News and Views from the People's Struggle
Hollywood, CA — A protest of 60 people gathered, March 10, near the Oscars to disrupt, chanting, “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!”
By Kobi Guillory and Shabbir Rizvi
Chicago, IL – On Friday morning, March 8, House of Blues Chicago announced that the concert of Zionist musician Matisyahu, scheduled for that night, was canceled. The last minute cancellation came after weeks of pressure from the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), the Anti War Committee – Chicago, Students for a Democratic Society, and members of the Chicago Black and brown coalition for Palestine.
Anaheim, CA – “You join the heroes who stood up and said, ‘War? Not in our name! Death? Not in our name! Money toward genocide? Not in our name!’” declared Kareem Youssef, member of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), to a crowd of over 20 protesters in front of a Super King Market on March 3.
The action was part of the larger “Boycott Sadaf” campaign, whose goal is to remove Sadaf Food products from grocery stores. Sadaf Foods is a Zionist company that sources its products in occupied Palestine and tries to normalize the state of Israel.
Activists took the parking lot chanting, “Super King, hear our voice! Zionist food is not a choice!” and “Not another nickel, not another dime! No more money for Israel’s crimes!”
They were confronted by security guards who tried to intimidate them into moving out of the parking lot, but Youssef and others asserted their right to protest Super King market for shelving Sadaf Food products. As seven police SUVs and one motorcycle officer poured into the lot, another organizer from USPCN said he had spoken with the manager of Super King before staging this action, and the manager sent him to customer service. “How ridiculous! They want us to go through a bureaucracy when we tell them to stop funding genocide, when we tell them that you’re profiting off of the stolen food while our people are starving in Gaza, while children are starving! And instead, they call the cops on us. Shame on Super King! Shame on Sadaf! Boycott Sadaf!”
Diana Terreros, member of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated that “CSO stands in unequivocal solidarity with the Palestinian resistance against the occupation of Israel, who is committing a genocide and has been dispossessing Palestinians for 75 years.” She also spoke on the recent victory of the Boycott Sadaf campaign in Garden Grove, where an action forced Harvest Fresh market to deshelve its Sadaf products just 30 minutes into the rally. Terreros stated, “We will keep fighting against these Zionist corporations! Our struggles as Chicanos and Palestinians may be different, but we are united against the common enemy of U.S. imperialism, and together we can win.”
Even as the police tried to violate protesters’ First Amendment rights, activists urged customers to boycott Super King until the manager made a contractual agreement to deshelve its Sadaf Food products. Some customers even joined the ranks of activists, taking up signs and shouting back at police and security. The police were forced to stand and watch.
Palestinian flags waved in the lot as Youssef closed the boycott action by warning, “We will be checking on different stores seeking Sadaf across Southern California until every single one of these Southern California stores removes Sadaf Foods from their shelves! Because this is what we can do to make an impact and to address Zionism ourselves, and show them that people power, just us, is enough to cost Sadaf millions!”
The boycott was organized by USPCN, and it included activists from Free Democratic Movement for Palestine, Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, the Palestinian American Women’s Association, Community Service Organization Orange County, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).
#AnaheimCA #International #AntiWarMovement #MiddleEast #Palestine #BDS #USPCN #AlAwda #PAWA #CSOOC #FRSO
Los Angeles, CA – In a display of international solidarity, thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Los Angeles, March 1, joining millions across the globe in support of the Palestinian liberation to demand an end to Israeli attacks on Rafah.
The protesters rallied and then marched from LA City Hall through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, disrupting traffic and chanting along the way, “Free, free Palestine!” This ongoing mobilization of the working masses of Southern California is dedicated to the cause of justice and solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.
Chicago, IL – “Even if there's a ceasefire tomorrow, we must not stop the pressure because Palestine is not free yet,” stated Husam Marajda, a co-chair of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) addressing a crowd of over 7500 people in Federal Plaza on Saturday afternoon, March 2.
It was the 25th protest organized by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine since the beginning of the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza after the Palestinian resistance launched operation Al Aqsa Flood.
New Orleans, LA – On February 18, thousands of protesters from across the Gulf South and beyond gathered at 11:30 a.m. in New Orleans’ historic Congo Square. The crowd gathered to rally and then march in support of the Palestinian people and in resistance to the United States’ continued bankrolling of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Seattle, WA – A crowd gathered around Seattle's World Trade Center for a February 9 protest against the U.S.-backed genocide in Palestine.
Chants of “Not another nickel! Not another dime! No more money for Israel's crimes!” could be heard not only from and within the building, but for blocks around. The protest called attention to the continued support of Israel's genocidal campaign by the U.S.
Milwaukee, WI – On Friday, February 9, students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee staged a sit-in at the UWM administrative building, Chapman Hall.
Led by Students for a Democratic Society, the event began with a rally in front of the Zionist-named Golda Meir Library, followed by a march to Chapman Hall, where students entered the building and occupied it for six hours.
Green Bay, WI – On February 10, four months into the Zionist occupation’s genocidal assault on Gaza, dedicated activists braved the wintry cold and wind to demand an end to U.S. aggression in the Middle East.
The mood was energetic yet somber as people shared their personal stories about how Israeli-trained forces and American weapons have destroyed families and lives around the world, from occupied Palestine to Guatemala to here in the US.
Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, February 10, hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors gathered across the lawn from the White House in Lafayette Square.
The action, hosted by the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DC Alliance) alongside Palestinian Youth Movement, was held for the National Week of Action in solidarity with Palestine.
Their demands included an end to U.S. aid to Israel and bombing the Middle East, an end to the political repression of Palestinian organizers, “Hands off Yemen,” and community control of the police.
Denver, CO – On February 6, the Denver Students for a Democratic society hosted a Teach-In Against Genocide in the North Building on the Denver Auraria campus. Students asked questions, and heard the perspective of Dr. Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi, a Palestinian American born and raised in Nablus, who graciously called in remotely to speak about her academic and lived experiences as they relate to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the history of Palestine, and other fights against injustice across the world.
Brooklyn, NY – A dozen people gathered at Barclays Center on a dreary Sunday afternoon of February 11 to protest the New York Police Department and stand in solidarity with Palestine.
Tampa, FL – On Monday, February 5, around 35 students gathered in front of the University of South Florida’s Marshall Student Center to participate in a protest held by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) for the National Week of Action in solidarity with Palestine.
New Orleans, LA – On February 7, New Orleanian activists held a banner drop over a busy Interstate 10. The massive banner read “End U.S. aid to Israel”.
The organizations involved were Students for Democratic Society chapters from Loyola, Tulane and the University of New Orleans, along with New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).
Chicago, IL – Organizers with the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention held a press conference outside City Hall on Tuesday morning to speak out against the denial of their permit applications. The Chicago Department of Transportation gave the coalition an alternate route four miles away from where the DNC is scheduled to happen.
Los Angeles, CA – Hundreds of spirited demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles on February 4 to send a clear message that business will not go on as usual while Israel continues to savagely attack Gaza and the West Bank.
Multiple organizations, including Palestinian Youth Movement and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), organized and led the march in a successful effort to disrupt the Grammys, which were being held at the nearby Crypto Arena. The demonstrators were full of energy as they chanted “Israel, Israel go to hell!” and “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!”
The U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) call for a week of action against the U.S./Israeli genocide in Gaza from February 5 to 11.
The call for the week of actions comes at a time when President Biden states the U.S. is going to step up its military intervention in the Middle East.
Chicago, IL – The Palestinian community and their movement allies won an historic vote January 31. With 500 protesters crowded into City Hall, the Chicago city council passed a ceasefire resolution, becoming the largest city in the country to have done so.
The vote was extremely close: 24 to 23. In fact, the vote among council members ended in a tie – 23 to 23. Mayor Brandon Johnson broke the tie. He forecast his courageous action after last week’s city council meeting when he said to the press, referring to the genocide in Gaza, “The killing has to stop. So, yes, we need a ceasefire,” Johnson said.
Chicago, IL – Over 300 supporters of the movements for Black and Palestinian liberation showed up to the Wednesday, January 24, Chicago city council meeting.
Organizers spoke in favor of a resolution put forth by Rossana Rodríguez Sanchez and Daniel La Spata calling for a ceasefire in Palestine, and against a Fraternal Order of Police-backed decision to send even the most severe cases of police misconduct to arbitration where they could be handled with no public oversight.
Chicago, IL – On Thursday, January 18, nearly 150 students rallied and marched at the University of Illinois at Chicago as part of Students for a Democratic Society’s national day of action against the U.S. bombing of Yemen and in solidarity with the resistance in Palestine.