Local
A Central Ohio Chapter of Veterans For Peace (VFP) has been operating in the Columbus and surrounding areas for over a year. We have 15 core members, all of whom are experienced activists.
It is Chapter 183. Up until it was formed, Columbus was one of the largest cities in the United States that was not represented by a local chapter. Ohio was the most populous state without a chapter. There are over one hundred chapters throughout the U.S. and several international chapters. The national organization has had activists on the flotillas that have tried to break the Gaza blockade. VFP members have been arrested numerous times at demonstrations for standing up for freedom, veteran's rights, and the civil and humanitarian rights of people throughout the world while promoting peace and opposing unnecessary militarism, intervention, and war.
Friday, October 10, 6-8pm
Madison Township Community Center, 4575 Madison Lane, Groveport
Urgent discussion on Anduril's AI surveillance drone factory at Rickenbacker airport and what that means for our community.
Open to the public.
Food provided by Eddy's Chicken and Waffles.
A relatively new union at a Columbus east side cannabis dispensary remains on strike as they demand their corporate owner come back to the negotiating table to ink out a new contract. Herbal Wellness Center United or HWC United went on strike at the end of September, forcing their corporate bosses to shorten hours of operation and bring in scabs.
Out of Ohio’s 159 cannabis dispensaries only a handful have unionized, and this is the first time Ohio dispensary workers have gone on strike. Most dispensary workers, or “budtenders,” make between $14 to $20-an-hour.
HWC United organized with the help of local Teamsters 413 in 2023 not long before full legalization in Ohio was passed by a citizen-led amendment. Their busy medical dispensary was going to have far more customers and make a lot more money. That was predictable, and then they began hearing rumors their owner was looking to sell to a much larger corporation.
Thursday, October 9, 2025 - 6:00pm
Jacob's Porch, 45 E 13th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
Join Central Ohio Revolutionary Socialists, @fsjp_osu, and @workersvoice.ohio, for a presentation and discussion examining the reasons for the United States unequivocal support for Israel and the ongoing genocide.
In order to effectively fight for Palestine, we must understand what we are fighting against. We will discuss the role of U.S. Imperialism, the nature of zionism, and the history of this “special relationship.”
We welcome all to come discuss these burning questions for our movement. Feel free to invite others and share the event.
The meeting will take place at Jacob’s Porch (near OSU campus in Columbus) and there will be an online option available at cbus.work/meeting
Organizers from across the state held a press conference marking two years of war on the people of Gaza and renewing calls for No New Bonds - divestment of taxpayer money from the state of Israel and its genocidal project against the Palestinian people.
“It’s been two years of destruction of my family and my people. Two years of starvation and dirty water. Two years of gathering pieces of bodies in grocery bags. Two years of kill shots on children. And two years of watching my elected officials green light all of it, a genocide funded and supported by my government.”, read a representative from the Baladna, the Palestine Society of Columbus.
At least 60 people packed into the gallery of the state capital building in downtown Columbus as the rain fell steadily on the streets outside. Organizers had planned to demonstrate on the steps of the capital, but weather moved the event indoors.
Data Centers sparking rate increase
Data centers in PJM, the largest U.S. regional power grid that serves customers from New York to Chicago, are adding billions of dollars to ratepayers' electricity bills and increasing the odds of potential power shortages, a new analysis shows.
Projected electricity demand from the rise of artificial intelligence is rippling across U.S. power grids. A report by Monitoring Analytics, the independent market monitor for Eastern grid operator PJM Interconnection, estimated that current and planned peak power will add nearly 12,000 megawatts to the expected peak power demand next summer.
Added Power demand drove up PJM's July capacity auction by $7.2 billion, an 82 percent increase over the previous auction.
This year’s Columbus City Council race is a battle between grassroots progressives and well-heeled incumbents. Challenging the status-quo, Jesse Vogel is a Democrat running for Columbus City Council - District 7 against establishment darling Tiara Ross. Vogel knows he can’t do it alone. So he’s building a coalition of progressive allies. One of them is Kate Curry-D’Souza, the third candidate from the May primary who recently endorsed Vogel. Vogel respects her a lot as “a principled, progressive leader who I’m honored to have on our team,” Between the two of them, Jesse and Kate received 60 percent of the votes in the primary, indicating a desire for a different kind of leadership. By partnering now, they’re able to show how people on the left are engaged and working together to win.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, “All the Freedom Flotilla and Thousand Madleen boats were pirated in the early hours of October 8, 2025.”
Among the crew on the flotilla is Tom Hayes, a documentary filmmaker and Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Film at Ohio University, currently serving as a media volunteer.
Hayes was sailing on a boat called the Conscience, carrying dozens of international journalists and medical professionals from 25 countries. The Conscience was on a mission to break Israel‘s illegal siege of Gaza, challenge Israel’s media blackout of Gaza, and affirm the Palestinian people’s right to live in freedom and dignity.
Ohio University Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine join the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in demanding the following:
· An end to Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade of Gaza;
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Budd Dairy Food Hall, 1101 N 4th St, Columbus 43201
Hear Columbus City Council Candidates Tiara Ross and Jesse Vogel discuss their views on the future of Columbus' 7th District. Moderated by Amy Juravich of WOSU's All Sides.