Grand Rapids rallies against Trump’s attacks on Venezuela

Grand Rapids, MI – On Friday, November 21, almost 40 people gathered in downtown Grand Rapids to rally in solidarity with Venezuela, and to hold a vigil for the civilians killed in Trump’s airstrikes in the Caribbean.

The event, organized by the newly-founded Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW), featured speeches from the Progressive Students Union, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the GR Coalition to Oppose Trump, and the Anti-War Action Network’s Tom Burke.

Venezuelan flags, which faced the surrounding streets of the Grand Rapids business district, were joined by the flags of Cuba and Mexico. This was in line with the event’s message of solidarity with Latin America, and other progressive governments, which are also under threat of U.S. attacks.

Regarding U.S. domination of Latin America broadly, Jada Dobbins, on behalf of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) said, “The pattern is clear. It isn’t about democracy – it is about plundering resources, dominating these countries’ economies, and crushing movements that fight for working class power.”

Since the Bolivarian Revolution began in 1999, enormous strides have been made in Venezuela, such as those to eliminate extreme poverty, improve access to fundamental housing and healthcare resources, and most notably, to establish a grassroots democracy, with power increasingly held by directly-elected assemblies of working people.

Gathered for more than an hour at the intersection of Pearl Street and Monroe Avenue, the energy of the crowd continued to expand, as local passersby joined in the demonstration to voice their opposition to war. Chants of “No war on Venezuela” and “U.S. out of the Caribbean” were among the loudest.

One participant said, “There is no reason for these wars to begin. if it is for another country’s oil, we should just make a deal with them.” Furthermore, she stated that opposition to U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, which have caused harm to her Venezuelan friends, was also an important reason for her to attend.

Speaking for the Grand Rapids Opponents of War, Michael Amirault called the Trump administration “the very embodiment of war,” and stated the group’s intention to revamp the anti-war movement locally. “Creating GROW was our response,” he said. “Against this war-mongering, we must be the first line of opposition, and the growth of our movements here gives us this strength.”

The city’s first demonstration in solidarity with Venezuela will be followed by more actions and events organized by GROW, as the U.S. continues escalating towards all-out war.

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