Minneapolis, MN – On August 15, community members gathered at Mayday Plaza to honor the 81st anniversary of Korean Liberation Day. The event was held in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood, right outside of Mayday Books.

The action was emceed by Trent Fast from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Leo Del Rio from About Face, who began with the acknowledgement of the U.S.’s ongoing presence and occupation in Korea.

One occupation replaced by another

Fast explained to the crowd that the first liberation day in Korea was in 1945, after World War II ended. This marked an end to decades of Japanese colonial rule. Soon after, however, the United States military “showed up and established its own, brand-new occupation.” Thus, the Korean War began.

From 1950 to 1953, the U.S. government killed over two-and-a-half million Koreans and nearly decimated every major North Korean city. At the end of those three long years, the Mutual Defense Treaty was signed. Even though the war had “ended,” the U.S. remained in Korea as an imperialist force, occupying newly-designated South Korea. This occupation still lasts today. On average, there are about 28,000 U.S. troops that are living in Korea, and South Korea has the largest overseas U.S. Army base in the world.

Cedar Larson, representing WAMM, educated the crowd around the Mutual Defense Treaty and other similar agreements, calling them, “political tools to increase U.S. domination and control” over the land. They said the treaty gave the U.S. the “opportunity to threaten their enemies” and had “disastrous effects on the lives of the people.”

Forced prostitution

Larson also drew attention to the human rights violations that have been occurring since the 1960s. For example, the governments of the United States and South Korea established areas around military bases known as “special tourist zones for foreigners” – meaning soldiers. In these designated areas, South Korean, American and United Nations troops introduced forced prostitution. Women and girls, as young as 15, were “deceived, kidnapped, and forced into sex labor,” said Larson.

These crimes have continued to the present day. Even though laws have been put into place, they are rarely followed. The areas discussed above are often now branded as “tourist stops” but have a dark underbelly.

Ecological consequences of imperialism

Liz McLister from FAMM brought up the ecological effects that the U.S. occupation has had in Korea. McLister said that from “contaminating water supplies and arable land” to “disrupting wildlife habitats,” the U.S. has only brought destruction to the country. As climate change continues to worsen, the Pacific region is experiencing extreme heat, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and severe storm systems.

U.S. activities in the region are accelerating ecological damage and leaving its communities traumatized by decades of systemic abuse. Emily Newberg from WAMM stated, “Occupation is wrong. To occupy another’s land to take away their sovereignty and their self-determination. It leads to catastrophe in almost every way: economically, environmentally and nationally as the people are torn apart by propaganda and false promises.”

Not only does this occupation affect the communities living in Korea, but also U.S. citizens. U.S. tax dollars are being used to maintain around 80 military bases in Korea, using “$6 billion to maintain U.S. bases and troops in South Korea,” according to Larson. McLister pointed out that the “Korean peninsula is of immense strategic value to U.S. military operations.”

Korea’s proximity to China and other strategic locations makes it the perfect target for the U.S. military and imperialist interests.

Simulated invasion

Along with the maintenance of military bases, the United States also engages in staged military exercises or “war games.” Since 2021, the U.S. government has stolen $60 billion from U.S. taxpayers to fund war games like Ulchi Freedom Shield, RIMPAC and Balikatan. These military exercises are conducted in “preparation” for a war with other countries in the area, such as China and Japan.

Fast noted that during the upcoming week, the United States and South Korean militaries were planning to hold “one of the largest annual war drills on earth.” This exercise is named Ulchi Freedom Shield.

During these drills, tens of thousands of troops are deployed to the border with the North, simulating an invasion. Fast said that these war games could quickly escalate to actual war if there is a simple misunderstanding by either side, and have a heavy psychological toll on the people of Korea, who fear an uncertain future.

The day after the protest, President Donald Trump announced a reduction of the scope of this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield, in apparent reaction to depleted U.S. military capacities stemming from the ongoing U.S. war on Iran.

As Naveen Borojerdi from MPAC put it, Korea is a “country that has paid a massive toll for its right to self-determination.”

A speaker from Anakbayan asked rhetorically, “For whom? For whom was the United States liberating countries across Asia? It was not for those people.”

Organizations were represented at the action, included About Face: Veterans Against the War, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Families Against Military Madness (FAMM), Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC), Anakbayan Twin Cities, and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC).

#MinneapolisMN #MN #International #AntiWarMovement #Korea

Minneapolis, MN – On August 15, around 20 people gathered on a rainy afternoon in downtown Minneapolis to raise awareness about proposed mining in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by a company called Twin Metals.

Sophie Kampmeyer from the Climate Justice Committee told the crowd, “The proposed mines near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would be sulfide mines, a byproduct of which is sulfuric acid, AKA battery acid, polluting the lakes and rivers. As the acid makes its way through the environment, it leaches other toxic metals from the ground, including mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead. These contaminants would pollute crops and wildlife throughout the state,” adding that it would be, “permanent pollution for less copper and nickel than we’d get from recycling e-waste that already exists.”

Activists’ chants of, “When the water we drink is under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, toxic mines have got to go!” echoed for blocks, including at the busy downtown farmers market, where activists handed out information to market-goers. Cars honked and people joined in chanting to show their support for protecting the Boundary Waters region.

Emma Scherrer from Minnesota Workers United, stated, “We cannot ignore the climate crisis for short-term profit. If we don't do something now, there won't be anything left to protect. The mining interests are pitting people who want good paying jobs against those of us that want clean water and clean air! Now I don't know about you, but I don't just want clean water and clean air or a good-paying job. I want all three. This is definitely possible.”

Ulysses Dolan from the AWC made the connection to environmental and anti-war fights around the globe. “The State Board of Investment is investing in companies that fuel the genocide in Palestine and Twin Metals. We need to call on our governor to divest!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #BWCA #Mining #CJC

St. Paul, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) responded to the Legalization for All Network’s call to protest against Trump’s racist attacks on Haitian immigrants. Dozens of protesters gathered on the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street bridge at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5 to stand with the Haitian community against Trump’s latest racist anti- immigrant attack.

In Ohio, Hattian immigrants are being summoned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are being forced to wear ankle monitors until their deportation hearing – or be deported immediately.

On June 25, the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which provides work authorization, travel permission and protection from deportation for Haitian and Syrian immigrants. This came after a far-right ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court (Mullin v. Doe), where six of the nine judges voted to allow Trump to terminate this status for the two immigrant communities.

Within a day, 300,000 Haitian and Syrian immigrants became undocumented and at risk for deportation.

Protesters held signs that read “We say no to Trump’s mass deportation of Haitian immigrants! End U.S. intervention in Haiti!” and waved as passing drivers honked, bikers rang their bells, and a runner clapped on her run in support.

The rally ended with a brief program where the crowd heard from Mira Altobell-Resendez, an organizer with MIRAC, told the crowd, “This most recent rug-pull, taking TPS away from workers and families who have been in the U.S. for years, has already resulted in thousands of Haitians in Ohio being put into deportation proceedings and forced to wear inhumane ankle monitors.”

Altobell-Resendez continued, “There is not a single person who benefits from mass deportations like these, or what took place in the Twin Cities during Metro Surge, except for the same people who always make money from human suffering: the white supremacist ruling class!” They ended with calling on Governor Tim Walz to “spend his last months in office fighting tooth and nail to create ICE-free zones and ban collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.”

WAMM holds a vigil on the Marshall/Lake bridge every Wednesday and this week’s action was co-hosted with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #Haiti #TPS #ICE

Minneapolis, MN: On July 30, 35 people protested at Loring Park in Minneapolis to demand an end to the U.S. oil blockade on Cuba. The protest was called by the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) and Women Against Military Madness’ HOLA (Hands Off Latin America) Committee as a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s call for a week of action in solidarity with Cuba.

An increasing amount of international attention is focused on the consequences of President Trump’s tightened blockade on the island. Since the U.S. kidnapped Venezuelan President Maduro, the Trump administration has imposed a six-month-long U.S. oil blockade on the island, which is causing a humanitarian crisis. Electric water pumps frequently sit idle due to lack of power, leaving major cities like Havana struggling with running water. Hospitals and medical manufacturing have also slowed down due to the lack of electricity.

Ben Golden, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, emceed the protest. He explained, “The U.S. has engineered a deadly economic crisis so that they can manufacture an excuse for regime change in Cuba, but we won’t stand for it! Warfare is not always waged in bombs and bullets, and the U.S. is waging a reprehensible war on Cuba in the form of this embargo. We are here to say that we stand with the sovereignty of the Cuban people; end the embargo, and down with the U.S. war machine!”

Sarah Martin, a founder of the Hands Off Latin America committee, was the first speaker at the protest. Martin has traveled on solidarity trips to Venezuela and Cuba, which are both being threatened by the Trump administration. She said, “Both countries, Cuba and Venezuela, asserted their sovereignty and independence and broke free from the hold of U.S. imperialism and began to build societies which put people first, especially the poor. The U.S. did not take kindly to this, and both countries have been in the crosshairs of the U.S. empire no matter what administration was in power.”

Martin concluded, “The peoples of both countries are resilient and committed to their revolutions. It is up to us in the belly of the beast to do everything we can to interfere with Trump and Rubio’s plans. So, we’re here today and we’ll continue to come out until the U.S. backs off and ends the war threats, ends the oil embargo, and ends the blockade on Cuba.”

During the protest, two banners were hung from the bridge from Loring Park to the Walker Art Center over Interstate 94 demanding “End the blockade on Cuba” and “Let Cuba live! End the embargo on Cuba!” Thousands of drivers saw the banners and honked and waved to show support.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Cuba

St. Paul, MN – Eastside Neighbors will breathe clean air come January 1. After a years-long struggle, Eastside neighbors are celebrating the closure of industrial polluter Northern Iron Tool and Machine. On Thursday, July 30, the foundry announced that it will close by the end of the year. Northern Iron was a constant source of pollution that harmed the Eastside community.

Just last week, on July 18, Eastside residents with the Minnesota Climate Justice Committee packed a Saint Paul courtroom and held a press conference to demand Northern Iron’s air permit be revoked.

Kalani Matus of the Climate Justice Committee stated, “Don’t get it twisted – community action took down this polluter. Just like with Smith Foundry in Minneapolis, everyday people organized together around their common interests to shut down Northern Iron. Right now, it can feel like the world is attacking regular people left and right. But we have the power to change our circumstances. When we organize, great things can happen.”

Brittney Bruce bought a house directly across the street from Northern Iron. When she moved in, she had no idea her house, her windowsills, and her car would be covered in black dust from Northern Iron. Upon hearing the news of Northern Iron’s closure she said, “My kids can go outside. Kids in the school won’t have to breathe the pollution anymore. By next year our kids will be able to breathe clean air.” Bruce had never organized against an industrial polluter like Northern Iron before. She said, “By yourself your voice is small. But when we get together we are loud. I’m so glad we were able to hold Northern Iron accountable.”

Last year, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) initiated a lawsuit to revoke Northern Iron’s air permit after years of noncompliance, unacceptable pollution, and neighborhood demands for clean air. For decades, Northern Iron shirked accountability. The polluting foundry has air permit violations and other citations dating back to the early 2000s. As recently as 2023, Northern Iron was fined $41,500 by the MPCA for inadequate pollution control equipment and installing new equipment without a permit. These violations led to increased air pollution for Eastside residents.

Neighbors of the foundry continually reported air quality issues to the MPCA and they rallied against the foundry. Eastside residents also sued Northern Iron in a class action lawsuit that demanded the polluter take responsibility for the harm it caused to residents’ health and homes. A judge has yet to rule on either the permit revocation or the class action lawsuit against Northern Iron.

Whitney Wildman of the Minnesota Climate Justice Committee said, “The Climate Justice Committee congratulates the residents of Eastside on their victory against Northern Iron. This victory shows when we fight back we can make huge gains for our communities. We stand in total solidarity with Eastside in their fight for clean air and a safe, healthy community. And we will be watching to ensure no other polluters replace Northern Iron.”

Eastside resident and lawyer Melissa Lorentz said, “The Eastside has worked so hard for this victory. I can't count the number of community members that showed up to meetings, wrote letters, door knocked, and rallied to hold Northern Iron accountable. My neighbors are crying tears of joy right now, not just because we won, but because we did it together.”

Sarah Degner Riveros, who is an Eastside resident, said, “This victory sends a message to all polluters that Minnesotans won't tolerate harm to our environment. This is a win that will have lasting impacts far beyond the East Side of Saint Paul.”

#StPaulMN #MN #Environment #CJC

Three days earlier, Corey Ruiz was fatally shot in Madison, Wisconsin. Nine days before that, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was brutally murdered by ICE in Maine, in front of his one-year-old daughter. And just the night before, word came through that the “drugs” DHS had used to smear Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had tested negative, too late to undo the damage of the accusation. This is the backdrop against which the riders gathered: a rolling body count that never seems to pause long enough for anyone to catch their breath.

The day's program opened a block from George Floyd Square.

Tiffany Dunlap, defendant number 17 of the Righteous 39, took the mic first, speaking of the repression being brought against activists, followed by Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB). Then came Jeanelle Austin, the Square's lead caretaker, who tied together the history of police oppression in South Minneapolis. She said, “We have to keep organizing, we have to keep standing, we have to keep fighting for each other, for our neighbors. We have to keep shouting from the rooftops to make sure we organize more people to stand with us so we can end the state-sanctioned violence.”

From there, the ride carried the crowd to Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, an intersection that holds real weight in the history of Metro Surge, as the site of the first mass ICE action in Minneapolis under Donald Trump’s second administration. Isavela López described the ties between historical oppression of indigenous Americans and modern police repression of immigrant communities. She faced charges for nothing more than standing up for her neighbors during that raid.

López reminded the crowd, “It's more than me at this point. These are people that want to just help their neighbors; that have honest hearts; that want to learn more; that want to be advocates. I know at the end of the day there will be justice.” López's case is not an outlier. The same repression shows up in the cases of the Righteous 39 and the Minnesota 15, and in the century-long sentences being handed to activists in Texas.

A member of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles spoke after her about the atrocities families are facing every day.

The ride's next stop carried a different kind of weight, the memorial for Alex Pretti. Anusha Ramaswami of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) led a moment of silence here, honoring Pretti alongside the latest life lost in Madison.

Then there was a stop at the memorial for Renee Good. Here, Alissa Washington, the director of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council, spoke of her childhood friend Terrence Franklin, murdered by police in May 2013. She also spoke of her cousin Stephen Washington, who died in prison because of officer negligence, days before he was set to walk free.

Washington spoke of her own ongoing fight – 20 years spent trying to win freedom for her wrongfully incarcerated fiancé, Cornelius “Corn” Jackson, locked away for a crime he never committed. On July 2, Washington’s 72-year-old uncle was detained by ICE. As the group gathered that Saturday, he was being processed for deportation. Washington is now raising his four children, and she asked the crowd for donations of school supplies for those kids, which people can arrange through the Instagram page for the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (@tcc4j).

Washington stated, “When I say these struggles are personal, I mean every word. I had mourned my childhood friend because of police violence here in Minneapolis. I have buried my cousin because of police negligence here in Minnesota. I fight every day for the freedom of the man I love. And now, I am helping raise my uncle's children because ICE decided to tear another family apart. This movement isn't something I clock into, this is my life. This is my family!”

The ride closed where it began. Angie Cisneros Rosero of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) took the mic for the day's final word, “Let us remember the strength in our broken hearts. They see us united. They see people who continue to fight even with tears in their eyes. The problem is not that people don't care. We need collective power. Power so strong that the system can no longer govern in the same way. The only way we will see justice, is if we the people organize and make it happen.”

MIRAC currently has a campaign to get Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and all gubernatorial candidates to sign an executive order regarding a number of issues discussed here. If you are interested in signing a petition to pressure these politicians to act, please go to https://c.org/kCzgWPgx48.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #MIRAC #AlexPretti #ReneeGood

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, July 18, more than 50 community members rallied on the corner of Loring Park in Minneapolis to demand Minnesota take tangible steps to be a real sanctuary state for trans people. Loring Park is a historically queer neighborhood in Minneapolis and hosts Pride every year.

The rally was called by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee to demand Minnesota become a true refuge state for trans people relocating here by providing concrete support and resources that help people safely build their lives.

Minnesota has built a reputation as a safer place for trans folks. The state already has the highest percentage of trans adults in the country, and, since the trans refuge bill passed in 2023, OutFront Minnesota says it has helped hundreds of families relocate here from states where their care and their safety are under attack. Out Front estimates the real number of trans newcomers is five or six times higher.

Relocation for families is not an easy or simple task in itself and moving can put people at increased risk of homelessness, job loss and gaps in medical care. These are risks trans people already face more than most. Minnesota has become a refuge state in name, but the support systems people need once they get here need further development.

Natalie Dalbec, an organizer with the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee spoke about how “the forces of bigotry are working to crack down on our existence as trans people,” naming states like Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Idaho as states that have elected officials who are particularly cruel to trans people.

“Because of this,” Dalbec stated, “more trans people are moving to Minnesota than any other state, in search of a safe haven where they can live as their true self without fear of oppression.” Dalbec went on to explain that the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee demands that the state provide more funding for services such as gender-affirming care, name changes and more.

River Townsend, a non-binary parent of a trans youth and member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, stated, “We escaped Texas in 2015. That very year, Houston's effort to become more progressive in a sea of red hit a major roadblock.”

Townsend described many anti-trans policies that Houston implemented, such as bathroom restrictions. They concluded their speech by stating “As citizens of a sanctuary state we have the honor and duty to our trans family across the country to create a safe landing. We demand support for housing, jobs, transportation and healthcare.”

Over the past several months, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee has been collecting testimonies from trans people who have moved to the twin cities to understand the conditions trans people face when they leave and what barriers they face when they move to Minnesota. The emcees read off a few of these to the crowd to share these insights and exemplify the need for more support.

One of the testimonies read off was from Issac, a 34-year-old trans person who moved to Minnesota from Kansas City in 2023. “I moved from Kansas City to Minnesota after the trans sanctuary bill was passed, seeking access to gender-affirming care and employment opportunities. I have found it much easier to access gender-affirming care here, but still notice disparity in other areas, like employment. It is incredibly difficult to find work right now, and even more so for trans and gender nonconforming people. As the cost of living continues to increase, I see more and more of my trans friends struggling to have their basic needs met. There are more gender-affirming care clinicians in Minnesota, but the demand is so much higher as we see more people coming here from neighboring states. Long wait times to schedule and see clinicians, combined with high medical costs (even with insurance), result in care that remains out of reach for many trans folks.”

As the rally came to a close, the protestors lined the streets with signs calling for the protection and support of trans people. Drivers honked in support as organizers led the crowd in chants of “No hate! No fear! Trans people are welcome here!” and “We’re not here to compromise! Hands off trans lives!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #LGBTQ #Trans

St. Paul, MN – The Climate Justice Committee (CJC) joined East Side Neighbors for Health to pack the courtroom for the administrative hearing, July 21, regarding the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) action to revoke Northern Iron’s permit to pollute, due to noncompliance and noncooperation.

Before the hearing started, extra chairs were needed for the nearly 40 people who had come out on a Tuesday morning to witness the hearing. The small administrative court is unaccustomed to bystanders.

Tracy Molm from the CJC stated, “We're so happy to be here standing with Eastside Saint Paul residents as the Minnesota Pollution Control is taking the step of pulling Northern Iron, AKA Lawton Standard's, air permits. While we applaud the MPCA for working to pull their permits, we know this is happening because the people of Eastside have stood up and said, ‘No more!’”

Tim Marino, a resident in the area, declared, “Alex Lawton, the CEO of Northern Iron's parent company, publicly stated, ‘I certainly wouldn't move into a residential area and build a foundry.’ If that is true, why is it acceptable for a working-class neighborhood of color to be forced to live with decisions made decades ago that wouldn't be allowed today? This is environmental racism and classism under the guise of business as usual.”

Sarah Degner Riveros, an East Side resident, stated, “We demand transparency about the toxins in our air and soil. As neighbors, we are counting on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to protect us. For years, our community has been dealing with the soot, noise, lead exposure and the uncertainty that comes with not knowing what years of exposure may mean for the health of our homes.”

While no decision was given at this hearing, the CJC and the community have vowed that they will continue to fight no matter the decision. Molm continued, “In the CJC we have seen firsthand how communities standing up against polluters can win. When the CJC joined with the East Phillips and Little Earth communities in Minneapolis, we were able to stop the Roof Depot demolition, close Smith Foundry and Bituminous Roadways allowing the community to thrive. We will continue to organize and rally because when the air we breathe is under attack, what do we do?! Stand up, fight back!”

#StPaulMN #MN #Environment #Pollution #NorthernIron #ClimateJustice

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, July 18 the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) held a protest at the intersection of University and Central Avenues at Chute Square Park. The committee demanded an immediate end to the U.S. war on Iran and Israel’s ongoing attacks and occupation of Lebanon. Over 50 community members and activists attended the action, holding signs, flags and banners to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Iran, Lebanon and Palestine. Commuters honked in support as they drove by, while passengers yelled “Free Palestine” out the window.

Since the signing of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding in June 2026, Israel has violated the shaky ceasefire agreement on a daily basis, leveling entire city blocks and killing thousands with impunity. According to organizers, Israel’s violence was the original impetus for this action – until early in the second week of July, when President Trump ordered U.S. escalations against Iran.

The U.S. launched multiple strikes across Iran, including near Qeshm Island, Jask, Sirik, and Bandar Abbas, allegedly because of strikes on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran struck U.S. military bases in the region – including UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain – and announced the closure of the strait. Now the U.S. has reinstated its “blockade of the blockade,” preventing ships from leaving Iran's ports

The Strait of Hormuz is responsible for allowing travel of around 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas and oil trade. Closing it even for a day costs is expensive and severely limits global access to crucial energy. What seemed to be a war on the wane has restarted and once again threatens to throw the region into total chaos.

One of the emcees for the event was Yossi Aharoni, a Persian Jew and longtime member of the AWC. In a powerful opening speech, Yossi said, “I’m against this war not just because my tax dollars pay for it, I’m against it for the same reason that anyone with a heart and conscience is against it. This is an immoral, illegal war of aggression and it sickens me to my very core.”

The first speaker of the event was Lina Jebara, a Lebanese-American member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). Jebara declared, “Israel has used the war on Iran as a smokescreen to expand the tactics it’s been using in its genocide of Palestine and Lebanon. Since the last ceasefire went into place, Israel has destroyed over ten thousand homes in Lebanon’s south and continues to target critical civilian infrastructure, razing all that it can. These acts of depravity seem to be devoid of any real strategic objective, seemingly more analogous to hapless flailing, and that’s because they are. The Israelis have failed to secure any tactical victories since the war on Iran began, and are now grasping for anything that can be framed as a victory for their own people who need to believe in an image of superiority to tolerate living in a land that is not their own.”

The last speaker for the day was Maamoun Slayhi of the Minnesota chapter of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP-MN). A Lebanese-American political organizer with nearly two decades of activism under his belt, Slayhi reflected on the devastation Israel and the U.S. have caused, saying, “More than 4100 people have been killed in Lebanon, and more than one million have been driven from their homes. In Iran, at least 3400 people have been murdered since this war started, 3.2 million people have been displaced, and renewed American strikes are killing more people again.“

Slayhi continued, “Behind every number is a mother, a father, a child, a paramedic, and a family whose home became a target. Neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. Villages have been emptied. Hospitals, roads, homes, power systems, and water infrastructure have been damaged. The United States and Israel opened the war against Iran. Israel expanded its assault on Lebanon. Then Washington told us that every new strike was necessary because of the consequences of the previous strike. Different maps. Same empire. Same weapons.”

The action was endorsed by AMP-MN, Families Against Military Madness, Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Twin Cities, Free Palestine Coalition, Let Iran Live, Minnesota 50501, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, and Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #AMPMN #WAMM #FAMM

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, July 17, around 200 people gathered in a majority-immigrant neighborhood in scorching 95-degree heat to demand justice for four men who were murdered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in just seven days.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was shot by ICE on July 7 during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas. He had built houses for over three decades, worked hard while putting his three sons through college, and was simply driving his construction crew to work that morning.

Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 26, was killed on July 13 in Maine. He was working two jobs in order to support his wife and their three-year-old daughter. His daughter was in the car when ICE agents shot through the window.

Both men were killed because ICE agents were looking for someone else.

Also on July 13, Jesus Manuel Arenas-Silva, a 45-year-old Venezuelan man, was killed in ICE custody while being transferred by bus from a detention center to an ICE processing center in Georgia. ICE ignored his family's repeated pleas to allow him to take his medicine while in detention. He was killed by purposeful medical negligence. Killed by ICE.

On July 14, Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran, a 28-year-old Mexican man, was struck and killed by a semi truck while being chased by ICE in Saint Augustine, Florida. He and his coworkers stopped for something to eat when they were racially profiled by ICE. None of them were the subject of any sort of immigration investigation.

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) organized the rally as part of a broader movement that demands accountability and justice. Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, ICE agents have shot and killed at least 11 people. The pattern is consistent: traffic stops, warrants for the wrong person, ICE with guns.

Rally attendees held out their signs demanding justice and chanting “Aqui estamos y no nos vamos” and “Say it once say it twice, we will not put up with ICE!” A banner read, “Three days since ICE has killed that we know of…” Despite the oppressive heat, the people stayed and ensured their voices were heard.

A MIRAC speaker at the rally told the crowd, “Here’s the thing, neither (Araujo nor Guerrero) was who ICE was looking for. ICE was looking for someone else. But they killed these two men anyway.”

The MIRAC speaker continued, “We’ve been asking for help. We’ve been saying ban 287(g) agreements. Keep ICE out of schools and hospitals. But it keeps happening. So we need a governor who will actually do something. Not just say stuff. Actually do it.”

The Department of Homeland Security has justified the murders of Araujo and Guerrero utilizing the same false claim: that these men were weaponizing their vehicles. It was the same justification utilized when ICE killed Renee Good in Minneapolis in January. Videos that surfaced contradicted the agency’s account. For Araujo’s death, no video has emerged, but there was footage of the aftermath. ICE has used this same justification in dozens of cases that were thrown out by federal courts after their blatant lies were exposed. They are murderers, plain and simple.

The rally was not a plea for compassion. It was not people asking nicely for things to improve. People have been demanding real change for years: Banning ICE agreements, keeping federal agents out of schools and hospitals, charging and jailing agents and all police who kill. Yet nothing has changed. The people will stay in the streets, refusing to accept the normalization of ICE murder.

The protest was part of a national week of action organized by the Legalization for All Network. Minnesota is always ready to fight back. The crowd on Minneapolis’ Lake Street had energy despite the heat. People showed up to shout the names of the victims of ICE terror so they will never be forgotten. Their message was clear: ICE out now and forever.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIRAC

Minneapolis, MN – On July 16, over 100 people packed the city council chambers and overflow room to oppose the 75-day pilot program contract proposal with Skydio, a drone manufacturing company that has ties to ICE and the Israeli Defense Force. The contract would allow Skydio drones to act as “first responders” to surveil emergency scenes prior to police arriving.

After weeks of organizing by the Free Palestine Coalition against this proposal, which included protests, a call-in campaign, and a petition, the Minneapolis city council rejected the motion in a 6-6 vote.

Sana Wazwaz, a leader with American Muslims for Palestine-MN stated, “The vote against Skydio is a testament to the relentless and boundless drive of our city to set historic precedents in the fight for Palestine. Once again, Minneapolis has set an example for cities across the country – first through our passage of the strongest ceasefire resolution in the U.S., and secondly, through our uprising against operation metro surge. Our people will be known as those who will fight militarization to the end – a city which shows that no BDS win is ‘too radical” for us to achieve.’”

Maeve Aikin, a member of the Minnesota Anti War Committee stated, “City council’s rejection of this contract is a win for our already over-surveilled and overpoliced communities in Minneapolis and a win for the BDS movement writ large. In the imperial core, it is our moral responsibility to reject partnerships with companies like Skydio that materially benefit from Israeli apartheid and genocide as part of the wider strategy of economic isolation. As with Palantir products developed in Gaza and implemented in the Twin Cities during Operation Metro Surge, the IOF’s surveillance technologies will always come home because Israel exists as a military outpost of the United States.”

Jae Yates, an organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J), related the opposition toward the proposed Skydio contract with Minneapolis residents protecting their neighbors during Operation Metro Surge, stating, “If the majority of the people of Minneapolis, who bravely stood up to ICE's terrorism of our immigrant neighbors this winter, had our way, there would be no debate about whether to give money to a company profiting off of a genocide so that cops can misuse their surveillance technology.”

Abir Ismail, a Minneapolis public school educator and member of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, pointed to Skydio’s history of providing drone technology and data to both Israel and ICE, stating “These drones can monitor and record all our data. They are used by ICE and the Israeli military. Homeland Security itself has stated that our police, the FBI, ICE and Israeli soldiers undergo shared training. The connection is unbroken.”

After the vote on the pilot program, the council also considered a motion to remove the Skydio proposal from future agendas, which failed 6-6, and therefore will be eligible for future consideration.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Sydio #WeaponsIndustry #AI #Surveillance #MNAWC

On July 1, law enforcement came to the home of a Los Angeles immigrants’ rights activist and Centro CSO member, Nadia Topete, to deliver a second subpoena ordering her to speak in front of a grand jury on July 8. Topete had been first subpoenaed to testify in June. Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) condemns this second subpoena of Topete and will fight against any attempt to jail her.

We now know that this grand jury is related to the anti-ICE activism in Los Angeles that took place last summer. We also have every reason to believe that this is an attempt to re-examine the case of Alejandro Orellana, another immigrants’ rights activist who participated in the anti-ICE protests last year. Orellana was charged with conspiracy to commit civil unrest. The bogus charges were later dropped.

Nothing good comes from speaking in front of a grand jury. Grand juries, nine times out of ten, result in indictments, and they are frequently used against activists. Not testifying against one’s fellow activists can mean jail time. Those who refuse to testify in front of grand juries are heroes. We should learn from their example and exercise that kind of courage in order to protect our movements from harm.

Women Against Military Madness members Sarah Martin and Meredith Aby resisted grand jury subpoenas in 2010 as a part of the “Justice” Department’s investigation into the anti-war and international solidarity movements. Martin was re-subpoenaed in an effort to pressure her to speak. She refused and in the end none of the Anti War 23 went to jail. Our movement had this victory because people around the country stood up for our people. We understand the importance of doing this again.

WAMM also understands that the targeting of activists in LA is a part of a broader effort to criminalize anti-ICE activism nationally. We also stand with the MN 15 who were indicted on “conspiracy to impede federal officers.” People across MN, including WAMM members, stood with our immigrant siblings to demand ICE leave MN last winter and protesting political repression of our immigrant siblings is NOT a crime.

Neither Topete nor Orellana did anything wrong by protesting against the ICE occupation of Los Angeles. Nor did Topete do anything wrong by not speaking about her activism in front of the grand jury. We ask all fair-minded people to stand with Nadia Topete. She has only ever done the right thing, which is to stand by the Chicano people and the people of Aztlán. We call upon our supporters to dial into the office of Assistant US Attorney Michael Wheat and demand, Hands Off Nadia Topete!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #WAMM #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression

St. Paul, MN – The Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners, which governs the public water utility for the city and surrounding suburbs, voted on July 14 to renew Israeli tech company Waterfall Security Solutions’ contract for five years, after an hours-long public hearing. The chamber was full of people prepared to testify in what Chris Tolbert, the water board’s president, called the most well-attended meeting in the board’s history.

Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) mobilized for the meeting, and over 50 people turned up to give testimony against the contract renewal. WAMM has been organizing for over a year to oppose the Waterfall contract with call-in campaigns, petition drives and regular attendance with pro-Palestine signs at Board of Water Commissioners meetings.

WAMM opposes the Saint Paul Water Board’s contract with Waterfall because it works hand in hand with the Israeli military. The long-running Twin Cities anti-war group believes public tax dollars shouldn’t be used to do business with a company complicit in and enabling Israeli apartheid.

Zionists also showed up to pressure for the contract’s renewal. They held signs like “BDS is a special kind of hate,” “Don’t play politics with our water” and “Gaza is not a genocide.” Many pro-Waterfall speakers conflated Judaism with Zionism and claimed that canceling Waterfall’s contract would be antisemitic.

Debra Larson, a WAMM member, addressed the Board of Water Commissioners and delivered petitions. She looked at the side of the room where the Zionists were sitting and said, “They may have a few people who are pro-genocide, but these are all people who are against genocide. I also have a picture of a child who was recently killed. And I think people need to realize the reality of the murder of hundreds of thousands of children.”

After the public testimony, board members were allowed to comment. Nelsie Yang, board vice president and Saint Paul City Council member, tried to amend the Waterfall proposal to be for two years instead of five, so that the board would revisit the contract sooner. Yang, however, failed to receive a second for her amendment, so it failed.

After the contract was approved for another five years, ten protesters led chants, marched through city hall and then refused to leave the Saint Paul City Hall offices. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department was called, and deputies roughly forced the protesters out of the office into the elevator and then pushed them out of the building.

Trish Kanous, a member of WAMM stated, “This setback won't stop us. As we determine our next steps, anyone, any agency, or institution that supports the genocide of the Palestinian people will be on our radar. We will continue the fight.”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #WAMM

Forest Lake, MN – Nearly 50 community members from the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) and Indivisible members in Forest Lake joined at a rally to target U.S. Representative Pete Stauber, who had recently spearheaded legislation that would again open the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) to copper sulfide mining.

The Boundary Waters is a protected area where motorized vehicles aren’t allowed, and campers are expected to take out everything they bring in. During Biden’s presidency, legislation was passed to impose a mining ban, but Representative Stuber worked to overturn that ban after just three years to allow the Twin Metals mining company to resume operations in this area.

Michael Wood from the CJC spoke at the rally saying, “We are here because Pete Stauber’s vision of the BWCA is to sell every lake every range every river and stream to the highest bidder. Pete Stauber’s vision is selling you clean water at the highest markup. Forget 10,000 lakes, Stauber wants Minnesota to be a land of 10,000 mines.”

Indivisible members have been rallying every Sunday since January to oppose Trump’s attacks, from immigration to environmental rights. The CJC was excited to join Indivisible to target Stauber in front of his listed local Minnesota offices.

Michael Wood continued, “But Minnesotans love the BWCA and we are going to fight with everything we’ve got to defend this precious wilderness. So, we ask you to get more involved. Call your representatives, petition the government, protest climate criminals like Stauber.”

#ForestLakeMN #MN #Environment #CJC #BWCA

Minneapolis, MN – On July 8, Minneapolis City Council’s Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee held a public hearing on a proposal for a trial program for “drones as first responders” (DFRs). The drones are manufactured by Skydio, a California-based tech company that makes autonomous surveillance drones.

The Free Palestine Coalition (FPC) called for its supporters to pack the meeting, achieving this with both the meeting room and the overflow room at capacity. Over 40 people testified, all expressing opposition to the drone proposal.

One of the main concerns residents raised is that Skydio is a major producer of drones for the Israeli military. Sarah Martin, a member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), testified on this point, saying, “300 to 500 Palestinians were killed every day and there's no question Skidio drones account for many of those deaths. You must decide to reject the contract with Skydio and continue to do the right thing, as you did when you passed one of the strongest if not the strongest, ceasefire resolutions in the country in 2024. Or when you voted not to use ZenCity, an Israeli surveillance company. We don’t want our tax dollars going to companies profiting from the genocide, and a company whose drones have been use to surveil protesters, including those opposing this vicious and evil genocide.”

The other main concern residents raised is that drones operated by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) would be used to violate the civil liberties of oppressed nationality communities, and to surveil protesters.

Mary Ford, member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), testified, “I remember in late May, early June, 2020 during George Floyd [protests], the Blackhawk helicopter swooping low and loud over my house, breaking tree branches and scaring the neighbors that had banded together. The Minnesota State Patrol also flew a Cirrus spy plane over our city at this time. U.S. Customs & Border Patrol collected our data using a Predator drone during George Floyd. To track and pursue targets, both ICE and CBP have purchased Skydio drones. This is not the company that Minneapolis wants to keep. We want to demilitarize police work, not militarize police work to further ridiculous levels.”

Maddy Schwartz, also of the AWC, expressed similar sentiments in her testimony, saying, “This could 100 percent be used as a tool to expand state-sanction violence, surveil protests and dissent, Black and brown communities, and bring in huge amounts of visual data. I worry that this will be the next course of violence against unhoused people who, as a city, we’ve already decided don’t deserve privacy, dignity, or any space to exist. I wonder how this could affect community rapid response systems as we rely on community members to respond to ICE. I’d like to know how many of your immigrant constituents still living in fear, would feel safer with this expanded surveillance through this third party. When we make these investments in law enforcement, it gets harder to trust that council cares about privacy rights and over-policing of communities of color.”

The proposal is for the MPD to launch the Skydio pilot program in Ward 4 in the city’s Northside, which is a Black-majority neighborhood. Many residents came from the ward to address their councilmember, LaTrisha Vetaw, who authored the proposal and sits on the Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee.

At the end of the hearing the committee voted to “forward without recommendation” and the full Minneapolis City Council is expected to discuss it at their 9:30 a.m. meeting on Thursday, July 16.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC

The Palestine Solidarity Committee of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) found out on July 7 from the Saint Paul Water Board website that they have selected Waterfall Security Solutions again for a contract.

Saint Paul provides water to Saint Paul, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Lilydale, Maplewood, Mendota, Mendota Heights, West Saint Paul, Roseville, Little Canada and Arden Hills.

Meredith Aby, the WAMM director, explains, “After a year of attending board meetings, meeting with board members, petitioning and calling, we are angered that, despite Waterfall being an Israeli company that works hand in hand with Israel in its genocide of the Palestinian people, Saint Paul wants to expand and extend their contract. The new proposed contract will be $153,611.74 and for five years. They proposed this knowing that their constituents do not support genocide.”

WAMM has been working on this campaign for a year as a part of the boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) movement. WAMM chose this strategy because it was previously successful in pressuring the U.S. to stop supporting South African apartheid. The BDS Movement website says that the tech sector “feeds Israel’s war chest, making up 20% of Israel’s GDP (in 2023) and 53% of its exports (2023).” The goal of the BDS movement is to isolate Israel economically to pressure them to end apartheid and genocide.

Aby continued, “If you drink or use Saint Paul water, please call today – 651-266-6350 extension 7. And regardless of where you live, we need you to come out to the next Water Board meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at noon at Saint Paul City Hall, 15 W Kellogg Boulevard in room 300 to demand that they cut the contract with Waterfall!”

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Divestment #BDS #Palestine #WAMM

St Paul, MN – The Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) issued a national call to action for protests on July 4 weekend to highlight that the U.S. 250th birthday celebration also mark 250 years of nonstop genocide, war and imperialism.

Both the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) held actions to draw attention to the costs of U.S.-sponsored wars and genocides.

On July 3, WAMM held its weekly Free Palestine protest as a part of the call and to draw special attention to also mark 1000 days of genocide of Palestine by Israel sponsored by the United States.

Meredith Aby, the director of WAMM, explained, “This week the United Nations issued a report detailing evidence of Israel deliberately targeting Palestinian children during the conflict since October 2023. In fact, Israel continues to violate the agreement on a daily basis. The UN reports that 265 children were killed and more than 400 others injured since the ceasefire, which averages to nearly one child killed every single day. Children are starving to death in Gaza too. The world needs to be more outraged by this massive level of mass murder, especially towards children. Women Against Military Madness holds a protest at Summit and Snelling every Friday for a Free Palestine, but this week’s protest is important in our efforts to stop the normalization of genocide.”

On July 4, the AWC held a rally at Chute Square in Northeast Minneapolis to protest the insidious “holiday.” Dozens of protesters held signs with statements like “No blood for oil,” “Iran is not the enemy” and “Victory to the Palestinian resistance,” with a large banner that read, “No freedom in endless wars.”

Organizers say that the American flag was intentionally left out of the various flags flown as a display of international solidarity with Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Lebanon and Palestine. They chose these countries’ flags because they are current targets of the Trump administration.

Organizations around the Twin Cities, such as American Muslims for Palestine, MN50501, U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) were represented among the speakers at the rally. They reiterated that American taxpayer dollars are funneled into the $1 trillion military budget that goes towards attacking, sanctioning, decimating and invading sovereign peoples and sovereign nations.

Maumoon Slayhi from American Muslims for Palestine summed up the sentiment of the crowd by declaring, “Enough endless wars. Enough blank checks for militarism. Enough asking working Americans to fund destruction while our schools struggle, our families struggle, and healthcare becomes more and more out of reach.”

The irony of the Trump administration’s “Freedom 250” coming on the heels of the deadly Operation Metro Surge, when federal agents murdered, displaced, kidnapped and terrorized Twin Cities communities was also noted by speakers. In her speech, Montana Hirsch from MIRAC stated, “U.S. intervention leads to forced mass migration; sanctions and wars create conditions where people are forced to leave their homelands and come here only to be met with the deportation machine! Where is the freedom in that?”

Over 30 members of both the MN Anti-War Committee and WAMM will travel to Chicago for AWAN’s second national conference July 11 and 12.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #AWAN #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – June 28 marked the Taking Back Pride Coalition’s tenth annual protest march that disrupted the Twin Cities Pride Parade in downtown Minneapolis.

Despite a heavy morning downpour that delayed both the march and parade, community members took to the streets with banners reading “Delta deports neighbors” and “Dump Trump donors,” inviting the crowds lined up awaiting the corporate-sponsored festivities to join the protest march into Loring Park.

Many parade-goers were receptive to the messaging and chants, with some heeding the call and stepping out into the street to march alongside protesters, and many others joining in during chants of “No cops, no KKK, no racist Pride today!”

Initiated by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) in 2017, the Taking Back Pride Coalition (TBP) has organized a protest march for the past ten years to demand that Twin Cities Pride oust police and big corporations from the state’s largest free Pride festival, which they see as antithetical to Pride’s origins in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969.

The contradiction between sponsoring a Pride event and donating to Trump and other right-wing politicians who have been increasingly targeting the rights of queer and trans people across the country is not lost on th