Minneapolis MN – On Sunday, July 13, over 100 community members rallied at Minneapolis’ Mayday Plaza to speak out against the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB), passed by Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump on July 4.

The BBB is set to bring about both the largest tax cut for the rich and largest addition to the federal deficit in many years. Alongside these giveaways to the wealthy, the BBB will also make historic cuts to, among other programs, SNAP and Medicaid, vital federal programs that millions of low income people rely on.

Protesters withstood the summer heat and humidity, as well as smoky air caused by Canadian wildfires to speak out about the BBB as an attack on the working class. The crowd waved signs calling for an end to deportations and genocide, while demanding increased spending on human needs such as employment, education and environmental justice. Cars passing by honked in support as the crowd chanted “We want jobs and education, not wars and deportation!”

The demonstration was organized by Minnesota Workers United (MWU), who decried the BBB as the latest in a series of attacks on working and oppressed peoples launched by the Trump administration.

MWU describes itself as “a group of rank-and-file union members, workers, and community members dedicated to building a fighting labor movement.” Speakers at the rally included several union workers and organizers, as well as activists from a variety of people’s movements.

Organizations speaking at the rally alongside MWU included the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Minnesota Labor for Palestine, Minnesota Anti-War Committee, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, and the Minnesota Library Workers’ Coalition. A worker from Planned Parenthood also spoke about how the BBB is an attack on reproductive rights and the need for the community and unions to fight back.

Luke Wiebolt, a member of MWU, said to the crowd, “I urge you to not give up or fall into escapism, but to instead join forces with your fellow workers, to join an organization, a union, and to build community amidst these attacks. We will fight back against the attacks on workers, on healthcare, on immigrants, on women and reproductive rights, and on the environment.”

The closing speech in the lineup was from Angel Smith-El, a longtime community activist and organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice. Smith-El highlighted how oppressed nationalities and the urban poor have faced attacks and challenges such as the most recent ones posed by the passage of the BBB and had stood up and fought back for their rights. Closing out her speech, she succinctly exclaimed, “Tax the rich, stop the cuts!”

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #Labor #Trump #BBB #MWU #MIRAC #MLP #MNAWC #TCC4J #MLWC

Minneapolis, MN – On May 10, Minnesota public sector workers, union members and activists attended the Labor Demands Divestment teach-in and panel at the Minneapolis Federation of Educators Local 59 office. The event was organized by Minnesota Labor for Palestine and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and was the first event organized by Minnesota Labor for Palestine, a grassroots coalition of union and non-union members based in working class solidarity with Palestine.

Over 45 members of public sector unions and local advocacy groups joined to learn about Divest MN, the state campaign to get the State Board of Investment to divest public employee pensions from genocide and apartheid.

The event started with a presentation by Minnesota Anti-War Committee members Lina Jabera and Brian Chval on specific Minnesota pension investments supporting genocide. These include investments in Israeli companies and government bonds, weapons manufacturers, and other companies enabling or profiting from Israel’s occupation, genocide and apartheid in Palestine. Many of the event attendees hold pension funds that are managed by the Minnesota State Board of Investment.

The presentation was followed by a panel of five union member activists who are leading efforts in their unions towards divestment. The panelists shared their experiences with how public employees in Minnesota are organizing to support divestment and building broad support for Palestinian liberation as a workers’ rights issue. They shared their unions’ efforts to educate and advocate around Palestinian solidarity, including efforts to push for resolutions for divestment in their unions, and growing organized labor groups fighting for international issues. This included sharing both successes and challenges faced in this process.

All speakers emphasized the connections between Palestinian liberation, workers’ rights, immigrant rights, and the rights of all people. AFSCME 3800 President Max Vast said that Palestine, “should be of central importance to working people everywhere. This is an issue that affects workers everywhere. We should care about it because we’re workers. We should care about it because we are people of conscience.”

Several educators noted the current cuts to special education and education while there is a growing budget for war, the role that teachers’ pensions play in furthering the traumatization and death of students in Palestine, and teachers' rights to stand with teachers and students in Palestine as huge issues affecting Minnesota teachers.

Another panelist, Kirby Crow of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, spoke to the political repression experienced by SEIU member Rümeysa Öztürk, who was targeted and abducted by ICE for speaking out in support for Palestinian liberation. “At one point she had to literally ask them, ‘Am I physically safe?’ She was afraid for her life. She didn’t know what was going on -the officer responded with, ‘We are not monsters. We do what the government tells us.’ I’m really grateful to be in this room with you because we recognize our own agency.” Political repression of all workers and immigrants speaking up for Palestine further supports the need for the working class to organize in protection of free speech and the safety of our communities.

There are many groups organizing on the national to local level within unions. The panelists mentioned the work of groups like Green 4 Falasteen, Twin Cities Purple Up for Palestine, Minnesota Workers United, Minnesota Educators for Palestine, the MAPE solidarity Caucus, and Minnesota Labor for Palestine. These groups have been powerful avenues for union members to connect and organize on issues of Palestinian solidarity and related attacks on workers' rights.

The panelists spoke on lessons they had learned organizing. This includes how they have addressed pushback to union resolutions that formally support and work towards the divestment of pension funds invested in human rights violations and genocide. Speakers emphasized the importance of holding educational events, setting timelines to carry out actions in proposed resolutions, and the strengths of pushing for resolutions along with local contract negotiations. Important efforts also included encouraging employees to become a member of your union and organizing to elect union leaders that are accountable to local workers.

Emma Fletcher of MAPE noted, “The reality set in quickly that the fight was not over -We’re dealing with a genocide. That’s urgent to us.”

Fletcher said the efforts that led to MAPE’s resolution supporting a ceasefire and divestment continue to build solidarity around the rights of workers and internationalist issues, “In broadening our scope and opportunity to raise consciousness of members around Palestine who were initially attracted to [the MAPE Solidarity Caucus] through the other work that we’re doing around pushing a stronger stance on Return to Office and getting involved in the contract campaign that’s happening.”

These union organizers made it clear that organized labor and the labor movement are vital spaces to organize for the liberation of all people, that union members deserve agency in this fight, and workers’ solidarity does not end at the doors to our workplaces.

Panelists highlighted some past successes of passing union resolutions in support of Palestinian liberation and divestment from the Israeli apartheid.

Holding our elected leaders accountable is at the forefront of these union efforts to push the State Board of Investment (SBI) to divest from apartheid and genocide. Despite past excuses of board members, Anti-War Committee member Lina Jabera noted, “The SBI has divested from corporations for ethical reasons. They’ve divested from Big Tobacco. They’ve divested from thermal coal. They’ve also taken a vote, at one point, on whether or not to continue investing in Israel bonds. They have divested from apartheid before.”

Attendees were encouraged to sign up to speak at the next SBI meeting to demand that their pensions be divested.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Labor #Palestine #MAPE #MWU #

St. Paul, MN — Over 7000 people took to the streets from the Minnesota State Capitol, May 1, to commemorate International Workers Day 2025. Attendees of the protest rallied and marched for over three hours in rainy weather to demand an end to attacks on immigrants and workers, to fight Trump’s billionaire agenda, and for legalization for all.

The event was organized by a coalition made up of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Minnesota Workers United (MWU), Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM), and Asamblea de Derechos Civiles (Asamblea). It was endorsed by over 50 local community organizations and unions, including the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Federation of Educators, SEIU local 26, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Indigenous Protectors Movement, Minnesota 8, and MN Anti-War Committee.

Beto Villanueva of MIRAC stated, “Immigrants are essential. We contribute to the economy. We help keep this country alive. And we’ve been doing it while being targeted more and paid less – while being disrespected and undervalued. The systems are built to divide us. They want workers to blame immigrants. They want to pit trans people and women against each other. They want poor folks to fight poorer folks. It’s all a game to divide us. But we see through that. We stand together.”

Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants CWA, AFL-CIO spoke to the long fight for workers’ rights. She said, “100 years ago workers didn’t have legal rights, they organized and built them through solidarity.” She also stated that we must stand together, “No one is born with racism, sexism or bigotry in their heart. These are the tactics from the boss to keep us from exercising our power and gaining our fair share.”

Rachel Dionne-Thunder of the Indigenous Protector Movement grounded protesters by saying, “Today is a reminder of the power of the people. These borders crossed us, we did not cross these borders. This country is built on an illusion of power, but the true power is with the people. Now is the time to say enough is enough!”

Marcia Howard of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers Local 59 spoke in strong support of immigrant students and colleagues. She urged listeners to stand up in solidarity, saying: “I need you to think about your neighbor. The immigrants we are talking about are your neighbors. They are your coworkers. They are your students’ classmates. I need you to pick a side and if you’re standing here, you better not be on the side of any billionaire.”

During the rainy march, the crowd was energized by a group of young people. The middle schoolers, who organized a walkout at their school, led chants like “No one is illegal, all power to the people!”

At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is rampant, the people of Minnesota stood up to send a clear message that they stand united in solidarity with workers and immigrants across the country.

#StPaulMN #MN #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MIRAC #AFACWA #MWU #MIM #Asamblea #MFE #SEIU

Speakers at the rally will include representatives of unions and organizations fighting for immigrant rights and racial and social justice. Among them will be Marcia Howard, president of the teacher chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT); State Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega; Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).

Jovita Morales, an organizer in the Minnesota Immigrant Movement, said, “May 1 has always been important, but this year it matters more than ever. While the wealthy try to strip away our rights – attacking unions, slashing healthcare and education, deporting our neighbors – we are standing together, stronger than ever. We will not accept their cruelty. We will fight for the future our families deserve.”

Sorcha Lona, an organizer with Minnesota Workers United and a rank-and-file member of Teamsters Local 638, commented on the Trump administration’s attacks on organized labor, saying, “All of us in the May 1st Coalition are ready to stand up and fight back against the mass firings of federal workers, the attempts to eliminate their unions, and the efforts from Donald Trump and Elon Musk to privatize the federal government, which includes vital programs like Medicaid, Social Security and public education.”

At a moment of intense attacks on immigrants and workers from the Trump/Musk administration and their corporate backers, the May Day protest is going to show that working-class Minnesotans won’t be divided by our jobs or where we were born in our fight for a better future for all of our families.

Marchers will stand against escalating attacks on immigrants around the country including attacks on immigrants here in Minnesota such ICE detaining immigrants at workplaces from Saint Louis Park to Duluth; the Department of Homeland Security revoking the visas of at least 11 international students at the University of Minnesota, ICE detaining a hospital employee at the hospital where he works in Marshall, as well as other unjust immigration enforcement operations around the state.

The May 1 protest was initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Movement, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, and Minnesota Workers United. It is co-sponsored by the following 50 organizations and unions: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFSCME Local 34, AFSCME 2822, AFSCME Local 3800, Anti-War Committee, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, Council on American Islamic Relations-MN, Climate Justice Committee, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Communications Workers of America Local 7250, East Phillips Neighborhood Institute, Families Against Military Madness, Filipinx for Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice, Free Palestine Coalition, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, IBEW 292, Indivisible Twin Cities, Indigenous Protector Movement, Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, MN8, Minnesota 50501, Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minnesota BDS Community, Minnesota Federation of Teachers Local 59, Minnesota Immigrant Movement, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Minnesota Workers United, Party for Socialism and Liberation – Twin Cities, Saint Paul Federation of Educators, Service Employees International Union Local 26, Students for a Democratic Society, Teamsters Local 638, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 663, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1189, UMN Graduate Labor Union-United Electric Local 1105, UNITE HERE Local 17, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Women Against Military Madness, Women’s March MN, Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council – MN.

#StPaulMN #MN #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay #MIRAC #MWU #AFSCME #AFACWA #MIM #ADC

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, December 8, the Minnesota Anti War Committee held their annual Human Rights Day action. 200 protesters gathered in Minneapolis’s Washburn Fair Oaks Park and marched down the busy Nicollet Avenue, shouting demands for human rights for all and calling on the Minnesota State Board of Investment to divest from apartheid Israel and weapons manufacturers.

Every year, Human Rights Day is celebrated internationally to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that protects the inalienable rights of every person. During this Human Rights Day, protesters connected different struggles, including healthcare and abortion access, immigrant rights, police abolition, climate justice, land back, and anti-imperialism, to call for an end to human rights abuses in the U.S. and those sponsored by the U.S. abroad.

Abdullah Muhammad, a member of the Minnesota chapter of American Muslims for Palestine said, “Our unity today underscores a profound truth, the struggles for justice are interconnected.”

This protest heard speeches from the Anti-War Committee, Health Care Workers 4 Palestine, Climate Justice Committee, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, American Muslims for Palestine, Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, and Minnesota Workers United.

Robyn Harbison, a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, stated, “Countries are not playgrounds, nations are not chess pieces, nations are the people.” Connecting abortion access to the broader fight for human rights, Harbison asserted the “commitment in demanding better for the working class, our trans family, undocumented sisters, and victims of police violence.” Harbison is an outspoken Palestine solidarity activist and is fighting felony charges for protesting for Palestine at the University of MN.

Nicholas Tolliver, a member of the Anti-War Committee, stated that imperial powers, “monopolize access to resources and secure global supply chains on a planet that is being suffocated by climate change and ecological collapse caused by capitalist production and resource extraction.”

In order to stop imperial violence and human rights abuses, Tolliver stated, “divestment is one of the most powerful tools that we, living here in the imperial core, have to fight against imperialist human rights violations.”

The Minnesota State Board of Investment, which controls and organizes public workers’ pensions and state investments funded by taxpayers, invests $5.4 billion in public assets belonging to entities complicit or profiting from the Israeli apartheid and genocide. They are holding their quarterly meeting this Tuesday, December 10, at 10 a.m. in the Department of Administration Building, where the Minnesota Free Palestine Coalition is planning to pack the room.

The MN Anti-War Committee Human Rights Day protest was also a part of the Anti-War Action Network’s call for a week of action.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiWarMovement #MNAWC #AMP #MinneapolisFederationofTeachers #HealthcareWorkersforPalestine #CJC #MAAC #MIRAC #MWU

Bloomington, MN – On September 14, 80 activists marched on the Bloomington General Dynamics facility to highlight the company's role in facilitating Israel's relentless attacks against occupied Palestine.

This event, organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, began with a rally at the intersection of Penn Avenue and 88th Street at the corner of the Penn Lake Library. Following 45 minutes of lively speeches and chants, demonstrators marched to the front of General Dynamics’ “Mission Systems” facility.

Michael Runyon, founder of Students for Palestine Normandale, explained why community members were calling attention to General Dynamics.

“[When] Israel began their genocide of Gaza, the CFO of General Dynamics told investors that the thing that stands out is the artillery side,” Runyon said. “In other words, if you want to make money, we can do it by killing men, women, and children. They are on track now to produce 100,000 artillery shells per month.”

Over the past eleven months, Israel has targeted Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure using a variety of arms made by General Dynamics, from the 155 mm artillery shells Runyon referenced in his speech to 2000 lb bunker buster bombs; from tanks to cybersecurity systems; from robotic combat vehicles to sophisticated guns.

General Dynamics, the world's fifth-largest weapons manufacturer, generates an estimated $38.5 billion in revenue per year. The corporation has spent decades furnishing the state of Israel with a range of munitions and equipment, but public scrutiny has increased since Israel's well-documented campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide commenced last October.

Sarah Martin, a longtime member of Women Against Military Madness, pointed out the complicity of the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) in enabling Israel’s many war crimes. “We Minnesotans don’t want over three billion dollars of our money flowing to death and destruction,” Martin said. “We need to divest, and we need to divest now!”

Martin was referring to an ongoing divestment campaign spearheaded by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), which aims to pressure the SBI to divest an estimated $4.3 billion of public money from entities that are actively or passively linked to Israel’s economy.

Neil Radford, a rank-and-file union member of MFT59 and a member of Minnesota Workers United, pointed out that over $30 million dollars of Minnesotan pensioners’ money gets siphoned toward General Dynamics alone.

Radford stated, “When Americans are willing to forgo any sense of morality in what their labor creates, or our collective responsibility to each other as human beings; when they see war as inevitable and an opportunity for investment and upward mobility; they will end up working for a company like General Dynamics and continuing a path to a hopeless future.”

Event emcee Naveen Borojerdi closed out the program with several robust chants and the cry, “We’ll be back!” to whoops and cheers from the assembled crowd. Attendees were encouraged to stay up-to-date on the AWC's continuing SBI divestment campaign by visiting divestmn.com.

#BloomingtonMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WeaponsIndustry #GeneralDynamics #MPAC #WAMM #MWU #AWC