News and Views from the People's Struggle
Tacoma, WA – On August 24, standing in intense heat, over 200 supporters rallied outside of Tacoma’s Northwest Detention Center in response to the detainment of Zahid Chaudhry.
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine continued with its weekly protests on Saturday, August 23, mobilizing 150 Chicagoans to the riverwalk near Trump Tower. Protesters continue to demand an end to both the genocide and famine in Gaza, as well as an arms embargo, divestment of Illinois bonds from the Zionist entity, and justice for martyred journalists.
This protest came days after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which works with the UN, has officially declared that Gaza is in famine.
“The violence the Zionist entity has inflicted on Palestine before is unlike anything we have seen in modern history, shaking every person to their core,” said Lara Hadadin, an organizer with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, who opened the agenda for the rally.
“We have witnessed the murder of 250 journalists, the death of over 63,000 Palestinians, and the injury of at least 150,000 Palestinians,” Hadadin said. “And we know these numbers are vastly undercounted because people are still buried under the rubble from 2023.”
Hadadin criticized politicians who are only now starting to denounce the famine in Gaza, despite having supported the entity perpetuating it for nearly two years.
“Though it is true [Netanyahu] doesn’t care about the settler hostages in Gaza, most of Zionist society supports the genocide, and regularly, sexually, verbally, and physically assaults Palestinians in their daily lives,” Hadadin continued.
“Just as South Africa didn’t have the right to exist as a racist white supremacist state, the Zionist entity does not have a right to exist — as a racist, white supremacist, apartheid, settler colonial Zionist state!” Hadadin then demanded the Palestinian right of return, a major demand of the Palestinian liberation movement.
To close the program, the organizers read aloud the final message of Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif’s before his assassination by Israel. The protesters then took Michigan Avenue and marched down the Magnificent Mile, disrupting weekend commerce to remind shoppers of the genocide their own tax dollars being used to fund.
Some of the shoppers raised their fists in support or chanted along with the protesters as they marched past boycott targets such as Starbucks and Zara.
“I never want to hear a Republican talk about pro-life and support this genocide,” said Tarek Muhammad Khalil with American Muslims for Palestine, as the crowd marched. “I never want to hear a Democrat talk about free and universal healthcare and supporting the quality of life of the citizens here — while they send bombs, to bomb children in Gaza. These are hypocrites representing us!
“So tell your representatives, whether it's Sean Casten, Jan Schakowsky – or whether it's any senator, such as Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth – you tell them, your days are numbered if you continue to support this genocidal regime,” Khalil said.
As the march concluded, the organizers encouraged protesters to register for the People’s Conference for Palestine 2025 from August 29 to 31 in Detroit, Michigan.
Jacksonville, FL – During the week of August 10-17, JPSN answered the call to action by the Anti-War Action Network for protests demanding an end to the siege in Gaza. The Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) organized a total of five events during the week of action, with various ways for the community to get involved.
Portland, OR – On Wednesday, August 20, 40 Portlanders came together at the intersection of 37th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard to denounce Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza. The invasion plan, which began with indiscriminate aerial bombardment on August 13, is set to displace 1 million Palestinians southwards, and is another step in Israel’s plan to ethnically cleanse all of Gaza.
Tucson, AZ – The members of the Tucson Anti War Committee (TAWC) answered the call from Anti War Action Network (AWAN) for emergency protests against Israel’s invasion of Gaza City. On short notice, TAWC organized a “stand out” on August 19, during rush hour at a large intersection near the University of Arizona. Over a dozen people showed up, including a couple who lived nearby and saw the flyer in Reddit and decided to walk over and join the call for hands off Gaza City!
Billings, MT – On Thursday, August 21, the Billings Chapter of Montana for Palestine (MT4P) held a rally outside of the local IRS building as part of the Global Strike for Gaza. The rally focused on the recent airstrike and murder of Anas al-Sharif and several other journalists covering the genocide in Gaza.
Saint Paul, MN – Advocates for divestment from Israel held a press conference and rally outside the Minnesota Governor’s Residence on Tuesday, August 19, over the State Board of Investment (SBI)’s decision to continuously postpone, cancel or otherwise limit public access to quarterly SBI meetings.
Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, August 19, around 25 people held a banner drop at the Locust Street overpass in Milwaukee, demanding an end to the destruction and starvation of Gaza, an end to U.S. aid to Israel, and calling for a free Palestine.
Led by the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) and co-sponsored by the statewide Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, the banner drop was in response to an emergency call to action by the Anti-War Action Network, a national network of anti-war organizations.
Seattle, WA – On August 17, more than 300 Seattleites came together in Westlake Plaza to march against Israel’s U.S.-backed siege of Gaza. The march was organized by Seattle Against War (SAW), Nidal, and bil-Yad.
Chicago, IL -The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine held another weekly protest on Saturday, August 16. Around 100 protesters came out to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza, an arms embargo, and justice for Anas al-Sharif, the martyred Al Jazeera reporter who the Zionist entity bombed outside of a hospital.d
Chicago, IL – 100 Chicagoans braved pouring rain in Daley Plaza on Tuesday, August 12, for an emergency protest for Gaza. The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) called the protest in response to the Zionist entity’s assassination on Sunday of Al Jazeera crew members Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qraiqea, Mohammed al-Khaldi, Ibrahim al-Thaher and Mohamed Nofal.
Dallas, TX – Palestinian Youth Movement called an emergency picket, August 12, at the Dallas Morning News headquarters downtown followed by a vigil for journalists and media members targeted by the Israeli military.
St. Paul, MN – On August 12, the Saint Paul Board of Water Commissioners meeting was adjourned just minutes after it started when Nathan Phillips, an anti-Zionist Jew with the Palestine Solidarity Committee of WAMM, stood up and loudly proclaimed, “I am Jewish, and I stand with the Palestinian people! There’s no time to be ‘reasonable’. Gazans are being starved and massacred!”
San Jose, CA – On Sunday, August 10, around 100 people gathered at the Federal Building in San Jose to demand an end to the siege on Gaza. The cutoff of aid going into Gaza has led to a man-made stage 5 famine which will lead to more deaths and irreversible damage to the people of Gaza.
New Orleans, LA – On Thursday, August 7, the New Orleans for Palestine Coalition held a noise demonstration outside of Congressman Troy Carter’s office to demand he take action to stop the U.S./Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Chicago, IL – “We are here today to demand that the U.S. government stop funding and being co-conspirators in this genocide!” With these words, Father Michael Pfleger added Saint Sabina Catholic Church, a prominent Civil Rights congregation, to the chorus of voices calling for an end to U.S. support of Israel’s military.
Chicago, IL – On August 4, a crowd packed Pilsen Community Books for a teach-in led by Educators for Palestine. Organizations from across Chicago presented their campaigns for immediate divestment from Israel. The teach-in was aimed at Chicago teachers, who have 1.8% of their pension funds invested in companies listed in the boycott, divest, sanction (BDS) list.
Downers Grove, IL- On the evening of Tuesday, August 5, a group of 30 activists led by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) protested outside of U.S. Representative Sean Casten’s home in Downers Grove, Illinois. The group was demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza, and in particular for Rep. Casten to sign the Block the Bombs Act.
The group clanged pots and pans to symbolize the starvation of Gaza, and shouted chants of “Gaza starves, the USA pays!” on the usually quiet block in the distant Chicago suburb.
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Coalition for Justice In Palestine held another weekly protest on Saturday, August 2, the same time as the Lollapalooza music event. While downtown was full of festival goers, about 700 Chicagoans came out demanding an arms embargo and an end to the genocide and famine against Gaza.
Chicago, IL – 150 Chicagoans banging pots and pans gathered near Trump Tower to protest the Gaza genocide, July 26. It was the third Chicago protest held in a single week in response to the ongoing genocide and famine against Gaza.