Minneapolis, MN – Under the call of “Foreclose the war, not people's homes,” more than 100 people joined a protest here to mark the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. Demonstrators gathered at the home of Leslie Parks, an African American woman who is fighting back against the attempt to foreclose on her home. Later, participants gathered at Saint Joan of Arc Church. The events were organized by the Iraq Peace Action Coalition and the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout.

Speakers at the events included Mel Reeves, a prominent community activist; Jennie Eisert, a leader of the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout, Leslie Parks and other activists.

Speaking in front of her home, Leslie Parks stated “This war has been going on for far too long. It's time to bring our troops home to their families. All of the money that has been used on this war could have been used to pay off every home owner's mortgage in America. It is now time to foreclose on the war, not on families homes.”

Jennie Eisert told the crowd assembled at the church, “We are sick and tired of the government helping the banks and Wall Street when they are the reason we got into this mess.” She also spoke about a bill that will be introduced when the state legislature opens to put a two-year moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions from foreclosed prosperities.

A statement by Iraq Peace Action Coalition says in part, “The U.S. government spends billions for the wars and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq, even as working and low income people are facing the worst economic crisis in decades. Millions of people are facing foreclosure, unemployment and budget cuts. On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend we call for and end to the U.S. wars and occupations and for the war budget to instead be used for education, housing, health care and other human needs.”

The Iraq Peace Action Coalition statement also calls on people to join anti-war protests on Saturday, March 20. “March 20 will mark seven years of the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq. On March 20 there will be protests and demonstrations in Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles. In Minneapolis a protest will also be held that day as part of building a movement to end the wars and occupations.”

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