News and Views from the People's Struggle
Minneapolis, MN – On December 23 holiday shoppers were greeted by pro-Palestine banners displayed by protesters at metro-area malls, including the Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka and Rosedale Center in Roseville, as well as the Mall of America parking ramp that overlooks Highway 77 in Bloomington.
Bloomington, MN – National calls were made for protests and boycott actions on Black Friday, the largest shopping day of the year, to draw attention to Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza. At the Mall of America in Bloomington, the largest mall in the United States, protesters dropped multiple banners on November 24 in solidarity with Palestine.
Tallahassee, FL – On November 10, approximately 30 students at Florida State University attended FSU’s Board of Trustees meeting to demand the university divest from Israel. The students were organized by the Florida state chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (FSU SDS).
St. Paul, MN – On October 12, the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition rallied at the site of a new ForwardEdge ASIC LLC office. ForwardEdge is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, the world’s largest defense contractor. Amid the horrific Israeli bombing of Gaza, around 150 protesters gathered in a show of solidarity with Palestine and to demand “No Minnesota money for weapons manufacturers.”
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, October 3, more than 20 people gathered outside the office of Minnesota State Senator Amy Klobuchar to demand an end to U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine. The event was a response to a national call by the Peace in Ukraine Coalition and the United National Antiwar Coalition for activists all across the country to unite in demanding an end to U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine and U.S. Interference in negotiations.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC) held a rally on Sunday, October 1, in response to a call from the United National Antiwar Coalition to condemn the funding the U.S. continues to provide to pursue their policy of an endless war in Ukraine. The rally took part in a coordinated week of action called for by UNAC on the war in Ukraine held in many cities. Chants like “Biggest threat in the world today? NATO and the USA!” rang out as passersby honked in support.
The event began with emphasis on recent history in Ukraine, starting in 2014 with the U.S.-backed coup. As Western media continues to frame the war as an irrational attack by Russia on an innocent and peaceful Ukraine, MAC continues to stress that this is an inter-imperialist war between the U.S. and Russia, orchestrated and set off by the insatiable greed for power and resources of the U.S.
Stephanie Splatin of MAC spoke of the years of shelling of ethnic Russians living in eastern Ukraine leading up to the war, conveniently ignored in the mainstream narrative of the war. The weapons used then and now are supplied by the U.S. and swiftly end up in the hands of right-wing extremist groups so often used to further U.S. interests at the expense of innocent lives.
“Neither U.S. weapons nor U.S. sanctions have had their intended effect against Russia. No longer able to impose its will through brute force, declining U.S. imperialism foments instability and proxy conflicts, which it attempts to steer toward its interests” said Ryan Hamann of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), who spoke at the event. “The U.S. is trying to use the war in Ukraine to destabilize Russia, while bringing Ukraine into the orbit of U.S. monopoly capital. This means prolonging the war for as long as possible, no matter the human cost.”
The Milwaukee Anti-War Committee and United National Antiwar Committee (UNAC) plan to continue to hold events in the future protesting the U.S. and NATO involvement in Ukraine, and offering a principled analysis of the war instead of the constant pro-war and pro-Ukraine views parroted by western media.
No to NATO! No to war!
Milwaukee, WI – On August 26, organizers with the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) and their supporters, numbering around 20 in total, gathered in downtown Milwaukee to protest the threats of the U.S. government at intervening in the internal politics of the west African country of Niger.
New Orleans, LA- On August 12, New Orleans students and their supporters demonstrated during a 120-degree heat index against the potential U.S. intervention in the West African country of Niger. They gathered on the University of New Orleans campus with the group Students United UNO and chanted under a Nigerien flag and a banner reading “US: Hands off Africa.” Demonstrators passed information handouts to students as they returned to campus on move-in day.
Milwaukee, WI – On August 6, the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) joined with Peace Action of Wisconsin, Veterans for Peace Milwaukee, and others to host the annual Lanterns for Peace event to commemorate the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Minneapolis, MN – On August 5, around 80 people gathered outside the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Walker Art Center for an anti-war protest organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition. The protest memorialized the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, killed approximately 210,000 people.
Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, July 22, activists and community members united at The Calling sculpture in downtown Milwaukee to protest the annual Milwaukee Air & Water Show. The rally was organized by the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC) to demonstrate that the show is not a harmless family event as it is often portrayed, but a celebration of U.S. militarism and a polarizing affair for the city.
Milwaukee, WI – The people’s movements mourn the loss of veteran activist George Martin, who passed away on July 16th, 2023. Martin was a well respected leader in local, national, and international anti-war, environmental, and social justice movements who had a great impact on many people over his life-long service to the cause of peace and justice.
Minneapolis, MN – On July 11, about 40 protesters assembled in front of Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office to speak out against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its role in the war in Ukraine.
Milwaukee, WI – On July 11, activists gathered at the “Sunburst” statue near Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee to protest further NATO escalation in the Ukraine war. Anti-war activists held signs reading “No to NATO, no to war.”
Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee organizations hosted their second annual People’s Independence Day on July 4. Partner organizations, led by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR), Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJAM) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), hosted a rally and march shedding light on the hypocrisy of July 4th and the United States’ unjustified claim of being the “nation of freedom.” The so-called “freedom” America claims to possess and “bestow” unto other nations is simply the freedom for the ruling class to oppress the working class, either domestically or internationally.
Milwaukee, WI – Over 20 people gathered at Zao MKE Church to attend the “No to NATO!” teach-in hosted by the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee on May 6. In response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) held this event to challenge the pro-NATO narrative pushed in the U.S. Presented by MAC member Stephanie Spalatin and her mother Mira Spalatin, attendees learned about some of the crimes NATO has committed both in the present in Ukraine and in the past in places like the former Yugoslavia, as well as a general framing of NATO as an offensive and not defensive apparatus of U.S. and European Union. imperialism.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC) hosted an anti-war rally and march on April 22 to commemorate Earth Day. The rally highlighted the need to fight back against the sources of environmental destruction: namely, the capitalist war machine and the corporations that put profit over people and planet.
Tucson, AZ – On April 14, a spirited crowd of around 50 people rallied on the steps of Old Main on the University of Arizona campus to demand an end to U.S. aid to Israel.
Minneapolis, MN – On April 15, 70 protesters gathered in the cold spring rain to protest the U.S. federal government’s use of their tax dollars to fund war instead of programs that would benefit people like education, environmental protection and healthcare. The protest was initiated by the MN Peace Action Coalition.
Washington, DC – On Saturday, March 18, several thousand people gathered at Lafayette Plaza in front of the White House to protest ongoing U.S. wars and interventions. The rally was organized and attended by the Answer Coalition, United National Antiwar Coalition, Codepink, Veterans for Peace, Black Alliance for Peace, Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Workers World Party, and Socialist Unity Party, amongst many other organizations. First the crowd heard speeches from various organizers of the rally.