Activist and cycling group Philly Bike on Your Left called the protest in support of the ongoing boycott campaign Boycott CookNSolo, which targets restaurants owned by Zionist restaurateur, Michael Solomanov. Solomanov uses the profits and facilities of his restaurants, including Goldie, Dizengoff, Zahav, Laser Wolf, and others to fundraise money and support for pro-Israel lobbyists and groups. 

A few days before the action, Zionist forces caught wind of the event and ran to the corporate press to condemn it. Some city and state politicians including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, released statements condemning the action, without any evidence, as “antisemitic” or “anti-Jewish.”

Among other obvious falsehoods, many such statements echoed AIPAC language, pretending that the bike ride was being purposefully held on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, an infamous pogrom against German and Austrian Jews. The historical German hate crimes occurred on the night of November 9, 1938, while the bike ride was planned for November 8th during the middle of the day. Such statements intended to hide the anti-Zionist purpose of the event from the public and whip up counterprotesters to show up in force against an antisemitism that was nowhere to be found. 

At the invitation of Governor Shapiro and others, hundreds of hateful right-wing demonstrators flooded Philadelphia on the day of the bike ride protest. The right-wing counterprotesters were overwhelmingly older white people who waved Israeli flags, dropped thumb tacks, and called activists, passersby, and local restaurant workers racial slurs. They formed lines around the boycotted business and tried assaulting the bikers as they passed by. 

Meanwhile, the riders circled around the streets of Rittenhouse, stopping at lights to chant “Free, free Palestine!” 

Another Palestine solidarity ride is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 12PM.

#PhiladelphiaPA #Philadelphia #Palestine #AntiWarMovement

Cass Green of TNT highlighted the life of Walter Wallace and the impact he had on those around him, including his family, friends and other loved ones.

PAARPR member Olujimi Alade then spoke about Aaron Rainey and how his murder connects to Walter Wallace's. Olujimi finished his speech with a call for all members of the community to unite in order to fight for justice and to support the families.

Nikki Grant and Julia Lyon from TNT spoke to the necessity of alternatives to police interaction for people experiencing mental health crisis, such as mobile response teams. Tonya Kersey, the mother of Aaron Rainey, gave an impassioned plea for justice for her son and for District Attorney Larry Krasner to try the two police officers for murder. Her resiliency served as an inspiration for all who attended.

The vigil ended with Pastor Chris Kimminez from Healing Communities praying for the families off all victims of police crimes to find renewed strength and for the memory of all the victims to live on forever. The vigil is an important part of the joint campaign organized by PAARPR and TNT to get cops out of mental health.

R.I.P Walter Wallace Jr., Aaron Rainey, Victoria Lee, Jamir Cave, Joseph Smithers and all other victims of police crimes.

Justice for all victims of police crimes!

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #InJusticeSystem #PAARPR #NAARPR #KillerCops

Philadelphia, PA – Around 100 people gathered in Love Park on May 1, before joining a rally of thousands organized by the Philadelphia AFL-CIO at City Hall. Among these groups were Philadelphia Anti War (PAW), Philadelphia Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (PAARPR), Anakbayan, Marxist Education Group, Industrial Workers of the World, Workers World Party and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

At the rally, speakers condemned Trump’s actions, U.S. wars, ICE detention and the continued exploitation of workers. A brass band provided entertainment and volunteers offered pretzels and water to those standing in the sun along the crowded John F Kennedy Boulevard.

Around 6 p.m., demonstrators marched northwest, stopping at hotels and other businesses, where union groups demanded higher wages and improved working conditions.

Demonstrators with megaphones led constant chants during this contingent's march. Despite traffic and police flanking the roads, demonstrators showed their commitment to liberation movements with such chants as, “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido,” “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go,” “Luchando, creando poder popular,” “Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, brick by brick, wall by wall” and “La migra, la policia, la misma porquería.”

The revolutionary contingent left the march and went to the offices of Day and Zimmerman, the weapons company that produced the munitions that killed Palestinian child Hind Rajab. Members of these progressive groups stood firm as police gathered at either end of the crowd. There, a speaker denounced the imperial violence of U.S. military contractors. The contingent then rejoined the main march, which ended at 7 p.m.

May 1 is an international holiday. It is important that progressive and socialist movements build internationalism. Since the 19th century, the day has celebrated the working class. The day honors their fight against the capitalist systems and their desire to end the oppression of all peoples.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO

Philadelphia, PA – On Friday February 27, the Philadelphia Alliance against Racist and Political Repression held a movie showing to commemorate Black History Month. The movie, Judas and the Black Messiah, is about the iconic Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and William O’Neal, who the FBI used to infiltrate the Black Panther’s and helped the Chicago Police department kill Fred Hampton.

The event was held at the LavaSpace in West Philadelphia and was attended by dozens of people from the neighborhood who were interested not only in learning more about Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party, but in getting to know all about the Philadelphia Alliance against Racist and Political Repression (PAARPR), its campaigns and its mission.

PAARPR chair Musa Bey had conversations with many of the attendees about the work PAARPR is doing in Philadelphia and the families it is working with, including the families of Robert Jones, Aaron Rainey and Amanda Cahill.

The movie event began at 5 p.m. with a short speech made by PAARPR Co-Chair Olujimi Alade which delved into Fred Hampton as a revolutionary and his impact on the Black Panther Party and the struggle for socialism and liberation.

PAARPR was able to establish a connection with the neighborhood residents, which is a foundation in building a presence in the West Philadelphia area, an important section of the city where many people have either experienced police brutality or know a loved one who did. By holding similar events, PAARPR aims to advance its aim of fighting for the community control of the police.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #BlackHistoryMonth #NAARPR #PAARPR

Philadelphia, PA – On November 30, members of Anakbayan, the Filipino youth activist organization, hosted a fundraising gala. They were celebrating the five-year anniversary of their Philadelphia chapter.

Members and attendees gathered at the University of Pennsylvania’s campus to enjoy a program including a teach-in, music, drag performances and a competitive “Mx. Philly-pino” pageant. Funds went to Anakbayan and a relief fund for people displaced and devastated by the recent typhoons that hit the Philippines.

Since the founding of their chapter in 2020, Anakbayan Philadelphia has been tirelessly organizing and educating Filipino-American youth. They teach about general problems of Philippine society as a semi-colony of the United States. In addition, they explain the goals of the national democratic movement for complete independence of the Philippines. Anakbayan Philadelphia also leads the struggle against the particular repression that Filipino-Americans face as national minorities in the U.S.

One issue highlighted at the gala was the phenomenon of mass migration. Many Filipinos are forced to emigrate from their country. Most send a portion of their wages back home to their family due to the backwards economic and social conditions of the Philippines. A former colony of the U.S., the Philippines continues to be economically dominated by and nationally oppressed by the U.S.

Forced to leave their homes now for multiple generations, many Filipinos end up in the U.S. facing discrimination, low-wage jobs, and a broken immigration system. Especially sharp under the Trump administration are ICE and anti-immigrant attacks. The same Filipino-Americans forced to migrate to the U.S. by exploitation in the Philippines, are then punished in the U.S. for wanting to work.

In true contradiction to these harsh conditions, the gala was the perfect image of the Anakbayan’s warm comradery, clear militancy and genuine mass character. A plate of ube cookies baked by one of the members made the event feel especially welcoming.

The gala concluded with a satirical play, climaxing with the destruction of images of Philippine President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. and Vice-president Sara Duterte, both the objects of a recent wave of massive anti-corruption protests in the Philippines.

One refrain perfectly summed up the spirit of the night, its political clarity and optimism for the national democratic movement apparent, “The U.S. will never liberate the Filipino people! The Filipino people will be the ones to liberate themselves!”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #International #Philippines #Anakbayan

Philadelphia, PA – On Saturday, November 15, over 100 people gathered at City Hall to denounce the U.S. war moves towards Venezuela. Organized by anti-war and community groups, the event was part of a nationwide week of action responding to the recent U.S. military escalation, missile strikes on maritime vessels in the Caribbean and open calls by the Trump administration for regime change.

The demonstration began with a rally on the north side of City Hall, where speakers highlighted the connection between U.S. militarism abroad and the deepening attacks on working and oppressed people at home. After the speeches, the crowd marched down Market Street, chanting slogans like “U.S. out of Latin America!” and “No more sanctions, no more war!” before gathering again in front of the U.S. Army recruitment center for a second round of speeches.

A member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “We cannot allow Trump to make a grab for another country’s natural resources at the cost of human lives. Freedom Road Socialist Organization says ‘Hands off Venezuela,’ but we know this is about so much more than that. We want the U.S. out of everywhere. No more wars, sanctions or occupations.”

Other speakers drew parallels between the violence targeting Venezuela and the genocide against Palestinians, tying together U.S. support for Israel’s occupation and the broader project of U.S. imperialism. Organizers noted that the same politicians slashing SNAP benefits, raising healthcare costs and deploying ICE agents in mass raids are the ones funding the use of warships, missiles and sanctions abroad.

Represented organizations included Anakbayan, Black Alliance for Peace, Code Pink, Democratic Socialists of America, Free Congo, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Philadelphia Palestine Coalition, Koreans for Decolonization Penn, Juntos, Workers World Party, and Mobilization4Mumia, among others.

Speakers urged people in Philadelphia to stay engaged and to continue building a strong, disciplined anti-war movement capable of resisting U.S. intervention abroad and repression at home.

“People everywhere are fed up with the endless violence and evil that the United States continues to perpetrate all over the world,” said a member of FRSO, “Here in Philadelphia, we can help build and lead this movement, but we need to act quickly and decisively.”

Saturday’s demonstration made clear that growing numbers of people in the city reject U.S. aggression in Venezuela and demand an immediate end to all sanctions, occupations and military intervention.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela

Philadelphia, PA – On October 7, 300 protestors marched through Center City to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation which reasserted the global cause for Palestinian liberation and struck a massive blow against the Israeli occupation.

The protesters, mostly young students, marched a route intended to highlight different sites of struggle for the various campaigns being waged in Philly to disrupt Zionist normalization and U.S. military aid to Israel.

The protest started on 1500 Spring Garden Street, just outside the offices of the munitions manufacturing company Day & Zimmerman. The D&Z offices have become a well-known site of protest after Students for Justice in Palestine organized regular early-morning noise demonstrations for the past 17 Tuesdays and even a building occupation earlier this summer. Day & Zimmerman remains a powerful target in Philly, considering their responsibility in the death of six-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, as the 300 artillery shells fired at their car by the IDF were manufactured and sold by Day & Zimmerman.

The second stop along the route was directly outside the ICE field office in the heart of Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood. Chants of “ICE, KKK, IOF – they’re all the same!” and “Chinga la migra!” mingled with the hot October air. For all their audacity, no ICE agent showed their face outside the building.

Finally, the march concluded outside the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, a building which used to sport a large Israeli flag with the words “The Weitzman stands with Israel” inscribed underneath, until an activist splattered it with red paint earlier this summer. Fearing the obvious bloodied flag metaphor painted on the side of their building, the Weitzman has since opted to remove it.

A speaker for the Philadelphia Palestine Coalition oriented the crowd as to why the Weitzman should be targeted for their normalization of Zionism and genocide denial by reading aloud the words on their website, reading “[The Weitzman] strongly rejects the narrative that Israel and Zionism are colonialist enterprises, or that Israel is guilty of apartheid or genocide.” Apart from its CEO and executive director, Dan Tadmor, having served in the IDF’s infamous Unit 8200, Israel’s secretive cyber warfare unit, the Weitzman has also hosted numerous IDF members to spread Zionist, anti-Palestinian propaganda through speeches and presentations.

The march was organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition and included speakers and endorsers from Students for Justice in Palestine, Philly Alliance Against Imperialism, Workers World Party, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Philadelphia, PA – On August 26, upon learning that Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung would be speaking at Hanwha’s Philadelphia shipyard, anti-imperialist activists quickly mobilized to oppose the war-mongering, $5 billion investment into Philly shipbuilding. This investment is a condition of the recent trade deal brokered by Lee and Trump, who met the day before in Washington, DC.

The deal entailed the lowering of the U.S. tariff rate for South Korean goods from the proposed 25% down to 15% in exchange for a direct investment of $150 billion into the U.S. shipbuilding industry, a deal proposed by Lee as “MASGA” or “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.” $5 billion of that $150 billion will be spent on developing Hanwha’s shipbuilding venture in Philadelphia.

Hanwha, one of the Republic of Korea’s (ROK’s) largest shipbuilding corporations, acquired the failing Philadelphia shipyard in 2024 with the promise of providing 1700 jobs, training from south Korean experts and advanced shipbuilding technology. While initially meant as a site for repairing existing ships, Hanwha’s Philly Shipyard has expanded into the manufacture of new ships, and now, after the recent large investment from the ROK, will begin building warships for U.S. use.

This is within the context of the trilateral agreement between the U.S., ROK and Japan against China and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). Alarmed anti-imperialist activists oppose not only the escalation of naval shipbuilding in the U.S., but also President Lee Jae Myung’s hypocrisy of running on a platform sympathetic to Korean reunification, while cutting deals with the U.S. that would threaten the DPRK.

The organizers, representing an alliance of anti-imperialist organizations including Koreans for Decolonization, Anakbayan, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, staged themselves opposite to the entrance of the Hanwha Group-owned ship building site. They stood with placards reading “No war production in Philadelphia” and “Reject U.S.-Lee puppetry.” Amplified chants such as “From Baekdu to Hallasan – U.S. out of Korea” and “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air – U.S. out of everywhere!” soared over the flat, open air of the shipping yard. The rally’s presence was met with a mixed reaction from a group of Korean Americans who had gathered to greet Lee’s arrival.

An organizer from Koreans for Decolonization spoke out against the naval shipbuilding company, Hanwha, stating that “the heads of these companies are traitors, feeding themselves by escalating tensions and contributing to the U.S. war economy. They continue to be nothing but a happy pawn in the war that the U.S. wages against the world.” The organizer also spoke with members of the Korean press.

Another organizer, from Filipino youth group Anakbayan said, “The people of the Asia Pacific say no! No to subservience to empire. No to profiteering from imperialist war. No to U.S. military in our homelands. We stand shoulder to shoulder with all those resisting U.S. imperialism and fighting for self-determination for their people.”

Tensions were high as a large diplomatic bus lingered outside Hanwha’s main entrance. A few minutes later it drove away without disembarking and went through the back entrance instead, to the disappointment of the group gathered to greet Lee.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #AntiWarMovement #Korea #International

Philadelphia, PA – On the morning of Thursday, August 14, about a dozen members of the Philadelphia Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (PAARPR) held a press conference at the Philadelphia City Hall to demand justice for Aaron Rainey and shed light on his case.

Aaron Rainey, a 36-year-old Black man, was shot and killed in March of this year by Philadelphia police officers while experiencing a mental health crisis. The names of the officers involved have not been released.

Musa Bey, chair of PAARPR, stated, “It’s been almost six months with no answers. We’re here to demand accountability for his killers, and we’re here to demand community control of the police. The officers who shot and killed Aaron could be on the streets right now and we wouldn’t know – with community control, the people of Philadelphia would have a say in how their communities are policed.”

Aaron Rainey’s family members, including his wife and children, were also at the event. Tonya Kersey, Rainey’s mother, addressed the attendees: “Where is Mayor Cherelle Parker? Where is the police commissioner? Aaron was an incredible person who always helped others. My grandchildren won’t have their father at their prom, at graduation, when they go to college – this can’t keep happening.”

After the press conference, community members escorted the family down the block to District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office. The family was denied a meeting with Krasner by the front desk staff, who claimed he wasn’t in the building. A few PAARPR members who remained outside, however, reported that Krasner was seen leaving the building through a side door.

When this information reached those inside, shouts of “coward” and “shame!” echoed through the lobby. Chants such as “Justice for Aaron Rainey” and “No justice, no peace!” began. About eight police officers were brought into the lobby and more than 20 were stationed outside in response, all armed.

Staff then claimed that Jody Dodd, facilitator of the Restorative Justice Unit, would come down to speak to the family – she descended the escalator, and within sight of everyone in the lobby, also left through a side door.

Protesters became more angry. About 30 minutes of intense back and forth between the crowd and police passed, backgrounded by chanting. Finally, Krasner’s support staff appeared and agreed to meet with the family.

Rainey’s neighbor shouted, “That’s what happens when all of us show up here – we force them to listen!” to cheers from the crowd.

According to PAARPR’s Bey, who sat in on the meeting, the family was promised an appointment with the DA “within the next 30 to 45 days.” Whatever the date, PAARPR will be there in force to continue demanding justice for Aaron Rainey.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #NAARPR #PAARPR #Feature

Philadelphia, PA – On May 3, around 40 community members and activists came together to commemorate the half year anniversary of Robert Jones’ killing by Detective Christopher Sweeney. The rally took place at the south side of City Hall in the afternoon.

The rally was part of a National Day of Action, meant to put even more pressure on the Philadelphia Police Department and to propel the mission for greater accountability for police crimes. Seven months have passed, and no progress has been made to bring officer Christopher Sweeney to justice, despite numerous calls to do so from Robert Jones’ family and the Philadelphia Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (PAARPR). Philadelphia Police Chief Robert Bethel was publicly confronted about the case.

Speakers for the first portion of the rally included PAARPR Chair Musa Bey and Robert Jones’ Aunt Marcia, who spoke on the need to keep the memory of Robert Jones alive. As the day wore on, the crowd became bigger and bigger as more and more people were drawn to the message of justice.

Among the attendees were representatives from Students for Justice in Palestine, who identified with a shared desire to fight back against police repression, as they are currently being arrested and threatened for protesting the genocide in Gaza at Swarthmore University.

After the first round of speakers, the march began. One of the stops of the march was the district attorney’s office, where Amber Khan, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, delivered a compelling and direct message to DA Larry Krasner to live up to his promises to be tougher on police brutality.

Fired up by the speech, the crowd marched through Center City along Broad Street, chanting “Christopher Sweeney, lock him up” and “When killer cops are on patrol, what do we need? Community control.”

The crowd then arrived at the police headquarters where they held more speeches. A member of Democratic Socialists of America drew a connection between Robert Jones murder and the decades-long genocide and oppression of the Palestinian people.

As the march drew to a close, the attendees pledged to carry on the fight for Robert Jones, taking his Aunt Marcia’s words to heart, “Please keep fighting, not just for my nephew, though that’s the heaviest, but for everyone affected by officer-involved shootings.”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #PAARPR

Philadelphia PA – On April 18, an anti-abortion religious group called Mission Youth Philly planned to obstruct access to the Planned Parenthood at 12th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia’s gayborhood. In response, over 100 abortion rights activists and community members led by the Philly Abortion Rights Coalition gathered to prevent the anti-abortionists from intimidating patients accessing care and to show solidarity with the clinic-goers.

Mission Youth Philly is a Catholic organization that aims to involve mostly children and teenagers in public religious actions and other missionary work. They organize and lead a series of “missions” each year for the week leading up to Easter. The actions they performed on April 18 were for Good Friday. Their plan was to gather at the Planned Parenthood at 12th and Locust, to obstruct access to the clinic. Then, they would march to Rittenhouse Square to perform the stations of the cross and eventually regroup at the Philadelphia Women’s Center, a second clinic, to continue to harass patients accessing care.

Clinic defenders organized by the Philly Abortion Rights Coalition arrived with signs and banners highlighting the right to bodily autonomy for all, but especially women and LGBTQ people. Though a few people from Mission Youth Philly showed up at 8 a.m., the clinic defenders showed up earlier to prevent them from setting up directly in front of the clinic, forcing them across the street where they could not access clinic-goers.

Mission Youth Philly arrived with life-sized wooden crosses, flowers and various other symbolic props. Over 100 of them began gathering on the sidewalk opposite the clinic and its defenders but eventually crowded into the street to pray and sing as a group.In response, organizers from the Philly Abortion Rights Coalition formed a wall of bodies and led chants to drown them out such as, “Pro-life, that’s a lie. You don’t care if people die” and “Abortion is healthcare, healthcare is a human right.”

After several hours, Mission Youth Philly began the second phase of their “mission” and had their members march throughout Center City with large wooden crosses, a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus. Some anti-abortionists reconvened at the Philadelphia Women’s Center on Appletree Street, where more activists stood in defense of the clinic.

At the second clinic, an organizer from the Philly Abortion Rights Coalition initiated a speak-out and encouraged participants to share their personal experience with abortion and why the right to bodily autonomy was important to them. One participant shared that the lack of access to a medical abortion nearly cost her life and that those events have affected her fertility permanently. Another participant shared that even though they are trans-masculine, they have still needed to access abortion care.

The abortion rights activists successfully kept both clinics open and accessible for patients. Though the focus of the counter-protest was clinic defense, organizers, activists and passersby held broader conversations about bodily autonomy, child welfare, and access to healthcare, identifying the bigger enemy, not in fringe groups like Mission Youth Philly, but in the wealthy reactionaries in power who seek to strip away abortion rights for all.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #WomensMovement #Abortion #ReproductiveRights

Philadelphia, PA – Drawn into the streets by the Trump administration’s broad attack on women’s and LGBTQ s rights, nearly 1000 protesters marched through Center City for International Women’s Day on March 8. The march disrupted traffic along the busy shopping district of Rittenhouse Square.

Women and young children held the front of the march with hundreds of handmade signs advocating for abortion rights and equal pay. One woman paraded two cardboard cut-outs of Trump and Elon Musk wearing prison jumpsuits. Shoppers and restaurant-goers crowded the doors and windows to hear chants of “Fuck Trump – go birds!” and “Working women give ‘em hell; it is right to rebel!”

Pausing along the intersections, the speakers covered on a wide range of issues affecting women and LGBTQ people. “For years we have received meager concessions in the form of reformative legislation and temporary ideological change. For my whole life I have seen these ebb and flow, and at times be stripped away fully,” a Freedom Road Socialist Organization member told the crowd, “Time and theory have proven over and over that reform will never be enough. The only option is total revolution, changing our material conditions into a socialist mode of production!”

Koyuki Chen, a member of Refuse Fascism and an organizer of the 2023 IWD march in Philadelphia told the crowd, “In the name of humanity, we refuse to accept the punishing and cruel attacks on women. The overturning of Roe v. Wade put women and girls in medical jeopardy with horrendous mismanaged pregnancies and delayed care to preventable deaths. It was never about abortions but forced motherhood, control, and enslavement of women.”

Pausing at Rittenhouse Square Park for more speeches at sunset, an activist from the International Jewish Labor Bund led the crowd in chants.

Along the marching path, an officer of the Philadelphia Police Department pleaded with the protest leaders to remove the marchers from the street intersection, threatening to disperse the march otherwise. Despite the threat, the protesters began sitting down in the street to hear the remainder of the final speech of the evening, signifying to the police that they would not be moved.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization organized the march in collaboration with groups like Workers World Party, Anakbayan, Philly Pheminists, Democratic Socialists of America and more.

The organizers hope that the large number of attendees, many who did their first protest since the beginning of Trump’s first term, were able to leave the action with new perspectives on the role of monopoly capitalism in perpetuating gender oppression worldwide; that the struggle for the liberation of women is inseparable from the struggle for a socialist revolution.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

Philadelphia, PA – On Tuesday, February 18, dozens of Philly activists gathered outside city hall to rally against Rwanda’s escalation of the war against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The evening rally, organized by Free Congo Philly, included the support of groups like Drexel Palestine Coalition, Black Alliance for Peace, All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, the Philadelphia Alliance Against Imperialism, and others.

The mineral-rich Congo has been subject to U.S. and British-funded aggression and plunder at the hands of the Rwandan government, under the regime of current President Paul Kagame. Today, eastern Congo, a site of the country’s reserve of natural wealth in rare minerals such as gold, coltan and copper is still embroiled in violence from the aftermath of the Second Congo War (1998-2004), particularly at the hands of the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, who have led the most recent incursion into Congo. Starting with the capture of the key economic trading city of Mavisi on January 21, M23 has continued to take over Congo’s eastern region, capturing Goma, Bukavu, and more, leaving thousands of dead and displaced Congolese in their wake.

Uniting all the organizations were the demands for Rwanda to leave Congo, and an end to all military aid to Rwanda.

Chants of “Free, free Congo” and “Vive le Congo, vive Lumumba!” attracted the broad attention of those passing by as the crowd marched a circuit around city hall.

Musa Bey, representing the Philadelphia Alliance Against Imperialism, delivered a fiery speech, calling out the imperialist interests at the heart of the conflict, stating, “This is not just war, it is neocolonialism in its most brutal form. Rwanda has acted as a puppet of global powers that seek to keep Congo weak, divided, and bleeding. The same nations that preach democracy and human rights stand by while Rwanda commits crimes against humanity. The same corporations that profit from Congolese minerals turn a blind eye to the bodies buried beneath the mines.”

As of February 19, M23 forces continue to push deeper into Congolese territory, threatening to take Uvira, another city of strategic importance.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #International #Congo

Philadelphia, PA – On December 12, the family of roadside assistance worker Robert Jones, along with members of the Philadelphia Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (PAARPR), confronted Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel over his failure to fire and charge detective Christopher Sweeney for Jones’ murder.

Robert Jones was a 54-year-old roadside assistance worker and union sheet metal fabricator. He was shot October 3 by Sweeney, who was off duty as he approached Sweeney’s personal vehicle, which had stopped in the middle of the road.

Since killing Robert Jones, Sweeney has reportedly been put on “administrative duty” but has not been fired or charged as his family and PAARPR have demanded though their petition, marches, rallies, weekly community outreach, and in interviews with the media. The PPD’s alleged investigation has stretched out and, according to the family’s attorney, has released exceptionally and unjustly little information about its progress.

PAARPR and members of Robert Jones’ family attended the public meeting to bring their demands directly to Bethel, who is in charge of the PPD. Jones’ aunt, Marcia, stood up at the microphone facing a room of police, who averted their eyes, to say that nobody has offered her family any information as to why the investigation has been continually delayed by 30-day periods instead of leading to the arrest of Sweeney. Marcia detailed the physical toll the extreme grief of Robert’s loss is having on his mother, who has been hospitalized three times now since the loss of her son.

Bethel refused to comment and insisted that it is the district attorney’s duty to place charges, even as Sweeney continues to be employed by his office. In response, shouts of “Murderers” rang out, condemning Sweeney.

The inadequacy of the internal investigation conducted by the PPD is highlighted by the upcoming negotiation of a new contract between the police union and the city of Philadelphia. The city government has already established and hired civilian investigators tasked with conducting their own investigations into police misconduct, but this reform has been halted for years by contracts with the police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, that forbid civilian investigation. The Philadelphia city council has so far not even placed independent investigations on the terms sheet for the upcoming contract negotiation.

Across the city, community groups like PAARPR are demanding that the city does so to improve the transparency and fairness of investigations into police crimes.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PAARPR #PPD #RobertJones

Philadelphia, PA – On a chilly November 2 afternoon, nearly a month after off-duty homicide detective Christopher Sweeney shot and killed Robert Jones, activists and community members joined the friends and family of Jones at City Hall to demand justice and march on the Philadelphia Police Department headquarters.

A month before, on October 3, Robert Jones, a 54-year-old Black man and roadside assistance operator, stopped his car when he saw off-duty homicide detective Christopher Sweeney pull over in his personal vehicle and stop in the middle of a turning lane. Believing that the driver needed help, Jones, in his high-visibility vest, left his vehicle to check in on the stopped driver. As Jones approached unarmed, Sweeney, still seated, opened fire on Jones through the car window, hitting Jones at least four times. Jones died shortly after the paramedics arrived.

Since the murder, Christopher Sweeney has not been fired nor arrested, only placed on administrative leave as the Philadelphia Police Department “investigate” the incident. Images and information about Sweeney have been scrubbed from the internet. The Philadelphia news media, in the few articles published about the killing, initially misaligned Jones as a “car-jacker,” much to the anger and disbelief of Jones’ family.

The event included speakers from the Philadelphia Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Jews Against White Supremacy, as well as Robert Jones’ aunt, brother and other outraged friends and family members. All speakers were united in demanding the firing and arrest of killer cop Christopher Sweeney and for city officials to recognize and speak on the injustice.

After the speeches, the protesters took the streets to march up North Broad Street to the current location of the Philadelphia Police headquarters. Chants such as “Say his name: Robert Jones,” and “Cell blocks for killer cops,” garnered many sympathetic honks from the stopped traffic.

At the police headquarters, more family members took the mic and began addressing the police directly. “I don’t understand,” Derek Jones, Robert’s brother, said to the police just outside the building, “how y’all can sit out here and support a fucking murderer! We’re hurt, we’re mad, we’re fucking angry, we want answers! And y’all are sitting there – how can y’all sleep at night?”

As the sun began to set, Simon Miscenich of PAARPR delivered the final speech of the day, saying, “I need to tell you all to expect to be asked back out again. Because even if we get something we want from this system we will have to organize and fight because they will only give us what we fight to take and cannot give us what we need to end this cycle.”

Miscenich continued, “What we need, needs to be made ourselves, from the fighting people. We need to organize ourselves into a new way of life based in community control, real democracy for the people that really make up this society.”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #InjusticeSystem #NAARPR #PAARPR

Philadelphia PA – On October 16, over the objections of students, Temple University Beasley School of Law adopted anti-protest policies mandated by the American Bar Association. In the spring of 2024, the American Bar Association (ABA) adopted a mandate forcing all law schools to adopt policies designed to prevent the student protests that have taken place since October 7, 2023.

While the student movement has recently surged as a part of the broader pro-Palestine movement, law student protests that have raised concern from the ABA also include the pro-choice and LGBTQ rights activism following judicial attacks on women and LGBTQ people in the courts.

This encroachment on the right to protest is couched in language about protecting free speech and diversity of thought, with the ABA calling this new mandate a protection for the free speech rights of reactionaries who have been the target of student protests. The Bar Association mandate demands that law schools pass policies banning “disruption” and setting strict and indefinite acceptability standards.

For instance, Temple Law has changed its policy in order to keep accreditation away from a standard that only banned unreasonable disruption to one that bans “substantial” disruption and puts a blanket ban on students from acting contrary to orders given by administrators. Further rules have been adopted by Temple Law to comply with the new ABA rules about acceptable places for protest, including restricting protests at “common areas and public events.” Where before there were objective tests of the reasonableness of a disruptive protest and the appropriateness of the location and time, now the rule is against protest itself.

Supporters of Temple Law Students for Justice in Palestine wrote comments against the new policy. The Temple University Student Bar Association rejected the policy, returning it to the rule makers for review. Rule makers have refused to revise the new conduct code and like law schools around the country, Temple Law has adopted the ABA’s anti-free speech rules.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #Palestine #FreeSpeech

Philadelphia, PA – On September 26, the Philadelphia Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression members joined the UNITE HERE Local 274 picket line as Philadelphia stadium workers struggled for healthcare and a living wage.

The strikes were a culmination of negotiations which began in January of this year. Despite Aramark making over $18 billion in revenue last year, workers are still getting the shaft. At $14.11 an hour, the wages that Aramark food service employees earn are among the lowest in comparison to concession workers in other parts of the country.

Even though many UNITE HERE members are working 40 hours a week or more, none of them are receiving full time benefits including health insurance. The benefits and pay are so insufficient that workers are forced to moonlight to provide for their families. UNITE HERE 274 overwhelmingly rejected a July proposal from Aramark for a small wage increase, calling it a “slap in the face.” With no further progress after that proposal, Aramark workers from all three stadiums voted to strike.

Briheem Douglas, a leader with UNITE HERE, told the picket line, “What we are doing now for the first time is striking all three stadiums for a big raise that we deserve. Aramark thinks we can’t do it. But what has history shown us? We can stick together, we can do it!” The line cheered and chanted, “Can we do it? Yes we can! Beat Aramark? Yes we can!”

The September strike was preceded by several other strikes, and a protest on June 12 near Aramark headquarters in the Center City neighborhood. Police arrested picketers who spoke out against the low wages and lack of benefits. Among the protesters arrested was Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval.

Aramark stadium workers struck at all three Philadelphia stadiums for five days. The Philadelphia Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression members joined the picket line and passed out flyers asking football game attendees to support the boycott of concessions and merchandise at the stadiums called by UNITE HERE.

In a statement condemning police repression and supporting the Aramark workers’ campaign for a dignified life, the Philadelphia Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (PAARPR) stressed a win for UNITE HERE against Aramark would be a win against police repression.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #Labor #Strike #UNITEHERE #Aramark #NAARPR

Philadelphia, PA – On October 7, an energetic coalition of university students and community members gathered at Drexel Square Park in Philadelphia to commemorate one year of resistance against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The march attracted a sizable crowd of a couple hundred passionate participants, united in their call for justice and solidarity with the Palestinian people. As the group made its way towards the University of Pennsylvania’s “Pennovation Works” research facility, chants for liberation echoed through the streets, reinforcing the message that the struggle for Palestinian rights continues unabated.

At the forefront of the action was a collective condemnation of military technologies developed by educational institutions and used by the Zionist occupation, particularly those manufactured by Ghost Robotics, a company located at Pennovation Works. Founded in 2015 by Penn graduate students Avik De and Gavin Kenneally, Ghost Robotics has emerged as a leading supplier of four-legged robot “dogs” outfitted with lethal weapons known as the Vision 60 units, which have been sold to the IDF and deployed in Gaza. 

After a two-mile march from Drexel’s campus, students and community members blocked the gates of the complex. Students from various local universities spoke about the urgency of dismantling systems of oppression, calling for accountability from institutions that profit from the suffering of Palestinians. As the march concluded, the community's energy was palpable, reinforcing that the fight for a free Palestine will continue.

The newly-formed Philadelphia Students for Justice in Palestine Coalition organized the event, which was supported by many local organizations, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#PhiladelphiaPA #Drexel #SJP #FreePalestine

Philadelphia, PA – Dozens of people confronted Philadelphia Department of Prisons Commissioner Michael Resnick on September 17 about the deaths of Amanda Cahill and Michael McKinnis, who died in jail the week before. The protest, at the Parkway Central Free Library, was led by community organizations and members of the family of Amanda Cahill to demand an end to mass incarceration and the criminalization of houselessness in Philadelphia.

Commissioner Resnick was just about to speak at a panel on mass incarceration when protesters disrupted the proceedings with chants and pointed to his share of guilt for the deaths of people in his custody.

Kayden Hujak, Amanda Cahill’s cousin, pointed out that the family holds the commissioner, the correction officers, and the nurse responsible for Cahill’s death but “number one, I think, we have to point to Mayor Cherelle Parker for this because of the police sweeps she is having done in Kensington. If it were not for the sweeps, I believe she would still be here.”

Mayor Parker’s police sweeps target unhoused people as part of her war on the poor. As for the conditions within the jail, Cahill’s fellow inmates banged on the doors and yelled for hours through the night in an attempt to get her medical attention. Despite the jail announcing that it was prepared to accept those arrested in the sweep, staff provided clearly inadequate care to protect the life of Amanda Cahill.

“I know how to take care of people that use substances and going through withdrawal and what they were doing in that prison was definitely going to get people hurt,” said Hujak. Michael McKinnis, a 61-year-old Black man, was the fifth person to die in a Philadelphia jail this year.

“I want to connect with other families this has happened to and I want to protest and continue this,” said Hujak. Amanda’s family is calling on those able to join them on Thursday, September 25 at city hall in supporting a Philadelphia city council resolution condemning the Supreme Court's decision to allow civil and criminal penalties for houselessness. Amanda is named in a section of the resolution and public comment in support is encouraged.

Organizations that participated in the protest included the Community Action Relief Project (CAARP), PSL Philly, Workers World Party, and Abolitionist Law Center.

#PhiladelphiaPA #InJusticeSystem #CommunityActionReliefProject #PSL #WWP #AbolitionistLawCenter

Philadelphia, PA – On the evening of September 10, The Philadelphia Palestine Coalition led a march of 750 community members and activists through the streets of Center City to protest at the National Constitution Center, the venue of the first Harris-Trump debate.

United in their anger at the two candidates, protestors marched for over three hours, covering 18 city blocks to make their message clear: when it comes to the genocide in Gaza, both the Democrats and Republicans are united.

The people, illuminated by the light of digital campaign ads along Market Street, chanted “Biden, Harris, Trump and Bibi – you’re not welcome in our city!” and “From Philly to Palestine – occupation is a crime!” to effectively drown out the antagonisms of the Zionist counter-protesters from both the Trump and Harris camps.

Nina Macapinlac, a member of BAYAN USA, spoke on behalf of the Philadelphia Alliance Against Imperialism, denouncing both political parties as pro-imperialist, citing their unity in not only promising unconditional aid to Israel, but also in matters such as immigration and political repression.

Macapinlac explained, “Let us not forget that Biden and Harris continued on the immigration policies of Trump and built the wall. Let us not forget that Trump and the Biden-Harris admin both criminalized people who are fighting for a better world, especially the left. Look at all the ‘cop cities’ that are being built in this country! Therefore, we have no illusions whether or not we should choose Kamala Harris or Donald Trump – we reject both!”

Macapinlac told the crowd, “We recognize, even here locally, our struggles are connected from Philadelphia to Palestine, to the Philippines, to Korea, to Puerto Rico, to Haiti and everywhere else. It is connected because we have a common enemy in U.S. imperialism, and the top representatives of U.S. imperialism,” now pointing in the direction of the debate itself, “are right down the fucking street!”

After police barricades gave way to the strength of the march, the protesters arrived at an intersection a block away from the venue, where chanting continued. Flanked on all sides by a growing presence of Philadelphia police officers, the organizers finally made the decision to disperse, having successfully marched within sight and sound of the debate.

The march was organized by the Philadelphia Palestine Coalition and included speakers and contingents from Temple Students for Justice in Palestine, Philly Democratic Socialists of America, and the Philadelphia Alliance Against Imperialism, a coalition of anti-imperialist organizations including Anakbayan Philly, Korea Peace Now, Workers World Party, Black Alliance for Peace, Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Philadelphia and others.

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine