Iran!” and “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”

Julliette Kibby, an organizer with PSGR, told the crowd, “We have seen these same tactics used time and time again across the world. Publicly the U.S. says that they are doing this war to take down a government that they claim denies people rights by the suppression of protesters. Last time I checked we had a racist armed police force and ICE with no rules and total impunity roaming our streets, murdering protesters, and hiding greater atrocities within their detention centers.”

Owen Frassetto, an organizer with the Progressive Student Union at GVSU stated: “Students have historically sat at the heart of the anti-war movement. Whether it be Vietnam, Iraq, Palestine, Venezuela or Iran. While oppressed peoples around the world fought to free themselves from U.S. domination, students here have always landed real blows against the war machine and have turned the tide of public opinion against every single rich man’s war!”

Eduardo Montiel with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization led the group in chants of “International solidarity” and stated, “That’s why we need to stand up and fight right now! The Trump administration has been speedrunning through the policy goals of the rich – destabilizing Venezuela to steal their oil, starving Cuba, continuing the genocide in Palestine and now overthrowing the rightful government of Iran.”

On Tuesday March 3 at 5 p.m. at Monument Park on the corner of Division and Fulton, the group will be protesting the recent U.S. escalations and sanctions against Cuba, Venezuela, and now Iran.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Michigan chapters of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) came together in Detroit at Wayne State University on Saturday, February 28, for their first statewide organizing conference.

The one-day conference featured panels and workshops, mostly revolving around their Sanctuary Campus campaigns, which demand university administrators never collaborate with federal immigration enforcement, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in particular.

“As we’re seeing the level of attacks by ICE rise in Michigan, with the repeated kidnapping of high school and college students, we in the student movement saw the need to raise our level of organization to fight back. This conference laid the groundwork for that in a real way; we can build SDS at new schools, colleges and universities,” said Jackson Robak, an organizer with Wayne State University SDS

The organizations present at the conference included the SDS chapters from Wayne State University, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, as well as the Detroit Community Action Committee and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The SDS chapters passed a resolution calling for the formation of a statewide student network. The network will call coordinated days of action, where students at universities across the state coordinate protests for their Sanctuary Campus campaigns. Further, the network will organize protests at Michigan universities which don’t have SDS chapters, when students at those universities are detained by federal immigration enforcement, or when federal immigration enforcement enters campus.

The conference concluded with a protest on Wayne State campus, the focus of which was on Sanctuary Campus campaigns, demanding “every school in Michigan a sanctuary.” Students and community members also spoke out at the rally against U.S. airstrikes against Iran.

#DetroitMI #MI #StudentMovement #SDS #ImmigrantRights