Minneapolis activists protest Honeywell’s weapons production for missile program

On Sunday, October 4, activists and community members in Minneapolis gathered to protest Honeywell’s production of weapons components at its local facility. The demonstration targeted a $30.8 million no-bid contract awarded to the plant for manufacturing 1,890 guidance components for long-range guided missiles. The event marked the official launch of the Anti-War Committee Minnesota’s Disarm Honeywell campaign.

The protest highlighted the role of Honeywell-made components in enabling precision strikes by the U.S. and Israeli militaries, including attacks on schools in Gaza and Iran. Lina Jebara, an organizer with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, shared that remnants of these components have been found at bombed sites in Gaza, bearing the text “Mpls, MN.”

Liz Bolsoni, a member of Women Against Military Madness, emphasized that local political leaders often claim powerlessness over global conflicts. She argued that Honeywell’s weapons production in Minneapolis directly contributes to these atrocities. The protest echoed earlier activism, including the Honeywell Project of the 1970s and 1980s, which successfully pushed Honeywell’s headquarters out of Minneapolis but failed to shut down the plant.

The Department of War reportedly identified the Minneapolis factory as a critical vulnerability, noting that relocating production could cause nearly four years of delay in missile manufacturing. Sana Wazwaz of American Muslims for Palestine urged the Twin Cities to replicate past successes, such as shutting down a Lockheed Martin grant in St. Paul, by supporting the Disarm Honeywell campaign. All speakers agreed that halting weapons production would save lives.