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

Grand Rapids, MI – On March 5, outside of Corewell Health, the largest employer in Grand Rapids, 30 people rallied outside of the healthcare giant demanding their immediate divestment from Israeli companies and bonds.

Early this month, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids launched its “Corewell Health Divest!” campaign in response to the horrific destruction of Palestine’s healthcare system and the company’s connection to the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator – a nonprofit which proudly states itself to be “the only landing zone in the U.S. dedicated to supporting the growth of Israeli companies” and having “hosted 100+ Israeli companies in Michigan.”

Highlighting this and bringing attention to the continued war crimes committed by the Israeli military, PSGR co-chair Emerson Wolfe stated the facts to the crowd, “Israel has completely destroyed well over half of Gaza’s major hospitals. Thousands upon thousands of drone and missile strikes against Palestinian clinics, hospitals, and ambulances have been reported by the World Health Organization. Over 1000 healthcare workers and counting have been murdered by the IOF in Gaza and in their ongoing siege of the West Bank!”

The protesters, waving a banner stating “Corewell divest” and chanting slogans such as “Israeli fundings got to go! CEO Decker has to know!” also talked to healthcare workers going in for the third shift at the hospital.

“It’s really important these folks understand that their employer is caught up in this business of preaching healthcare at home while buying into companies which support genocide overseas,” remarked one community member. “We’re not protesting these workers – in fact we need them to join us – we’re protesting those who make millions from this genocide and the decades long occupation of Palestine.”

Corewell CEO Tina Freese Decker’s trip to Israel in March of 2023 was sponsored by the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator and included other corporate elites from around Michigan. From an article detailing the trip, CEO Decker stated that she felt “inspired and energized” by the visit to the country – the same country that turned the courtyards of the Al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals in Gaza into mass graves.

“We’ve got to keep the pressure up,” said another community member stated. “Israelis have universal healthcare while people in this country go into debt for the simplest of procedures. Why is this? It’s because the U.S. government and private corporations stimulate the occupation’s economy. We need this money at home for people who are struggling.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PSGR

Grand Rapids, MI – In the heart of downtown Grand Rapids at Rosa Parks Circle, over 2000 community members gathered around the stage and ice skating rink, March 8, for an International Women’s Day rally. Despite freezing winds, the crowd swelled through the afternoon, culminating in a march past City Hall and federal buildings.

The speakers represented a wide range of movements and backgrounds, but their messages united against President Trump and the Republican agenda. The speakers included Michigan Representative Kristian Grant and organizers from the Institute of Global Education, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) of Muskegon Community College, GVSU Progressive Student Union, Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and many more.

Among the voices was Emerson Wolfe of the Institute of Global Education and co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, who stated, “War is a women’s issue. But what is happening in Palestine is not a war – it is a genocide against an imprisoned population desperate to care for their families, desperate for a safe home, desperate to survive. Many of us know what it means to care for a family and want a safe and loving home. We are not so different from Palestinians.”

Wolfe also criticized Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her complicity in expanding war profiteers in Michigan, stating, “She is pushing to increase the amount of weapons manufacturing in the state of Michigan. She claims they are good jobs to raise a family on. In reality, she's forcing working-class Michigan families to choose blood money to feed our own children, at the expense of Black and brown children all around the world.”

Jessie Plichta, an organizer with SDS at Muskegon Community College, told the crowd, “It is our neighbors, friends, coworkers and families being targeted. Your task today is to stand up and fight back against these attacks, not because you fear for yourself but because you love your neighbor, because you value healthcare and education.”

Hailey Hentz, the chair of the GVSU Progressive Student Union, said, “If we look at the history that Republicans are trying so hard to discredit, we will vividly see that the reason we are here today celebrating International Women's Day is because of Women who fought back against injustice. These were women who were involved in the Labor and suffrage movements over a century ago, yet we are here fighting to continue the work they pursued so passionately.”

Eager to march, attendees prompted organizers to begin early. Despite harassment by the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD), no arrests were made.

GRPD is notorious for brutality on protesters. During the George Floyd uprising, a protest that blocked streets was met with riot police and tear gas. Several activists are still battling felony charges for the use of sound amplification devices, stemming from officers' claim that the megaphones damaged their hearing.

The Women’s March led event, supported by the coalition above, stood as a united front against Trump’s agenda. Energy continued well after the march as hundreds remained to help clean and talk with community organizations tabling at Rosa Parks Circle. Over 2000 community members – children, elders, disabled peoples and allies – mobilized to march through downtown Grand Rapids, their collective roar a defiant answer to threats of repression, and celebrate the history of International Women’s Day.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, March 1, 30 workers came to Fountain Street Church to learn about raising class struggle in the workplace and fighting back against Trump’s onslaught against unions. Tom Burke, President of IATSE Local 26, spoke on the necessity of union organization and revolutionary leadership. He also explained the FRSO united front strategy, and the strategic alliance between the multinational working class and the Black liberation and other oppressed nationality movements.

The teach-in was put on by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. It empowered workers in unions to strive to take on leadership and organize other workers on the job, especially in the face of recent attacks on unions by the current Trump administration.

Burke said, “Those of you looking for jobs can seek out already unionized workplaces and strengthen the union movement from within. The Teamsters and Association of Flight Attendants are good unions in industries that are hiring.”

Burke said, “Younger and newer trade unionists can benefit from studying the mass line at the FRSO.org website. Union organizing boils down to listening to other people, to then formulate demands and slogans that unite them to fight the bosses. Unions can lead the fight against Republican attacks on the entire working class.” Burke emphasized the importance of creating slogans that make sense to people.

Burke pointed out the potential for workers in the room to become the militant minority in their workplaces. That the goal of organizing within the union is to make rapid changes in the workplace and society.

“If you’re going to make a revolution, then you have to be in trade unions or strategically aligned with the workers’ movement,” stated Burke.

Burke continued, “You can see it with the way some unions operate already and have a lot of power at work. Then there are other countries, like Venezuela, where workers self-manage some of the factories themselves.”

The audience showed support for Burke’s messaging, including his stating the necessity for trade unions to stand against chauvinism, to stand for women’s liberation, trans and LGBTQ rights, and the duty for white workers specifically to oppose racism and discrimination in the union. He specified that unions must take on broader issues of the whole working class and unite to create change.

During discussion, many union members stood up and explained how they organize within their union and the struggles they waged and continue to fight for. Carsten Forester with the American Federation of Musicians, or AFM, expressed how important it is to organize as a musician, and how many musicians look towards their industry as an individual business and aren’t necessarily made aware they have an opportunity to be part of the union, which prompted another audience member to express their interest in joining the AFM and who was given the resources to do so.

Local activist Wren Burns brought up the issue of public library workers in Grand Rapids unionizing. A two-thirds majority of library pages, a specific job category, signed a petition to join the already existing union. They are asking the library board to recognize them. Burns said, “All of the library pages are hired as seasonal employees even though some have worked there for over ten years! Pages are only making $12 an hour.”

The discussion turned lively when it turned to Trump and the Republican attacks on unions and workers. The list of attacks includes putting many federal employees out of their jobs, laying off healthcare workers at veterans’ hospitals, shutting down of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board that makes rulings on union disputes with bosses. Republicans are bad mouthing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and threatening a national “Right to work” law that strips union power.

The American Federation of Government Employees held rallies a week after their members were put out of their jobs by Trump and Elon Musk. In local constituent meetings, union workers showed up at Republicans’ town hall meetings to challenge their U.S. Representatives and denounce the firings and layoffs. There are science rallies being organized across the U.S. on March 7. Motivated by professors, technicians, and other workers at universities and research institutes, one of the main backers is the United Auto Workers union.

The meeting ended with the formation of an International Workers Day committee to host a May Day rally for immigrant and workers’ rights in Grand Rapids. As part of the IWD committee, there is a plan for workers from different unions to organize a fundraiser for the emergency response to ICE raids and defend workers from Trump’s attacks.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Labor #IATSE #FRSO

Grand Rapids, MI – At Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 15, around 80 people gathered to hear speakers stressing solidarity with the immigrant and queer communities. The event’s purpose was to spread awareness and further mobilization, while also stressing the connections between the two struggles.

The program began with Shae Smith of the Grand Rapids Pride Center and Protest for Progress, a group known for its Sunday demonstrations in support of trans lives held in downtown Grand Rapids. Smith outlined key actions anyone can take to support the queer community, including pushing back against transphobia and homophobia and vocally supporting any events and organizations supportive of queer rights.

“Gender dysphoria is real,” said Smith. “Taking away puberty blockers and hormone therapy is incredibly stressful for these families and dangerous, to say the least.”

Smith encouraged the audience to get involved and share their own experiences and struggles.

Sheldon Skiver of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the organizers of the event, spoke next on the collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Skiver laid out a long and sordid history of racial profiling and discrimination against the local immigrant community.

Skiver also highlighted programs such as the Criminal Alien Program (CAP), which is the oldest and largest of the “jail status check” programs. Her speech noted that nearly all information on CAP must be accessed via the Freedom of Information Act and little attention, or oversight is given to the program, which extends all over the country.

“A lot of individuals in jails or prisons are identified by CAP before they are even convicted of a crime,” said Skiver. In 2009, an audit from the Department of Homeland Security found that 57 percent of immigrants tracked by CAP carried no prior convictions.

Skiver also talked about the infamous case of Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, a U.S. citizen and Marine wrongfully turned over to ICE while suffering from an episode of PTSD. The Grand Rapids Police Department’s Captain Curt Vanderkooi was found to have a history of racism and reporting innocent persons to ICE. Vanderkooi was temporarily suspended and the city was forced to pay Ramos-Gomez $190,000 for the incident.

The Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression will be hosting a film screening of Citizen: The Jilmar Ramos-Gomez Story, a new film by Jose Guadalupe Jimenez on March 1 at 7 p.m. at Fountain Street Church.

The third and final speaker was Gema Lowe, the co-founder of the Michigan chapter of Movimiento Cosecha, a group fighting on behalf of undocumented immigrants since 2017. Lowe gave a “know-your-rights” presentation in the event of ICE raids or arrests and used a projector to present important information.

Lowe also gave a brief history of ICE since 2003 and the government transition from more “civil” treatment of undocumented immigrants to the increasing militancy familiar today. She said ICE is only going to expand its capacity for surveillance and arrests.

After the presentations, organizers led the crowd on a march to Monument Park during rush hour and covered all street corners to chant and hold signs. Chants of “No hate, no fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” were met with supportive honking and cheering from drivers.

The event came on the heels of the February 1 rally organized by the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which was attended over 500 people and gathered groups as diverse as Planned Parenthood, GR Rapid Response to ICE and the Grand Rapids Climate Coalition.

Organizers with the Alliance said they will continue to build momentum, welcome newcomers to the movement and resist the attacks unleashed by the Trump administration.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #LGBTQ #NAARPR #GRRR #GRCC

Grand Rapids, MI – The social hall at Fountain Street Church in the heart of downtown was packed to capacity with up to 300 people, February 1. While the folks inside listened intently to the dozen organizers speaking, over 200 people were outside in the freezing weather, patiently waiting to march.

Reverend Nathan Dannison began by telling the audience how excited the church was to be fulfilling its role as a progressive space to host events like these, stating, “the attendance is astonishing.” Fountain Street Church has a long history of being a hub and sanctuary for organizers in the city. Legendary leaders in the Black Liberation movement, like Angela Davis and Malcolm X, have spoken and held rallies at the church. 

The rally organizers, the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated their goal was to build coalitions and relationships with organizers throughout the city. Speakers from these organizations included Planned Parenthood, GR Climate Coalition, Grand Rapids Pride Center, GVSU Progressive Student Union, Grand Rapids School Board, GR Rapid Response to ICE, and others.

Sam Tunningley, an organizer of the event and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated, “Trans rights and 2S-LGBTQ rights are extremely personal to me. My closest friends are queer, my sibling is trans, so Trump and his attacks are extremely personal, and we’re going to fight this on the front lines of every struggle!”

Eduardo Montiel, the chair of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated, “I’m optimistic because I know the people, the working-class people who aren’t under risk of deportation, alongside immigrants will come together and stand up to Trump's racist and reactionary agenda. Together a better world is possible and that’s what everyone in this room is here to do right now. To come together and say enough is enough.”

An organizer of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said, “You who showed up for Patrick Lyoya, Samuel Sterling and Riley Doggett, for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, we call on you to join us in our demand, community control of the police now!” In 2024 the GRPD officers killed Samuel Sterling, Riley Doggett, and many more community members. Justice is still yet to come for the family of Patrick Lyoya, who was killed by GRPD Officer Christopher Schurr in April of 2022.

Anthony Hegarty, a member of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, stated, “The ceasefire came at a great cost and it's already being used as a political football by the ruling class in this country, first Trump takes credit, then Biden takes credit. It makes no difference; the Palestinians are ones who deserve credit!” 

The majority of speeches were also translated into Spanish, either by a volunteer translator or by speakers who were already fluent. The event continued into the streets of downtown Grand Rapids as over 500 community members marched for nearly an hour in the blistering cold, waving flags of Mexico and other Latin American countries, and chanting to drown out the sound of GRPD sirens and arrest warnings.

#GrandRapidsMI #GRAARPR #GRPD #GVSUPSU #GRClimateCoalition #PlannedParenthood #Trump #LGBTQRights #FreePalestine #ImmigrantRights

Grand Rapids, MI – Facing snow and temperatures as low as 5°F, residents of Grand Rapids marched January 20 in support of immigrant rights and in opposition to the Trump administrations’ deportation plans.

Over 100 people gathered at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids and marched to the ICE office nearby. Led by Moviemento Cosecha, a national network of immigrant and undocumented rights activists, the march kicked off the upcoming four years of resistance we expect under the new administration.

Slogans such as “End deportations” and “Papeles si, migajas no – Papers yes, crumbs no” were chanted while the group occupied the building outside the ICE office.

Gema Lowe, Cosecha’s statewide coordinator along with six others from the group, recently participated in a seven-day hunger strike outside the state legislature in Lansing demanding drivers licenses for all. Lowe stated, “Both parties promise things, either for or against us, but what they really do is make us scapegoats for their agendas. We demand that Grand Rapids, and the state, become sanctuaries so the city, county and state police don’t assist ICE with deportations.”

As the group marched from the ICE office, past the Gerald Ford Federal Building, and back towards Rosa Parks Circle, the assembled protesters held up traffic outside the DeVos Place Convention Center.

“Immigrants are human,” Lowe stated, “they need respect and a better world for themselves and their families. They enrich the fabric of this country. There is room for anyone to join this movement.” Lowe also urged people to help protect undocumented immigrants by joining Rapid Response to ICE and other groups.

Moviemento Cosecha started in 2015 and has gone through a decade of sustained struggle against three consecutive presidents who shared bad track records on immigrant rights. The group has held marches in Lansing, the state capital, for the past eight years.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #Trump #ICE

Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, January 19, community members took refuge from the freezing weather outside to attend a discussion and group training on how to take action against the threat of heightened ICE activity. The event took place in the crowded social hall in Fountain Street Church, with nearly 100 participants.

The organization putting on the event, Grand Rapids Rapid Response to ICE, provided the audience with plenty of context as to the urgency of the action. Kent County is home to a total of three ICE offices and it has been active in the area since the George W. Bush administration.

This event served as the launch of the organization and a response to the new threats coming from the Trump administration. Lead organizer Jeff Smith stated, “Expanding available sanctuaries by building relationships with churches and schools will be important. However, ICE officers could soon start to ignore those agreements, with being emboldened by the Trump administration.” Smith also said that they plan on launching campaigns to get the city of Grand Rapids to agree to become a sanctuary city, much like the campaigns active in other cities like Chicago.

The audience also got an introduction to what the Rapid Response training would look like, as attendees got to role play getting between a home targeted by ICE and ICE officers. The goal of the Rapid Response team is to document ICE officers and delay the raid as long as possible. Further training events will be hosted in the future, with the goal of training a large number of local community members to quickly respond to ICE raids in their neighborhoods.

In 2018 it was made public that the city of Grand Rapids had an extensive contract with ICE, including holding those in ICE custody in the Kent County Correctional Facility. The city of Grand Rapids was even being paid, by ICE, $85 per detainee each day they were in jail. The following year, ICE ended the contract – not at the request of the city, but only because of the mass support that protesters were receiving at city council meetings.

In order to allow at-risk community members to get in contact with the organization, a hotline has been created with bilingual members on the other end. The network of trained response members will then be contacted and deployed to defend the target of the ICE raid. A person in the audience shared their experience with direct action, saying, “Through community support like this, my brother was able to avoid apprehension by ICE and deportation.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Grand Rapids, MI – On December 14, 30 people gathered at Fountain Street Church, a non-denominational church and event space in downtown Grand Rapids, for a teach-in about the role greenwashing plays in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

Hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), the event educated community members on the struggle for environmental sovereignty and national liberation in Palestine. The teach-in also connected this struggle to similar struggles around the world, including here in the U.S.

Greenwashing is a term used to describe a deceptive strategy employed by companies and politicians that uses the environment to sell products and projects.

“The environment and economy of Israel and Palestine are inseparable,” says Tony O’Hegarty, who has a background in science and a longtime political interest in the environment. “Israel’s weaponization of the environment is just one tool used to justify its existence and to displace Palestinians from their homes.”

O’Hegarty connected the plight of migrant farm workers and day laborers in California to the experiences of Palestinian farm workers under Israeli occupation.

“Human beings are treated as commodities,” O’Hegarty said. “When the bombs stop falling, Palestinians will be forced to clear the rubble, and Israel will take no responsibility for its crimes.”

Teach-in attendees viewed clips of interactions between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian farm workers in the West Bank. The clips showcased the tactics of intimidation and violence used by settlers to forcefully remove Palestinians from their farmland.

Attendees also discussed greenwashing as a public relations strategy for Israel and the Jewish National Fund dating as far back as the 1940s. Pre-Nakba and post-Nakba Zionist propaganda was compared to similar propaganda used by colonizers during westward expansion in the U.S.

“Imperial violence generates ecological waste,” says O’Hegarty.

The best thing for the environment in Palestine is a free Palestine.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Environment #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Caledonia, MI - For 48 straight hours, from December 19 to 21, members of Teamsters Local 406 picketed outside the Amazon GRR1 Fulfillment Center in solidarity with the Amazon Teamsters on strike nationwide. Braving snow and temperatures as low as 23 °F, the trade unionists stayed outside passing out literature, leading chants and talking with community members from Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Caledonia. 

During the 48 hours outside, many drivers from Amazon and the nearby Coca-Cola facility honked their horns and raised their fists in support. “There seems to be a lot of interest from the drivers,” one activist on the picket-line stated. “Amazon likes to hire them out as independent contractors. Drivers are more likely to get screwed over when they don’t have legal protection.”

The nationwide strike began because of Amazon’s refusal to bargain with workers.

At Amazon facilities, supervisors play into anti-union propaganda during captive audience meetings and by impersonating union reps, one activist at the GRR1 facility told the picketers early Friday morning. Events from the last few days have corroborated these claims. Videos from pickets nationwide have shown such repressive tactics as police arresting striking workers, police violently pushing back trade unionists to allow scabs to cross the picket, and – in one instance – Amazon supervisors turning on an outdoor wastewater release near picketers at the Queens, New York DB4K facility during the afternoon of the December 21.

Eduardo Montiel, the chair of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression who was formerly employed at the Amazon GRR1 plant, stated, “The bosses have shown brutality in the way they treat these picketing workers and have even arrested a few – all for using their rights to protest work conditions.”

At the GRR1 facility, the picketers had to park far away from the line or risk having their cars towed, making it difficult to warm up or rest during the cold evenings. During the first day of picketing, one supervisor allegedly confronted a reporter for parking in the massive lot near the picket line. 

Local activists from Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization stood alongside the Teamsters at GRR1. When asked about the importance of showing up for workers, Emerson Wolfe the chair of PSGR stated, ”With so many of our tax dollars funding the U.S. war machine, we know how important it is to join the fight for workers’ rights. Jeff Bezos is profiting off the surveillance and targeting of Palestinian families, and over a million Amazon workers are forced to be complicit in the genocide. A strong, unionized workforce would put bargaining power in the hands of workers and allow regular people the right to stand up against the greed and depravity of billionaires.”

As of Christmas day, the strike has expanded into Staten Island and Atlanta Amazon facilities. 

Starbucks workers have also begun their own strike – and Teamster delivery drivers to the coffee chain are, by contract, not allowed to cross the picket line. 

#CaledoniaMI #Teamster #Amazon #AmazonStrike #Strike #Labor #UnionPower #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapids

Grand Rapids, MI – On December 7, 30 people gathered at Scorpion Hearts Club, a coffee shop near downtown Grand Rapids, to listen and sing along to folk and bluegrass performed by Carsten Forester and the Grand Industrial String Band.

Hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and the Grand Rapids chapter of the Industrial Workers of The World (IWW), the event honored music from the labor movement.

The five-piece band which includes Carsten Forester on mandolin, Ben Kolk on guitar, Keala Venema on fiddle, Kyle Pitcher on upright bass, and Hannah Meixner on banjo played songs such as Dirty Old Town by Ewan MacColl, Union Man by Blue Highway, and the traditional fiddle tune Squirrel Hunters.

“My goal with The Grand Industrial String Band is to bring together various types of working-class music in a way that moves people towards a greater sense of solidarity,” Carsten Forester replied when asked what his goals are for the group moving forward. “I would say my biggest inspiration in that regard is Hazel Dickens, who is well regarded both as a bluegrass trailblazer and a working-class feminist icon.”

Earlier in the day, the anti-war group Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids protested outside the entrance of General Dynamics Land Systems, a war profiteer directly complicit in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Afterwards, folks from Palestine Solidary Grand Rapids, FRSO, IWW, the Grand Rapids Tenants Union, and the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist Political Repression all converged at the show to unwind. Trade unionists from IATSE Local 26, the Grand Rapids Educators Association, and American Federation of Musicians Local 56 were also in attendance.

Rather than having a standard merch table, FRSO sold copies of the Communist Manifesto, as well J. Sykes’ The Revolutionary Science of Marxism Leninism, alongside the Political Program of FRSO to interested showgoers.

Tom Burke, the president of IATSE 26, sees a lot of shows at his job, and he and ranked the performance among the top three he’d seen that year, listing it alongside Hozier and Billy Strings. “What’s not to like about a room full of movement builders and revolutionaries singing along to an American string band?” adding it was “a real hootenanny!”

The quintet played for just under two hours. Towards the end of the performance, the crowd stood up and sang along to Solidarity Forever, originally written by Ralph Chaplin. Afterwards, the band played They’ll Never Keep Us Down by Hazel Dickens. “We always finish our sets with [that] anthem of working class resistance,” Carsten Forester stated. “I have always found that song to be particularly powerful when you have just been singing about how bad the conditions people have faced and continue to face. We are committed to making music that brings joy, hope and solidarity, while also fearlessly facing the reality that we live in and the history we have inherited.”

In January, Carsten Forester begins his elected term to the executive board of American Federation of Musicians Local 56; a big win for working musicians in West Michigan.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Culture #Music #Labor #AFM #IATSE

Grand Rapids, MI – Around 25 community members gathered on Saturday, November 23, for a presentation with discussion by activist historian Jeff Smith. Smith has authored several books about the radical history of Furniture City, from the Furniture Strike of 1911 to the George Floyd uprising and the Occupy movement of 2020 and 2011.

While a relatively small city, Grand Rapids ranks as the fastest-growing metro area in Michigan, and consistently in the fastest-growing cities nationally. Smith argues that this rapid growth occurs at the expense of the working class. “Over 50% of Grand Rapids residents are living paycheck to paycheck, higher than the national average,” says Smith as he presents the massive amount of public money invested in new parking garages and, most recently, a soccer stadium totaling over $100 million of public funds.

Grand Rapids is also known as the home base of the infamous DeVos family, including Betsy DeVos, who was the secretary of education during Donald Trump’s previous term. Although the DeVoses do not live in the city, their influence is overwhelming from everything in the arts, hospitals, news media, construction, non-profits, elected officials, and law enforcement. Smith’s presentation showcased this influence to provide activists the correct analysis of local conditions, and to understand our material enemies.

The DeVoses are known locally throughout the city for their influence and grasp of local politics. In the 2024 election season, “their investment in local candidates for Kent County clerk, sheriff, treasurer, prosecutor, drain commissioner totaled over $330,000 in direct campaign contributions,” Smith said. “The prosecutor incumbent, Chris Becker, also previously took campaign contributions from the local Grand Rapids Police Officer Union.” Becker has refused to prosecute Grand Rapids police officer Josiah McMains for the murder of Riley Doggett in April of this year.

Smith also took the time to outline the historical context of the ruling class's influence in city politics. The Furniture Strike of 1911 was a loss for the unions. In 1916, the factory owners won city elections to remove the pro-labor mayor and restructure the city’s 12 ward system into the three wards we have today. A similar restructuring was attempted in 2009 by the DeVos-run organization One Kent Coalition, “whose goal was to expand the city limits and rename the mayor title to ‘Chief Executive’ giving said position far-reaching authority over the city government.”

Throughout Smith’s presentation, the audience was involved in the conversation asking questions, adding comments and context. After the presentation, several audience members talked with Smith and the event organizers. Smith was also selling his books, A People’s History of Grand Rapids and Radical Grand Rapids, which will continue to be a key tool in the hands of local activists and community organizers.

The event was organized by the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. An organizer with that group also gave an introduction about the organization and community control of police to the audience.

#GrandRapidsMI #PeoplesStruggles #NAARPR

Grand Rapids, MI – On November 6, the day after the U.S. presidential election, demonstrators gathered on Rosa Parks Circle to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Gathering nearly 150 participants, they persisted through the cold and rainy evening delivering chants and speeches to the downtown community.

The event, organized by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), shows Michigan that the fight still continues, even after the election season. PSGR Chair Emerson Wolfe told the crowd, “This fight has persisted for generation – there is still hope.”

The backdrop of the occasion was the somber news that Donald Trump will be given four more years in office. But the group’s condemnation of Trump was not a celebration of Harris. Mamie Graziano of the Kent County Green Party told onlookers, “Neither party is representing me. Neither party is willing to cut the military budget and stop imperialism.” In 2024, alone, the Department of Defense was given $1.94 trillion in funding, a 24% increase from the prior year.

The incumbent candidate of District 20, Ivan Diaz, stated in his speech to the demonstrators, “The establishment expected us to stay quiet and fall in line while images of dead women and children filled our newsfeed and timelines.” He continued, “We live in the imperial core here in America. Unless we tie anti-imperialism to anti-corporatism, we’re not going to get anywhere.”

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) told the crowd that Palestine was a “tragedy at the intersection of human rights, human dignity, profit hungry capitalism, imperialism, racism, poverty, minority rights, and so much more.”

Both Harris and Trump have displayed unequivocal support of the Zionist entity, each attempting to outcompete one another in their championing and courting of Israel.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s (FRSO) Owen Frassetto left scathing remarks of the Harris campaign’s attempt to pressure votes from the anti-Trump public, stating “The Democrats tried to convince us that we had to vote for Kamala Harris to save this so-called democracy. They expected us to stand with the butchers of Gaza”.

In total, 12 different organizations and progressive political candidates took the stage.

The evening ended with invigorated chanting with many honks of support from passersby. As Owen Frassetto declared to the demonstrators, “It is the large majority, the working and oppressed people, that drive history forward.”

#GrandRapidsMI #Trump #PalestineSolidarityGrandRapids

Organizadas por Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW), varias organizaciones estudiantiles y otros aliados locales, estas manifestaciones destacaron la demanda de los residentes de Michigan de poner fin a la ayuda estadounidense a Israel y redirigir los fondos hacia las necesidades de la clase obrera estadounidense.

El sábado 26 de octubre, más de 30 personas se reunieron frente al Wings Event Center de Kalamazoo, sosteniendo carteles con mensajes como “Embargo de armas a Israel” y “Derechos humanos sobre la fuerza militar”. Marissa Wagner, representante de KNOW y de Estudiantes por la Justicia en Palestina en la Universidad de West Michigan, subrayó la urgencia de estas protestas.

“Estamos exigiendo un embargo de armas a Israel”, declaró Wagner. “Kamala Harris corre un grave riesgo de perder la elección si no toma medidas reales para apoyar a nuestra comunidad palestina. La administración Biden/Harris dice que apoya un alto al fuego, pero continúa financiando a Israel mientras ataca a sus vecinos. Así que estamos aquí para dejar claro a la campaña de Harris que no son bienvenidos a menos que empiecen a escuchar a sus electores.”

El viernes 18 de octubre, más de 40 manifestantes se reunieron en el Riverside Park de Grand Rapids mientras Harris hacía campaña en la ciudad. “Nuestros impuestos están financiando el asesinato masivo de palestinos”, dijo Wren Burns, residente del oeste de Michigan. “La administración Biden-Harris debe rendir cuentas por estas atrocidades, especialmente mientras los trabajadores de Michigan luchan por satisfacer sus necesidades básicas”.

Los manifestantes repartieron folletos a los asistentes al evento, educándolos sobre la participación de Estados Unidos en acciones militares en el extranjero y destacando el propio papel de Michigan a través de iniciativas como el Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, que fortalece los lazos estatales con los contratistas militares y los fabricantes de armas.

La manifestación en Grand Rapids también llamó la atención sobre el aumento de la retórica anti-inmigrante y xenofóbica dentro del Partido Demócrata.

“La clase trabajadora de Michigan exige el fin de estas atrocidades”, dijo Emerson Wolfe, presidente de PSGR. “Poner fin a la ayuda estadounidense a Israel es política popular”.

Estas protestas están ocurriendo en medio de una alarmante tendencia de represión política contra las voces anti-guerra, incluyendo las recientes acciones de la fiscal general de Michigan, Dana Nessel, quien presentó cargos contra 11 manifestantes antí-genocidio del campamento estudiantil en la Universidad de Michigan.

“La adopción por parte del partido del nacionalismo de derecha y las tácticas de represión están alejando a más votantes cada día”, dijo Wolfe. “La dirección actual de los demócratas está traicionando los valores de su propia base”.

Las manifestaciones en el oeste de Michigan son una clara advertencia de que el apoyo del Partido Demócrata a la ocupación de Israel y su adopción del militarismo corporativo son incompatibles con los valores de muchos de sus votantes en Michigan. A medida que se acercan las elecciones de 2024, los residentes de Michigan exigen un cambio que refleje las necesidades y valores de las comunidades trabajadoras en el estado. Para los votantes de Michigan, esto significa poner fin a la ayuda estadounidense a Israel, y priorizar los derechos humanos sobre los intereses políticos y corporativos.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #2024Elections #Harris

Grand Rapids, MI – In a powerful display of solidarity, pro-Palestine protesters gathered across West Michigan’s two largest cities this past week to condemn Vice President Kamala Harris's support of the U.S./Israeli genocide.

Organized by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW), several student organizations and other local allies, these demonstrations highlighted the demand from Michigan residents to end U.S. aid to Israel and redirect funds toward the needs of working-class Americans.

On Saturday, October 26, over 30 people gathered outside Kalamazoo’s Wings Event Center, holding signs with messages like “Arms embargo on Israel” and “Human rights over military might.” Marissa Wagner, representing KNOW and Students for Justice in Palestine at Western Michigan University, underscored the urgency of these protests.

“We’re demanding an arms embargo on Israel,” Wagner stated. “Kamala Harris is at a serious risk of losing the election if she fails to take real action towards standing with our Palestinian community. The Biden/Harris administration claims to support a ceasefire but continues to fund Israel as it attacks its neighbors. So, we’re here to make it clear to the Harris campaign that they’re not welcome unless they start listening to their constituents.”

On Friday, October 18, more than 40 demonstrators gathered in Grand Rapids Riverside Park as Harris campaigned in the city. “Our tax dollars are funding the mass killing of Palestinians,” said Wren Burns, a West Michigan resident. “The Biden/Harris administration needs to be held accountable for these atrocities, especially while working people in Michigan are struggling to meet basic needs.”

Protesters handed out literature to event attendees, educating them on U.S. involvement in military actions abroad and highlighting Michigan’s own role through initiatives like the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, which strengthens state ties with military contractors and arms manufacturers.

The Grand Rapids demonstration also drew attention to rising anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric within the Democratic Party

“Working-class people in Michigan are demanding an end to these atrocities,” said Emerson Wolfe, chair of PSGR. “Ending U.S. aid to Israel is popular policy.”

These protests come amid an alarming trend of political repression targeting anti-war voices, including recent actions by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who filed charges against 11 anti-genocide protesters from the student encampment at the University of Michigan.

“The party’s embrace of right-wing nationalism and suppression tactics are alienating more voters by the day,” said Wolfe. “The Democrats’ current direction is betraying the values of its own base.”

The rallies in West Michigan come as a clear warning that the Democratic Party’s support for Israel’s occupation and its embrace of corporate militarism are incompatible with the values of many of its Michigan voters. As the 2024 elections approach, Michiganders are calling for a shift that reflects the needs and values of working-class communities in the state. For Michigan’s voters, this means ending U.S. aid to Israel, and prioritizing human rights over political and corporate interests.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Harris #Palestine

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.

Gathering at a church in Grand Rapids, the group painted their cars with slogans demanding an end to U.S. aid to Israel, pointing out the complicity of Woodward in the genocide, and for Representative Hillary Scholten to end her support of Israel. The caravan drove from Grand Rapids to Zeeland, a small community outside Holland, Michigan. On their way the caravan passed Scholten's house, honking their horns and getting thumbs up from neighbors.

Other groups involved in the protest included FRSO Michigan, the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Students for a Democratic Society at Grand Valley State University.

In an online statement, PSGR elaborated on why this company is a prime target: “Woodward Zeeland tests fuel spray nozzles and jet engines for combustion. This is an important connection point to other war profiteers in the state, where different military contractors work together to spread out responsibility for genocide.”

The group stayed outside the facility from 1 until 3 p.m., where they rallied, gave speeches, and spoke to workers leaving the facility during the shift change. “You deserve to feed your families without having to work three jobs. You deserve affordable rent and safe clean housing!” said Emerson Wolfe, the cochair of PSGR, directly addressing the Woodward workers. “You deserve public healthcare and education without having to pay thousands and thousands of dollars! You deserve all of this without having to build bombs.”

As the action ended, the protesters held a die-in outside the facility to directly signal Woodward’s direct complicity in the genocide and the invasion of Rafah.

Wren Burns, a Zeeland based organizer with PSGR, spoke on how the devastation of Gaza makes them feel as a parent: “How can community or family be the cornerstone of this town when places like Woodward are how we make a living? War makes the deaths of children measurable in dollars and cents. If you can’t quantify the life of your own child, how can you do that with someone else’s?”

Another community member spoke on this importance of educating the next generation about the horrors of imperialism. “My son has been coming to events with me all year and today I realized he needed to be there too, so I took him out of school early to join the rally.” She continued, “Our kids have to see and understand what this country is doing. We owe them the respect and dignity of giving them space to life their voice and come to terms with what’s happening.”

The historical significance of the date wasn’t lost on the organizers, either. Answering the Antiwar Action Network’s national call for a week of action in early October, Grand Rapids joined dozens of cities across the nation by organizing marches, rallies and direct-actions to make clear their immediate demand, ending U.S. aid to Israel now.

Outside of the Woodward facility, the assembled protesters commemorated the importance of the Al-Aqsa flood. “A year ago today, I woke up and texted my comrades and said ‘look at the news! The people of Gaza have liberated themselves,’” said Sam Tunningley, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “It was one of the most incredible days of my life.”

A Palestinian community member stated, “This is the moment! This is the year! We will tear down imperialism from its core! By this time next year, we will see a free Palestine! We will see a free Masjid Al-Aqsa and we will pray there in safety!”

“This year of resistance – witnessing the strength and determination of the Palestinian people – is teaching us what liberation looks like,” Emerson Wolfe said, signaling at the diverse array of protesters, ranging in age from children to elders from all walks of life.

Woodward has been under fire since fragments of Boeing bombs dropped on Rafah contained identifier codes linking them back to Woodward. Direct actions outside of the Woodward headquarters in Colorado brought together 300 people late last year. In February, 33 people were arrested outside of the Niles, Illinois Woodward location for blocking entrances to the facility. After the Zeeland action on October 7, three out of the nine publicly known Woodward locations in the U.S. have been targeted by anti-genocide protesters in the past year.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #WeaponsIndustry #PSGR #AWAN #FRSO

Grand Rapids, MI – Around 30 people gathered on the evening of October 6 at Rosa Parks Circle to mourn and remember the life of Khaliifah Ibn Rayford Daniels, who was executed by the state of Missouri on September 24. The vigil was organized by the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

The stage faced the statue of the legendary civil rights activist Rosa Parks, a long-time Michigan resident for whom the plaza is named. The community activists and organizers spoke from the heart and put the blame for Daniels’ execution on Missouri Governor Mike Parson and connected his murder to the history of apartheid in the southern U.S.

The event included speakers from Freedom Road Socialist Organization Michigan, Grand Valley State University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids and For Everyone Collective.

Eric Johnson, a student organizer with Grand Valley State University SDS, made it clear that Daniels was lynched by the United States, as no amount of popular support, evidence and testimonies that prove his innocence could persuade Governor Parson.

Emerson Wolfe, co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, linked the genocide in Gaza to the historical genocide of indigenous peoples and other oppressed nationalities in the United States today, stating, “Violence and domination is the legacy of the United States. The principles of Manifest Destiny that drove the genocide against the indigenous people are the same principles Israel uses to commit genocide against the Palestinians.”

An organizer with the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression stated, “The devastation of this loss, and the unanswered cries for justice and accountability that remain in this community for Samuel Sterling, for Riley Doggett, and for Patrick Lyoya have not diminished our will to fight. But we affirm that greater actions are still required of us all, and by honoring their names, we make that call tonight.”

Sam Tunningley from FRSO Michigan and the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression closed out the speakers by reading Daniels poem, The Perplexing Smiles of the Children of Palestine.

“When I read his poem The Perplexing Smiles of the Children of Palestine, I wept,” said Tunningley. “I wept knowing this man was about to lose his life. I wept knowing that in his final year he had been following the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people by our government.”

Afterward, Tunningley opened it up for anyone to speak about Daniels or other concerns affecting the community.

One student spoke passionately of his political awakening, which drove him to join SDS at GVSU. This concluded the vigil on an uplifting note, despite the heavy subject and content of the speakers, with community members conversing and asking how to get involved.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #InjusticeSystem #policecrimes #naarpr #sds

Grand Rapids, MI – In response to the upcoming Republican National Convention (RNC), a coalition of grassroots organizations is mobilizing Michigan residents for a march in Milwaukee on July 15 to protest the RNC.

“We are going to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 15, to let the Republicans know that we oppose their racist and reactionary agenda. We oppose Trump and his attack on immigrants, workers, LGBT folks, women, bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. We are going to march with families and with joy for our own agenda, the people’s agenda, in the streets of Milwaukee and let the Republicans know that we are going to resist them every step of the way and we are going to shut them down if Trump is elected,” said Tom Burke from the Coalition to March on the RNC.

The march is organized by the national Coalition to March on the RNC, composed of grassroots groups and unions from across the country united to stop the Republicans’ racist and reactionary agenda, defend reproductive rights, and demand peace, justice and equity. 

Michigan member organizations of this national effort include Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. 

The groups highlighted the Republicans' long history of threatening civil rights. “Take 2019, for example, when a majority of Republican lawmakers refused to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, legislation aimed at protecting women. We continue to see constant attacks on LGBTQ individuals and reproductive rights by Republicans. That’s why we’re going to Milwaukee, to demand equal treatment for women and LGBTQ rights, and access to reproductive healthcare,” said Jessie Pichta from Students for a Democratic Society.

The groups also addressed the threat Republicans pose to democracy and voting rights. A member of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression stated, “one of the Republicans' key strategies is voter suppression. After the past election, several states passed legislation that made it more difficult to vote. For example, Georgia now has stricter voter laws, which disproportionately affect communities at the margins. We have also seen an increase in crackdowns on protests and political dissent. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1 into law in 2021, which aims to suppress protests while granting civil immunity to drivers who run over protesters.”

Michigan Republicans were also specifically called out. “In 2008, it was the Republican Michigan attorney general who issued the memo that terminated access to driver’s licenses for all Michiganders, regardless of their citizenship status. Since then – for over 15 years – tens of thousands of Michigan families and workers have been unjustly excluded from access to driver’s licenses and live in fear of having their families separated anytime the police perform a traffic stop.” said Danny Celaya from Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids. 

Celaya continued, “Then of course, we cannot forget about how Republicans such as Nikki Haley and Donald Trump have been candid over their support of the genocide happening in Palestine. We need to oppose their violent remarks and continue to stand with Palestine.” In May, Nikki Haley made news after she was photographed signing an Israeli artillery shell with the words “Finish them.” Then during the June 27 presidential debates, Donald Trump voiced his support for Israel to “finish the job.”

The march has faced pushback by Milwaukee city officials and the Secret Service. Burke explained, “We are demanding our permits from the city of Milwaukee and the Secret Service who don’t want us to express our free speech rights. They don’t want us to march to the doors of the Fiserv auditorium where the Republicans will be meeting. That is exactly our plan. We’re going to have all sorts of people, from all walks of life together, thousands of us raising our voices against the Republicans and their backwards agenda.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MarchOnTheRNC #FreePalestine #PalestineSolidarity #SDS #GRAARPR

Grand Rapids, MI – On Wednesday, May 8, an educational event on the link between policing in the United States and the occupation in Palestine was held before a march and die-in to stand against a ground invasion of Rafah.

The event hosted by the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (GRAARPR) and Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) took place at the East Congregational Church.

In a presentation, Eduardo Montiel, made connections between the repression of the student encampments and the Palestinian struggle against occupation forces. The slide presentation made mention of the police delegations sent to Israel since 2004.

Montiel’s portion of the program also demonstrated similarities between how the CIA and Israel use propaganda, playing video examples, including the infamous “Humans of CIA” ad.

“Israel and the U.S. both use identity politics to try and sell you a version of intelligence agencies that is both digestible and relatable,” said Montiel.

This was followed by student Jessica Plichta giving a powerful speech on the recent developments in the student movement. Plichta spoke for five minutes and finished to a standing ovation from all attendees.

“The precedence in how we hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and genocide against the people of Palestine will dictate how all future cases of apartheid, occupation and genocide are handled in the modern era,” said Plichta.

After the presentation, organizers announced to the room a march and die-in in the front lawn of U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten’s house. They practiced and assigned roles before the march, with everyone who committed to the action grabbing a white sheet.

The rally, around 60 people, marched two blocks to Scholten’s house, chanting “Hillary Scholten, you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide!” Upon arrival, around ten people laid on the lawn while protesters lined the corner and demanded Scholten halt her green-lighting of Israel’s occupation.

Scholten has consistently voted in support of Israel and refused to meet with Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids.

After around ten minutes at Scholten’s house, the rally marched back to the church.

Applause and cheering could be heard from the parking lot, with some participants remarking on the empowering feeling of confronting those in power who refuse to heed their demands. A few commented on the positive response from the neighborhood and the number of people who observed the protest from the street.

During the organizing debrief inside the church, the cop who had been tailing the rally entered the room to hand off a symbolic dead child left on Scholten’s porch. The organizers left the church together to ensure everyone made it home safely.

The rally marked the second time organizers marched to Scholten’s house. The representative has yet to publicly comment on either demonstration.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #PSGR #NAARPR #GRAARPR #Feature

Grand Rapids, MI – Spirits were high on Tuesday, April 30, as attendees celebrated International Workers Day with food, music and discussion. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization held a potluck to commemorate the Haymarket Affair, support Palestine and talk about the conditions and political situation around the country.

Sam Tunningley spoke about Palestine and the countrywide campus solidarity movement and how it’s sweeping the nation; Tom Burke gave highlights and wisdom from his years of union organizing; Cherie Stoll spoke about women and their role in the international socialist movement and the workplace, and Julian Cortez continued with a speech on immigrant rights and the situation at the border.

“We are called to recognize the similarities between the borders which entrap Gaza and Palestinian people and those borders which line the Southwest of the U.S.,” said Cortez.

The final speaker was a member of Movimiento Cosecha Grand Rapids, who spoke about the Drivers License For All campaign. They planned to rally at the Michigan capital of Lansing to protest the rampant discrimination against undocumented workers. This too demonstrated the struggles of working class whose voice is silenced in the United Stares.

The speakers stressed the importance of international solidarity with all the workers of the world who suffer under the brutal system of imperialism.

As speeches concluded, smiles, embraces and further discussion took place, along with feeling of triumph for all the local organizing everyone has done so far. It was in this celebration of small victories that the bonds of friendship and unity were strengthened.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO