Resist!
Strategic direct action and civil disobedience such as strikes, sit-ins and occupations can expose injustice, slow down or stop harmful practices and win specific demands. Below is an archive of articles covering resistance groups in the United States and internationally. If you are inspired by a campaign, perhaps you will join or support it. If you like the tactics being used, you can adapt them for your own struggle. Check out our Resources Page for links to tools that may be helpful in your resistance.
College Park, MD - United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 Union announced workers at the MOM’s Organic Market in College Park, Md. have resoundingly voted down an effort to decertify the union at the store.
The attempt to oust the union was backed by the National Right to Work Committee, an anti-union organization based in Northern Virginia. Workers resoundingly rejected the effort and voted 22–9 in favor of remaining unionized with UFCW Local 400.
“We know MOM’s can be a better place to work and the best way to make that happen is to stand together and collectively demand the change we need.
Teachers Union Staff Faced An Unexpected Labor Adversary
November 20, 2024
Mel Buer, In These Times.
Resist!
Lockout, NEA, Strikes, Teachers, Unions, Worker Rights
In July, the National Education Association Staff Organization (NEASO) was locked out of their jobs without pay by NEA management after an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike over compensation and working conditions. The NEA is the largest union in the country, representing over 3 million educators in the United States with a union staff of 350. The lockout lasted for six weeks, ending eventually in a contract agreement between NEASO and NEA management.
In this episode, two NEASO members talk about the impacts of the lockout on NEASO staff and the larger consequences for the teachers’ unions the NEA represents across the country.
Three Years After The Fuel Spill, Community Members Continue To Demand Accountability
November 20, 2024
Marti Townsend, Popular Resistance.
Resist!
Accountability, Hawaii, health, pollution, Red Hill, US military, Water Defenders
Today, November 20, 2024, marks the third anniversary of the catastrophic 2021 Red Hill fuel spill, which contaminated the drinking water for thousands of our families and exposed deep flaws in the Navy’s management of its fuel storage facilities. On this solemn occasion, the Community Representation Initiative (CRI) reflects on the ongoing harm caused by the spill and calls for decisive action in light of recent Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that confirm widespread mismanagement by the Navy and Department of Defense.
Pro-Palestine Protests Erupt In Rio Ahead Of G20 Summit
November 19, 2024
Al Mayadeen English.
Resist!
Anti-Austerity, Brazil, G20, Israel, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity, Rio de Janeiro, Social Movements, Wealth Tax
Hundreds of protesters marched along Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Copacabana Beach on Saturday, rallying in solidarity with Palestinians and addressing global issues just days before global leaders gather for the G20 summit.
The peaceful demonstration, held under steady rain and watched by heavy security, aimed to send a message to the heads of state and government convening in the city on Monday and Tuesday.
Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners demanding an end to Brazil-"Israel" relations and a halt to military funding for "Israel's" genocidal campaign in Gaza and Lebanon.
Struggle To Save Chinatown From Arena Moves To City Council
November 19, 2024
Marta Guttenberg, Workers World.
Resist!
Chinatown, City Council, Class Struggle, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Worker Rights and Jobs
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A special session of the Philadelphia City Council was held Nov. 12 for council members to question representatives of 76DevCorp about their master plan and Community Benefits Agreement for a $1.5 billion basketball arena called “76 Place” they want to build adjacent to Philadelphia’s historic Chinatown.
With Mayor Cherelle Parker being an enthusiastic proponent of the arena plan, it was not surprising that her staff members were on hand to help the owners’ representatives answer questions or that the event was planned without input from communities that will be most impacted.
Protests At Weapons Companies Expose Canada’s Involvement In F-35s
November 18, 2024
World Beyond War.
Resist!
arms embargo, Canada, Gaza, Israel, Lockheed Martin, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity, Weapons makers
On Saturday November 16, hundreds of people gathered outside 16 factories and facilities across the country to expose Canada’s involvement in the production and maintenance of the F-35 fighter jets that are devastating Gaza and Lebanon, and to demand that Canada impose an immediate, two-way arms embargo on Israel. Each targeted company produces components of Lockheed Martin’s flagship war plane, which Israel is using to drop 2000 lb bombs on residential neighborhoods, schools, and refugee camps in what is already the most destructive bombing campaign of the twenty-first century.
Trump Election Triggers Houthi War Drills; Yemen Braces For US Invasion
November 18, 2024
Ahmed Abdulkareem, MintPress News.
Resist!
Donald Trump, Houthis, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism, Yemen
The goal is not to repel or kill enemy soldiers but to capture them,” said Ali Mohammed Hassan, his voice steady as he adjusted the strap of his AK-47. Dressed in the traditional Tahami uniform, grenades hanging from his belt and ammunition at the ready, Hassan spoke with the confidence of someone deeply familiar with the terrain. “I know this land. That is our advantage.”
Hassan recently joined a cadre of armed residents in a military drill along the coastal areas of eastern Hodeidah Governorate. The exercise, rooted in a mix of strategy and necessity, reflected growing local fears of an impending foreign incursion.
Another Blow Struck Against Canada’s Largest Pro-Israel Charity
November 17, 2024
Anna Lippman, Canadian Dimension.
Resist!
Canada, Israel, Jewish National Fund, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity
On November 8, another blow was struck against one of Canada’s most prominent Israel-serving charities. In August, the Canada Revenue Agency notified the Jewish National Fund Canada that its charitable status was being revoked due to the organization’s contravention of Canadian charity law. This week, the JNF’s application for a judicial review of the revocation was denied. While this story is far from over, the ruling holds great significance for Palestine solidarity activists in Canada and around the world.
Founded in 1968 as the Canadian branch of the Jewish National Fund, JNF Canada is notorious for its role in greenwashing the Israeli occupation and settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Palestine Action Scores Another Victory; Another Company Drops Elbit
November 16, 2024
The Canary.
Resist!
Elbit, Israel, Palestine, Palestine Action, Palestine Solidarity, Victory
Palestine Action has scored another victory against the Israel war machine in the UK – after another company cut ties with genocide enabler Elbit System. However, the victory only came about after some corporate media smeared the group’s campaign against Hydrafeed as being “misinformed”.In an email to Palestine Action on 14 November, Hydrafeed announced they’ve cut ties with Israel’s biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems, and their subsidiaries.
This victory comes after a sustained direct action campaign by Palestine Action which involved activists abseiling inside Hydrafeed to dismantle their equipment, smashing through the front doors and spraying their premises in blood red paint. To date, no-one has been arrested for these actions.
Letter Carriers Are Organizing Against An Insulting 1.3 Percent Raise
November 16, 2024
Alexandra Bradbury, Labor Notes.
Resist!
Contract Negotiations, Unions, US Postal Workers, Worker Rights and Jobs
A wave of anger is cresting at post offices across the country. Letter carriers are looking at the big raises that other union members have won—38 percent over four years at Boeing, 62 percent in six years at the East Coast ports, $7.50 in five years at UPS.
They’re comparing those gains to the tentative agreement their president handed them in October: 1.3 percent a year for three years.
“It doesn’t account for everything we went through with Covid,” said Saqia Talbert, a letter carrier in Allentown, Pennsylvania. “We were massively understaffed, and we were working 70 to 80 hours a week, every week, for two years straight.”
Barnes & Noble Workers Rally; Joined By Other Bookstore Workers
November 16, 2024
RWDSU, Portside.
Resist!
Barnes & Noble, New York (NY), New York City (NYC), Unions, Worker Rights and Jobs
New York, NY – Workers at Barnes & Noble unionized stores in New York City organized with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), rallied with fellow New York City unionized bookstore workers including workers from McNally Jackson represented by RWDSU Local 1102, the Strand in Union Square who are members of UAW 2179, and Barnes & Noble workers from Hadley, Massachusetts, who are members of UFCW 1459, to demand the company reach a contract by the end of 2024. As the holiday shopping season gets underway, workers were joined by unionized bookstore workers to raise industry standards for all.
Governments Must Tackle Climate Disinformation, Experts Urge
November 16, 2024
Joey Grostern, DeSmog.
Resist!
climate crisis, climate denial, Politics and Policy, Scientist Activism
Governments around the world must take “immediate and decisive action” to tackle climate disinformation, scientists and campaign groups have urged as talks at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan enter their fourth day.
A coalition of 55 climate information integrity groups and 42 leading climate scientists and experts have signed an open letter urging countries to counter the risk of false and misleading claims that are wrecking efforts to slow climate change.
It comes two days after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke at COP29 arguing that “there is no national security without climate security” – and a week after the election in the United States of Donald Trump, who has previously called climate change a “hoax”.
End Of Empathy: Did The Gaza Genocide Render The UN Irrelevant?
November 15, 2024
Ramzy Baroud, Scheer Post.
Resist!
Gaza, Genocide, Israel, Palestine, United Nations (UN)
Francesca Albanese did not mince her words. In a strongly worded speech at the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee on 29 October, the UN Special Rapporteur deviated from the typical line of other UN officials. She directed her statements to those in attendance.
“Is it possible that after 42,000 people killed, you cannot empathise with the Palestinians?” Albanese said in her statement about the need to “recognise (Israel’s war on Gaza) as a genocide”. “Those of you who have not uttered a word about what is happening in Gaza demonstrate that empathy has evaporated from this room,” she added.
Fourth Day Of Swarming: Youth Demand Strike In Leeds And Cambridge
November 15, 2024
The Canary.
Resist!
climate crisis, Palestine, Protests, United Kingdom (UK), Youth Activism
On Thursday 14 November, supporters of Youth Demand disrupted traffic in Leeds and Cambridge, demanding a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and for the UK government to halt all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021. As the Canary has been documenting, the group first took action on Remembrance Day, Monday 11 November. Members laid a Palestinian flag-coloured wreath at the Cenotaph, while also blocking roads and disrupting traffic elsewhere in London and in Manchester.
At 11am, a group of Youth Demand supporters silently blocked the road outside of the Houses of Parliament during the Armistice Day remembrance service. The group could be seen holding signs which read ‘Never Again for Anyone’ and ‘Over 186,000 Dead’.
1800 Nurses Strike University Health In Chicago
Chicago, IL - On November 13, 1800 members of the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) went on strike against University of Illinois Health for continuing to refuse to negotiate a decent contract. Since June, the union has had 47 bargaining sessions with UI Health, to no avail. In August, a week-long strike was held, but this did not stop management’s greed. The union was left with no choice but to go on an open-ended strike.
The workers are striking for higher wages, safety for nurses (and by extension, their patients), as well as family leave that lasts at least 12 weeks. UI Health has offered a measly 2% pay increase.