Minneapolis demands U.S. stop blocking peace talks in Ukraine
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, October 3, more than 20 people gathered outside the office of Minnesota State Senator Amy Klobuchar to demand an end to U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine. The event was a response to a national call by the Peace in Ukraine Coalition and the United National Antiwar Coalition for activists all across the country to unite in demanding an end to U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine and U.S. Interference in negotiations.
Protesters held a banner reading “No to NATO! No to war!” and waved signs with slogans of “U.S. hands off Ukraine” and “No war with Russia! No war with China!”
Drake Myers of the Anti-War Committee opened the rally by explaining why Klobuchar's office was chosen as a target. “Klobuchar has been a supporter of war in Ukraine as far back as 2014,” Myers stated, describing her trip to Ukraine in that year, where she stood in support of a violent U.S.-backed coup was in the process of unseating Ukraine's elected government. “When Russia invaded Ukraine, Klobuchar said, 'This is going to be a long war,'” Myers said. “Why does she get to decide that? The U.S. should not decide that!” Klobuchar has continued to be a voice for increased U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine, fueling the war and delaying negotiation.
Sarah Martin of Women Against Military Madness spoke about the role of NATO as a tool of imperialism, detailing how NATO, under leadership of the U.S., waged “so-called 'humanitarian wars'” in Yugoslavia, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan that have left these countries “dismembered and impoverished.” She drew attention to the role that NATO played in stoking the current war in Ukraine, saying “Even Jens Stoltenberg, military head of NATO and war hawk if there ever there was one, recently admitted at an EU Parliament meeting that Putin went to war to prevent NATO, more NATO, close to his borders.”
Minnesota Anti-War Committee representative Andrew Josefchak spoke at the close of the rally, focusing on how U.S. interference has prolonged the war in Ukraine and resulted in greater death and destruction. “All wars end in negotiation,” said Josefchak, “But the U.S. and NATO, of which it is the de facto head, have done everything they can to sabotage negotiations. Every time Ukraine and Russia have been ready to go to the negotiating table – which they have been a number of times, the idea that Russia refuses to negotiate is a lie spread by the media – the U.S. has stepped in with yet another mountain of weapons and yet another false promise of total victory for Ukraine. We are here to demand that the U.S. stop blocking peace talks, stop all weapons shipments, and that when negotiations do begin, the U.S. keeps its blood-soaked hands out of it.”
The rally was hosted by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), joined by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and Veterans for Peace Local 27.
The event ended with chants of “Fuck you NATO and your war, we won’t take it anymore!” and “What’s the biggest threat to world today? NATO and the USA!”