Sasmit Rahman

Sasmit Rahman lives in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Education

• Went to Wayzata High School.

May Day 2024

Verbatim from an article by Montana Hirsch dated May 5, 2024 at Fight Back! News

"Minneapolis, MN – On May 1, over 500 people took to the streets on International Workers Day to march for immigrant and workers’ rights. The rally and march was organized by a coalition initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and MN Workers United (MWU).

Each year, International Workers Day is celebrated around the world with a call for solidarity with all workers and for union rights. International Workers Day has its origin in the fight for an eight-hour workday in the United States, where there were massive strikes and sharp confrontations in May of 1886.

The march began outside the former Minneapolis Third Precinct police building to support Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) and their fight for community control of the police. On May 1, they submitted petitions to the city of Minneapolis to put community control of the police on the ballot in November. The march continued to the Minneapolis Public Schools Center for Adult Learning to support Minneapolis educators in their battle for a just contract. It ended at the Smith Foundry to support the East Phillips community’s struggle to shut down polluting industries in this largely indigenous and immigrant working-class neighborhood.

An energized group of young people carried the lead banner with the rally’s six demands: legalization for all; community control of the police; end environmental racism and shut down Smith Foundry; divest Minnesota pensions from apartheid Israel; defend women’s and reproductive rights; pass the North Star Act; and support educators and fully fund public schools.

The action kicked off with a dance performance from Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue before launching into a full program of speakers highlighting the different demands of the march. Manuel Pascal from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee said, “May 1 is a special day for immigrant rights. In 2006, all over this country, it was immigrants who took this day back. We are living in one of the most dangerous times in history to be an immigrant and we need to stand up and fight back.”

Eid Ali, the president of Minnesota Uber and Lyft Drivers Association (MULDA) spoke about their powerful and successful campaign to pass an ordinance in Minneapolis forcing rideshare corporations like Uber and Lyft to pay their drivers the equivalent of the city’s minimum wage of $15.57 per hour if they want to continue to operate in the city. MULDA continues fighting for a statewide minimum wage for rideshare drivers.

Ali stated, “Last year, despite our efforts, our bill to support a living wage for rideshare drivers was vetoed by the governor. Today we are back stronger than ever, pushing that bill through the state legislature with the support of powerful allies and unions. Today we march not just for the rights of rideshare drivers but for the rights of all workers, we march for those who are tall in shadows and in light whose hands build our cities and whose sweat waters the seeds of our progress, we march because injustice to one worker is injustice to all.”

As the march made its way up Lake Street, construction workers along the route joined in with chants and raised fists in solidarity as the crowd went by. Many people in the neighborhood cheered, chanted, and filmed as the energized crowd continued.

Marcia Howard, the first vice president of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) Local 59 spoke to the crowd outside of an adult education center just after a tentative agreement was reached in the teacher chapter and a 92% “yes” strike vote had just taken place for the educational support professionals chapter: “All the way across the world, let them hear what we’re doing, This is about labor, every act of service, every day you clock in, every day you get up to do something that ain’t for you, for somebody else, that is labor. And this whole city, this whole nation would shut down if it wasn’t for you.”

Howard continued, “Let me tell you – we are going to continue to fight for our students!”

Sasmit Rahman, a member of University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society and one of the students who were arrested and subsequently banned from campus for demanding divestment from apartheid Israel, was the final speaker of the march. Ragnan stated, “The workers have been standing in unconditional solidarity with the students and with Palestine! We are all struggling against the same common enemy – it's the capitalists struggling to protect their class interests using the military and the police to protect U.S. imperialism around the globe. But when the people stand united there's not a power on earth, not even them, that can defeat us.”

The crowd also heard from speakers from the MN Anti-War Committee, the Climate Justice Committee, MN Workers United, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice.

This year’s May 1 march was endorsed by 40-plus immigrant rights organizations, unions and social justice organizations.

Amy Coney Barrett protest

On Tuesday, October 16, 2023, a group of students and community members rallied on the steps of Northrop Hall at University of Minnesota. They were there to protest U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the annual donor-funded Law School public lecture.

The rally was covered by over a dozen local and national news outlets. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UMN and the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) jointly organized the rally, where at least 250 people mobilized in support of abortion access, affirmative action, and the rights of marginalized peoples.

Rally speaker Maggie Moynihan of MNAAC spoke about the contradictions the UMN presents when they invite a Supreme Court justice with a track record of harming women and students of color. “As a white-majority school, the University of Minnesota has an especially important duty to provide its marginalized students with a diverse and inclusive educational experience,” said Moynihan. “Amy Coney Barrett is a threat to all working-class and marginalized people in the United States and the university administrators have invited this threat to spread her hateful ideology to students on this campus. The message this decision sends is clear. The university does not value the safety of the women, people of color, immigrants, or queer people on this campus.”

Speaker Bryce Riesner of Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota reminded the UMN administration that when they invited Barrett to campus, they had invited “a representative of bigotry.” Speaking against the fallacy of “free speech,’”Riesner pointed out that the university has the power to draw the line at hate and intolerance. “I have so many conservative family and friends who have no hatred in their heart for anyone. [Barrett] does not represent them,” said Riesner.

In their rally speech, Sasmit Rahman recounted the experience of being removed from the lecture, stating that the removal was a cowardly act by Barrett, who apparently refused to acknowledge the protesters. “You’re so comfortable stripping us of our rights,” Rahman said of Barrett, “but too scared to face the consequences of your bigoted decisions! Shame on you Amy, you fucking coward!”

Over a dozen rally speakers represented progressive grassroots organizations across the Twin Cities. These organizations include the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, Students for Climate Justice, Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and local trade unions.

"Fake abortion clinics off campus"

According to Mira Altobell-Resendez 45 University of Minnesota students and community members gathered November 11 202 outside the Prospect Park location of First Care Pregnancy Center to demand that crisis pregnancy centers be removed from campus and defunded by the state. A classroom projector was used to display slogans such as “Abortion is healthcare” and “Fake abortion clinic” on the front of the building as protesters chanted.

Sorcha Lona from Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota pointed out that “despite its name, its positioning as a care provider, and its location only a mile from campus, the intent is clear: to take advantage of vulnerable people in life-altering scenarios and to push them away from the safe and responsible decision to terminate a pregnancy.”

Montana Hirsch from the Minnesota Abortion Action Coalition highlighted how people’s movements make up the core of the fight for women’s and reproductive justice since Democratic Party leadership has proven to be useless in making progressive changes.

Other speakers included Sasmit Rahman from Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota, Sara from Students for Reproductive Freedom, CJ from Climate Justice Committee, and David Gilbert-Pederson from Minnesota Workers United.

Abortion protest

According to Siobhan Moore 10,000 people gathered at 6 p.m. on June 24 2022 outside the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota to condemn the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in their decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Signs filled the air above the demonstrators, with posters declaring “We won’t go back” and “We won’t back down.”

The program kicked off with chants, filling the West Bank neighborhood with shouts for reproductive justice and protections for women’s rights, as emcees Olivia Crull, of Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota (SDS) and Jae Yates of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) introduced the first speakers.

Celia Nimz, speaking for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling and the refusal of the government to codify abortion rights into law. Nimz clarified that mass struggle is required to win these rights back, and that “we need a revolution and socialism to protect your human rights and needs. We cannot vote our way to socialism; we must organize and fight and struggle!” She then invited people to keep up the fight and join the struggle for socialism by joining FRSO.

Sasmit Rahman, a member of SDS, also condemned the ruling, and as well inaction on the part of Joan Gabel, president of the University of Minnesota, and her administration on the issue of abortion rights.

Jaelynne Palmer, from TCC4J, explained the connection between the struggle for community control of the police and for women’s and reproductive rights, and made clear that the struggles have to go hand in hand.

Meredith Aby-Keirstead of the MN Anti-War Committee explained the struggle that those before Roe v. Wade had to go through and made clear that the people refuse to go back.

Other speakers included Sara Resemius of AFSCME 3800; LyLy Vang, a board member of Our Justice; Gabbi Pierce, president of TC Pride at Work, and Aisha Chughtai from the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee.

The action was initiated by Students for a Democratic Society at the UMN, and endorsed by several organizations, including the Anti-War Committee, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, Our Justice, AFSCME 3800, the Climate Justice Committee, Twin Cities Pride at Work, Women Against Military Madnes, MN Workers United, and Immigrant Worker Solidarity.

Justice for Amir Locke

On February 16 2022 , Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota rallied and marched to demand justice for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man murdered by the Minneapolis police in a relative’s apartment earlier this month.

80 people gathered outside the Student Union on Washington Avenue, chanting “What do we want? Justice!” and “Say his name! Amir Locke!”

Bella Harbison, speaking for SDS, said, “Police departments and political leaders across the country are not afraid of committing acts of violence against our Black and brown community members; they are afraid of being caught, and being held accountable for crimes against humanity.”

Jae Yates from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack! made clear that “it is no coincidence that police and slaveowners have so much shared history; both seek to keep oppressed nations and members of the working class in place.” Yates continuing in saying that in order to fight for real accountability, “you should join the fight for community control of police in Minneapolis both on and off campus. We cannot rely on the same people that benefit from policing to defund, demilitarize, or abolish the police. We have to fight for the self-determinative power that Black people have fought for for 400 years.”

Loretta VanPelt, speaking for the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar raised the peoples’ demands: community control, a permanent end to no knock warrants and the charging and arresting of Amir Locke’s killer, Officer Mark Hanneman, and all other officers involved in the murder.

Allison Leopold, a member of White Coats for Black Lives, a student group from the UM medical school, made clear that when police are threatening the lives of Black community members it is a health issue, and that we have a duty to fight back against racist police crimes.

Closing out the protest, Sasmit Rahman, another SDS member said, “We need you guys to sign [the referendum petition], we need more energy, because it is too easy right now for Joan Gabel and the regents to ignore us and to ignore our demands. We need people to share it with their friends, we need consistent action and consistent pressure on Joan Gabel and the regents!”