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Robocalls Spread Voting Misinformation in Flint, Michigan

Voters in Flint, Michigan, received robocalls today telling them they could vote on Wednesday “due to long lines” at polling stations. These measures are aimed at spreading misinformation and keeping them from the polls. 

Maria Aurelio

November 3, 2020
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Man voting at a booth for the 2020 Elections

Voters in Flint, Michigan, received robocalls today telling them they could vote on Wednesday “due to long lines” at polling stations.

Meanwhile, in Dearborn, Michigan, many voters received text messages on Monday claiming they had to vote for President Donald Trump if they wanted to support Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — and vice versa — because of problems with ballot sensors.

These are just small examples of the kind of misinformation and voter suppression that has become commonplace in U.S. elections. They most often  target people of color. Dearborn is the largest Arab community in the United States. More than 30 percent of the city’s population is Arab-American. Flint is predominantly Black and well known as one of the most marginalized cities in the United States, with a poverty rate of 40 percent. For five years, the city’s residents didn’t have clean water to drink, after the local water water supply was contaminated with lead in 2014 as the result of  cost cutting. Politicians denied there was a problem until the public outcry forced measures to be taken. Children exposed to the water have numerous health problems, and even now the EPA says that while it’s okay to shower with Flint water, it’s still not safe for drinking, brushing teeth, or cooking. 

“Sometimes the water still smells like a sewer and sometimes it has flecks in it,” said activist JoJo Freeman

Now these same residents are being targeted by voter suppression measures aimed at spreading misinformation and keeping them from the polls. 

Michigan is on track for a record-breaking turnout, with 3.1 million people already casting absentee ballots. In 2016, the total vote was roughly 4.8 million. 

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United States

Dispatch from the Rutgers Encampment for Palestine

A report from a pro-Palestine union teacher at Rutgers.

Jason Koslowski

April 29, 2024

Let’s Make a Historic May Day for This Historic Moment

As encampments for Palestine are being organized all over the country, it is essential for us to heed the call of Palestinian labor unions and mobilize on May Day. We must unite workers and students in a movement against the genocide, against repression, and for a free Palestine.

Tatiana Cozzarelli

April 28, 2024
a group of health care workers hold signs including a banner that says "Healthcare workers for the people of Palestine."

Healthcare Workers Need to Defend the Gaza Solidarity Encampments

As Israel’s genocide continues, student encampaments have started popping up throughout the U.S. in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Healthcare workers should mobilize nationally to defend students and help massify the movement.

Mike Pappas

April 27, 2024
A flagpole in the Gaza Solidarity encampment with Palestine flags, a sign that reads "free gaza, CUNY" and a sign in the center that read "Harlem University, est. 1969, re-est. 2024, Free Palestine, Divest Now"

CUNY Students Occupy Campus in Solidarity with Palestine, Building on the University’s Legacy of Radical Organizing

Students at the City College of New York have a vibrant history of protests and occupations. This week’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment explicitly references and honors that legacy.

Olivia Wood

April 27, 2024

MOST RECENT

SANDWICH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Activists protesting against the bombing of Gaza blockade the entrance to the Instro Precision factory which is linked to the Israeli owned Elbit systems company on October 26, 2023 in Sandwich, England. Instro Precision is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israeli military contractor whose UK companies have been frequent target for activists.

Our Unions Can Tip the Balance for the Campus Palestine Revolt

Unions are starting to join students in the fight for Palestine. Rank and filers can organize our unions to join the encampments, strike for Palestine --- and push our leaders to throw their full support behind us.

Jason Koslowski

April 28, 2024

Nancy Fraser, Jacques Rancière, Silvia Federicci and many others say: Stop the Criminalization of Palestine Solidarity in France!

Anasse Kazib, a union activist and former presidential candidate, was recently interrogated by French anti-terrorist police. In this open letter, more than 800 prominent intellectuals and activists call to stand united against the criminalization of Palestine solidarity.

Tents on a lawn in front of university buildings

Unite the Encampments Against Repression and for a Free Palestine

Student encampments in solidarity with Gaza are cropping up across the country and are facing intense repression by police acting on behalf of university officials. Defending the occupations requires uniting outrage with these attacks on the right to protest with broad support for Palestine across the student movement and the labor movement.

Left Voice

April 25, 2024
Five masked pro-Palestine protesters hold up a sign that reads "Liberated Zone"

Call for Submissions: Students, Staff, and Faculty Against the Genocide and Against the Repression of Pro-Palestine Movement

Are you a member of the student movement against the genocide in Gaza or a staff member/faculty supporter? We want to publish your thoughts and experiences.

Left Voice

April 25, 2024