Spokane Youth say: Money for People, Not for War!
On Saturday April 19, 2025, Young Activist Leaders of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane are holding a demonstration to say “Money for People, Not for War!” This youth-led protest will bring together hundreds of local everyday people to oppose destructive cuts to education, Medicaid, food supports, environmental protection, and other lifelines. This week, working people all over the country filed to pay more taxes than billionaires and corporations who don’t pay their fair share. At the same time, Trump pledged $1 TRILLION for more war, more death, more destruction and dominance — and hits the working class with a huge tax hike to finance it.
PJALS Young Activist Leaders say: “We call on Congress to protect funding for food supports, Social Security, education, protecting the earth, and other lifeline programs. Our current government doesn’t reflect the morals of our future leaders. The human, financial, and community costs of war are unacceptable!”
Americans across races, places and parties value our freedoms – but Trump and Musk, with Rep. Baumgartner’s support, are running a regime of the bullies, for the billionaires. While Trump raises prices and bullies us based on our races, backgrounds and genders, his shadow president Elon Musk attempts a hostile takeover of our government. Now Rep. Baumgartner and other Trump followers in Congress are pushing a budget bill to finance abducting our neighbors, robbing patients of medications, and denying families the food, education, and environmental protections we need — while spending $1 trillion of our money on the largest war budget since World War II.
Willliam Hartung wrote in Forbes: “America’s post-9/11 wars have cost $8 trillion, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers, destabilized key regions, and resulted in physical and psychological injuries to hundreds of thousands of U.S. military personnel. This grim record should prompt second thoughts about doubling down on force and the threat of force as the primary tools of U.S. foreign policy.”
Our leaders must demand an end to this assault on the resources that ‘we the people’ created to care for each other and block the billionaires who want to take our freedoms, endanger our families and control our futures. Loudly we declare, #HandsOff and #FreeAmerica and demand not one vote for this budget of destruction.
This Trump-Musk regime, apparently with Rep. Baumgartner’s support, abuses and bankrupts anyone who doesn’t look, live, or love like them. They’re abducting our neighbors, stealing medicine from seniors, and destroying our futures to enrich their billionaire backers. Only by joining together to confront these bullies who seek to control us will we protect our freedoms, our families, and our futures.
The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane is a local organization engaging everyday people to build a just and nonviolent world. PJALS Young Activist Leaders Program (YALP) offers “education for action” for skill-building and political education. Participants explore social justice with other Spokane-area young people who value equality, human rights, economic justice, and peace.
TAKE ACTION:
- Join PJALS to get involved and hear about what’s next: www.pjals.org/join-pjals
- Make your voice heard to Rep. Baumgartner, Sen. Murray, and Sen. Cantwell: www.pjals.org/contactcongress
BACKGROUND:
- Trump Pledges $1 Trillion for US Military While Hitting Working Class With Huge Tax Hike
- ‘Are we just left to die?’: Spokane health care providers, patients consider Medicaid cuts in roundtable
- Forbes: Does America Really Need A $1 Trillion Pentagon Budget?
TODAY’S SPEAKERS:
Nicolai Jaggar, PJALS Youth Organizer, (he/him) recently graduated high school, and is hoping to study political science after a gap year. In the meantime, he hopes to immerse himself within Spokane’s social justice community, and learn from the best. In his time at PJALS, Nico would like to help create a fun, constructive space for our upcoming YALP session. He believes that education and involvement surrounding local issues are the first steps to creating a unified community. Nico also really loves his pets, and will definitely show you pictures if asked.
Fenrir Jorgensen is a local artist and member of PJALS’ Young Activist Leaders Program. Born and raised in Spokane, Fenrir hopes to give back to its community in the next few years as it attends EWU.
Jack Curry, he/him, 18, Freshman at Gonzaga University, English major and theatre minor, part of the Unity Scholar cohort and member of PJALS’ Young Activist Leaders Program. I was lucky enough to grow up in the organizing community and see the power and responsibility of activism from a young age. I strongly believe in doing your best to make the world the best it can be for everyone on it and that is one of the main reasons I am here today.
Lina (they/she), 21, MSW Student and member of PJALS’ Young Activist Leaders Program. After growing up in a family where “social justice” was a pejorative term and coming to recognize how entrenched inequities are in our society, I’ve dedicated myself to doing what I can to promote equity and justice for all. I hope to work within existing systems to restructure them to support all constituents, not just some, and create a society that holds compassion and mutual aid as their highest values.
Marley Hochendoner, Executive Director, Northwest Fair Housing Alliance (NWFHA) – Marley has led NWFHA, a nonprofit fair housing advocacy organization based in Spokane, for 20 years. She and the NWFHA team are dedicated to ending housing discrimination for people in Washington, through education, counseling, and advocacy. She believes that everyone should have access to safe and affordable housing, free of discrimination.
Jorge H. Guerrero is a community organizer, Navy veteran, and proud immigrant from Mexico. Jorge brings experience from serving in the U.S. Navy, working in higher education settings, to now leading work in immigrant and environmental justice at Latinos en Spokane. He’s also a small business owner and a strong advocate for workers, housing, and environmental justice. Jorge’s journey is one of resilience, service, and commitment to empowering others—especially youth and underserved communities.
Pui-Yan Lam is an immigrant from Hong Kong and has been a resident of Spokane for more than 20 years. She works as a professor of sociology at Eastern Washington University. She has served in community organizations such as Spokane Community Against Racism. Asians for Collective Liberation, Peace and Justice League of Spokane, Greater Spokane Progress, and Refugee and Immigrant Connections of Spokane. She is also an executive board member of the Spokane Regional Labor Council.
Beck is an Anthropology major at SFCC who aims to pursue a PHD in Cultural Anthropology and work in academia. They are President and Treasurer of SFCC’s Anthropology club, a member of STOP Moms for Liberty, a volunteer citizen archivist for The National Archives, and member of PJALS’ Young Activist Leaders Program. They chose to do the YALP internship to gain further educational development in organizing and grassroots movements.
Foster Transue, PJALS Youth Organizer (he/they), was born in Kansas City, but has spent half their life in Spokane. They graduated in 2023 and are continuing their education. A child of advocates, they grew up believing that activism is the rent we pay towards society. With PJALS, Foster hopes to learn more about the experience of others, and how to equitably build community. In his free time, he loves music, gaming, the arts, and his cat Archimedes.
LET’S RAISE OUR VOICES
1-2-3-4 Money for People, Not for War!
Money for Jobs and Education,
Not for Wars and Occupation
Money for education, Not for war!
Money for healthcare, Not for war!
Money for homes, Not for war!
Money for families, Not for war!
Money for food, Not for war!
Money for jobs, Not for war!
Tell me what community looks like!
This is what community looks like!