Tallahassee, FL – On October 7, over 150 community members gathered to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and Palestinian resistance on the anniversary of Operation Al Aqsa Flood.

Jayci Qassis, organizer with Dissenters, started off the event with important historical context for October 7, stating “The Al-Aqsa flood was the result of a culmination; a boiling point of almost a century long existence of living under oppression by the Zionist entity. A year ago today, Palestine brought to consciousness the truth about the over 76 year long occupation that stemmed from the Nakba. We honor the courage and steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance, our brothers and sisters in Gaza and across all of Palestine in their struggle for liberation.”

Arlington, TX – On October 7 the University of Texas at Arlington Progressive Student Union and Students for Justice in Palestine collaborated in a joint march and die-in to demand the university break ties with corporations, like Lockheed Martin, that assist the genocide in Palestine.

Santa Ana, CA – On October 6, activists and community members gathered for a film screening of The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza followed by a discussion on the U.S.’s role in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

The event began with Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member Diana Terreros explaining the significance of the Palestinian resistance operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent brutal attacks Israel launched against Palestine.

New York, NY – Thousands took to the streets to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Palestinian resistance Operation Al Aqsa Flood. The people of New York have been marching militantly throughout the weekend, and on October 7 the last wave went block by block to mark the momentous event of resistance.

Protests began at 12 universities. Chapters of Students for a Democratic Society and Students for Justice in Palestine organized walkouts and rallies on their campuses. The students, many who had been involved in the encampments walked out of class chanting in support of the demands: disclosure and divestment from all companies aiding Israel in its genocide, cutting ties with all Zionist institutions, NYPD off their campuses, and protection of pro-Palestinian speech on campus with amnesty for all students who have been punished for their rightful activism.

Grand Rapids, MI – On October 7, roughly 80 people in more than 25 cars drove from Grand Rapids, Michigan to protest at Woodward Zeeland, an engineering firm with locations worldwide which has been connected to the genocide in Gaza.

After the U.S.-funded attacks on Lebanon and Palestine, and the escalation of the genocide, organizers led by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) launched a campaign targeting local war-profiteers that culminated in the rally and die-in outside of Woodward Zeeland.

Atlanta, GA – The assassination of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, in an apocalyptic Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 28, has shaken Lebanon and the entire Middle East. For the forces of liberation, Nasrallah was a mighty resistance leader, a voice of the oppressed, and a tireless fighter for the liberation of Palestine. His death marks a deeply tragic moment in the struggle against Zionism and imperialism, but the legacy he built, one grounded in solidarity and liberation theology, will continue to inspire the masses of people who remain committed to his vision of a free and sovereign Arab world.

Los Angeles, CA – Tens of thousands of passionate protesters hit the streets of downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 5, just days before the one year anniversary of the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide in Palestine that began October 7, 2023 after Palestinian resistance fighters launched an counter-offensive against the Zionist government.

Salt Lake City, UT – On October 3, 50 students and community members gathered on the campus of the University of Utah to demand an end to the school’s study abroad program with the University of Haifa, an Israeli military college that practices discrimination against its Arab and Muslim students. Organizers also called for the University of Utah’s full divestment from companies involved in the Israeli genocide in Gaza, reinvestment in student resources, and for the University of Utah to respect students’ right to protest for Palestine.

The rally also celebrated the Palestinian resistance. Chris Loera-Peña of Mecha de U of U said, “It’s been a year of genocide, but also a year of non-stop resistance and fighting from the Palestinian people and the entire world.”

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 5, a broad coalition of community organizations rallied at Congo Square for a march to commemorate one year of resistance since the genocide in Gaza began. The action drew a large crowd of about 500 people, whose chants for a free Palestine ricocheted off city walls downtown.

During the rally, speakers emphasized the steadfast endurance of the Palestinian resistance.

“Our people in the homeland inspire us every single day here [in the US] to continue to resist – to stay strong and not give up. Our people endure and that’s what it means to be Palestinian,” said Leila Abu-Orf, a member of the New Orleans chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

Minneapolis, MN – On October 6, over 4000 protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis on to mark one year of protest and resistance to Israel’s U.S. funded genocide in occupied Palestine. The Free Palestine Coalition started the march with a rally at the Gateway Park Fountain on the corner of Hennepin and Washington Avenues. Protesters marched through downtown and the North Loop neighborhood, proudly displaying support for Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq and all people caught in the crosshairs of Israel’s terror campaign.

Hace casi un año, el 7 de octubre, el sonido de la libertad retumbó en Palestina y sus ecos todavía se escuchan en todo el mundo. La resistencia palestina lanzó la Operación Inundación de Al Aqsa, una fuga masiva de la prisión al aire libre más grande del mundo, Gaza. Y, al hacerlo, dieron un paso histórico hacia la liberación. Karl Marx dijo una vez que esos momentos de revolución, de personas que toman su propio futuro en sus manos, deberían considerarse como “fiestas de los oprimidos”. Tenía toda la razón en eso.

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, October 5, around 150 protesters congregated outside of Jacksonville’s port authority (Jaxport), as part of the Palestinian Youth Movement’s International Day of Action, to demand that the port cut all ties with Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping and logistics companies. Jaxport has had a contract with the shipping behemoth since 2015.

Dallas, TX – A coalition led by the Palestinian Youth Movement met at Dallas’ own Grassy Knoll, October 5 to observe a year of resistance against escalated genocide and expanding occupation at the hands of the Israeli state.

Nearly one year ago, on October 7, the sound of freedom thundered across Palestine, and its echoes are still being heard around the world. The Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al Aqsa Flood, a mass breakout from the world’s largest open air prison, Gaza. And, in doing so, they took a historic step towards liberation. Karl Marx once said that such moments of revolution, of people taking their own futures in their hands should be regarded as “festivals of the oppressed.” He was entirely right about that.

Brooklyn, NY – The NYU Students for a Democratic Society (NYU SDS) held a pro-Palestine rally, September 26, on the day their new dean, Juan De Pablo, was slated to visit the Tandon School of Engineering. Dozens of students walked by, taking photos and videos of the rally. Around 25 people joined SDS as they marched from the starting location of 6 MetroTech Center to Wunsch Hall,

Orlando, FL- Thirty activists gathered outside of City Hall in downtown Orlando for a vigil to mourn and remember the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. This was the second of several events being organized each day as part of a week of action to mark one year since Israel began bombing Gaza.

New York, NY – On Thursday, October 3, around 45,000 dockworkers and longshoremen who are represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reached a tentative agreement – around wages – with their employers on the East and Gulf Coast ports.

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, August 25, the New Students for a Democratic Society (SDS at UIC) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP at UIC), alongside other progressive student organizations at the University of Illinois Chicago, ended the month strong on campus by organizing a hands-off Lebanon demonstration following not only the terrorist cyberattack/bombings against Lebanon but the deploying of U.S. troops to the region.

San Jose, CA – On September 28, about 50 people gathered in front of San Jose City Hall to protest U.S. involvement in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. People joined together demanding end all U.S. aid to Israel and for San Jose to divest from companies directly tied to Israel.

The following speech was delivered by Mick Kelly, Political Secretary, Freedom Road Socialist Organization on September 29, at the New York City event marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Comrades and friends,

We are gathered here for an event of genuine importance, and I would like to extend our gratitude to the Friends of Socialist China and the Workers World Party for taking the lead in making this happen.

For the past 75 years the People’s Republic of China, under the able leadership of the Communist Party, has accomplished so much for so many. From Chairman Mao Zedong’s 1949 proclamation, “The Chinese people have stood up,” right up until the present moment, China has set an example for the world. From carrying out a serious effort to eliminate poverty to being a leader in the application of green technology, socialist China has been showing the way.