Minneapolis holds protest for Palestine, demands end to state terror at home and abroad

By Layna Crandell and Peter Kellner

Minneapolis, MN – On January 11, over 50 people rallied to demand an end to state terror from Minneapolis to Palestine.

Attendees waved Palestine and Venezuelan flags in the busy intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Oak Grove on the corner of Loring Park and displayed a banner on the pedestrian bridge over I-94 reading “Free Palestine: End ethnic cleansing.”

Minneapolis has once again become the epicenter in the struggle against state terror. Earlier this month, the Trump administration deployed 2000 ICE agents to Minneapolis. As a result of the escalated ICE presence, on January 7, ICE agents killed Renee Nicole Good, who was protecting immigrant community members. The crackdown on civil liberties and human rights in the U.S. mirror the experiences that Palestinians encounter in the West Bank daily.

Cece Maves, a member of the AWC stated. “Renee Good was denied medical care on the scene. She was called a ‘domestic terrorist’ by our government before her body was even laid to rest. It reminds me of the raids in the West Bank that Palestinians still face to this day, where emergency services are denied, and the victims of violence are immediately villainized by Israeli forces.”

Dr. Christine Harb, a member of USPCN told the crowd, “On January 6, my brother sent me videos from Birzeit University in the West Bank, where Hamas has no control or jurisdiction, of Israeli soldiers raiding the school with tear gas and wounding dozens of students who are simply pursuing their education. On January 7, ICE raided Roosevelt High School here in Minneapolis, terrifying students and their teachers to the point that kids don’t want to go to school anymore.”

Allison Gunderson, a member of WAMM and the AWC ended the rally, stating, “As anti-imperialists, we know these events don’t happen in a vacuum. We know they are all rooted in one cause: U.S. imperialism. Every innocent life taken in Palestine, every innocent life taken defending the Bolivarian Revolution, and every innocent life taken by the hands of ICE and MPD all serves to feed the same bloodthirsty machine that will continue to lash out and cause chaos and violence until it is put down like the sick dog that it is! So we have one job: and that is to keep showing up and keep strengthening the solidarity between these struggles!”

The event was organized by the Minnesota Anti War Committee (AWC) and included speakers from the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and Women Against Military Madness (WAMM).

This protest took place just a day after a massive anti-ICE rally, showing that Minneapolis continues to show up to fight back against state terror both here and abroad.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #AWCMN #WAMM #USPCNMN #MIRAC