Grand Rapids, MI – More than a dozen protesters circled outside of the well-funded Acton Institute in downtown Grand Rapids on Feb. 18 chanting, “No to Prince, yes to peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!” As the founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince is on tour to justify U.S. wars and occupations and promote private mercenary armies. Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra, responsible for lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, supported Erik Prince at the program.

Minneapolis, MN – On, Feb. 16, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) organized an event for Mother Agnes-Mariam of the Cross, the Mother Superior at the Monastery and Convent of Saint James in Qara, Syria, to speak via Skype to a packed room at the 4200 Cedar Community Center here.

Minneapolis, MN – Activists from the MN Anti-War Committee, Students for a Democratic Society at the U of MN, Women Against Military Madness, Veterans for Peace, and the Coalition for Palestinian Rights protested the impact of the U.S. use of drones around the world, Feb.11, at the University of Minnesota Law School. Inside the Law School, Oren Gross, a former senior officer in the Israeli Defense Force's JAG Corps, the legal branch of the Israeli military, gave a presentation titled, “The New Way of War: Is There a Duty to Use Drones?” as a part of the Law School’s spring lecture series.

Grand Rapids, MI – Deb Van Poolen appeared at the 61st District Court Feb. 7, to face charges for confronting U.S. war criminal General David Petraeus. Van Poolen was arrested for standing in the DeVos Center ballroom and asserting, “David Petraeus, you are a war criminal! You are responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent men, women and children!”

Saint Paul, MN – Activists from the anti-war and the Palestine solidarity movement gathered here, Jan. 24 to demand the release of all Palestinian political prisoners and an end to Palestinian Authority (PA) security cooperation with Israeli occupation forces. The group rallied for an hour in the midst of a snowstorm. The vigil was held in response to a call from the Campaign to Free Ahmed Sa’adat for Freedom Weeks to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Sa’adat’s abduction by PA forces.

Washington D.C. – According to widespread media reports, the U.S. is sending Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to the government of Iraq. The arms shipments come amidst growing turmoil in Iraq.

Miami, FL- On Dec. 7, about 20 anti-war activists attended a workshop entitled, “So, You Think You Can Organize?” that was put on by People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR). The event took place at in the Graham Center at Florida International University and included presentations by organizers in POWIR, Students for a Democratic Society and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).