Join Marx21 on Sunday, February 1 at 11am Pacific | 1pm Central | 2pm Eastern to hear an eyewitness account of the anti-ICE uprising in Minneapolis. Local student and organizer Leo C will share what it was like joining the economic shutdown on January 23 and share some of the organizing strategies Minnesotans have used in their courageous fight against state violence directed at immigrants and their defenders. We will also have reports from anti-Ice organizing and immigrant rights demonstrations around the country.
See our articles “ICE Murder in Mineapollis” and “Huelga general en Minneapolis: La fuerza para parar a Trump” on this website.
ICE detentions have reached a record 66,000, and communities across the country have been terrorized. Federal officers have fatally shot at least five people in the last five months, in addition to seven deaths in ICE custody in December, and four reported already this month. If Trump had gotten away with his defense of the filmed murders by ICE and CBP of Good and Pretti it would have signaled an onslaught of deadly violence against immigrants, people of color, and all Trump’s opponents. But he did not.
100,000 joined the Minneapolis demonstration against ICE on Friday last week. People also blocked the Whipple Federal Building housing ICE, and the airport used for deportations. 700 small businesses were closed in support, and other worksites had to close or be run by management because of high levels of absenteeism. No union officially called a strike, but an impressive number backed their members and endorsed the day of protest. This comes out of an unprecedented widespread community involvement in anti-ICE activity. Friday was a great step forward for all our struggles. Hundreds of cities had demonstrations in support of Minneapolis, often with unprecedented union participation. We are already seeing effects from this show of our power and the threats to broaden it. More Americans agree with abolishing ICE than support it. But the fight must continue.
Tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 30) there is a call for a “National Shutdown” (https://nationalshutdown.org). Join a local demonstration. While unions and workplaces in Minneapolis will not be joining in the way they did on Friday, Minneapolis students are calling for us to walk out of class. Hundreds of schools are already scheduled to hold walk outs on Friday, January 30. If you are a student, organize a walkout at your school by texting ORGANIZE to 88504.
If you are working, this is a moment to expand the conversations and actions you can do. Talk to your workmates, if you are in a union bring up next steps. The US could be at a turning point in the horrific anti-immigrant deployments, and the larger attempt to move towards authoritarianism inside this administration. But only if we build on the actions and continue the fight.
Bring your ideas, experience, and questions to the next Marx21 meeting this Sunday.
Feb. 1st 11am Pacific | 1pm Central | 2pm Eastern https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9132004856
Marx21 US 