Dallas hands off Venezuela protest

Dallas, TX – Dallas activists gathered on a chilly night in downtown Dallas, January 10, to demand freedom for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and condemn the war launched by the U.S.

Groups set up tables to share literature, resources and to connect individuals with organizations. At the demonstration’s peak, around 200 people came out to make noise and demand no war on Venezuela.

A speaker from the DFW Anti-War Committee connected the struggle against the attacks to the local arms industry. In her speech, Camille Kaplan said, “The factories that build the bombs used by the U.S. and its allies are right here in North Texas. Shame!”

Groups such as the North Texas Labor Federation, the North Texas DSA, Young Active Labor Leaders, and Freedom Road Socialist organization delivered speeches with shared demands to free Nicolas Maduro, defend the peoples’ revolution in Venezuela, and end U.S. wars of aggression.

Kai Leslie from FRSO said “The Freedom Road Socialist Organization supports the steadfastness of those fighting back against U.S. imperialism. We unite with the working class and the nationally oppressed peoples of the world and are working to build a lasting movement against imperialism here in the belly of the beast!”

Ella Haag with the North Texas DSA chapter shared, “Venezuela’s only crime was to strive for self-determination and for common ownership of their country’s resources, and by doing so set themselves up against this most destructive and murderous country. Yet, they have persisted, fighting to keep the revolution alive no matter the cost. Make no mistake, our ruling class has already inflicted wide scale suffering on Venezuela. This war of aggression did not start last week. The U.S. is escalating from economic strangulation to open savagery and barbarism.”

Speakers connected the U.S. thirst for war worldwide with declining conditions at home. The crowd chanted “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation” and “No invasions, no more coups, Venezuela is not for you.”

One heckler showed up, who was drowned out by the organized chanting of hundreds as they demonstrated the power of organization to advance the cause. He left after a few minutes, unable to sway even a single passerby to join him.

The noise rally capped off a busy weekend in North Texas of rising opposition to the current administration’s bloodthirsty policies. A huge anti-ICE protest in downtown Fort Worth drew hundreds earlier in the day, with additional actions against ICE and in support of Venezuela already planned across in coming weeks.

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