Dallas, TX – About 40 people gathered in Dealey Plaza in Downtown Dallas, April 14, to raise their voices against Trump’s attack on Syria the day before. Signs were present with slogans such as “Hands off Syria,” “No war on Syria” and “U.S. out of the Middle East.”

Protesters chanted “No justice, no peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!” and “No war on Syria.”

Organizations that were present at the rally were the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Solidarity, and The Dallas Peace and Justice Center.

“We are here to say no to the U.S.’s increasing imperialist attacks on Syria,” stated Cassandra Swart of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, one of the organizers of the rally.

#DallasTX #AntiwarMovement #US #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #Syria #USWarsAndOccupations #Texas

Minneapolis, MN – Several Twin Cities anti-war organizations held an emergency protest on here, March 17, in response to the murder of 16 Afghan civilians by a U.S. soldier. The protest, in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, was organized under the call, “End the U.S. War in Afghanistan now!”

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “The March 11 cold-blooded murder of 16 Afghan civilians, including many children, by a U.S. Army soldier is the latest atrocity in the U.S./NATO occupation of Afghanistan. Outrage grows in Afghanistan, in the U.S. and around the world in response to this senseless massacre. The only way to end war crimes is to end the war.

“While billions are spent on war and occupation, millions of people face homelessness, foreclosure, unemployment and needed social services are cut. People need jobs, education and housing, not war and occupation,” the statement continues.

Speakers at the protest included Meredith Aby, a member of the Anti-war Committee, who said, “While President Obama claims that U.S. troops must stay in Afghanistan to protect the Afghan people, in reality the people of Afghanistan are endangered, not protected by the US/NATO occupation. Just like in Abu Ghraib and Haditha, Iraq, occupation forces have shown a rampant disrespect for human life and the people and culture of the Afghan people. These are not isolated incidents of bad soldiers, but rather massacres are the result of occupation. It is critical that we go to Chicago on May 20 to take our voice to the president and to the NATO generals to demand an immediate end to the occupation of Afghanistan.”

Emergency protests, vigils and other activities to call for an end to the war in Afghanistan have been held in cities across the U.S. over the last several days.

Organizations that endorsed the Minneapolis protest included the Anti-War Committee, Military Families Speak Out, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Occupy Minneapolis Events Committee, Students for a Democratic Society (U of M), Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #AntiWarCommittee #USWarsAndOccupations

The event gathered at the Martin Luther King Center and was followed a march to the State Capitol building for a closing rally.

Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 3800, told the crowd, “Every step of the way, the war in the Middle East has been accompanied by a war on the working people of this country.”

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “This year marks the sixth anniversary of the war in Iraq. While there is talk of withdrawal, the U.S. government is committed to keeping most of the troops in Iraq this year and 50,000 troops there for years to come after the ‘final’ troop pull-out in December 2010. The withdrawal plan being discussed by Washington does not end the war and occupation; it seeks to continue the U.S. presence in Iraq until a stable client regime is established. The occupation of Iraq must come to an end, the people of Iraq and the people of the U.S. want U.S. troops out.”

The statement also noted, “The war in Afghanistan is not the ‘good’ war. It is another horrendous war and occupation that must be ended. The U.S. government has announced plans to send 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and is contemplating more troop deployments in the future. There are also increasing levels of U.S. military action in Pakistan, which will create greater instability and more threats to U.S. national security.”

Marie Braun of the Twin Cities Peace Campaign-Focus on Iraq, said, “While we are being told that violence in Iraq is down, the situation for ordinary people in Iraq has not changed. After six years of war and occupation, the Iraqi people are still without electricity, clean water or basic medical care. Sewage stands in the streets. Reconstruction efforts are minimal. There is little security, and, according to a recent study by Oxfam, Iraqi women were worse off in 2008 than they were in 2006 and 2007 and they expect the situation to further deteriorate in 2009. The occupation of Iraq must come to an end so that the Iraqi people can determine their own future and begin rebuilding their country and their lives.”

The Saint Paul protest was organized by the Iraq Peace Action Coalition and supported by many organizations, including Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Twin Cities Peace Campaign-Focus on Iraq, Anti-War Committee, AFSCME Local 3800, Women Against Military Madness, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Youth Against War & Racism, Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bail Out, AFL-CIO Retiree Council and others.

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