San Jose, CA – On Wednesday, March 26, at noon, around 60 students gathered by the San Jose State University Student Union for a speakout for Mahmoud Khalil and other victims of ICE detainments. The program of the action put forward demands on San Jose State administration and SJSU President Cynthia Teniente Matison for increased protection against ICE, especially for mixed status and undocumented students as well as activists.

The program began with chants. Slogans such as “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state!” and “We want justice you say how, release Mahmoud Khalil now!” Many chants and slogans revolved around SJSU administration’s inaction around ICE activity, particularly its lackluster response and lack of a statement against ICE. One such slogan encompassed these sentiments, “Admin, admin where’s your spine? You're enabling ICE’s crimes!”

The program then had a sequence of several speakers, first with SDS’s treasurer reading out Khalil’s letter from ICE detention.

Oli Harter, SDS’s political organizing co-chair told the crowd, “SJSU administration is all too familiar with silence. They stand on the sidelines, refusing to divest from war-profiteers and refusing to protect students from ICE.”

Harter continued, “SJSU students demand admin take real, material, measures in defending our community from ICE! We demand divestment from Lockheed Martin, we demand removal of student repression through TMP policies, we demand a statement condemning Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest, and we demand accountability from the cowardly dogs hiding in silence: And until then – No justice! No peace!”

Dominique Thomas from Black Women’s Collective stated, “This may feel like a temporary movement to some, but this is representative of a war we have been fighting alongside all of our ancestors. These wars are fueled by capitalism and white supremacy.”

A speaker from UNITE then emphasized that organization’s own demands, which they shared with the broader activist coalition, including full protection for undocumented and mixed status students.

Sofía Calderon, president of Mecha, spoke on how Trump’s policies reflect an increasingly bigoted political climate. “Mahmoud’s story, like many others reflected the experiences of undocumented folks across the country. Families are being torn apart,” she said. “All this rhetoric and these illegal detainment practices are cruel and evil.”

Finn Albano stated, “Lewelyn Dixon, a Filipina aunty who lived in the U.S. for 50 years as a migrant worker on a valid green card who had zero public ties to the pro-Palestinian movement was arrested and sent to a detention facility just as recently as four days ago. She was detained solely because she was a migrant.”

Nikki Flowers said, “I am the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor. I look around, and I see the current U.S. administration pushing for registries and identification cards. I see ICE kidnapping and disappearing Mahmoud and Leqaa, who are of a people undergoing genocide right now – Palestinians.”

Then, Rachel Abeyta, intern of Students for a Quality Education, read out a statement from her organization co-signed by SDS, SJP and other student organizations.

Lastly, John Duroyan, president of SDS San Jose chapter, gave a speech putting forward a demand towards SJSU admin to condemn Khalil’s arrest and ICE activity on the Bay Area, as well as repeating an ongoing demand centered around SJSU cutting ties with war profiteers.

After concluding remarks from the chant leaders, the attendees posted sticky notes with various demands around the exterior of the Student Union, demanding divestment, statements condemning the arrest, and freedom for Palestinians and victims of ICE detainment.

The action was called by Students for a Democratic Society, alongside other campus organizations including Black Women’s Collective, Students for Quality Education, UNITE, MeCha, League of Filipino Students, and Students Against Mass Incarceration, among several others.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement

Grand Rapids, MI – In the wake of over 400 Palestinians being killed by Israel’s repeated violation of the January ceasefire agreement, on March 19 nearly 100 community members rallied at the corner of Rosa Parks Circle in solidarity with Palestine. After chants condemning the actions of both Israel and the United States, the group took to a march towards the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building.

Their anger was pointed out and they had three specific targets. First, toward Israel and its continued violation of the January ceasefire agreement, denying even basic supplies to enter the country, and its endless murder of the Palestinian people. Second, toward their own local government, which is complicit in its repression of both its pro-Palestine movement and its support of Israeli businesses. And third, toward the federal government, which continues to provide direct support for the genocide of the Palestinian people and for its acts of political repression against pro-Palestine activists across the country.

The rally comes after the arrest of both Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia on New York’s Columbia University’s campus and demonstrated a continued escalation of repression against the pro-Palestine student movement which began during President Biden’s administration.

Anthony O’Hegarty, a member of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), told those in attendance, “This is nothing new for activists – In fact, the Antiwar 23, a group of activists from Grand Rapids, Minnesota and Chicago were raided by the FBI, subpoenaed to a grand jury, and accused of material support for terrorism for their anti-war activism in 2010.”

“Now Israel is promising to send ground troops into Gaza. They’ve killed 400-plus people in mere hours – What’s happening in Gaza right now is extermination. Israel has been given a blank check by the U.S. to exterminate and disappear whoever they wish,” said O’Hegarty.

The mood of the evening was not defeat and despair, but energy and determination. The organizers remained stalwart in their vows against the atrocities and injustices perpetrated by both the United States and by Israel.

In an era of ever-escalating political repression, the people of Grand Rapids are committed to continuing their fight for a free Palestine. The events were a rallying cry to all those who stand against injustice to join the long march alongside them.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PSGR

New Orleans, LA – On March 21, the morning of Mahmoud Khalil’s court hearing, community organizations gathered outside of the Federal Court of Appeals in New Orleans to protest his detainment. Their demands were simple – release Mahmoud Khalil, reinstate his green card, and cease all illegal detainments.

On March 8, Mahmoud Khalil was illegally detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. For over 24 hours, his whereabouts were unknown. Only later was it revealed that he was held in Jena, Louisiana, far away from his home in New York. There is no justification for his arrest. He is being detained for pro Palestine activism.

“None of us should stay silent while free speech is under attack. While speaking up for anyone’s rights, in this case Palestinian rights and liberation, can result in you being kidnapped and deported by the state – none of us should stay silent!” said Cypress Atlas, speaking on behalf of Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP). Atlas continued, “I’m here with JVP for moral clarity about the use of antisemitism. What Jewish people should be doing in this time is standing in integrity with our history and our ancestors with fighting fascism like we always have.”

Khalil’s current detention in an ICE facility in Jena hit home for many at the protest. For the last two years, escalated policing tactics and targeted repression have been the norm. In New Orleans, dozens of students have been arrested or faced investigations by their university administrations. Others have faced arrests just for standing in solidarity with students or protesting the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Last week, Tulane University officials called in a bomb threat to detain and interrogate a student for displaying a small sign on their backpack that read, “Tulane just got rid of DEI – if you have the means, go elsewhere.” For the broader community, the fears of deportation are even sharper as Trump has shown that he does not care about due process nor the people it supposedly protects.

Atticus Pratt, a Tulane student and member of Students for a Democratic Society, spoke in solidarity with Khalil stating, “Mahmoud’s violent arrest was conducted by plainclothes ICE officers in front of his eight-month pregnant wife. How horrific is that?” Reflecting on past and current struggles, Pratt continued, “I know this may be discouraging. But these drastic measures are proof that they are terrified of us and the strength of our solidarity. This reactionary administration only furthers our resolve to continue the fight on our campuses, on the streets, and in the courts.”

In response to the rally and the picketing that followed, the Federal Court Building locked their doors and ordered people off the steps of the building.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, March 22, over 200 community members gathered to protest the genocide carried out by Israel after it violated the ceasefire on March 18. Community members protested in the town center, on one of Jacksonville’s busiest streets, to demand an end to U.S. aid to Israel and call for the Jacksonville Port Authority to end its contracts with two shipping companies, Maersk and ZIM.

The shipping giant Maersk is among the wealthiest in the world. While they recently denied shipping arms to Israel, records show they have shipped millions of dollars’ worth of military cargo since the attack on Gaza began in 2023. ZIM is Israel’s largest and oldest shipping company, a direct supporter and facilitator of the occupation and genocide in Palestine.

The Jacksonville Port Authority has refused to answer organizers’ calls to end their complicity in the genocide since the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) took up their Genocide Out of Jaxport campaign last October. A leading Palestinian JPSN organizer said, “After the people of Gaza were finally able to poke their head above water for a fragile gasp of air, they are again drowning in the blood that is Zionism. At the same time, we are witnessing a new level of destruction and settler violence in the West Bank. We must not slow down our fight, we must continue to reach people from different areas of Jacksonville and bridge the connection of our suffering!”

On April 5, JPSN plans to take their action directly to Jacksonville’s Dames Point Terminal, where Maersk and ZIM operate, as part of the national week of action for Palestinian Land Day called by the Anti War Action Network (AWAN). Speaking to the crowd, Ryan Delaney of AWAN’s steering committee said, “If you take one thing home with your today, let it be this: if that port in your own backyard stops shipping with Maersk and ZIM, that disrupts the killing of Palestinians from being killed. If we can stop them, we can save lives, and we can stop them, because when we fight, we win!”

The action was called by Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, and answered by a broad coalition of organizations, including American Muslims for Palestine, Jacksonville Community Action Committee, Students for a Democratic Society, Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #JaxPSN

St. Paul, MN – On Friday, March 21, the otherwise obscure Minnesota Retirement Systems building was guarded by dozens of state troopers who blocked entrances to the parking lot. More troopers manned the building entrance, screening bags and limiting entry to only a few dozen members of the public. Inside the small conference room where the State Board of Investment (SBI)’s quarterly meeting was to be held, more troopers along with plainclothes security lined the entire perimeter.

These extraordinary measures were the SBI’s latest attempt to demoralize and discourage members of the public from calling on it to divest the billions of state funds it manages from Israel and companies enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The attempted intimidation failed. Despite the show of force by law enforcement and arbitrary new restrictions on public comments, dozens of Palestine supporters showed up to deliver testimony and show support for divestment.

The SBI’s decision to limit the number of people in the meeting room backfired spectacularly. Most of the divestment advocates found themselves shut out of the building, but just steps away from the windows of the ground-floor room where the meeting was held. The crowd quickly morphed into an impromptu protest, with chants of “Free free Palestine” and “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!” clearly audible through the entire meeting.

The SBI is composed of its chair, Governor Tim Walz, along with Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha and Secretary of State Steve Simon. According to the watchdog site DivestMN.com, out of $146 billion total in managed assets, the SBI invests approximately $5.4 billion in entities complicit in Israel’s apartheid regime. That figure includes investments in weapons manufacturers, Israeli banks that fund illegal settlement construction in occupied Palestine, and even Israel Bonds, which directly fund the state of Israel.

Abir Ismael is a Minneapolis public school teacher and member of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Local 59. “My pension was part of the demolition of almost every educational institution in Gaza. My pension was used to burn children alive,” she told the SBI. “I demand that my pension be divested from companies complicit in the murder of children.”

Several members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), a labor union representing state workers, also testified.

“We’re here to remind you that we, the state workers of Minnesota, will not tolerate the investment of our pension funds in these violations of human rights,” said Tracy Waterman, a state Department of Natural Resources employee represented by MAPE. “We haven’t forgotten that Governor Walz once said the situation in Gaza is intolerable, and he was right. It was intolerable then, and it’s intolerable now, this week, as we’re hearing news that Israel has broken its ceasefire and launched new airstrikes on Gaza.”

“Our pension funds were divested from apartheid in 1985; we can, and we must do it again, now,” Waterman added. In 1985, the SBI passed a resolution initiating broad divestment from any corporations deemed to be supporting the apartheid system in South Africa.

Naveen Borojerdi, another state employee and MAPE member, asked the SBI, “With the investments that we have in Israel, and arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Israeli weapons companies like Elbit systems, in the case that what we’re seeing in the Middle East turns into a global energy war, how much of the portfolio potentially becomes affected by that?”

In a powerful moment, city of Minneapolis worker and Minneapolis Professional Employees Association union member Alison Thorson yielded her remaining time for a moment of silence. The SBI was forced to sit through minutes of nothing but the sound of protesters chanting outside the building.

The SBI meeting adjourned immediately after the public comments, with no response from the board members. Afterwards, the testifiers joined with the protesters outside for a press conference and rally.

“Within the structure of settler-colonialism, indigenous people are seen as a demographic problem. Therefore Israel is engaged in an extermination campaign,” Kalani Matus, indigenous Hawaiian and member of the Twin Cities-based Climate Justice Committee, told the crowd.

Many speakers highlighted the Trump administration’s recent attacks on pro-Palestine immigrants, making divestment from Israel a potential route for Minnesota leaders to fight for civil rights. “Palestine is a civil rights cause,” said Matus. “It’s becoming more and more apparent to everybody that anti-Palestinian repression is the tip of the spear when it comes to removing our freedom of speech.”

On March 8, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents abducted and initiated deportation proceedings against Mahmoud Khalil, an activist involved in the Palestine protests at Columbia University in New York, despite him being a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security alleged that Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” without providing evidence.

Speakers underscored that the growing tactics of intimidation and repression could not stop the divest movement. “This is going to be a long fight,” said Barry Kleider of Jewish Voice for Peace. “But I’ve learned a lesson from my sisters and brothers fighting for gay marriage. What we’re asking for, what we’re fighting for, is going to be impossible – until it’s inevitable.”

The next SBI meeting, as of press time, is scheduled for May 22 at 10 a.m., with the location yet to be announced. In the meantime, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee has called for a community march to say no to Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan for Gaza, on Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m., beginning at the northwest corner of Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis.

#StPaulMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MFT #MAPE #MNAWC

Chicago, IL – On Friday morning, March 21, over 50 protesters gathered outside the Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI) office in downtown Chicago. They came to demand that ISBI and Vice Chair Michael Frerichs, who currently sits as the Illinois state treasurer, divest from Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation.

The Anti-War Committee Chicago and BDS-Chicago, a project of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), called the action in support of their statewide campaign against State Treasurer Frerichs, calling on his office to divest from Israel Bonds, and calling on ISBI to divest from companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine.

Protesters rallied with banners and signs, pointing to the fact that Frerichs has brought Illinois’ total investments in Israel Bonds (also known as Development Corporation for Israel) to over $145 million, making Illinois one of the top five states in the U.S. to support Israel. Since February of 2025, Frerichs has doubled down and announced the purchase of an additional $10 million in Israel Bonds, on top of a bond renewal of $15 million. His complicity doesn’t stop there.

Frerichs is the vice chair of ISBI, which has invested millions of taxpayer dollars into companies that are complicit in the occupation and genocide of Palestine. As of March 2025, ISBI holds 20,621 shares in Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest weapons manufacturer. Lockheed Martin manufactures the fighting jets used to drop the bombs that have been destroying Gaza over the past 17 months. ISBI also invests in other war profiteers such as Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman and many others.

Speakers were fired up during the rally and spoke to the many reasons why Illinois residents oppose these investments. Since the campaign launch, over 1850 Illinois residents and 40 Illinois-based organizations have signed on to the campaign to divest Illinois from Israel Bonds.

Kaya Rial, organizing director of AFIRE, said, “It is sickening how our government wants to implement dollars upon dollars of budget cuts from public resources such as health care and Medicaid, language access for immigrants, education and academic safety for our youth, housing and food assistance, and resources for survivors of police torture and all those wrongfully incarcerated while our state treasurer sends those same taxpayer dollars to fund the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the eradication of sacred, indigenous Palestinian land.”

Gaby Martinez, a rank-and-file member of SEIU Local 73, announced that over 30 members and retirees of SEIU Local 73 have united to file an ethics complaint against Frerichs. “Treasurer Frerichs needs to be censured in that he is not investing for the people of Illinois, but for his personal political agenda in support of Israel. The charges we make in the ethics complaint to the Executive Inspector General for the Illinois state treasurer are well documented. Violations include abuse of authority, corruption, favoritism, improper use of state time and other resources for prohibited political purposes, and misuse of public assets,” said Martinez.

As members of the public attempted to enter the building for public comment, they were met with intense police presence, including the 1st District Commander, heightened building security, and unclear entrance protocols, all of which were drastically intensified since AWC-Chicago and BDS-Chicago protested and gave public comment at the last ISBI quarterly meeting. Only five people were allowed to join the so-called public meeting, with 16 people directed to sit in the adjacent lobby. Building staff locked the doors of the building after the allotted 16 people entered, barring entrance to any other member of the public, including the remaining protesters.

Despite the attempt to intimidate the protesters, five people delivered public comments and demanded divestment from Israel. A member of BDS-Chicago addressed the board directly, stating, “This board and the state treasurer are more concerned about war profiteering than cutting ties with war criminals – more concerned with supporting an apartheid state rather than supporting communities here in Illinois that lack necessities like housing, healthcare, education and food.”

Michael Frerichs was not in attendance, a clear violation of the ISBI bylaws listed on its website. This is a repeat offense since Frerichs was also absent from the last meeting in December 2024.

As protesters were removed from the boardroom by Chicago police and the owner of the building, they chanted on their way out, making it clear that they will keep coming back until ISBI and Michael Frerichs divests from genocide.

Members from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE), Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Rank-and-File SEIU Local 73 Members for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine-Chicago (SJP-Chicago), Chicago Irish for Palestine, and members of the public joined in support of the protest.

For Illinois residents, you can send a letter directly to Michael Frerichs at bit.ly/awcdivest

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #ChicagoAWC #USPCN #CAARPR

Richardson, TX – On March 18, community members gathered to protest in front of the Raytheon company’s building in response to Raytheon’s complicity in the Israeli genocide in Palestine. The Dallas chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement called the emergency protest after Israel broke the recent ceasefire agreement and continued bombing the Gaza strip.

Raytheon, second to Lockheed Martin, is one of the world largest weapons manufacturers, and has been targeted by anti-war activists in north Texas. Aside from Raytheon, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has seen protests and actions against local Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics plants.

Hundreds of community members shouted chants, “No more ships, no more cargo, we demand an arms embargo” and “Ron, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” The demonstration lasted from 3 to 6 p.m. Volunteers were out and about helping community members and directing people towards the front of the Raytheon building.

Omar Suleiman, a local imam serving at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center stated, “We know that this evil will come to an end inshallah, we know that it is a matter of time. We know that the days of the oppressors are numbered.”

It has been 17 months since October 7 and countless Palestinians continue to lose their lives. Just within the first 12 hours of the breaking of the ceasefire, over 400 were murdered; of those, over 170 were children.

Besides Palestinian Youth Movement, the action was endorsed by many community organizations such as the Dallas Anti-War Committee, MAS Peace, Dallas Palestine Coalition, as well as Dallas chapters of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jewish Voices for Peace, Democratic Socialist of America, and multiple Student for Justice in Palestine chapters.

#DallasTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWC #PYM #DPC #JVP #SJP

Denver, CO – On Wednesday, March 19, hundreds of Coloradans rallied on the Auraria Campus in Denver to protest Trump’s attacks on free speech and the politically motivated detainment of activists.

The crowd, led by Denver Students for a Democratic Society, marched around the campus, chanting “We want justice, you say how? Free Mahmoud Khalil now!” and “Say it once, say it twice! We do not fuck with ICE!”

This protest came out of a national emergency day of action called by National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) after the detention of Mahmoud Khalil on March 9. Khalil is a Palestinian permanent U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate who was one of the leaders of the encampment for Gaza on that New York campus last spring.

Another Palestinian Columbia student activist and encampment participant, Leqaa Kordia, was taken into ICE custody for “supporting terrorism” and allegedly overstaying her student visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release.

Colorado was also hit by the detainments of political activists. On March 17, Jeanette Vizguerra, an undocumented immigrant and prominent activist who has supported immigrant rights and anti-war movements across the state, was abducted from her workplace without a warrant. She was sent to the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora, which is infamous for its poor treatment of prisoners.

Luna Baez, Jeanette’s daughter, gave an update on her mother’s legal status and fight against her deportation, stating “At this time we are still waiting on responses. Yesterday we stood outside GEO in freezing rain, there was a lot of wind, it was a lot to go through. I very much appreciate the energy and the attention that you guys have towards this issue, and hopefully we can go ahead and mobilize and not only help my mom but help anyone else affected by this issue.”

Shaine Carroll-Frey, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated, “These things are connected, these are political attacks because Jeanette is an activist and Mahmoud is an activist. So what Trump is trying to do is outlaw protest and outlaw political dissent. We cannot let him!” Student voices are not the only ones calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia and Jeanette Vizguerra. Since Khalil’s unlawful arrest, there have been protests across the United States for which thousands of people show up to demand an end to deportations, arrests of political activists and Trump’s attacks on free speech – and there are no signs of the national movement against the Trump administration stopping.

“Today we are somber, but we are invigorated. We are hurting, but we are also hopeful. We are facing a difficult time, but we are here doing it in solidarity,” assured Yoselin Corrales, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO. “Immigration and free speech are not a crime.”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement

Allendale, MI — On Saturday, March 15, Grand Valley State University students and community members took part in a demonstration protesting the illegal ICE abductions of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia. They also demanded that Grand Valley take action to protect its student body from the increased repression of the Trump administration.

The Progressive Student Union at Grand Valley has spent the past couple of months organizing a mass movement to try and get GV admin to declare a sanctuary campus.

“I think it was necessary for us to be out today because what happened to Mahmoud is a direct targeted attack not just on immigrants, but the entirety of the pro-Palestine movement and the right to free speech. It’s been made clear that Mahmoud was abducted due to his activism,” said Dorion Fedwa, a member of the Grand Valley Progressive Student Union.

Dorion continued, “And in response to the government trying to silence the movement, we need to get louder. Which is exactly what I think students need to continue doing – we all should continue protesting, advocating for the protection of immigrants and the Palestinian people, and educating anyone who will listen about fascism creeping further into our own country so that we can fight against it.”

The struggle to free Mahmoud Khalil is not just a struggle of the student movement or anti-ICE movement, but also the anti-war and anti-Zionist movements.

Cassie Veach, a member of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, stated, “Student organizing has long held an important place in the landscape of social movements. Attempts to silence students should rightly be viewed by the wider community as a threat to protected speech more broadly. It is important that community members outside of higher education stand in solidarity with students who are facing unconstitutional authoritarian tactics designed to dissuade students from advocating for an end to the genocide in Palestine.”

Veach added, “The abduction and attempted disappearance of Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, shows the dangers of allowing ICE on college property. The response to his detention shows that the administration’s attempts to silence students have backfired, and more people are choosing to get involved and to stand on the right side of history every day.”

The detention of pro-Palestine student advocates makes the need for sanctuary even stronger. The Trump administration's use of ICE to abduct and deport activists and immigrants has shown that no one is safe from this repression. We must unite all who can be united against the reactionary Trump agenda.

#GrandValleyMI #MI #Palestine #AntiWarMovement

Jacksonville, FL – After hearing about the abduction of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate from Columbia University who was a legal permanent resident, organizations in Jacksonville sprung to action. The Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, the Jacksonville Immigrants’ Rights Alliance, and the Jacksonville chapter of Students for a Democratic Society coalesced forces to rally on the morning of Saturday, March 15, with chants of “Free Mahmoud Khalil!” echoing through Jacksonville’s downtown.

Over 150 community members from all walks of life covered the steps of the Federal Building, with signs demanding Khalil’s immediate release, an end to the political repression and the targeting of our movements, as well as a call to action to defend immigrant communities in the face of a mass deportation campaign. Speakers made clear connections to the central force behind each of the attacks our communities are currently experiencing; the ruling class that seeks to sow division amongst the multi-national working class.

A member of the Jacksonville Immigrants’ Rights Alliance rallied the crowd around the fight against anti-immigrant legislation being advanced at the city level, “Legislation like 2025-0138 and 2025-0147 seeks to criminalize immigrants, deny essential services to families, and divert critical resources toward punitive measures like mobile fingerprinting devices for law enforcement. These bills are unjust, inhumane, and counterproductive. Denying services to children based on their immigration status is cruel and contradicts the values of compassion and fairness that we hold dear – We say no to these racist laws and no to the criminalization of our communities.”

An organizer with the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network urged that these attacks were nothing more than attempts to repress our broad movements, stating, “Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian revolutionary who gained U.S. citizenship after surviving Zionist torture, was deported in 2017 in order to stoke fear and send shockwaves through our communities. And just as our movements fought back heroically against the state’s repressive attempts then, we will do the same now!”

Follow @unidosjax, @jaxpsn, and @jax_sds for updates.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #Palestine #AntiWarMovement

San Jose, CA – On March 19, a crowd of 100 people gathered in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in the heart of downtown to protest the bombing of Gaza and the strikes on Yemen that have killed at least 400 Palestinians and 50 Yemenis.

Protesters held signs reading “We will not be complicit,” “Divest from Alphabet and Microsoft” and “Silicon Valley has blood on their hands.” They displayed a banner with “I support Palestinian Human Rights” for passing traffic to read and chanted “Free Palestine.”

Philip Nguyen, an SEIU 521 steward said, “The ceasefire was only temporary to reset Israel’s military forces – that much is clear now more than ever. Our taxpayer dollars are lining the pockets of war profiteers to sell bombs and drones.” Nguyen continued, “Our duty here is to fight like hell to turn off that money faucet! To boycott, to divest!”

Mike Annab, a Palestinian American community member with San Jose Against War, said, “The Palestinian and American people share a lot in common; they both share a love of freedom and liberty and a disdain for injustice and oppression.” Annab continued by encouraging the crowd, “You’re here. You showed up. Keep showing up for Gaza.”

Andy Schaefer of San Jose Against War highlighted the connection between Trump’s attacks domestically and abroad saying, “An attack against one is an attack against all. Whether reactionaries target our immigrant communities, as they did when ICE illegally kidnapped and assaulted Ulises, or if they target our Palestinian communities, as they did when they illegally kidnapped Mahmoud Khalil, or illegally kidnapped Leqaa Kordia, it’s clear that nobody is safe.”

Lena Hanson, a San Jose community member, addressed the crowd about their recent experiences in the West Bank recounting, “I held the hand of a dear friend two days before he died from cancer. He left behind a wife and four young children. Israel did not allow him to go into Jerusalem to get lifesaving treatment because that is what an occupying force does.”

Hanson continued, “We are witnessing Israel trying to normalize apartheid and we cannot let this happen – no normalizing genocide, no normalizing occupation!”

Drusie Kazanova, another organizer from San Jose Against War, commented on the attacks on the resistance, “Let us not be fooled – these attacks do not indicate the strength of the Zionist regime and its sponsor, the U.S. On the contrary, these shameful acts of cowardice are the signs of a dying empire. Just as an animal lashes out when mortally wounded, so do these paper tigers resort to genocidal violence when fighting a losing battle.”

Kazanova finished with a call to action, “As people living here in the belly of the beast, we must stand in solidarity with Gaza, Yemen, and the rest of the Axis of Resistance. We must continue to put pressure on our government, on corporations, on the media, and on all forces committing or enabling these genocidal attacks. We refuse to be complicit.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #Palestine #AntiWarMovement

Minneapolis, MN – On March 18, over 300 people gathered at the Minneapolis Federal Building for an emergency protest to show their collective outrage at Israel’s latest violation of the ceasefire in Gaza and the Trump administration’s complicity in the attack.

In the past 24 hours, Israel has conducted heavy airstrikes which targeted homes, schools, tents and shelters across Gaza, killing over 400 Palestinians and injuring hundreds more. The Free Palestine Coalition held the emergency response protest on five hours’ notice.

Cedar Larson, a member of Women Against Military Madness, came to the protest. “I came out today because we witnessed one of the most horrific nights since the genocide began 17 months ago. We witnessed the deaths of over 300 people in one single night – when they thought that they had gone to bed and witnessed one of the most devastating experiences and days of this genocide so far after. This is a blatant violation of the ceasefire. The end of the ceasefire is flying in the face of any respect for law, and we have to come out to stand against it!”

Nick Tolliver, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee, explained, “Hundreds of people gathered out here in the cold tonight to demand an end Israel’s ongoing genocide and the U.S. government’s support of Israel’s crimes against humanity. Israel’s blatant violation of the ceasefire is further proof that they are not seriously invested in peace and were only using the ceasefire to regroup, re-arm and continue their genocide on the civilians of Gaza.”

Liz Bolsoni, also member of the MN Anti-War Committee, concurred. “For many, especially our Palestinian and Muslim community members, the past two months since the ceasefire deal have felt like a sick and twisted waiting game. We’ve known that the United States and Israel, led by billionaire capitalists and genocidal maniacs, have absolutely no commitment to peace. That there is no ‘press pause’ on a genocide. But tonight’s emergency action in Minneapolis was a reminder of where our commitments lie – in standing with the Palestinian resistance for an end to genocide and apartheid.”

At the closing of the protest, Wyatt Miller announced that the MN Anti-War Committee will be packing the next meeting of the State Board of Investment on Friday, March 21 at 9 a.m. at the Retirement Systems Building, Room 106, 60 Empire Drive in Saint Paul to demand that Minnesota divest from Israel and all companies that profit from Israel’s war and occupation of Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

ILPS militantly condemns the continuation of indiscriminate airstrikes by the U.S.-Zionist entity and the deliberate engineering of the end of the Gaza ceasefire. This is part of the war of extermination against the Palestinian people that the U.S.-Zionist entity has continuously pursued to advance its expansionist settler-colonial project. The Palestinian people and its unified resistance continue to stand strong in the face of genocide and will continue to resist until the Zionist occupation has ceased to exist.

In the last 24 hours, more than 400 displaced Palestinian civilians have been killed while asleep in their tents in Gaza from the indiscriminate airstrikes, with at least 560 wounded. Since October 7th, 2023, there have been at least 70,000 Palestinian people killed with over 1.8 million displaced by thi genocide. Beyond the Zionist entity’s genocide against the Palestinian people, their bloody hands have killed 2,720 Lebanese people with over 1.4 million displaced by their invasion of Lebanon since October 1st, 2024.

The end of the ceasefire was engineered with the full cooperation of the United States, not the resistance forces of Palestine as the imperialist press is propagating. In the words of the Zionist entity’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, “The operation in Gaza is gradual, and we have planned it over the past few weeks since the appointment of the new Chief of Staff [of the IDF, Eyal Zamir].” These developments are not surprising, as the Zionist entity was blocking humanitarian aid and withholding Palestinian hostages since the beginning of the ceasefire deal, but this new surprise offensive by the Zionist entity with consultation and support from the U.S. shows a further commitment to a war of extermination against the Palestinian people for their settler-colonial project and marks the U.S.’s additional focus against Iran and the Axis of Resistance in their imperialist strategy.

The surprise attack on Gaza, with clear intents of preparations for further escalation, the military and political changes in Syria, and renewed attacks on Yemen are directed by the U.S. to a geopolitical recalibration of political balance, with ultimate intent of weakening/eliminating Iran, who for many decades has remained one of the strongest, if not the strongest resistance against US imperialism.

The Zionist entity and its allies have constantly broken its ceasefire with Hezbollah by continuing to shoot civilians, conducting airstrikes, bombing infrastructure, and not ending their occupation of part of Southern Lebanon alongside manufacturing tensions at the Lebanese-Syrian borders in order to destabilize Lebanon and pull Hezbollah into a side battle so they can occupy more of Mount Hermon in sovereign Syrian land. The Zionist entity’s and U.S.’s support of the HTS-led coup in Syria has killed 4,711 people, including 1,805 executed in HTS’s ethnic cleansing campaign since December 8th, 2024. The Zionists have enflamed ethnic tensions to secure control in the Druze minority areas and are opportunistically using the ongoing Syria-Lebanon border clashes to weaken Hezbollah and keep them from intervening in solidarity with Gaza.

The U.S. Central Command has also engaged in naval warfare and airstrikes against Yemen and their blockade against the Zionist entity, killing over 50 people and wounding dozens in recent days. This comes as Ansar Allah has resumed its naval blockade on ships and fired against U.S.-Zionist military structures in solidarity with the people of Gaza. In addition, Trump has stated that Iran must be ‘held responsible’ for ‘leading’ Ansar Allah’s defensive actions, threatening “great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.”

The death toll, displacement, and destruction caused by the U.S.-Zionist entity alliance is only rising because of their inability to accomplish any military objectives. In contrast, he resistance has grown in numbers, refilling its ranks with the full support of its people, who know that their existence and victory can only be assured by ending the Zionist occupation and ridding U.S. imperialism from the region. Now, more than ever, the peoples across the world must take the streets and show unconditional solidarity with the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, the wider West Asia, and the united Axis of Resistance.

#ILPS #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

San Jose, CA – On March 14, a crowd of 100 people braved the March winds to speak out in defense of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the Palestine solidarity movement at New York’s Columbia University who faces deportation on the grounds of his political work. Khalil has not been charged with any crime.

Between chants of “Free Mahmoud Khalil,” community members spoke of the history and ongoing reality of political repression of mass movements by the U.S. and its allies.

Haddy Barghouti, a Palestinian transfer student at San Jose State University and political director of San Jose State University Students for Justice in Palestine, stated, “Khalil, like thousands of other Palestinian prisoners, has been unjustly detained under Israel’s brutal occupation. He is a victim of systematic oppression, locked away without due process, without justice. His freedom and the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners is essential to our cause. We cannot stand for a world where innocent people are imprisoned for resisting an occupation that has stripped them of their land, their dignity, and their rights.”

Allie Chen, a member of San Jose Against War told the crowd, “This assault on Mr. Khalil’s First Amendment rights, which again are the same as yours and mine, has the potential to reverberate and impact American citizens as well.”

Philip Nguyen, also of San Jose Against War said that Trump “plans to use the same forces that terrorize our undocumented community members to also target people who speak out against atrocities that the U.S. government is complicit in. The billions in funding that go to aid and abet Israel, ICE and the militarization of the border could instead be used to fund the people’s needs here, to funding universal healthcare, education, housing and public transportation.”

Nguyen ended with a call to build the organized movement, stating, “The fight continues, so I call onto you to get organized. Help build the movement for anti-war and divestment from genocide in San Jose and beyond.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement

Seattle, WA – On March 12, around 50 students and workers gathered to confront the University of Washington Board of Regents and demand no ICE on campus, divestment from Israel, and the protection of transgender students. The board had cancelled its original full meeting but kept a scheduled committee meeting at the same time, which included a vote on divestment from Israel.

UW Students for a Democratic Society, WFSE Local 1495, and the Western State Carpenters gathered and delivered speeches in front of Dempsey Hall. Paula Lukaszek, the president of WFSE Local 1495, said “one of the reasons I’m here is I’m supporting the people at the encampment.” Lukaszek continued, “the university promised them things if the university would remove their encampment, and they didn’t.

We need to hold the university accountable to what they said.” Asha Viswanathan, a member of UW SDS, drew connections between the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil in New York and the response of the University of Washington: “Columbia administration instructs students to call campus security if they see ICE on campus, just as Cauce instructed us,” she said, referring to the president of UW. “We are here demanding know-your-rights trainings for UW employees and residential advisors, demanding divestment and demanding that this university protect its students.”

Once word had come that the board of regents was assembled and their meeting was beginning, the crowd went inside to make their voices heard.

After entering the building, students and union members waited outside the entrance to the regents’ meeting. There was a heavy police presence, and the chief of the UW Police Department, Craig Wilson, told protesters to move out of a hallway. Protesters asked if the regents saw students as a threat to them; the police chief said no, then again said that students would not be allowed to be near administrators as they entered the meeting.

SDS members then found the vice president for campus safety, Sally Clark, who controls the police department. A community member asked if UW should be a sanctuary campus. Sally Clark rejected the demand, claiming that because the city of Seattle was already a sanctuary city, the University of Washington did not need to do anything further.

SDS members proceeded to fill the board of regents meeting, holding up handmade signs. Despite the administration calling State Patrol and placing cops at every entrance to the building, students were not intimidated. As the board began its discussion of divesting from Israel, SDS members held up a banner demanding divestment as the crowd in the room angrily protested the regents’ excuses against divestment. In the end, the regents voted against divestment, claiming it would be too divisive.

At the end of the meeting, SDS members raced to find the president and provost walking out of the building. As students questioned what administration was doing to protect immigrants and trans students, and why it was moving to lay off grad students, President Ana Mari Cauce remained silent as police escorted her to a car.

#SeattleWA #WA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS

The Popular Front condemns the brutal American aggression against Yemen and emphasizes that Yemen will remain a thorn in the eye of the aggressors.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine strongly condemns the extensive American aggression against Yemen and stresses that this crime is an extension of the war crimes and genocide that imperialism and Zionism have committed against the Arab people.

We express our full solidarity with the brotherly people of Yemen, extend our condolences for the martyrs killed in this unjust aggression, wish speedy recovery for our injured heroes, and emphasize that the blood of the martyrs will be the guiding light of perseverance and resistance, and will not be in vain. Instead, it will strengthen Yemen's resolve to confront the aggression.

This brutal aggression will not succeed in breaking the will of the free people of Yemen, who, despite the siege and the aggressions they face, have never hesitated in their support for Palestine and embrace of Gaza.

Anyone who supports Yemen supports Palestine and the Arab people's right to confront colonial and hegemonic projects.

We emphasize that Yemen, which stands at the forefront of defending the dignity of the Arabs, will not be defeated, will not raise the white flag, and will remain a thorn in the sides of the aggressors.

We call on the masses and the free people of the world to take to the streets in support of Yemen, condemn this brutal aggression, and emphasize that resistance is the only inevitable option to neutralize the aggressive plans, and that the will of the people cannot be broken by planes and missiles.

Long live steadfast Yemen! Victory to resistance!

Shame on the American and Zionist aggressors and their agents!

#International #Palestine #Yemen #AntiWarMovement

Minneapolis, MN – On March 15 the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) hosted a panel at the New City Center about U.S.-China relations and where President Donald Trump likely intends to take them. The event featured speakers from MPAC, Asians 4 Palestine, Nodutdal and Minnesota Workers United.

Panelists touched on a number of topics, including dispelling myths about China, relations with Taiwan, and U.S. military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region. MPAC organized the panel to bring people of different backgrounds together for a rousing discussion about the past, present and future of U.S.-China relations, and what anti-war advocates have termed the “New Cold War.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #International

Similar to Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian student detained last week despite having a permanent legal status, she played a role in the pro-Palestine student protests at Columbia, including the Hind's Hall building occupation.

Authorities claim that this is normal protocol related to her visa status. That is not true. It is part of a pattern of repression that includes Khalil's case, and the investigations carried out by Trump's Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. These arrests come hot on the heels of the university suspending or expelling 22 students at Columbia University.

Emergency campus protests to “Free Mahmoud Khalil” are underway across the U.S. 1000 students walked out on Tuesday in New York City alone. More protests are springing up.

“It's political repression of campus activists who want to use their free speech to talk about Palestine, plain and simple,” said Erin Boyle, the vice president of national Students for a Democratic Society. “Trump promised deportations of Palestinian and pro-Palestine students to quench the movement, and now he's trying to deliver. But it won't work. As long as the student movement is alive and Israel occupies Palestinian land, we will never be silent.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #StudnetMovement #AntiWarMovement #PoliticalRepression #FreeSpeech #MahmoudKhalil #LeqaaKorida

Tampa, FL – On March 12, Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society led a protest to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, who is under the threat of deportation as the U.S. pushes to revoke his green card.

Khalil is a Columbia University graduate who had participated in the nationwide pro-Palestinian encampments on his campus. He was arrested when ICE agents entered his home, taking him into custody in front of his wife, without his having been charged with any crime.

Khalil’s case is a clear threat to students and community who choose to participate in pro-Palestine protests, something the students of the University of South Florida are familiar with.

At the Tampa protest on Fowler Avenue, SDS member Joseph Charry spoke about his experience with USF. Charry was hit with a suspension from the university while out of the country, with FSU claiming he was responsible for the violence that occurred after police tear-gassed and arrested students during the nationwide solidarity encampments.

Charry stated, “At no point during my suspension process did any USF administration officials help me figure out what I should do, or what would happen to my student visa, or if I was effectively being deported from the country”

Charry was eventually forced to leave the country in September of 2024 to avoid any future complications. Charry was eventually able to return. He states, “Neither me nor Mahmoud or any other international student should be deported for standing up for Palestine”

A crowd of about 50 community members, including members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Tampa Bay Activist United, Party for Socialism and Liberation and others, joined students in a march in front of the University of South Florida with speeches demanding for the release of Khalil and the stop to the repression of pro-Palestinian solidarity actions under Trump.

As both the Trump administration and Universities crack down on what they deem “antisemitism” and “Hamas sympathizers,” these students remain steadfast in their support for the Palestinian community.

Tampa Bay SDS remains an expelled organization at USF; however the students say, “SDS will continue to fight on the right side of history.”

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MahmoudKhalil #SDS

Grand Prairie, TX – Members of the DFW Anti-War Committee on did a banner drop March 1 in front of the local Lockheed Martin Fire and Missile Control Center to protest against Lockheed’s annual coding competition, Code Quest.

Jo Hargis with the DFW Anti-War Committee said, “This action was part of our campaign against weapons manufacturers within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. One aspect of this campaign is tackling the influence of weapons manufacturers on students. At previous actions we have protested job fairs where weapons manufacturers were tabling and handed out flyers to educate students on the military industrial complex at campuses such as the University of Texas at Arlington.”

Another member of the DFW Anti-War Committee, Josh Rudd, said, “Weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin have contributed to U.S. imperialism around the world, particularly in the genocide on Palestine. The goal of students should be to gain an education, and companies that play a role in contributing to genocide should have no part in our education system.”

Attendees chanted slogans such as “Lockheed Martin you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” and “We know what your factory’s for, occupation, endless war.”

According to Lockheed Martin’s website, “Each year, Lockheed Martin hosts Code Quest, an annual computer programming competition where teams of two to three high school students work together to solve problems by using Java, Python, C#, and/or C++ programming to complete the ‘quest’. The problem set consists of 20 to 30 challenging problems created by Lockheed Martin engineers and computer programmers.” Aside from Grand Prairie, Texas, competitions were in a total of 19 cities, including Denver and Orlando.

#GrandPrarieTX #TX #AntiWarMovement #WeaponsIndustry #DFWAWC #LockheedMartin