UIC Protest to Free Mahmoud Kahlil and Leqaa Kordia

On March 20, the Spartacus Youth Club joined with 18 other organizations at the University of Illinois Chicago, including Socialist Alternative, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and Students for Justice in Palestine, to protest the detention of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia, who were arrested in an escalation of the government’s campaign against pro-Palestinian activists. Most speakers simply cheered on the student movement and fostered illusions in the state of the Palestinian struggle but gave no path forward. Instead of calling to escalate the struggle along the same liberal lines that led to defeat last year, the movement must be rebuilt on an anti-imperialist basis. As the speaker from the SYC said:

“The working class has a material interest in fighting for a free Palestine. By fighting against the imperialists’ war moves abroad, workers strengthen their own position to defend themselves and win what they need. Moreover, it is the children of the American working class—us!—who will be the first ones sent to kill and be killed for the profits of U.S. imperialism. And unlike students, workers have their hands on the levers of the economy—they can stop the flow of arms and shut down production. Students must ally with the working class and show how defending Palestine and all the oppressed are in their interests.

“This won’t be an easy task, especially because kowtowing to the Democrats and peddling liberal moralism created a huge gulf between the movement and the working class, driving workers toward Trump. Just look at who the movement hails as heroes—liberal politicians like Rashida Tlaib—who were part of the status quo that workers dumped in November. Or look a little closer to home, where FRSO and SDS celebrate Brandon Johnson—who is about to carry out major attacks on public services, whose cops gunned down Dexter Reed and attacked pro-Palestine protesters at the DNC. Winning the working class to defend pro-Palestine protesters is impossible while tailing these liberal politicians. Breaking with them is the only way to lay the foundation for a real anti-imperialist movement in the U.S.

“The pro-capitalist labor leaders are no answer either. Shawn Fain went from calling for a ceasefire, to backing Harris, to working with Trump to rob the rest of the world with tariffs. Liberal labor leaders look to the bosses to solve the problems of the working class and the oppressed, lining them up for defeat and shackling workers to their class enemies. To defend against the reactionary attacks made by the right and defend those like Mahmoud and Leqaa, we must build class-based united fronts. We have many differences with the other organizations present at this demonstration—but that shouldn’t get in the way of us working together. We stand united under the demands to: Free Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia! Defend all pro-Palestine protesters! Defend migrants against I.C.E.! And Free Palestine!”