Minneapolis, MN — The afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 7 saw over 100 people join a protest to mark 16 years of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The protest was organized under the call of Stop Endless U.S. Wars.

The protest was initiated by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and endorsed by a range of peace, faith based, student and other organizations.

The event marked the 16 years of the war in Afghanistan with a call for an end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan and also spoke out against the growing danger of a U.S. war on north Korea.

The protest gathered in the West Bank neighborhood to hear speakers and then marched through the neighborhood.

Speaking at the opening rally, Meredith Aby-Keirstead, a member of the Anti-War Committee and a public school teacher, said that the protest “marks the 16th year of the U.S. war on Afghanistan. 16 years. I have students that have never known a time where the U.S. hasn’t been at war with Afghanistan. My 8-year-old daughter has never known a time where the U.S. hasn’t been at war. Today we are here to say that these wars must end! And we are here to say no to expanding these conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, throughout Africa and most importantly to say no to the use of nuclear weapons against the people of Korea.”

Aby-Keirstead continued, “The Pentagon said the thousands of additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan will cost just over $1 billion a year. And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford] said the U.S. is spending $12.5 billion overall to wage America's longest foreign war. Meanwhile Puerto Ricans don’t have clean water or electricity! Meanwhile American classrooms are overflowing with students who need more teachers and textbooks. Meanwhile we are told that there’s no money for healthcare for people in this country. Oh, there’s money. The U.S. government just chooses to spend it on war!”

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