FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2025
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Two Protests to Converge on Trump Tower During Inauguration on Jan 20
Press Conference: 12 noon, Thursday, Jan. 16 at 330 N. Wabash Avenue, across the street from Trump Tower
CHICAGO – On Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidential Inauguration Day, a coalition of 50 organizations will march from the north on Trump Tower while another group marches from the south. To discuss the aims of the protest, there will be a 12 noon press conference across the street from Trump Tower (330 N. Wabash Ave) at 12 noon, Thursday, January 16.
The northern coalition of nearly 50 groups, People's March for Justice, is focusing on both major parties' attacks – the 15 month genocide against Gaza and the bipartisan pledge to build walls, close borders against people fleeing their home countries often as a direct result of US foreign policy.
"While Trump weaponized the immigration issue to win office, we can't forget that this past summer Democrats actively campaigned for passage of the most reactionary immigration bill in many decades," said Victoria Cervantes of the Latin American solidarity organization La Voz de los de Abajo. "We won't forget that President Obama was the 'deporter-in-chief' who deported more migrants than any previous president, and that the family separations conducted by his and the Biden administration legitimized Trump's threats to do more."
"Almost the entire world now recognizes that what the U.S. and Israel are doing in Gaza is genocide," said Deanna Othman, spokesperson for American Muslims for Palestine. "We are seeing 'collective punishment' - the deliberate starvation, bombing of hospitals, schools and so-called 'safe zones' set up by Israel itself. Every credible human rights organization in the world has labeled these as war crimes, and yet just last week the Biden administration ordered another $8 billion arms sale to Israel. The genocide of our people is thoroughly bipartisan."
Besides their two central demands of stopping the Gaza genocide and deportations of refugees and immigrants, People's March for Justice has additional demands which can be found in English here https://tinyurl.com/J20demands and in Spanish here https://tinyurl.com/J20Espanol
Members of the People's March for Justice include:
- About Face Veterans Against the War
- Al Hub
- Alma de Izote
- American Civic and Humanitarian Coalition
- American Muslims for Palestine - Chicago
- ANSWER Coalition
- Chicago Activist Coalition for Justice
- Chicago Area Peace Action
- Chicago Artists Against Genocide
- Chicago Democratic Socialists of America
- Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy
- Chicago For Abortion Rights
- Chicago Liberation Center
- Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America
- Chicago Socialist Alternative
- Christians for Ceasefire / Mennonite Action, Chicago
- CODEPINK - Chicago
- Committee for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
- Educators for Palestine
- Familia latina unida
- Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice
- Gay Liberation Network
- Illinois Green Party
- Illinois Progressives
- IfNotNow Chicago
- Jericho Chicago
- Jewish Voice for Peace - Chicago
- Justicia en Ayotzinapa
- La Voz de los de Abajo
- Malcolm X GrassRoots Movement
- Mi Vilita Neighbors (MVN)
- Muslim Students Association National
- Occupy Elgin
- Palestinian American Community Center
- Palestinian Assembly for Liberation
- Palestinian Feminist Collective
- Palestinian Youth Movement
- Party for Socialism and Liberation
- Peoples Response Network ((PRN)
- PUSH for 5 Coalition
- Rainbow Push Coalition
- Salon Kawakib
- SJP Chicago
- Stop Trans Genocide
- Tempest
- Tikkun Chai Inter-National
- Veterans for Peace - Chapter 26
- Workers Strike Back
- World Beyond War - Illinois
- Young Muslims of Chicago
For Information:
- Victoria Cervantes, La Voz de los de Abajo, [email protected].
- Deanna Othman, American Muslims for Palestine, [email protected].
- Andy Thayer, Gay Liberation Network, [email protected].
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