Paul Nelson (Denver)
Paul Nelson
Biden protest
On November 28, 2023, Colorado residents protested Joe Biden’s visit to Denver. The protest condemned the president’s support of the Israeli government's genocide of Palestinians and demanded an end to U.S. aid to Israel.
Even though we face a severe housing crisis and limited funding for schooling, infrastructure, and no affordable healthcare, Biden continues to pledge billions of dollars to the apartheid state of Israel.
Students for a Democratic Society - Denver (SDS) arrived on the scene after holding a vigil on their campus hours before, commemorating those who gave their lives for the liberation of Palestine. Tom Chaney, a member of SDS, stated, “We don’t have to stand idly and watch children die. As long as Lockheed Martin is on our campus, we have a reason to fight. As long as there are representatives in our government that are supporting this genocide, we can fight.”
“The best thing we can do in the United States is end U.S. aid to Israel. More than $13 million per day. More than $14 billion!” said Paul Nelson, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Nelson also mentioned, “There is a lot more that needs to be done, if you’re not in an organization, join one and fight for the people because we can’t do this alone!”
The protest was called by the Colorado Palestine Coalition, which includes the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Students for a Democratic Society - Denver, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and many other groups.[1]
US Teamsters on the Frontlines!
US Teamsters on the Frontlines! was a July 16 2023 Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack! webinar on the looming UPS strike.
Participants included Paul Nelson Students for a Democratic Society - Denver.
Police brutality protest
On February 1, 2023 about 40 students from the Auraria campus community came out to show solidarity with the latest wave of victims of police brutality. Students for a Democratic Society - Denver , alongside the Black Student Alliance, held a vigil for Tyre Nichols, Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Terán, and Keenan Anderson - each of whom were murdered by police in January. Students had the opportunity to speak out and voice their grief and anger towards these murders that continue to happen in the United States.
Student Julia Swezy, a member of SDS, states, “Therefore, even in times of insurmountable grief, even when we collectively express our devastation surrounding even more loss of life at the hands of cops, the flame of our goal is only burning brighter. Our grief will not fuel nihilism, but action.”
Another member of Students for a Democratic Society - Denver, Paul Nelson, followed this sentiment in his speech, “We students are at a historical crossroads that many before us have arrived at, we can just go about our way and go towards the well-worn path of the status quo, or we can stand up and dare to struggle for a better way.”[2]