Minneapolis, MN – More than 100 people took to the streets, October 15, to protest U.S. military interventions, from Ukraine to Syria, Palestine and Somalia. The marchers shut down streets in the Minneapolis Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, where they were cheered by passing cars and pedestrians who came out of their homes to chant “Money for human needs, not for war!” with the protesters.

The protest was initiated by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC), which spearheaded a national call for a week of militant anti-war street protests circulated by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) with a slogan of “Back to the streets! Say no to U.S. wars!” More than 70 cities, both in the U.S. and internationally, have registered protests for the week of October 15-22.

The march was preceded by a rally at which several speakers passionately denounced U.S. imperialism.

Autumn Lake of the Anti-War Committee (AWC) spoke on the decades-long effort led by the United States to isolate and undermine the People’s Republic of China. The U.S. has long spread anti-Chinese propaganda, accusing the People’s Republic of China of human rights violations, of suppressing right-wing “pro-democracy” protests, and even outright genocide. Lake spoke about how accusations of genocide of ethnic minority Uyghur Muslims in China, spread by the U.S. government and corporate media propaganda machine, are part of a long-term project of manufacturing consent for a “humanitarian intervention” in China.

Lake drew attention to the hypocrisy of “known racists Donald Trump and his imperialist-in-chief Mike Pompeo making claims of solidarity with Muslim people facing repression in China.” She went on to say, “This is the same U.S. government that has been conducting drone strikes in Somalia, the same U.S. government that rained hellfire on Syria, the same U.S. government whose federal police force regularly investigates and harasses Muslim community members in its own borders. People who know better than to trust the U.S.’s own record on the treatment of Muslims have found themselves siding with the U.S. against China after waves of propaganda.”

All of this U.S. interference has come to a head in its open attempts to start a war with China, using Taiwan as a vehicle for the conflict.

Mike Madden of Veterans for Peace and the Assange Defense Committee spoke about the history of NATO intervention in Ukraine and the rest of Eastern Europe, and about how critical it is for anti-imperialists to continue to fight back against the efforts of the U.S. to escalate the war in Ukraine and lead the world into another World War.

Madden commented on the language that U.S. corporate media has used to describe the war in Ukraine, saying, “Perhaps the most common adjective used to describe the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been ‘unprovoked.’ It is anything but. In fact, it was deliberately provoked.” He pointed out the fact that U.S. officials have themselves stated, for decades, that NATO’s expansion further and further east toward Russia has been a dangerous game of brinksmanship.

Brad Sigal of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) stated, “To be clear, MIRAC supports the right of people to migrate and fights for legalization and full equality for immigrants who come here. But we also support the right of people to not be forced to migrate. And it is U.S. imperialism that is forcing millions of people to migrate all over the world.”

Sigal detailed MIRAC’s current campaign to defend Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a U.S. immigration policy which protects the rights of immigrant youth. DACA is currently under attack by the reactionary court system that has already succeeded in repealing the hard-won right to abortion, and which is systematically reducing voting rights. If DACA is repealed, Sigal said, “This will throw nearly a million young immigrants into undocumented status, at risk of deportation. This is happening right now, under a Democratic president and Congress who could legalize people with DACA today — but so far they haven’t done it, and time is running out.”

MIRAC is responding to the attacks on DACA with an action at Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office at 1200 S Washington Avenue in Minneapolis, on Friday, October 21, at 4 p.m.

The protest was endorsed by the Antiwar Advocates of Minnesota CD2, the Anti-War Committee, Bikers Riding Against Police Brutality, the Climate Justice Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Mayday Books, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Minnesota War Tax Resistance, Minnesota Workers United, Movement for a People’s Democracy — Midwest, the Party for Socialism and Liberation — Minneapolis, Socialist Action, Socialist Party USA — Twin Cities Local, St. Paul Eastside Neighbors for Peace, Twin Cities Assange Defense, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar Clark, Twin Cities CPUSA (Communist Party), Twin Cities Nonviolent, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Welfare Rights Committee, and Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #AntiIntervention

St. Paul, MN – On February 6 the Lake Street/Marshall bridge vigil focused on speaking out against U.S. intervention in Venezuela. Women Against Military Madness and Twin Cities Peace Campaign hold a weekly peace vigil on the Lake Street/Marshall Ave bridge over the Mississippi River.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “On January 23, 2019 President Trump recognized Juan Guaido, the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, as the interim president of Venezuela. The Trump administration is orchestrating a coup against a democratically elected government and we are concerned that U.S. intervention will escalate into a military intervention or a civil war.”

Protesters held signs reading, “U.S. hands off Venezuela,” “No U.S. coup!” and “Stand with Maduro.” They got lots of car honks and thumbs up from drivers crossing between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

The action was also co-sponsored by the Anti-War Committee and Minnesota Peace Action Coalition.

Minnesota Peace Action Coalition is organizing a follow-up protest on Saturday, February 23 as a part of a national day of action against U.S. war threats and the U.S. orchestrated coup on Venezuela. It will start at 1 p.m. at the intersection of Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues in Minneapolis.

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #Venezuela #PeoplesStruggles #TwinCities #antiIntervention #Americas

Drawing from Jacksonville's nearly 10,000-strong Syrian immigrant community, protesters carried Syrian flags and signs reading, “Hands off Syria” and “Mr. Obama, stop supporting alQaeda in Syria.”

The resounding message was one of opposition to the U.S. war machine and support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. One woman spoke of a massacre in her home town committed by the U.S. and Saudi-backed rebels, in which 12 civilians were put to death.

“Assad is not killing his people like the media is saying. There is no proof of it,” said demonstrator Faten Mieda in an interview with the Florida Times Union. Mieda's quote referred to the baseless allegations by Secretary of State John Kerry that the Syrian Armed Forces used chemical weapons earlier in August. Reporters and UN officials cast doubt on these claims, implicating the rebels in the chemical weapon attacks.

The rally heard from several Syrian American speakers, who were young workers and small business owners in the Jacksonville area. They spoke out against the Obama administration's threats and they denounced the rebels fighting in Syria as the cause of the two and a half yearlong violence.

The demonstrators emphasized the need for the community to continue protesting against U.S. aggression towards Syria. The group announced plans for future demonstrations in Jacksonville.

#JacksonvilleFL #AntiwarMovement #Syria #USImperialism #Florida #basharAlassad #AntiIntervention #MiddleEast

Clarksville, TN – On Aug. 30, 20 students and anti-war veterans protested on the campus of Austin Peay State University to oppose threats of U.S. military attacks on Syria. Student groups at the rally included Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA). Protesters held banners and signs, chanted, gave speeches and handed out flyers urging people to call the White House at 202-456-1111 to put the heat on Obama to not bomb Syria.

While holding large banners that read “Drop tuition, not bombs!” and “Hands off Syria!” people chanted “One, two, three, four, we don’t want your racist war! Five, six, seven eight, no more killing, no more hate!” and “What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!”

Anti-war veteran Lara Jennings spoke, “The people of Syria have the right to determine their own destiny free of U.S. intervention. The U.S. government is repeating the same lies of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ that were told to attempt to justify the invasion of Iraq to attempt to justify the invasion and bombing of Syria. We will not stand for this.”

Later, students marched around the campus with banners and signs reading “Money for education, not war!” while handing out flyers that included a SDS’s “Emergency Call to Action to Demand Hands Off Syria.”

SDS member Adele Morello said, “The U.S. government is trying to drag us into another war and they need to see that we the people are not for another war. We need jobs not war. We need money for education, not for war. Now is the time to stand up for what is right and tell them we are not going to follow blindly and unquestioningly into another war. We are against dropping bombs on Syria or anywhere else, worldwide! No more U.S. military intervention abroad!”

The rally was organized in response to national SDS’s call to action for students everywhere to hold rallies, marches and demonstrations to oppose threats of U.S. military attacks on Syria. Students vowed to continue to keep the pressure on and carry forward the struggle against U.S. military intervention and warmongering.

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentMovement #SDS #Syria #HandsOffSyria #AntiIntervention #ClarksvilleSDS #MiddleEast

World Federation of Trade Unions categorically denounces the intensified imperialist aggressiveness against Syria and calls for the immediate termination of any attack and military intervention being pursued against the country and the Syrian people.

In conditions of strong inter-imperialist competition and in conditions of deep and prolonged international capitalist crisis where the rivalries over the wealth-producing resources and the geostrategic crossroads are increasing, the conflict in the Middle East and the Mediterranean reaches new extremes.

The manufactured etiology for the “use of chemical weapons” that is being attributed to the Syrian Army is an obvious provocative slander aiming to provide an opportunity for the military intervention expected and prepared for years by the USA and the other forces.

The global Mass Media, owned by Multinational Groups, are fully coordinated with the imperialist agenda and are enriching the campaign of misinformation, building the people’s inertia or endorsement for yet another slaughter.

The forces within the country, which are morally and practically supported by the USA, Britain, France as well as Turkey, Israel and the Emirs and Kings of Qatar, Saudi Arabia etc., have nothing to do with the interests of the Syrian people, neither with the “peace” nor with the “democracy” that they are supposedly espousing.

The “democracy” applied in Afganistan, in Iraq, in Libya, in Mali: we do not need it, we do not want it! No more blood for the interests of the multinationals.

We call upon all the trade union organizations, members and friends of the WFTU, as well as all the peace-loving people and mass organizations internationally to protest their condemnation against the imperialist policy and the solidarity with the people of Syria.

The Syrian people without foreign intervention are the only one who can and must decide upon their present and future.

THE SECRETARIAT

#US #Syria #WorldFederationOfTradeUnions #AntiIntervention #WFTU

Gainesville, FL – About 40 protesters gathered on the corner of University and SW 13th Street outside of the University of Florida, Aug. 28, to demand no U.S. military intervention in Syria.

The call to action came amidst steadily growing rhetoric from the U.S. government for possible military attack on Syria. Despite ongoing United Nations investigations into Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons with no evidence found thus far, the U.S. is planning a unilateral military intervention into the country.

University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the protest and many other groups were well represented. Groups that participated included University of Florida College Libertarians, Gainesville Vets for Peace, Occupy Gainesville, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Michela Martinazzi, an organizer with University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society, said about the protest, “Military intervention in Syria is completely deplorable and we wanted to demonstrate that the people of Gainesville are united against the government’s prolonged aggression in the Middle East.”

Eric Brown of Students for Justice in Palestine gave a speech and said, “Syria should have the right to self-determination without any intervention from Western powers. We saw the same thing happen in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan; why would this time be any different?”

The action was part of a nationwide effort to stand against U.S. aggression in Syria and the Middle East. Chants included, “No justice, no peace, no more war in the Middle East!” University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society will keep fighting until those words are a reality.

#GainesvilleFL #StudentMovement #SDS #Syria #antiwar #UniversityOfFlorida #AntiIntervention #UFSDS #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #MiddleEast