Feature Archives

Israeli settlers have murdered beloved Palestinian human rights defender Awdah Hathaleen, from the Umm Al-Khair community in Masafer Yatta of occupied Palestine. Awdah, who had flown to San Francisco International Airport in June 2025 for a humanitarian visit in order to share his story and experiences of living under Israeli occupation, was detained and deported back to Palestine, where he was murdered only weeks later.

On July 23, activists blocked the entryways of the global headquarters of Wells Fargo in San Francisco, shutting down the building. As part of Stop Billionaires Summer, the action was organized due to Wells Fargo's investments that have contributed to climate destruction, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the funding of Palantir and deportations, the privatization of the US Post Office, and the funding of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

On July 19, hundreds of people showed up in Dublin to oppose the establishment of new detention centers in Northern California and across the U.S. ICE has signaled serious interest in reopening the notorious FCI Dublin prison as an immigration detention center. FCI Dublin was closed in 2024 due to powerful survivor-led organizing following years of horrific staff sexual abuse, retaliation, and medical neglect.

Demonstrators in Palo Alto blockaded the offices of data company Palantir on June 26, and returned for a similar action on July 14, demanding the company stop building surveillance systems for ICE and working with the Israeli government. Actions took place in Palo Alto frequently in the years 2016 to 2020, before Palantir moved its headquarters to Denver. Demonstrations have started up at the remaining Palo Alto office in earnest again.

May Day actions this year were organized with urgency in solidarity with the Palestinian people, heeding the call from the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions to stand with Gaza. Workers and peoples around the world called for an immediate ceasefire. Marches and rallies filled the streets across Northern California on May 1, and there was no business as usual at the Port of Oakland as officials closed the port in anticipation of planned protests.

In response to anti-government protests after police murdered a seventeen-year-old boy of Algerian descent, the French government has taken a number of repressive anti-democratic actions. Several hundred protesters were tried, convicted, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms within just forty-eight hours. One teenager with no prior record was sent to prison for a year and a month for allegedly throwing an empty soda can at a group of police.

In San Francisco on May 1, IBU-ILWU ferry boat workers marched and rallied at Alcatraz Cruises at Pier 33 which is owned by the anti-union Hornblower company. In San José, union members and allies gathered from throughout the South Bay and beyond, then took to the streets. They chanted, "Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!" In Fresno, around 200 people marched through downtown to advocate immigrants' rights.