Durham Dispatch

Around 100 anti-war demonstrators came to the State Capitol for a ceasefire rally on Sunday, May 19th. Along with calls for an end to the US-Israeli attack on Gaza, the protestors criticized three bills moving quickly through the North Carolina political system – HB 942, HB 10, and HB 237. Speakers for the rally came from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Muslim Women For, Raleigh United for Gaza, and other groups. WRAL interviewed Hadeel Hamoud, a member of Muslim Women For, about the purpose of Sunday’s action [x]. The quote is lightly edited for clarity. “The Shalom Act (HB 942) will potentially thwart free speech and allow law enforcement to criminalize the pro-Palestinian movement,” said Hamoud, “The ICE bill (HB 10) will criminalize immigrants, the masking bill (HB 237) will make it illegal for us to wear masks for health and safety reasons, all of these things are seeking to undermine and inhibit the movement.” The pro-Palestine group assembled at 3 o’clock on Wilmington Street. They formed a long line on the sidewalk, kept off the Capitol Grounds grass by a few police officers. The rally’s organizers led a few practice chants and then led a short march down the street to the Legislative Building. On the way, people waved Palestinian flags as well as signs with messages like “Free Palestine”, “End the Occupation”, and “Say NO To Repressive Laws.” “End the occupation now!” chanted the crowd, “And if we don’t get it, shut it down!” The rally-goers warmed to the last line and repetitively roared, “Shut it down! Shut it down!” Ceasefire rallies have been held in Raleigh, mostly at Moore Square, every weekend for many months. The crowd knew their slogans well, often correcting chant leaders who missed a word or beat. The marchers stopped in front of the Legislative Building and organizers made speeches about three proposed North Carolina laws that they called repressive. Women circulated in the crowd, handing out huge posters with images of murdered Gazan children. “The Shalom Act uses the IHRA definition of antisemitism which says it may be antisemitic to call Israel a racist state,” said a speaker from the UNC Chapel Hill encampment, “But that’s just the truth. Israel is a racist state!” A leader from Raleigh United for Gaza gave a speech, outlining the new group’s plans to raise campaign funds to protect elected officials who supported a ceasefire. To that end, the speaker asked the crowd to come to a silent auction in early June. When the anti-war demonstrators began to march again, police on motorbikes put up their kickstands and rode off to the next intersection. The crowd marched down Salisbury Street and then Morgan Street to return to the starting place. On the way back, the chants continued. “We will honor all our martyrs … all the children, sons, and daughters!” Sunday’s event wasn’t marred by police violence or counter-protestors. People who walked past the march were a mix of supportive, curious, or unconcerned, but never openly hostile. There were a few confused looks whenever the activists chanted in Arabic. The crowd began to disperse around 5 o’clock, returning to life in a rich city in the most powerful country on earth. The next day, May 20th, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested arrest warrants for the Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel, as well as for three Hamas leaders. Although the Israeli leaders will likely never be imprisoned at the Hague, the pro-Palestine movement celebrated the ICC’s actions, eager for any event that could help to lessen the suffering of a tyrannized people. On May 22nd, the governments of Ireland, Spain, and Norway announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, joining 143 other countries. Missing from that list is the United States, which vetoes the two-state solution every year at the United Nations. This year’s General Assembly vote on the topic was 143-9. The pro-Palestine demonstrators in Raleigh are likely to be back on May 26th, demanding that their leaders join the world in calling for an end to the current war, the decades-long imprisonment of Gaza, and the 56-year Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

On May 23rd, workers at the REI store in Durham celebrated the one-year anniversary of their vote to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1208. The REI employees held a rally at six o'clock on Thursday that was joined by dozens of community supporters, including Durham City Council member Nate Baker. The rally was held in front of the REI store, located in the Renaissance Center on Fayetteville Street. Heavy rain swept in just as the event began but nobody seemed to mind. The REI workers gave heartfelt speeches about better pay and conditions in sopping wet clothing, and perhaps the strongest speech came from a worker whose printed remarks turned to soggy mush in their hands. The crowd included families with small children, who reached out from beneath the umbrellas to feel the rain. UFCW 1208 made it clear they were focused on one demand – that the outdoor retailing company bargain in good faith and sign a fair contract with its 10 unionized stores. The REI Union was established in March 2022, but since then REI has stonewalled on negotiating a union contract. Mitchell Murphy, senior sales specialist at REI Durham, said the following at Thursday’s rally: “One year ago, we did something historic here at REI Durham. We stood up for ourselves and our fellow workers and told REI that we deserve to have a real impact in our workplace. We deserve the ability to make positive changes in our workplace through the required process of the company coming to the table we have built, and bargaining with us over changes that both sides want to make to our combined operations and working conditions.” The sun emerged at 6:30 p.m. and the rally-goers stowed their umbrellas and ponchos. As the speeches continued, the REI workers explained how the company has shifted away from full-time employment, preferring to hire part-time workers without enough pay or training. UFCW 1208 talked about the unique needs of REI customers. One may need to know how to fix their custom-made mountain bike, another might ask what to bring for a hike up Kilimanjaro. Yet, the company has cut trainings where workers get to take part in such outdoor adventures, leading to a drop in customer service that erases the benefits of the cost savings. Si-Hua Chang, sales specialist at REI Durham, also spoke at the May 23rd rally: “I’m confident that REI workers’ efforts to make our voices heard will prevail over REI’s attempts to silence us. We are so proud of the movement we are building, and we look forward to welcoming many more REI stores into the REI union. We are also incredibly grateful for the support of our Durham community, especially from REI members and from our siblings in unions across Durham and the triangle.” The first REI store to unionize was a New York City location that won its NLRB election in March 2022. As the REI Union grew over the next two years, the outdoor retailer has retaliated with a wave of firings against pro-union workers, often on the flimsiest pretexts. The company has also retained Morgan Lewis, a notorious anti-union law firm, for its union-busting drive. Anti-union consultants make hundreds of dollars an hour in their repellent trade, while the REI workers they're attacking make a fraction of that. Despite all challenges, Thursday's one-year anniversary rally at the Renaissance Center was upbeat and optimistic. People driving by honked to show support for UFCW 1208, and each time the crowd cheered in appreciation. After the speeches, the REI workers talked and laughed with supporters from Durham Association of Educators, C.A.U.S.E., Southern Workers Assembly, and other pro-worker groups. The workers handed out slices of cake and cookies decorated with REI Union colors. In their remarks, one of the REI workers wondered if the highly-paid REI executives and Morgan Lewis mercenaries were watching the social media feed from the May 23rd rally. If so, the message from the Bull City was clear - stop union-busting and start negotiating in good faith.