Minneapolis, MN – La campaña de reclutamiento de OSCL está superando todas expectativas. La campaña, que inició el 15 de octubre, a partir del 29 de octubre ha resultado con 189 nuevos miembros generales. En San Jose, CA, 29 personas se han inscrito en la OSCL.

En todas partes del país, miembros de la OSCL han puesto mesas en las manifestaciones y pedido que la gente se inscriban. Los grupos de la OSCL ya tienen planes aspiracionales para registrar nuevos miembros en dónde se encuentren.

Tom Burke, el Secretario Organizacional de la OSCL proclamó, “Es ahora el momento en el que nos criamos de gran manera. El capitalismo monopolista está en plena caída, y la situación para nosotros es excelente para construir una organización revolucionaria.”

Burke habló a continuación, “Hemos establecido como meta el reclutamiento de 300 nuevos miembros generales, y ya se nota que hacemos lo que decimos. Con toda fuerza nos dedicamos a desarrollar la OSCL y nos quedamos fijos a reemplazar el capitalismo con el socialismo.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #FRSO #PeoplesStruggles #LaLuchadelaGente #Socialismo

Minneapolis, MN – The peace movement in Minnesota lost two fierce fighters for peace this fall: Brigid and Jane McDonald. Brigid McDonald died on October 2, 2026 and Jane McDonald died on November 1, 2026.

Brigid and Jane were part of an iconic group of four sisters who became nuns with the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet. The McDonald sisters were even featured in a 2019 play that premiered at the History Theater in Saint Paul titled Sisters of Peace. The play chronicled their story of leaving the farm, becoming nuns and then peace activists.

During the war on Iraq and afterwards, the sisters were consistent protesters on the Lake Street Bridge at regular Wednesday vigils and were known to sing anti-war songs at protests and events.

I was on the Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) board in the 2010s and served with Brigid. I frequently brought my young daughter with me to board meetings and Brigid was her favorite person to sit next to. They would giggle and color together through the meeting.

Before she retired, Brigid had been a first and second-grade teacher. She had a light that drew children to her. She made my daughter feel like she was welcome in the movement, and for that I will forever be grateful.

I know I wasn’t the only mom that feels this way. Thistle Parker-Hartog, who has kids around the same age as mine, and I were recently remembering Brigid. She told me that at any protest she brought her boys to, Brigid always went out of her way to make them feel welcome as well.

When I asked my daughter Audrey what she most fondly remembers about Brigid, she said, “I remember how Brigid would respond to people flipping us off from their cars while we were at protests. She would say that they were making half of a peace sign and that they were ‘almost there’. She approached every person and situation with this same type of positivity.”

My favorite memory of Brigid is from a flotilla protest we participated in on Lake Minnetonka during the war on Iraq. We wanted to protest then-Vice President Dick Cheney’s fundraiser, but knew that the Secret Service would block access to the house. Roger Cuthbertson organized two boats to protest the war and blast chants at the fundraiser from the lake.

Brigid was one of the ten people I spent that day with. She kept our spirits up by chanting, singing, dancing and even playing music. My favorite memory was the time she asked one of the Secret Service agents harassing us from their boat if his mother knew what he did for a living, and wasn’t he ashamed of himself for protecting a war criminal like Dick Cheney?

A month after Brigid died, so did her sister Jane, the last of the peace sisters to pass away.

Sarah Martin, a long-time board member of WAMM, recently reflected about Jane. “Jane was at the heart and soul of our movements,” said Martin. “She totally empathized with the pain of poverty, oppression and war, and was unique in her ability to express these feelings and thoughts eloquently and passionately.”

Kim DeFranco, who organized with the Welfare Rights Committee in the 1990s, reflected, “Both Brigid and Jane will be remembered as social‑justice Catholic nuns and as women whose faith moved them to stand with the people. The McDonald sisters were steadfast allies to those fighting for economic and social justice; they were a powerful presence in every struggle. In the 1990s, the Welfare Rights Committee, a group of low‑income women organizing for economic justice, was honored to have the McDonald sisters at our side. They joined our protests, standing at the doors of the Minnesota Senate and House, chanting, lobbying, and refusing to let lawmakers ignore the lives of poor and working‑class families. Their legacy is one of courage, solidarity, and love for the people.”

Recently, my wife and I were surprised to realize that we have younger members on the WAMM board who had never met Brigid or Jane. That helped remind us that they had been struggling with their health for some time. They weren’t able to be on the streets for Palestine during the recent upsurge of protests, but I know they would have been had they been able to.

As Irish Americans, they were feisty and always stood against U.S. imperialism. I think it’s important to recognize the inspiration that Brigid and Jane McDonald were, and to continue their optimistic vision for the future as we continue to organize against U.S. wars.

Meredith Aby is the executive director of Women Against Military Madness, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Opinion #Commentary #Remembrances #AntiWarMovement #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization fall membership drive is picking up speed. The campaign, which began on October 15, has resulted in 260 new general members as of November 5. In San Jose, California, 45 people have joined FRSO.

The membership drive will end on November 15.

Across the country, FRSO members have been reaching out to other activists, to coworkers and setting up tables at protests. FRSO groups in many places are carrying out outreach plans to enlist new members.

Mick Kelly, the political secretary of FRSO, stated, “The situation is very good for building revolutionary organization. Our numbers are rapidly growing, and we are developing work in new cities and towns every month. We are sure to surpass our goal of 300 new general members in 30 days.”

Kelly continued, “Monopoly capitalism is a failed system. We need socialism.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #FRSO #PeoplesStruggles #Featured

Minneapolis, MN – Over 100 people gathered for a celebration of Día de los Muertos on Sunday, November 1. The event is hosted annually by El Colegio High School and Danza Ketzal Coatlicue and supported by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

This year the event included dance performances, a display of altars created by the hosting organizations and community members, and food. The main altar honored those who were killed at the hands of ICE since Trump started his second term. The altar had 108 candles, one for each person killed, each with their name and photograph.

The program began with a procession led by a banner that read: “7 days since ICE murdered – that we know of,” followed by the danza group at the front and community members following. The procession ended at the high school with a dance performance outside. The community was then invited inside to see the altars and enjoy food, community and a few speakers.

MIRAC member Mari Mansfield spoke at the event, “ICE’s reign of terror is so relentless that by the time we finished making the candles, ICE had killed again! 108 candles lit for the people killed by ICE – these candles also symbolize the passion and resistance that burns within us, because all the 108 people were a light in this world and we cannot rest until they get justice!”

Mansfield also highlighted MIRAC’s current campaign to make Minnesota a sanctuary state and the immigrant rights movement’s continued fight against ICE terror.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIRAC #DiaDeLosMuertos #OppressedNationalities #Featured

St. Paul, MN — On October 28, roughly 50 activists rallied on a bridge over the Mississippi River to call for a lifting of the United States blockade on Cuba. The protest, organized by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM)’s Hands Off Latin America (HOLA) committee, coincided with the United Nations (UN) vote on the same day to end the embargo imposed by the US since 1960. The protest was a part of a National Day of Action organized by the National Network on Cuba.

Despite dark threatening skies and warnings of possible tornadoes, protesters held signs, Cuban flags, chanted and gave speeches for over an hour.

Showing resounding worldwide support for Cuba, the UN General Assembly once again overwhelmingly voted to end the US blockade. This critical vote comes at a time when the total oil embargo imposed by Trump in January 2026 is drastically undermining critical infrastructure and severely restricting access to necessities such as healthcare, food and water.

Cuba, which is notable for its robust healthcare system and advances in medical technology, now faces blackouts that can last 20 hours or longer, causing hospitals to struggle to keep lifesaving equipment operational.

Grace Gamble, a member of HOLA, told the crowd, “This vote was just a symbolic gesture and holds no actual authority over U.S. foreign policy. So, despite the majority of the world voting to end the blockade, it will remain until the U.S. Congress votes to end it.”

“We call on all nations, and all people here in the U.S. and around the world to stand in solidarity, fight for liberation and vote against U.S. intervention in Cuba,” added Gamble.

Nadiyah Salawdeh is co-chair of U.S. Palestinian Community Network’s Minnesota chapter, who recently traveled to Cuba. Salawdeh told the protest, “When I was in Cuba this summer, I heard several Cuban people refer to the U.S. blockade as a ‘silent Gaza.’ The U.S. blockade prevents hospitals from getting the equipment and medicine they need. Doctors and nurses are working heroically to perform miracles with no resources. Infant mortality is skyrocketing, reversing the extraordinary progress in maternal infant health that the government has made. Drinking water is making people sick. Food is getting scarcer and more expensive. Fuel is over $20 a gallon. Just like in Gaza, the U.S. blockade on Cuba is collective punishment and constitutes a war crime.” 

Salawdeh continued, “In Gaza, the Palestinian people are punished by Israel for daring to resist Israeli occupation. In Cuba, the Cuban people are punished for daring to maintain the Cuban revolution. This is not speculation. The empire has admitted this.”

Trent Fast from the MN Anti-War Committee stated, “Whether it’s Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Palestine, or Minneapolis, the Trump administration is a rogue killing machine that needs to be stopped. We need to see through the lies coming from Washington about these countries. This is why organizing and developing a concrete analysis is so important. We need to focus on the fact that U.S. attacks, sanctions, and blockades are the primary reason for these countries’ struggles. Back in 2019, a Venezuela analysis report concluded that U.S. sanctions caused 40,000 deaths in Venezuela from 2017 to 2018 during Trump's first term. For years, they've denied Venezuela the ability to import lifesaving medicines, equipment, and food.”

Fast continued, “In Cuba it's long been a similar situation. However, in recent months the stranglehold has reached a new revolting level of megalomania from the Trump administration. And we know about the U.S. attempts to devastate Iran's economy through coercive economic measures. The Iranian Rial recently sank to a new low of 2.5 million to one U.S. dollar. In Iran the cost of everyday items continues to soar, and food prices have more than doubled since last year.”

During the protest, HOLA organizers also did a banner drop from the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge over Interstate 94 in downtown Minneapolis, where motorists responded with many honks.

As the situation in Cuba becomes more dire, HOLA vows to ramp up the fight to end the brutal U.S. blockade. The committee’s next event is to hold a watch party for the Anti-War Action Network’s Cuba webinar on November 15 at 2 p.m. at 4200 Cedar Avenue, in Minneapolis.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Cuba #WAMM #HOLA

Minneapolis, MN – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization Fall membership drive is exceeding expectations. The campaign, which began on October 15, has resulted in 189 new general members as of October 29. In San Jose, CA, 29 people have joined FRSO.

Across the country, FRSO members have been setting up tables at protests and asking people to join. FRSO groups in many places have outreach plans to enlist new members.

Tom Burke, the Organizational Secretary of FRSO stated, “Now is the time for us to grow in a big way. Monopoly capitalism is declining, and the situation is excellent for us to build revolutionary organization.”

Burke continued, “We have set the goal of 300 new general members, and we do exactly what we say. We are going all out to build FRSO and we are determined to replace capitalism with socialism.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #SanJoseCA #CA #FRSO #PeoplesStruggles #Socialism #Feature

Minneapolis, MN – On October 24, more than 60 protesters lined Lake Street to demand an end to ICE and police terror. The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee and co-hosted by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice to connect the violence inflicted on the community by both the police and ICE.

As threats of a second ICE surge loom, with the beginnings of increased ICE sightings reported from community rapid response groups, the people of Minnesota show that they will fight back harder – they have fought militantly against ICE before and will do so again.

The protest was held on Lake Street in the heart of South Minneapolis’ immigrant community. Up and down lake street supportive honks were heard from passing cars as protesters chanted, “When immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Jana Williams spoke about a recent win in the fight for justice for her niece Allison Lussier. Allison Lussier was murdered two years ago, and her case was neglected by the Minneapolis Police Department. Only two days before the protest, and after years of her family and community members fighting for justice, a murder charge was finally filed in her case.

Williams stated, “The other day when I sat across from the six women from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. They sat across the table from me, telling me that we were finally getting Chuck Foss charged. And I had a sigh of relief; I can maybe exhale. And I said, ‘Do you know what MPD did? They surrounded me and us with armored vehicles.’ They said yes, we did know that. Shame on you! You were willing to harm us, arrest us, tear gas us, put us behind bars, but you were not willing to do this with violent criminals!”

Williams urged the crowd to continue to put pressure on Mayor Frey to hold all the officers involved accountable.

Alissa Washington, representing the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, told protesters, “My fiancé, Cornelius Jackson, has been incarcerated for 20 years. My family is fighting for answers about Stephen Washington’s death in prison while also living with my uncle’s deportation. These struggles meet in my family and in so many others. That is why our solidarity reaches across prison walls and borders, including to Palestine and people resisting war and occupation. Every family deserves safety, dignity, and a future together.”

Greg King, representing the North STAR Alliance said: “Nobody in our community, regardless of their immigration status, should be hunted down and assaulted or shot in the street for their perceived immigration status. There is no reason on earth that we should not be giving immigration agents guns to enforce civil immigration law. And by the same token, we should not be giving law enforcement officers in our state, who have guns and a history of racial profiling ending in fatal encounters in our streets, permission to start asking people for their papers.”

The protest ended with a speech from Aizar Cabrera of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee.

“We immigrants know about scary times. We are living in exile,” said Cabrera, “but make no mistake, it did not start in January of 2025, and it has not ended yet. We are living in a state of terror. The immigration enforcement machine has been grinding through our communities for decades, across every administration.” The speech ended with a call to Governor Walz to make Minnesota a sanctuary state.

MIRAC will continue to pressure Governor Walz to take executive action and ensure that Minnesota is prepared for another onslaught of federal terror. MIRAC demands that Walz issue a sanctuary state executive order that would ban 287(g) agreements and any type of collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE, keep ICE out of sensitive locations and off state property, outlaw secret police, and more. MIRAC will also continue to support the fight for community control of the police in Minneapolis.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #MIRAC #TCC4J

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Minnesota-based Twin Cites Coalition for Justice.

Yesterday, October 22, 2026, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced she is charging Chuck Foss with second-degree murder in the 2024 killing of Allison Lussier. This announcement comes two-and-a-half years after Allison’s body was found in her apartment.

Two-and-a-half years of Allison’s family, community and local organizers fighting for answers.

Two-and-a-half years of press conferences, rallies, meetings with police and city leadership, court hearings, and gaslighting from the mayor and the chief of police.

Two-and-a-half years of Allison’s family being retraumatized by having to convince people in power that her life mattered. That her death was worthy of investigation and that her murderer should be held accountable.

There would be no opportunity for justice for Allison today without the tireless advocacy of her aunt, Jana Williams, and community organizers who have fought to make sure Allison’s name continues to be uplifted.

Allison’s family and the Minneapolis community have been lied to continuously by the Minneapolis Police Department. Disgraced former Police Chief Brian O’Hara said publicly that Allison died from a drug overdose, with substantial evidence available to the contrary. The city auditor’s report showed that the MPD didn’t even bother to request an autopsy report before spreading false information and victim-blaming Allison for her own murder. In fact, the autopsy wasn’t requested at all until the city auditor requested it themself.

The announcement simply confirms what Allison’s family and community already knew.

If MPD had properly investigated this murder when it happened, Allison’s family could have been spared the trauma of seeing their loved one’s name dragged through the mud. Her community wouldn’t have had to do the prosecutors’ jobs for them by finding witnesses and collecting evidence to create a chargeable case.

“it’s been a long two years. You know what? Can I rest and relax tonight? Probably not, because there’s a bigger system here that needs attention,” said Jana Williams, aunt of Allison Lussier

The lack of accountability in this case demonstrates yet again that we cannot depend on the mayor to hold the police accountable. We need real mechanisms of accountability. No more toothless review boards, no more city audits that the police can refuse to participate in. This is why we are fighting for community control of the police through an all elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission.

Victims of intimate partner violence like Allison Lussier and Mariah Samuels deserve to be believed when they call for help. They deserve to be protected. And when, tragically, their lives are stolen, they deserve justice.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #Indigenous #AllisonLussier #PoliceAccountability #TCC4J

St. Paul, MN – Hundreds gathered at the Saint Paul Public Schools District Administration Building on Tuesday, October 21 to protest proposed mid-year budget cuts. The cuts would hit English Language Learner students and their families the hardest and would mean over a dozen English Language (EL) teachers across the district would have their positions terminated.

The Saint Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) called to rally immediately before the school board meeting where voting was to take place on the proposed cuts. SPFE requested community members to stay for the meeting and make their voices heard in the public comment section.

Community member and immigrant Belquis Rivera reminded the crowd of the importance of EL teachers during ICE’s Operation Metro Surge, “I am a working mother. And in this past year, there has been much adversity to immigrants in this country. The teachers that are being cut made it possible for us to live last year, for immigrant families to live last year. And while there is so much racism in this country, we escaped countries that were dangerous, where there was real risk. And this teacher put herself at risk to make sure that my family had what they needed to live.”

“I grew up in a small village in Somalia, and came here to Saint Paul as a refugee. I went to public school in Saint Paul,” said union-endorsed Saint Paul School Board candidate Omar Syed to thunderous applause. “The language I speak today, these are the educators who taught me! SPPS is already losing immigrant families to charter schools. Cutting educators who help their children succeed risks pushing even more families out of the Saint Paul Public Schools.”

Monica Byron, elementary teacher and president of Education Minnesota, condemned the mid-year firing of teachers. “What is happening right now in St. Paul is not normal. Laying off educators, after the year has already started, isn’t just highly unusual. It's unprecedented.”

Byron continued: “Our educators have welcomed students into their classrooms. They’ve built relationships. They've created safe, welcoming, learning environments. And now, just weeks into the school year, they're being told their jobs could disappear. Shame. That is not how we support our educators. And it's certainly not how we support our students. Our students deserve better.”

The rally moved into the school board meeting, where coordinated chanting forced the board to allow a hugely extended public comment section that lasted around five hours. The board moved unanimously to postpone the vote until the week of October 26 so that more engagement and other options can be explored.

Follow SPFE for action items and rally times to continue this fight.

#StPaulMN #MN #Labor #Teachers #SPFE #JobCuts

Minneapolis, MN – On October 17, the U.S. Out of Africa committee of Women Against Military Madness held its first protest at Mayday Plaza in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. The protest was part of the International Month of Action against AFRICOM, a month of actions focused on the withdrawal of U.S. military from Africa and bringing an end to U.S. involvement in African wars. AFRICOM is the U.S. military command that focuses on for Africa.

Protesters rallied in the predominantly East African neighborhood with signs that said, “Shut down AFRICOM” and “End U.S. drone strikes.” The neighborhood gave them a friendly response with honks and waves.

Lina Jebara, a member of the US Palestinian Community Network, spoke about the connection between U.S. imperialism in Africa and Israel’s genocide in Palestine and about how the Minneapolis Honeywell plan is contributing to these atrocities.

Jebara stated, “Today, we’re seeing the oppression of African countries subject to U.S. imperialist aggression converging and aligning with the oppression faced in the Middle East. The MQ-9 Reaper drone is yet another example that proves that the tools used by U.S. imperialism are one in the same, built and honed from centuries of plundering, colonizing and occupying nations.”

Honeywell makes the engines and navigational components for the MQ-9 Reaper drones used by Israel in its genocide of Gaza and by the U.S. in Somalia and Nigeria. Honeywell produces Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), a navigational component for the MQ-9 Reaper drones, at its navigation lab and production plant in northeast Minneapolis.

Protesters demanded an end to Trump’s racist war on Somalia. Trump has escalated U.S. air war in Somalia, increasing U.S. drone strikes and civilian casualties. Donald Trump has so far bombed Somalia 215 times in his second term as president and 434 times total. President Trump has bombed Somalia more than all the other presidents combined in the 20 years that the U.S. has been at war in Somalia.

Domestically, Trump is also engaged in a racist hate campaign against Somali people, and has called Somali people “garbage,” “low-IQ”, and “bad people,” and said that Somalia was “barely a country.” Trump has repeatedly attacked the Somali community in Minneapolis, using ICE during Operation Metro Surge to target Somali neighborhoods and most recently using ICE to raid Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s Washington DC house as part of the attempt to revoke her citizenship.

Speakers from Black Lives Matter Minnesota and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice highlighted the connections between the U.S. intervention in Africa and police militarization, racist police violence, and mass incarceration here in the U.S.

Alissa Washington, the founder of the Wrongfully Incarcerated & Over-sentenced Families Council-MN, talked about the importance of international solidarity, stating, “Our experiences are different, but they compel us to stand together. We want an end to the killing and exploitation of Black people, wherever it happens. If I want people to care about my family, I have a responsibility to care about families in Palestine, in Sudan, in Congo, in Somalia, and across the whole continent of Africa.”

The U.S. Out of Africa committee is a new committee in Women Against Military Madness. The organization calls for the abolition of AFRICOM, withdrawal of U.S. bases, and an end to U.S. drone strikes in Africa. The U.S. Out of Africa committee is working alongside the Minnesota Anti-War Committee on a campaign to stop Honeywell from producing weapon components in Minneapolis.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International #Africa #AFRICOM #WAMM #USPCN

Albert Lea, MN – Fourteen months. That is how long Eliud Jahdiel de la Luz Baéz, a 23-year-old Minnesotan, has been unjustly detained by ICE. On October 18, dozens of protesters organized a noise demonstration outside of the Freeborn County Detention Center to lift the spirits of the detained immigrants and demand the release of Eliud and the tens of thousands of other immigrant detainees from across the United States.

Organizers from the Minnesota Immigrants Movement (MIM) and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) condemned the targeted violence from ICE and the Trump administration against immigrants and community members. During the demonstration, Eliud’s mother shared her nightmarish experiences over the last 14 months, stating, “All I want is Eliud’s freedom.”

Over the phone, Eliud also reflected on his own experiences in ICE detainment. Coming to the U.S. as a baby, his life here is all that he knows. Despite having current legal status under Deferred Action, ICE wrongfully arrested Eliud with no due process and has kept him in detention for over a year and counting. Eliud’s story is not unique. In Minnesota alone, there are nearly four thousand immigrants currently in ICE detention.

MIRAC member Aizar Cabrera emphasized, “We are here to represent hundreds of thousands of people who cannot speak. Today, we advocate for those who have been terrorized by violence, for those who are humiliated by segregation, for those who still fear tomorrow. Know this, you are not alone!”

MIRAC continues to demand that Governor Tim Walz sign an executive order to declare Minnesota as a sanctuary state. If you are interested in our full demands and would like to sign our petition to urge Walz to listen to the will of his constituents, please visit: miracmn.com/current-campaigns.

#AlbertLeaMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIM #MIRAC #Eliud #TimWalz

Minneapolis, MN – Thursday, October 8, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota (SDS), and Women’s March MN Action Fund organized a rally and march starting at Van Cleve Park in Minneapolis to call attention to the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses and to demand justice for survivors.

Around 300 people gathered to hear organizers and community members speak on the prevalence of sexual assault against immigrant and Native American women, about their own experiences with their own sexual assault, and in support of Title IX. Speakers also condemned the actions of the Cornell 7, the entire Chi Phi fraternity, and Cornell’s administration, emphasizing that while the spotlight is currently on Cornell, they are the rule, not the exception.

Nationwide, one in four women (and one in 14 men) experience sexual violence while attending college.

MNAAC organizer Ashley Taylor-Gouge stated, “In 1989, the UMN campus abruptly shut down the sexual violence center on campus after publishing group-specific sexual assault statistics on campus.”

Taylor-Gouge continued, “The university president said fathers won't want to send their daughters here if they know these numbers.” Eventually, through militant actions like sit-ins and demonstrations, the students fought and won those services back, demonstrating how harshly victims are silenced and what lengths they must go to in order to fight for justice.

Jana Williams, the aunt of Allison Lussier, spoke about her niece’s death in 2024 at the hands of an abusive partner, as well as the inaction of the Minneapolis Police Department in both preventing her death and investigating it, a fate disproportionately common for indigenous women like Allison. Williams declared, “Our bodies are not public property, our bodies are not prizes, our bodies are not something a man gets to claim because he wants them. We are all human beings and we all deserve to be safe.”

Outside of the University’s Athletic Center, MNAAC organizer Envy Matisse told protesters “Back in 2016, ten Gopher football players participated in the gang rape of a female student on this campus. These players were suspended, but no criminal charges were ever brought against them. To make things even worse, the rest of the Gopher football team threatened to boycott one of their games to stand in solidarity with these rapists. The head coach at the time, Tracy Claeys, supported this boycott.”

The march route took protesters past several frat houses on the University of Minnesota’s Fraternity Row, while attendees shouted chants like “We believe survivors! The rapists are the liars!” and “Survivors united will never be defeated!” Instead of joining or chanting with the crowd, members of these houses retreated inside and closed their doors, further proving the necessity of the protest.

The Cornell investigation arises at the same time that the Trump administration is gutting the Title IX protections that are crucial for prosecuting discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual or gender identity. While the Trump administration has targeted transgender people in the name of protecting women, studies show that women’s safety is inextricably linked to the safety of trans people, and that improving the safety of trans and gender non-conforming college students reduces overall sexual violence on campus. Trans people are also more likely to face sexual violence than their cisgender peers and deserve the same protection and paths to justice.

“Freedom to provide or deny consent is an intrinsic part of bodily autonomy, and for too long sexual violence has been overlooked and tolerated—by colleges, governments, and society at large,” said MNAAC member Isabelle Wattenberg. “The bravery of survivors to bring their stories into the spotlight is powerful, and we owe it to them to expose, shame, prosecute and bring their perpetrators to justice.”

MNAAC is a reproductive justice organization that fights for reproductive and trans rights, including abortion access, bodily autonomy and gender-affirming care. SDS is growing the student movement at the University of Minnesota, from protesting for Palestine to fighting for a sanctuary campus. Women's March Minnesota fights for women’s liberation, and Thursday night’s action was part of a National Day of Action to stop sexual violence called by the national Women’s March organization, with over 150 actions across the U.S.

The organizers of the Minneapolis event called for perpetrators, who are almost always men, to face consequences commensurate to their crimes.

Beth Miller is a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC)

#MinneapolisMN #MN #WomensMovement #StudentMovement #Cornell7 #SexualViolence

Minneapolis, MN– On Saturday, October 10, hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis to join the Free Palestine Coalition (FPC) in marking three years of resistance to Israel’s genocide in Palestine.

Protesters demanded an end to the genocide and an end to U.S. aid to Israel. The crowd was energized by chants of “We will not stop; we will not rest! Boycott, sanctions and divest!” A choral group, Singing Resistance, led the crowd in resistance songs while the protest blocked an intersection downtown.

Meredith Aby, director of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), addressed the crowd, asking “How many of you feel like the news this week has gaslighted us? They claim there is a ‘ceasefire’. It’s not a ceasefire. It’s a genocide. Israel has killed a child in Gaza every 71 minutes for three years! Israeli attacks have killed over 1100 Palestinians in Gaza over the last year, with the total confirmed killed since October 2023 reaching over 74,000.”

Since al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, over 175,000 people have been injured, and 94% of health facilities and hospitals have been damaged. The impact of the attacks has meant nearly all of the schools in Gaza have been destroyed, leaving no real educational infrastructure. Israel continues to block access of most food, oil and medical supplies, committing genocide in more ways than just bombs and guns.

Nadiyah Salawdeh, co-chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network – Minnesota brought attention to the decades of attacks by the Israeli state, saying, “The Palestinian people have undergone genocide for nearly 80 years. Our villages have been ethnically cleansed. The Israeli settler-state has made Palestinians into permanent refugees and slaughtered them in their camps. They have been starved and jailed and denied basic medical access.”

The protest demands also called for an end to the war on Iran and Lebanon. Yossi Aharoni, member of the MN Anti-War Committee, told the crowd, “Palestine gives me hope. Yemen gives me hope. Lebanon gives me hope. Iran gives me hope.”

Aharoni continued, “Iran, a small, besieged country, cut off from the world, stood up to the United States and punched it right in the mouth and said, ‘No more!’ If Palestine can survive 78 years of unimaginable hardship; if Iran can stand up to the most powerful military force in the world, then who are we to give up?”

The protest was accompanied by many other protests throughout the Twin Cities earlier in the week, such as Students for a Democratic Society’s protest at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and WAMM’s protest at the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River, both on October 7.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #October7

Minneapolis, MN – Students, families and educators of Minneapolis Public Schools have been busy over the past month organizing the community to reject the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) district’s “Transformation Plan.”

The district’s plan, announced on September 15, would close around 15 of the district’s best schools starting in the 2027-2028 school year. In response, the educators represented by Minneapolis Federation of Educators, Local 59 (MFE 59) have been holding rallies and feedback sessions, and using every public forum they can, to raise their concerns with the plan and educate the community around the impacts the plan would have.

School workers like Dino Schipper state, “Each and every one of these schools are a unique community full of people who love them. I just started working at FAIR High School for the Arts, and already I’ve come to love the community there. It’s so special that we have an arts high school in Minneapolis, and shutting it down would be a huge loss. It serves as a safe haven for queer and neurodivergent students, and any students that have a hard time fitting in and feeling safe anywhere else.”

MFE 59 has been leading the fightback against these closures, with a presence at all five of the district’s feedback sessions and a large rally in the rain, September 15, outside of the Davis Center, where MPS is headquartered. MFE 59 member organizers handed out hundreds of “No school closures!” buttons to community members on their way to give negative feedback on the plan to the district. Rallies have also been held by Minneapolis Families for Public Schools, featuring speakers like school board candidates Shannon Gibney and Christin Crabtree and MFE 59 Teacher Chapter First Vice President Natasha Dockter.

News that Minneapolis school board directors Greta Callahan and Sharon El-Amin introduced a resolution to pause the closures made the crowd hopeful at the Roosevelt High School rally. The resolution goes further to call on the superintendent to perform a “comprehensive alternative plan to increase enrollment, strengthen academic and programmatic offerings, improve district stability, and identify options for the sustainable use of district facilities,” including pre-kindergarten and bilingual programs.

The resolution also calls for the district to refocus on enrollment and expansion instead of divestment, echoing the vision long held by MFE 59. Only 53% of Minneapolis kids are enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools, and the proposed closures would continue the trend of decreased enrollment in the district, driving families out of MPS. The resolution will be voted on Tuesday, October 13, and Director Callahan has indicated optimism that she has the votes to pass it.

Pickets at sites targeted for closure are still planned in the upcoming weeks, as well as continued email pressure and actions at school sites by MFE members.

In a statement, Minnesota Workers United voiced support for the educators: “MWU sees this as another step towards the defunding of every public service working families rely on. It’s an attack on the people of Minneapolis and an attack on the future of high-quality public education in Minneapolis, fitting right in with the current billionaire agenda to attack Minneapolis and public schools.”

Follow MFE 59 and Minneapolis Families for Public Schools for action items and rally times.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Labor #Teachers #PublicSchools #MFE59

Fight Back! News Service is circulating the following statement by the Twin Cities district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Today, Homeland Security Investigations raided the Washington, DC home of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The Trump administration claims this raid was to investigate “immigration fraud,” but it’s clear as day that this is nothing more than a racist, political attack by Trump against one of his most vocal critics in Congress. Rep. Omar has taken a stand against Trump’s mass deportation machine and his racist anti-immigrant agenda, and the White House wants to punish her for that. Last week, Trump also posted a racist tirade on his social media accounts, calling on Minnesotans to “fight back” against the state being “taken over by Somali immigrants,” and threatening to send in federal forces.

Let’s be clear: the people of Minnesota, who rose up by the hundreds of thousands this winter against ICE terror and the murders of innocent people, know who our real enemies are and how to fight back. The lines have been drawn, and we’re not going to let Trump spin lies to target the Somali community. It’s time to mobilize, hit the streets, and unite all who can be united to resist the Trump administration’s campaigns of anti-immigrant terror and political repression.

Hands off Ilhan Omar! Stand with Somali immigrants!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #IlhanOmar #UnitedStates #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #OppressedNationalities #Somali

Minneapolis, MN – To mark the third year since Israel initiated the Gaza genocide on October 7, 2023, organizers in the Twin Cities organized many protests to emphasize that, despite the alleged ceasefire and so-called “Gaza peace plan” announced in October 2025, daily massacres by Israeli forces continue.

The October 7 actions come ahead of a major protest march planned for Saturday, October 10 in downtown Minneapolis, planned by a large coalition of Palestine solidarity groups, under the banner of “Three years of genocide; three years of resistance.”

According to health officials, Israeli attacks have killed over 1100 Palestinians in Gaza over the last year, with the total confirmed killed since October 2023 reaching over 74,000.

The day started with a lunchtime protest at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in front of the student union, organized by campus chapters of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Students for Justice in Palestine, Educators for Justice in Palestine (EJP), and Young Democratic Socialists of America.

Emil Chu of SDS spoke to the crowd of over 100 students, saying, “October 7 ripped open the belly of the beast and gave people a look at the hypocrisy and injustice that was the lifeblood of this country. It awakened a great consciousness in many people for the first time that our country cares more about profiting off of a genocide than the well-being of its citizens.”

Chu continued, “When I first started organizing for Palestine, I was compelled to action by our country’s active participation in the greatest moral injustice of the 21st century. I was aghast that anyone could sit on the sidelines while a genocide was so obviously being perpetrated. Three years in, I’ve been arrested several times, gone to jail, lost job opportunities, and sacrificed personal relationships for Palestine, and I would do it all over again if I could, because I am moved, more than anything, by the spirit of the Palestinian people’s resilience in the face of immeasurable cruelty.”

Later that day, Women Against Military Madness dedicated its weekly End War Protest on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River to mark the third anniversary of October 7. Around 75 people came to line both sides of the Saint Paul side of the bridge for an hour and half.

Many speakers and chants focused on the need for people to take action to end U.S. funding and complicity with Israel’s genocide. Sima Shakhsari, an organizer with both of EJP and Let Iran Live, told the crowd, “The state of Minnesota must divest from companies that enable this genocide. In the Twin Cities, activists have achieved several victories that include stopping the contract with Skydio in Minneapolis; and Saint Paul is next.

“I have faith that we will divest, from Minnesota to the east coast and west coast and the south, until the U.S.-Israeli murderous regime is dismantled,” Shakhsari concluded.

Since last year’s anniversary protest, Israel and the United States have expanded the war to include more fronts, notably including Lebanon and Iran. Lina Jebara, a member of both the MN Anti War Committee and U.S. Palestinian Community Network, spoke to the crowd on how Israel has expanded its attacks on Lebanon.

“Since October 7, nearly 9000 Lebanese have been killed by U.S.-Israeli violence. Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have been ongoing and have only escalated since the war on Iran began, with nearly half of those 9000 martyrs being murdered this year,” Jebara said. “Israeli officials have not been subtle with their goals. They do not shy away from accusations of ethnic cleaning and have outright stated their intent to repeat the ‘Gaza model’ in Lebanon.”

The Free Palestine Coalition (FPC), a large collection of groups, is planning to hold its annual community march on Saturday, October 10 at 1 p.m., starting at Gateway Park at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Similar marches called by the FPC in October 2024 and 2025 drew thousands of participants eager to demonstrate mass solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle against occupation, apartheid and genocide.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #October7

Minneapolis, MN – On October 5, over 100 immigrant rights activists lined Lake Street in Minneapolis with signs demanding “ICE out!” and “Sanctuary state now!” Protesters chanted in support of immigrant rights as they lined a predominantly immigrant-owned business corridor of the city.

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and Asamblea de los Derechos Civiles called the rally in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s message on X stating that “ICE has initiated a nationwide public safety surge in sanctuary cities where our brave officers will be targeting criminal illegal aliens.”

The protest was met with supportive honks by passing cars and community members and families coming out of local businesses to join in on chants of “Aquí estamos! Y no nos vamos!”

Organizers condemned ICE violence and sent a message to the Trump administration that Minnesotans will always be ready to protect their immigrant neighbors and fight back against ICE. Speakers demanded immediate action from state leaders to protect Minnesota immigrants after the announcement of this looming surge.

A member of Asamblea de los Derechos Civiles responded to the looming attacks from DHS by calling on Minnesotans to stand up for immigrant rights. He said, “As people here in Minnesota and everyway here in the United States, we have to fight for the liberty of all!”

The Minnesota legislature failed to pass the North STAR Act in 2024, before Trump took office, and again (as the STAR Act) in 2025, after watching Minnesotans suffer the terror of the Metro Surge invasion. During Metro Surge, Governor Tim Walz did nothing to protect or support immigrants. These failures and inaction keep harming Minnesota immigrants. The only thing that became clear after Metro Surge is that state leaders will do nothing without immense pressure.

MIRAC has continued to pressure Governor Walz to take executive action and ensure that Minnesota is prepared for another onslaught of federal terror. Protesters called for to Walz issue a sanctuary state executive order that would ban 287(g) agreements and any type of collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE, keep ICE out of sensitive locations and off state property, outlaw secret police, and more.

Montana Hirsch, of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, said, “The path forward is clear: we need a sanctuary state for immigrants in Minnesota. Rather than allow DHS to use threats on sanctuary cities as a source of fear, we must fight harder than ever to adopt life-saving legislation to keep ICE out of Minnesota. We must make it clear today and always that Minnesotans will not back down from a fight.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIRAC #TimWalz

Minneapolis, MN – On the afternoon of Saturday, October 3, hundreds of community members rallied in downtown Minneapolis to demand justice for all victims of ICE violence and to drop the charges against anti-ICE protesters.

This action was endorsed by labor unions such as the MN AFL-CIO, SEIU local 26, MFE local 59, SPFE local 28, MNA, and MAPE, among others. This outpouring of support from the labor movement is of the spirit of class struggle in the Twin Cities, and that most of the Minnesota 15 are union members.

The Minnesota 15 are anti-ICE protesters who were arrested and had their homes raided in June of 2026. The federal indictment alleges that the 15 were involved in “conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer,” and other bogus charges. Despite public outrage in response to the repression of activists, the MN 15 and many others in the state are still facing charges related to community rapid response and constitutional observation practices they undertook during Operation Metro Surge.

There have not been major developments in the case of the MN 15 since their indictment. The indictees have all been limited in communicating with one another, making it difficult to use collective defense strategies often used by groups of people facing political repression at once.

As the rally prepared to march down the Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis Federation of Educators President Marcia Howard pointed out that the MN 15 are far from the only people who stood against ICE during Operation Metro Surge. Howard stated, “They could have got me. Did I stand up for my constitutional rights? Did I observe? Did I stand up for my neighbors? Yes I did and I would do it again.”

Other union and community leaders echoed the importance of solidarity between all people’s movements in the face of repression. Attendees of the protest expressed their intent to continue taking the streets to demand justice for all victims of ICE terror and political repression.

Updates about the case and actions in support of the Minnesota 15 can be found on Instagram @minnesota.15.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #MN15 #Labor #ImmigrantRights #AFLCIO #SEIU #MFE

Minneapolis, MN – The Twin Cities joined the Anti‑War Action Network’s National Day of Actions on October 3. The protest marked nine months of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being held by the U.S. in New York City. At the start of 2026, President Trump ordered the illegal invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores under the politically-motivated claim of “drug trafficking.” The protest was initiated by the MN Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness.

In front of the former Minneapolis 3rd Precinct police station, which was burned out during the George Floyd Uprising, up to 25 people filled up the sidewalks. People passing by the crowd were greeted by waves of colorful Venezuela, Cuba, Lebanon and Palestine flags waving in the wind at the intersection of Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street.

Activists held a big banner reading, “Free President Maduro and Cilia Flores. U.S. troops out of Venezuela.” People were chanting loudly, “Hands off Venezuela! Free Maduro! Free Cilia!”

Katrina Kozarek, a member of both the MN Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness addressed the crowd, “Since January 3r, we began gathering every month at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to denounce the U.S. acts of war against Venezuela and to demand the liberation of President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores.”

Between speakers, chants were loud: “When Venezuela is under attack what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Mixed in with the chants of were countless cars honking. It was electric.

“We want justice, you say how? Free Maduro, free him now!” “Trump wants blood, Trump wants oil! U.S. hands off foreign soil!”

Allison Gunderson, a member of WAMM’s Hands Off Latin America Committee (HOLA), was in Venezuela for three weeks before the illegal kidnapping: “I was able to see President Maduro and Flores speak. It was incredible to see everyone’s support for their leaders. They were walking amongst the people with little to no security and actually speaking and interacting with them. I just kept thinking wow, you’d never see Trump or another U.S. president do this. And it became crystal clear to me that the narrative that Maduro and Flores are dictators, they are drug criminals, and all the other lies spewed were just that – lies.”

Drake Myers, a Minneapolis Public Schools special education teacher, also went to Venezuela. He had drawn a comparison between the U.S. and the Bolivarian Revolution. “The Venezuelan people built a better society with successful social programs raising everyone up in Venezuela.” Myers continued, “but the U.S. government couldn’t stand to see these programs in Latin America, where the Monroe Doctrine says we’re supposed to keep the people down, keep them as peasants to serve U.S. imperialism.” He added, “So, we can see the grand plan here of the U.S. ruling class, the U.S. imperialist class, we can see a broader struggle over what kind of society we are going to have.” Myers asked the crowd, “Are we going to build a society around public goods? Schools, education, healthcare, and services that belong to all of us?” The whole crowd cheered.

When the rally came to a close, Vincent Connor, a member of HOLA, asked the people, “We have to keep showing up for Venezuela, for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, as long as our government has them in its crushing grip.”

Connor continued, “We know that each and every one of us has more in common with the people of Venezuela than we do with the politicians and billionaires who are profiting off of mass theft. That solidarity is what brings us out here today, and it’s what will keep us in the fight as long as it takes—because none of us are free until all of us are free.”

On November 17, there will be an appeals hearing in New York concerning the charges against Maduro and Flores.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #Venezuela #MNAWC #WAMM

Minneapolis, MN – Dozens of community members came out Sunday, October 4, to demand an end to the production of weapons components at the Minneapolis Honeywell facility. The protest was a response to a $30.8 million no-bid contract for the plant to produce 1890 guidance components for long-range guided missiles, and the official launch of the Anti-War Committee Minnesota’s new Disarm Honeywell campaign.

The components made at the Minneapolis Honeywell plant enable the U.S. and Israeli militaries to precisely target schools like the U.N.-run Al-Jawni School in Gaza, and the Minab school in Iran using bombs, drones and missiles.

Lina Jebara, an organizer with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network – Minnesota and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) told the crowd that Palestinians have found the remains of multiple Honeywell components at the sites of bombed homes and refugee camps, with the text “Mpls, MN” etched into the parts.

Liz Bolsoni, a member of Women Against Military Madness’ U.S. out of Africa Committee and the AWC stated, “Politicians always try to tell us they can’t do anything about what’s happening halfway across the world – we’re here to say that these atrocities aren’t simply happening, they are made possible by a company right here in our city.”

This isn’t the first time the Minneapolis Honeywell plant’s weapons production has led to protest. Sarah Martin, a member of Women Against Military Madness and a long-time activist in Minneapolis, recounted her involvement in the Honeywell Project, an organized movement in the 1970s and 1980s that responded to the production of cluster bombs and guidance systems for nuclear missiles. The Honeywell Project resulted in Honeywell moving its headquarters out of Minneapolis, but the plant remains open.

In the new Minneapolis Honeywell contract, the Department of War revealed that the Minneapolis factory represents a critical vulnerability, stating that having to move the production of these guided missile components to another site could cause almost four years of delay in the production of missiles that the U.S. government wants to use in the war on Iran.

Sana Wazwaz, representing American Muslims for Palestine – Minnesota reminded the crowd, “Because of our organizing, [the St. Paul city council] shut down a grant for Lockheed Martin with [a vote of] 6-0. Minnesota knows how to stand against weapons.” Wazwaz called on the Twin Cities to take this same energy to the Disarm Honeywell campaign to stop Honeywell’s manufacture of arms.

All the speakers agreed that stopping the production of these arms today will directly translate to saving people’s lives.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Honeywell #Palestine #BDS #WeaponsManufacturer