Saint Paul, MN – On Feb. 10 the Executive Board of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers voted unanimously to call a strike vote for their members on Feb. 24. This comes after almost nine months of contract negotiations in which teachers have put forward bold proposals to defend and improve public education in Saint Paul, which have garnered the support of parents and community members but drawn negative responses from School District officials.
Saint Paul, MN – Activists from the anti-war and the Palestine solidarity movement gathered here, Jan. 24 to demand the release of all Palestinian political prisoners and an end to Palestinian Authority (PA) security cooperation with Israeli occupation forces. The group rallied for an hour in the midst of a snowstorm. The vigil was held in response to a call from the Campaign to Free Ahmed Sa’adat for Freedom Weeks to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Sa’adat’s abduction by PA forces.
St. Paul, MN – Organized by the Welfare Rights Committee, low-income people gathered in front of Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion, Dec 18, to demand the state budget surplus be used to meet the needs of the poor and for an increase in the welfare grants. Protesters did a spoken word version of the song Twelve Days of Christmas, called Twelve Days of Poverty. Building on the Christmas theme of the event, they threw brightly colored packages adorned with slogans over the mansion fence.
St. Paul, MN – Black Friday protests are happening across the country today. Around 500 people took to the streets at the Midway Shopping Center here, Nov. 29, chanting, “Poverty wages have to go!”
U.S. attorney office cites ‘ongoing investigation’
St. Paul, MN – Two prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists, Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly, were in federal court here, Nov. 1, in a bid to pull back the curtain of government secrecy that surrounds the FBI raids on their homes on Sept. 24, 2010. In the hearing presided over by Judge Steven E. Rau, Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, made a passionate argument for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for the FBI raids.
St. Paul, MN – Two Minneapolis anti-war and international solidarity activists will be in federal court, Nov. 1, to demand an end to the government secrecy surrounding their case. Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly are two of the 23 Midwest activists targeted by an investigation that included two years of spying by undercover agents, Sept. 2010 raids of homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago by the FBI, and a secret Chicago grand jury.
Saint Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) ‘huddled’ in front of Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion Sept. 25. After a rally and speeches, low-income people hurled footballs over the locked fence. Written on streamers attached to the footballs were messages such as, “Help poor kids, not millionaires,” and “Raise the grants now!” Before they left, the protesters taped signs to the outside of the fence to hammer home the message.
Saint Paul, MN – Más de 75 personas se unieron para decir “Pemex no se vende!” en una protesta aquí el 24 de agosto afuera del consulado mexicano y denunciaron la estratagema del presidente mexicano Enrique Peña Nieto para privatizar la compañía estatal de petróleo, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). La protesta fue organizada por la sección en Minnesota de la organización mexicana MORENA (Movimiento Regeneración Nacional). MORENA está encabezando un movimiento en México y en el resto del mundo para parar la privatización de Pemex. La protesta contó con la participación de varios oradores y del grupo de danza azteca Kalpulli Ketzalcoatlicue. Los manifestantes exigieron que un oficial del consulado saliera para recibir su carta y firmas en contra de la privatización de Pemex. No fue posible ignorar la protesta y un oficial salió para hablar con los manifestantes, comprometiéndose a compartir las demandas con sus superiores.
Saint Paul, MN – More than 75 people came together to say “Pemex is not for sale!” at a protest outside the Mexican consulate here on Aug. 24. They denounced Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s scheme to privatize the Mexican state-owned oil company, Pemex (Petróleos Mexicanos).
Saint Paul, MN – More than 240 members of Workers United Local 150 walked off the job from Health Systems Cooperative Laundries, August 5, forming picket lines at the plant entrances in a strike over unfair labor practices, which include the company’s unilateral discontinuation of sick-day benefits.
