Through the Static

by Hannah Saunders

We’re bringing you another weekly reporting round-up from September 1-7, where we published six articles on topics like a vandal destroying the Free Palestine mural in Olympia, Washington experiencing a “historic surge,” in ICE kidnappings, and the Fedayeen Football League’s Makluba Cup. Let’s take a look at what you may have missed!

Vandal destroys Olympia’s Free Palestine mural on Stonewall Youth building for 8th time

A heartfelt “Free Palestine,” mural featuring a poem and children flying kites, which rests on the Stonewall Youth building in Olympia, has been vandalized for the eighth time. Local artists and community members who refuse to accept Israel’s severe abuses of human rights have organized this mural, which represents rare moments of peace and freedom during genocidal terror and slaughtering of civilians, including children. This time, the building was lit on fire as community members were actively inside.

“The vandal, or vandals, have repeatedly defaced the mural with black, blue, and red spray paint, and even feces, writing hateful slurs on the wall. This mural is specifically targeted for its content, with spray paint used to censor the poem on the mural and to black out the faces of the children flying the kite,” according to Palestine Action South Sound.

Learn more here.

UW Center for Human Rights: WA experiencing “historic surge,” in ICE kidnappings with 705 this June

What many King County residents have suspected to be the case has just been confirmed by the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights (UWCHR): Washington experienced a “historic surge,” in immigration-related arrests this year. This past June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) grabbed 705 community members, with 669 being at-large arrests, meaning they took place in the community, like on the sides of roads, workplaces, and homes.

“ICE doesn’t tell us how many are accompanied by violence; how many take place in the presence of children; or how many are preceded by the issuance of a lawful warrant. In fact, what community members and observers report is that many appear to be acts of opportunistic racial profiling, carried out by masked agents driving unmarked vehicles in ways that sow terror among affected communities,” according to UWCHR.

Click here to read the full article.

11,000 Washington immigrants expected to lose Medicaid coverage in October

Medicaid coverage in Washington state will experience challenges in the coming months, with 11,000 immigrants expected to lose coverage on October 1. This is the result of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which he signed over one year ago that slashed over $1.3 trillion in healthcare and food assistance benefits nationwide. To combat what will undoubtedly create life-threatening issues for Washingtonians set to lose coverage, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced an executive order on September 3.

A total of 14,000 immigrants were expected to lose their Apple Health coverage on October 1, but that number has been reduced to 11,000 due to state outreach efforts with immigrant communities through healthcare navigators. The Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, community partners, and providers have also been assisting with outreach, guiding some in updating their personal information or altering their immigration status so that they can continue to qualify for and receive benefits.

Read the full article here.

Anti-war activists to protest 200 days of war on Iran at Pike Place Market and announce new campaign

September 16 marks 200 days since the start of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, and Seattle anti-war activists are holding a protest at Pike Place Market at 5:30 p.m. where they will announce a new campaign. Several similar protests will be concurring nationwide in cities like Chicago, Denver, and San Jose under a coordinated action by the Anti-War Action Network.

“The goal of the national protests are to both demonstrate how unpopular the war on Iran is, and to draw the masses into the people’s movement against imperialism by building familiarity with people and recruiting them into anti-imperialist organizations,” Seattle Against War (SAW) told TtS.

Click here to learn more.

WAISN workers unionizing for accountability and better working conditions after leadership laid off several employees

Workers at the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) are unionizing for fair and consistent workplace conditions, and transparency and accountability from leadership, which recently emphasized a lack of donations. As a result, several employees have been laid off while all others have experienced a reduction in hours, leading to financial hardships and a gap in response to ICE kidnappings.

“Leadership made decisions about finances, staffing, communication, and organizational priorities that brought workers to this point— including the decision to not take pay cuts. Workers deserve transparency about those decisions, and we deserve a real voice in what happens next,” the WAISN Worker Collective told TtS.

Read the full article here.

Seattle’s Fedayeen Football League hosts first Makluba Cup to honor Palestinian martyrs

The sound of whistles blowing and balls being kicked rang through the synthetic turf soccer fields at Shoreline Park on September 5, where the Fedayeen Football League hosted its first ever Makluba Cup. The event honored Palestinian athletes martyred during the ongoing genocide, and helped fundraise for the Palestine Sports Network.

One member of Nidal could be heard chanting on and off throughout the late afternoon: “N-I-D-A-L, what’s that spell?” which was followed by “Nidal!” The Malak Tareq Ziad Musleh team, which included members of Nidal, played the Hanan Wael Al Hawajiri team— both named after martyrs— in the final match.

Click here for the full breakdown.

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