News and Views from the People's Struggle
St. Paul, MN – On March 5, students belonging to the Mac for Palestine Coalition staged a die-in at the Macalester Center for Study Away. The students continued to occupy the building for the next 48 hours, a marked escalation in their months-long campaign to pressure the college to cut its institutional ties with Israeli universities.
Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine (WCJP) responded to the call for a International day of action on Saturday, March 2. This incredible day of action began with morning banner drops across Milwaukee, led into a press conference to call out the brutal attacks on Rafah, continued with a massive march, and culminated with an International Women’s Day celebration.
The sun shone brightly as the crowd slowly amassed at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s main center. Janan Najeeb, co-chair of the WCJP, welcomed the crowd and spoke to the significance of the day of action. Najeeb stated, “We have power in our unity, and we will continue. We will continue until this genocide ends, Gaza and Palestine is free, and our government develops a conscience and stops arming the racist apartheid state of Israel!”
Ahead of the day of action, Israeli Occupation Forces attacked Palestinians standing in line for flour in an unconscionable massacre that killed and wounded hundreds. The genocidal efforts in Palestine are intensifying, and people in the U.S. continue to mobilize in order to put an end to U.S. aid to Israel. In Milwaukee, the crowd of around 2000 marched through the streets calling out Joe Biden and all the Democrats who are helping fund this genocide.
With every day the people’s disapproval of the Democratic Party increases. Despite the pleas of elected officials to vote for Biden in an effort to keep Trump away from the White House, Najeeb expressed the sentiments of the crowd when she stated, “We refuse to hold our nose and vote for the better of two evils because they are both evil!”
The movement for Palestine is only growing stronger in Milwaukee. Being able to coordinate an entire day of action and carry out each component successfully should speak volumes to the WCJP’s capacity to lead the movement locally. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
#MilwaukeeWI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #WCJP
Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, March 4, after a five hour meeting that included 162 people offering public testimony, the Milwaukee County Committee on Intergovernmental Relations failed to recommend the unamended permanent ceasefire resolution to the full Milwaukee County board of supervisors meeting set for March 21. Despite this, the resolution is moving on to the full board, just without formal recommendation.
Cherry Creek, CO – As Israel escalates its genocidal campaign against Palestinians with events such as the Flour Massacre and other mass killings, the Colorado Palestine Coalition (CPC) responded March 2 with their largest event in months. With over 2000 attendees marching through Cherry Creek, the aspirations of the people were crystal clear – they demand a free Palestine.
Minneapolis, MN – On March 6, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee organized a protest outside the First Avenue nightclub, where pro-Israel musical act Matisyahu was performing.
Matisyahu is the stage name of Matthew Paul Miller, a white American reggae musician, best known for his 2005 hit King Without a Crown. Miller is known for his extreme pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian political views. In a 2012 interview, he said, “There was never a country called Palestine.” In 2015, Miller performed for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the notorious pro-Israel lobbying group. He has also performed for Friends of the IDF, which fundraises for Israel’s military occupation forces.
Orlando, FL – 25 students gathered at the University of Central Florida, March 4, to protest the presence of Lockheed Martin on their campus. UCF Students for a Democratic Society organized the rally outside of what was meant to be a “Diversity Panel” hosted by the weapons manufacturer, which has supplied weapons to Israel for the ongoing occupation and war against the people of 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
Ft. Worth, TX – At Nikki Haley’s final rally before Super Tuesday, March 4, in Fort Worth, her presentation was interrupted ten separate times by protesters condemning her support for genocide in Gaza.
After the seventh disruption, Haley said, “'If there's any more of you, it would be a lot better if you just did it together.” She was subsequently interrupted three more times.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 1 statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The English translation appeared on the Resistance News Network on Telegram.
The statements made by the American Vice President, Kamala Harris, yesterday about Gaza and her lamentation over the catastrophic humanitarian situation there, reflect the hypocrisy of the American administration, and its attempts to numb the American public opinion regarding the ongoing Zionist genocide in Gaza, and the direct American involvement in it.
Colorado Springs, CO – On February 27, the Colorado Springs People’s Coalition (CSPC) gathered at Colorado Springs City Hall to present a ceasefire resolution to the city council during open comment portion of the meeting.
Before the council meeting, CSPC led a rally outside the hall, engaging passersby and community members. CSPC’s resolution follows the winning examples of cities adopting ceasefire resolutions; including Seattle; Atlanta; Dearborn, Michigan; Albany, New York; Akron, Ohio; Providence, Rhode Island, and even our small neighbor Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Pompano Beach, FL – On Saturday, March 2, over 200 cars traced a route across South Florida maintaining minimum legal speeds on interstates and along busy beachfront roads to protest U.S. support for Israel.
The caravan was launched in remembrance of the over 30,000 Palestinians who have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. In honor of the martyrs, dozens of cars carried posters with the pictures and personal information of individual Palestinians murdered by Israel.
Tallahassee, FL – On March 1, around 50 people joined Tallahassee Students of a Democratic Society (SDS) in a rally at Florida State University for a “Hands off Rafah!” national day of action called by National SDS. The event opposed ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.
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.
St Paul, MN – On March 1, at the weekly Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) bannering, 70 community members stood with Palestine and the people of Gaza who have endured over 145 days of relentless, genocidal U.S.-funded and backed Israeli attacks. Over 32,200 people have been slaughtered, mostly women and children and those still alive face a deadly shortage of food, safe water, medicine and stand on the abyss of famine due to Israel’s total blockade, siege and bombing.
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.
Orlando, FL – A group of 300 people gathered outside of Loch Haven Park, March 2, in downtown Orlando to protest Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and to demand, “No business as usual,” while the United States continues to aid, fund, and supply Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people.
Milwaukee, WI – On February 15, about 30 community members gathered at University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee for a teach-in and discussion on Black and Palestinian liberation. Led by Kobi Guillory, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, this event highlighted the commonalities between the Black and Palestinian fight against oppression and how they have historically helped each other in this fight.
St. Paul – On February 29, dozens of Palestine solidarity protesters packed into the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI)’s first quarterly meeting of the year to demand divestment from apartheid Israel.
St. Paul, MN – On February 28, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee organized a protest at the Eastcliff Mansion, where Governor Tim Walz currently resides. On the eve of the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) meeting, a crowd of over 100 people rallied to demand that the Minnesota governor, also the chair of the SBI, divest from apartheid Israel and weapons manufacturers.
San Jose, CA – On February 27, over 100 people gathered at a candlelight vigil in San Jose to honor the life and sacrifice of Aaron Bushnell.
Aaron Bushnell was an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force who self-immolated on Sunday in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. His death was an act of protest against the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.