Marxist, anti-Israel activists use annual Seattle MLK JR march to protest Trump

Hundreds of people marched through Seattle Central District, some of whom chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” while wearing keffiyehs, scarfs often sported by Hamas terrorists, and waving Palestinian flags. No American flags were spotted during the march, but activists did carry flags and signs supporting the Hamas-aligned Palestinian Youth Movement, LGBTQ+, Freedom Socialist Party, the Antifascist Marching Band, local SEIU, Socialist Alternative, communism, the Black Panther Party, Ukraine and more.

Activists marched to Garfield High School on Monday on the theme of “We Rise Against Project 2025,” following the loss progressives suffered in the November election to Republicans and Donald Trump, despite the president having denounced Project 2025 during the campaign.

The 42nd annual march was organized by the Seattle Martin Luther King Jr. Organizing Coalition and the International League of People’s Struggle, a global network of organizations and movements inspired by communist and Marxist ideology that is anti-Israel and anti-American.

In its platform, the group slams Democrats and Republicans as well as progressives for not being progressive enough. “Faced with climate catastrophe, mass impoverishment and untenable working conditions, devastating wars of aggression, and countless other crises caused by the imperialist system, the Democrats and Republicans inherently cannot offer any true solutions to the people’s issues in their bid for the US Presidency. They represent the elite and will govern accordingly, regardless of how pro-people their own platforms may seem. History has shown that, at best, progressive promises of top US leaders have never led to the fundamental change that’s needed. At worst, they have intended to placate the masses and prevent the people from fighting to dismantle the system itself in order to achieve the fundamental change that is needed.”

The platform calls for a revolution, stating, “Real and lasting change is only possible through fully uprooting the system, but history has shown that any gains that have been achieved, even if temporary, were achieved principally due to the collective struggle of the masses, and the masses deserve more.”

Not only does the group advocate for many far-left causes but also for the end of America and Israel, writing, “Free Palestine from the river to the sea, end US funding to Israel, free all Palestinian prisoners, end the siege of Gaza. Honor the Palestinian right to return to their land of 1948. Justice for all victims of US-Israeli War Crimes.”

ILPS (International League of People's Struggle) has been promoting and involved in many high-profile antisemitic events since Hamas invaded Israel on Oct 7, 2024. The group’s members and other antisemitic organizations were involved in actions to block Seattle-area freeways and the Gaza camp at the University of Washington last spring.

The organization’s logo was prominently displayed alongside the logo of the Martin Luther King Jr. Organizing Coalition on a banner behind the event’s speakers that read “We rise against Project 2025,” and featured the Palestinian flag. This is despite Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being a supporter of the Jewish state, marching together with Jews, calling out antisemitism, and equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

During the assembly inside the public school, activists campaigned for a “significant reparations program” and other social justice causes. One speaker, Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown, senior pastor at Plymouth United Church of Christ, slammed Trump’s proposal to deport illegal immigrants who committed felonies, accused Trump of rolling back trans rights and “undue force on protesters,” urging the crowd assembled in the gym to fight back.

Local media spotted signs that said, “Stop Trump, Stop Elon Musk, End Capitalism.” Organizers of the event from previous years who did not participate this year said that the radical groups were trying to co-opt their march.