Zeeland, MI – For the second year in a row, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids rallied outside of war profiteer Woodward FST to commemorate the anniversary of the Al Aqsa flood. Over 40 people chanted to the sounds of snares, claves and cymbals as surrounding factories marked their second shift change and employees filtered into the parking lot.

Before the action, PSGR learned that Woodward sent out an all staff memo claiming organizers were being paid to protest, and cautioning employees from speaking with anyone. In their speech to the crowd, FRSO member Anthony O'Hegarty said, “We aren't here at Woodward to shame people working at this job. Most people don't know that the work going on in here is in anyway connected to this genocide.”

Organizers attempted to pass along information to Woodward employees but were rebuffed, saying they were instructed to not take anything from the protesters. A small group of employees stayed to listen, nodding in agreement that Michigan factories shouldn't be part of killing children.

O'Hegarty urged employees to question their boss’s complicity in the genocide, to question their contracts with Boeing, and to ask why Woodward has tried to downplay their military involvement by removing information from their website.

West Michigan is home to many military contractors. Machine fragments bearing Woodwards' logo were found on the ground in Gaza in late 2023. While Woodward has facilities in other states, the Zeeland location serves as a unique testing facility. Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids hopes their presence will inspire workers to question the facilities contracts and to get organized.

While reading an emotional statement by one of PSGRs founding Palestinian members, organizer Mary McQuirter stated, “our fight is not only for our land, it is for the soul of humanity itself. You do not need to stand in Gaza to resist – you need only to stand in your place with conviction and with compassion.”

At the end of the day, the only ones who were paid to be at Woodward were the employees sacrificing their time and energy to line the pockets of billionaire war profiteers. The rest – they stood with conviction alone.

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