St. Paul, MN – The Wednesday peace vigil on Aug. 13 had 50 people on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul protesting new U.S. military intervention in Iraq.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “The U.S. government has launched a new military intervention in Iraq. It was the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq that destroyed the country and brought about the current crisis.”

“The Pentagon has nothing to offer the people of Iraq but more death and destruction. The U.S. does not conduct wars for humanitarian reasons, U.S. wars are only to protect U.S. economic and political interests, humanitarian sounding justifications are only used to confuse the real issues at stake,” continued the statement.

Hundreds saw the demonstration during rush hour traffic. Protesters carried signs saying “No new war on Iraq” and “Humanitarian war is a Lle”. One young mother out walking with her daughter decided to join and many students from nearby St. Catherine’s University came to show their support.

The weekly peace vigil is sponsored by End War Committee of Women Against Military Madness and Twin Cities Peace Campaign. The call for the Aug. 13 vigil against a new U.S. war in Iraq was endorsed by Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and Veterans for Peace.

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