Minneapolis builds struggle against Honeywell’s weapons manufacturing

Minneapolis, MN – Dozens of community members came out Sunday, October 4, to demand an end to the production of weapons components at the Minneapolis Honeywell facility. The protest was a response to a $30.8 million no-bid contract for the plant to produce 1890 guidance components for long-range guided missiles, and the official launch of the Anti-War Committee Minnesota’s new Disarm Honeywell campaign.

The components made at the Minneapolis Honeywell plant enable the U.S. and Israeli militaries to precisely target schools like the U.N.-run Al-Jawni School in Gaza, and the Minab school in Iran using bombs, drones and missiles.

Lina Jebara, an organizer with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network – Minnesota and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) told the crowd that Palestinians have found the remains of multiple Honeywell components at the sites of bombed homes and refugee camps, with the text “Mpls, MN” etched into the parts.

Liz Bolsoni, a member of Women Against Military Madness’ U.S. out of Africa Committee and the AWC stated, “Politicians always try to tell us they can’t do anything about what’s happening halfway across the world – we’re here to say that these atrocities aren’t simply happening, they are made possible by a company right here in our city.”

This isn’t the first time the Minneapolis Honeywell plant’s weapons production has led to protest. Sarah Martin, a member of Women Against Military Madness and a long-time activist in Minneapolis, recounted her involvement in the Honeywell Project, an organized movement in the 1970s and 1980s that responded to the production of cluster bombs and guidance systems for nuclear missiles. The Honeywell Project resulted in Honeywell moving its headquarters out of Minneapolis, but the plant remains open.

In the new Minneapolis Honeywell contract, the Department of War revealed that the Minneapolis factory represents a critical vulnerability, stating that having to move the production of these guided missile components to another site could cause almost four years of delay in the production of missiles that the U.S. government wants to use in the war on Iran.

Sana Wazwaz, representing American Muslims for Palestine – Minnesota reminded the crowd, “Because of our organizing, [the St. Paul city council] shut down a grant for Lockheed Martin with [a vote of] 6-0. Minnesota knows how to stand against weapons.” Wazwaz called on the Twin Cities to take this same energy to the Disarm Honeywell campaign to stop Honeywell’s manufacture of arms.

All the speakers agreed that stopping the production of these arms today will directly translate to saving people’s lives.

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