St. Paul, MN – On April 4, 80 people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol building to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to use his words to analyze the militarism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Both MLK and NATO are connected to the date of April 4.
Minneapolis, MN – On March 30 around 100 people gathered at the busy intersection of Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis to participate in the national call for action issued by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). UNAC’s original call was to draw attention to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) 70th anniversary but as the United States’ attempts to force Juan Guiado into power in Venezuela became more aggressive, the focus of the protest shifted more to #HandsOffVenezuela.
Minneapolis, MN – A group calling itself Patriots United put out a racist, anti-Muslim call for Minnesotans to come out on February 17 to protest U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar at her office near Target Field in Minneapolis. Jewish Voice for Peace-Twin Cities called for a counter-protest and over 80 people came out strong with signs like “Jews for Ilhan” and “Minnesotans against Islamophobia” against Patriots United’s contingent of six people, holding three signs and two American flags.
Minneapolis, MN – President Trump refused to honor the budget agreement made by Democrats and Republicans, demanding funding of his border wall as a part of the Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a potential candidate for president in 2020, had suggested that she is willing to negotiate a deal with Trump to provide funds for a border wall. Fifty people rallied against any deal for funding a border wall at Senator Klobuchar's office on December 20. The protest was co-initiated by Minnesota Caravan Solidarity and the Anti-War Committee.
Minneapolis, MN – More than 75 people rallied and marched through the Cedar Riverside neighborhood, October 21, as part of an demonstration organized by the MN Peace Action Coalition. The protest was a part of a nationally coordinated weekend of anti-war events in cities across the United States. The call for protests coincided with an anti-war protest to be held at the Pentagon that same day, organized by the Women's March on the Pentagon. The call for the Women's March on the Pentagon was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 1967 march against the U.S. war in Vietnam.
Opposition to attempt at glorifying war crimes against Palestinians
Minneapolis, MN – Dozens of protesters gathered in front of Folwell Hall at the University of Minnesota, October, 18, to protest Student Supporting Israel’s event that hosted former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers. The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) organized the protest
Minneapolis, MN – On Sept. 13. Minneapolis peace groups held a protest to “send an urgent anti-war message” in response to the Trump administration’s threats to conduct new airstrikes in Syria and to plots of a military coup in Venezuela.
Minneapolis, MN – On August 7, international solidarity and immigrant rights activists protested during rush hour in front of the Federal Building in downtown Minneapolis as a part of an international day of protest to draw attention to the escalating violations of the Colombian peace accords. The peace accords, signed in 2016, are an attempt to end a 52-year civil war in Colombia. The MN protest was one of 83 solidarity protests in 17 countries.
Minneapolis, MN – Minnesota Workers United organized an emergency response protest, June 27, when the U.S. Supreme Court announced their anti-union ruling in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. It started with a rally at the Teamsters Trucker Strike Memorial and was followed by a march of hundreds of workers through downtown, ending at the U.S. Federal Courthouse.
Minneapolis, MN – On June 26, over 600 protesters rallied at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis and then marched through downtown to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Trump’s Muslim ban. The rally was organized by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) as an emergency response to the Court’s 5-4 decision in Trump v. Hawaii.