This reportback was shared with us from the A15 action in Eugene in solidarity with economic blockades around the world to stop the genocide in Gaza. NAC did not organize this action.

On the morning of Monday, April 15th, community members in Eugene, Oregon blockaded Interstate 5 in solidarity with an international call to action to shut down economic trade for Palestine. The goal of this global solidarity effort was to shut down the economy that funds the ongoing occupation and genocide in Palestine.

In response to this expression of their first amendment right, 6 state agencies (EPD, OPD, SPD, Lane County Sheriffs, and the SWAT team included) showed up with over 127 officers equipped in riot gear, with munitions and chemical weapons on display. At various points, pepperball guns were aimed within lethal distance at people’s bodies.

62 arrests were made and the protesters were kept overnight, some for over 30 hours, for this call to end a genocide that has already martyred over 30,000 Palestinians. While all prisoners everywhere are subjected to dehumanizing treatment, we highlight that several trans and gender non-conforming folks were kept in solitary confinement without being presented options, and at least two arrestees were denied access to medications that were on their person with prescription notes at the time of the arrest.

The escalation and severity of this response by the police towards a group of protesters is indicative of a trajectory that should alarm all of us. Every protester that was arrested has been charged with disorderly conduct in the second degree, further underscoring the desperation of the State to maintain control.

While outrageous that 62 citizens that chose to rebel against this country’s complicity with genocide were punished with jail and collective charges, this doesn’t compare to what each and every Palestinian is subjected to every day. Our 24-32 hours in jail pales next to what political prisoners all around the prison world experience. For those of us for whom this was the first experience in a cage, we re-affirm our commitment to the struggle for freedom for Palestinian prisoners and prisoners everywhere, against the police and prisons, against the occupation, against American imperialism, against capitalism —  for a better world, the slight chance for which we will not fail to seize.⁩

Over 9,500 Palestinians have been imprisoned since October 7th, including 275 women, 520 children, 66 journalists, and 5,168 orders of administrative detention without charges or trial, and at least 16 Palestinian prisoners tortured to death.

The people of Eugene unite with the people of the world in this clear demand: We want Palestine to live, and we want Palestine to be free

This is an action report sent to NAC anonymously. NAC did not organize this action.

On Monday, February 26th, a small group of activists in Eugene, OR took to the streets and marched to the offices of ReMax.

ReMax is a real estate company that directly participates in and profits off of the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people at the hands of Israel and the United States.

ReMax is the biggest real estate company in occupied Palestine, selling homes that are built on the stolen land of Palestinian families, and is a mechanism of settlement and displacement.

YOU OCCUPY PALESTINE, WE OCCUPY YOU!

ReMax is an enemy of the people, which is why community members gave them a visit to shut down their work for the day.

The Eugene Police Department (EPD) and ReMax must have felt threatened enough by even a mere call to action that they locked the doors of the office building, which seemed mostly empty anyways. On the one hand, activists didn’t get to go into the ReMax office and disrupt work.

On the other hand, they did close their office, and customers and delivery drivers had a hard time accessing the building. In front of the office building, activists listened to music, led chants and read poetry. The group then left to drop a “Fuck ReMax” banner over the highway.

As the group jubilantly marched back in the streets, they were followed b a disembodied voice from the police speakers, attempting to intimidate them with one final threat: “picking flowers is a crime.” Everyone was able to disperse safely with no arrests. Fuck the police.

EPD was on the scene the whole time, performing their duties of protecting private property and attempting to intimidate the group. EPD is an enemy of the people. They only exist to protect private property and the rich, like ReMax and its assets. The police are the occupying force in Eugene, surveilling our neighborhoods, harassing and arresting our homeless neighbors and brutalizing protestors and activists in the streets.

In the same breath that we condemn the Israeli Occupation Forces, we condemn EPD, for they both uphold imperialism, they both support the genocide of the Palestinian people, they both use rubber bullets and tear gas against the people, they both commit murder with impunity. We won’t be intimidated by them!

EPD, KKK, IOF, THEY’RE ALL THE SAME!

Activists hope that this action will inspire the people here in Eugene. It is possible to target those who perpetuate this genocide. They have addresses and office buildings, and they are not invincible. Eugene residents take inspiration from similar actions that have taken place across the west coast, such as the Block the Boat actions, Amazon warehouse blockades, and other disruptions of the machinations of capital.

Overall, the activists were testing what is possible in this town. Since 2020, local militancy has died down significantly, and the people are faced with having to re-learn how to take action together. We don’t have to listen to the pigs when they tell us not to trespass.

We don’t have to listen to the pigs when they tell us to disperse or stop blocking traffic.

We don’t have to listen to the pigs at all. We can take direct action in as many ways as we can imagine.

We must continue to take action together to stop the genocide of Palestinians by any means necessary!

There is so much more to be done, and we can only do it together! Solidarity with those who took the streets and defied the police!

The masses of the world stand with the Palestinian people and we will not stop until Palestine, and all oppressed nations and their people are free!

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLUTION: INTIFADA, REVOLUTION!