Minneapolis demands hands off Iran
Minneapolis, MN – On March 24, 75 people gathered at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis to stand in solidarity with Iran and to demand an end to the aggression of the U.S. and Israel in the Middle East.
The protest was called by the MN Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) to draw attention to the level of devastation that the U.S. and Israel have unleashed in their war of aggression on Iran. The past four weeks have seen the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials, together with a relentless bombing campaign that has wrought destruction on Iran’s people, environment, and cultural sites.
Naveen Borojerdi, a member of the MN Anti War Committee and MPAC, opened the program. He has family in Tehran who have spent the past four weeks struggling to survive under the relentless onslaught of the U.S. and Israel. Borojerdi stated, “This past Friday, it officially became the year 1405 on the Persian calendar. May this year be the year that the criminals waging this illegal war on Iran finally lose.”
Speakers pointed out that the Minnesota State Board of Investment has millions of dollars in public pension funds invested in companies like Raytheon and Palantir, whose technology directly aids and abets war crimes like the Minab school massacre.
Vincent O’Connor from the MN Anti-War Committee stated, “When the Pentagon requested $200 billion to fund the war on Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth explained it by saying that it ‘takes money to kill bad guys’. What bad guys? The common thread throughout decades of bloodshed from Latin America to southeast Asia to the Middle East is that the U.S. oligarchy will deem anyone a ‘bad guy’ to suit their own selfish interests.”
Amber Mathwig, a ten-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and member of About Face, spoke directly to the American service members carrying out this war, “Why must children in their classrooms, with their tiny, colorful backpacks and voices of excitement on their first day of school, be murdered so that we can sit in classrooms and claim superiority?”
Danna Qamhieh from USPCN stated that “Palestinians are all too familiar with the aggressive war-mongering and criminal tactics of the United States and Israel. We are familiar with the concept of ‘pre-emptive’ strikes, framed as defensive actions against an ever-present threat.”
The event concluded with a call to continue action against American wars in the Middle East, including taking the message to the No Kings rally on Saturday, March 28.