Minneapolis, MN – Over 40 people joined an emergency protest here March 25 to show opposition to the U.S.-led bombing of Libya.

This was the second protest in Minneapolis to speak out against the new U.S. war.

Participants gathered at a busy intersection in the city’s West Bank neighborhood with signs and banners. Slogans included, “U.S. hands off Libya,” and “Stop the U.S. war against Libya.”

Many people driving and walking by showed support for the message of the demonstration.

After an hour, the protest moved inside to Mayday Bookstore for brief statements by some of the sponsoring organizations. University of Minnesota student and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) member Mia Overly read a newly-issued statement by SDS.

The national SDS statement says, in part: “SDS is strongly opposed to U.S. and UN intervention in Libya. The absurdly named ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’ is nothing short of an open act of war against a sovereign state by a former colonialist power with the aims of creating a stronghold over the trade of oil. This attack should also be clearly seen as a ruthless attempt to stop the revolutions and uprisings happening within the Arab world.”

The SDS statement continues, “War and occupation is ongoing and has ravaged the livelihoods of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. A new battle in Libya not only means more lives lost at the aims of procuring oil, but it also means social services here at home will be slashed.”

Alan Dale, one of the organizers of the protest said, “The U.S. war against Libya has nothing to do with protecting civilians or human rights. The big powers intervene not for the people, but for the economic interests of the economic elite. The intervention in Libya is about trying to maintain control of the oil resources of the region.”

Organizers urged participants to attend the April 9 national anti-war march being held in New York City. Activists are organizing bus transportation from Minneapolis to the event.

The March 25 protest in Minneapolis was supported by Anti-War Committee, Emergency Committee to Stop U.S. War in Libya, Mayday Bookstore, Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness.

The protest was part of a series of nationally coordinated anti-war protests March 23-26 organized in cities across the U.S. by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups.

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