Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) denounces Israel's harassment and criminalization of six Palestinian human rights and grassroots organizations, labeling them “terrorist” organizations. The designation is provocative and dangerous and could result in devastating cuts in funding from international sources as well as grave legal issues for their workers.

Along with a growing number of important international organizations, WAMM stands with the six targeted organizations: Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Group, Association Al-Haq, Defense for Children International Palestine, Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Agriculture Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum from Minnesota's 4th Congressional District has sponsored a strong resolution introduced in the U.S. House that condemns Israel's action, stating, “It is a sign of incredible weakness more aligned with an authoritarian regime than a healthy democracy. . . Israel's decision to brand these prominent Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organizations exposes the truth that Israel's occupation is violent, immoral, and unjust. . .”

The six groups offer vital services to Palestinians as well as exposing Israel's human rights violations. Several are providing evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) of Israel's war crimes and human rights abuses, certainly one of the reasons for this latest Israeli crackdown.

Israel’s labeling tactics are a part of its ongoing attempts to silence and destroy Palestinian organizations and voices so important in the struggle for Palestinian liberation. WAMM calls upon the U.S. government and the Biden administration to condemn this move and to withhold U.S. aid to Israel until it complies with international law.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness

St. Paul, MN – On August 18, representatives from Twin Cities anti-war groups and the local Afghan community gathered at the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue bridge to hold a press conference on the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. The event was part of a weekly peace vigil organized by Women Against Military Madness.

Days earlier, the U.S.-backed Afghan government and Afghan National Army collapsed in the face of a nationwide offensive by resistance forces led by the Taliban, after the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from the country. The Taliban’s quick success effectively brought an end to nearly 20 years of U.S. occupation and returned the group to power for the first time since 2001.

This led to a chaotic situation at Kabul’s international airport, where remnants of U.S. occupation forces violently attacked crowds of Afghan civilians who hoped to flee the country, killing at least five.

Naweed Ahmadzai, a first-generation Afghan American born to parents who were educators during the first Taliban regime, spoke at the Saint Paul press conference. “No one has taken responsibility for the situation Afghanistan is now in, not even the president of the United States. And this was all while there were Afghans literally hanging from the wings of a U.S. plane as it took off, as we all saw. Now this is not on anyone but us. We must hold Joe Biden accountable, Trump accountable, Obama accountable and the ones before accountable,” he said.

Wyatt Miller of the Anti-War Committee criticized the U.S. government’s retaliatory seizure of Afghanistan’s foreign holdings, saying, “None of this will help Afghanistan. If anything the U.S. owes Afghanistan reparations for what it’s done. But at the heart of it all is sovereignty and self-determination, two things the U.S. needs to learn how to respect and value before it will ever be able to engage with the world as anything other than a bully and a predator.”

Amina Baha, an Afghan American living in Minneapolis, also spoke and encouraged people to demand support for Afghan refugees, concluding, “Please pray for Afghanistan, show up for Afghanistan, save Afghanistan.”

The press conference announced that on Saturday, August 28 at 4 p.m., the local Afghan community will hold a demonstration at Loring Park in Minneapolis to demand protection for Afghan refugees and for the U.S. to be held accountable for its destructive occupation.

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #AfghanistanWar #TwinCitiesAntiWarCommittee

Minneapolis, MN – Around 30 people took to May Day Plaza, July 29, to hold signs and banners in a show of solidarity with the people of Cuba and Haiti after a new wave of U.S. intervention attempts. This event came after the Biden administration’s July 22 issuance of new sanctions on Cuba, as well as the July 7 assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse.

The financial and administrative origin of President Moïse's assassination by a group of Colombian and U.S. mercenaries has not yet been confirmed. However, investigations later revealed some of the mercenaries responsible had taken part in U.S. military training programs at the School of the Americas.

“The recent assassination of Haiti President Jovenal Moïse is no excuse for U.S. intervention. That includes the military, the FBI and Homeland Security,” said Sarah Martin, reading from a statement by Marcy Shapiro. She continued, “Every step Haiti has taken for true independence has been subverted.” Martin and Shapiro are members of the Solidarity Committee of the Americas, a subcommittee of WAMM (Women Against Military Madness).

For the past 60 years, the U.S. has subjected Cuba to an embargo that recently has specifically impacted Cuba’s ability to import necessary medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuba was forced to develop their own COVID-19 vaccine but have had limited access to syringes. Since June, U.S. media has explicitly used images of pro-Cuban government protests as examples of Cuban ‘anti-government’ actions in order to justify U.S. intervention.

Speaking on Cuba's reputation for international solidarity despite crushing sanctions, Tracy Molm of the Anti-War Committee explained, “The U.S. government is threatened by Cuba’s independence and support for other independent countries trying also to break free of U.S. interference.” Molm visited Venezuela in 2019 and saw firsthand the impact of Cuba's material solidarity with other countries resisting U.S. intervention.

“As we stand on stolen land, and as people rise up against police brutality and murders in our communities, we need to expose this hypocrisy – the U.S. government has no moral high ground to police other parts of the globe or try to impose its will on the people of the world,” Molm concluded.

Organizers of the event encouraged supporters to continue their international solidarity by attending the upcoming protest on August 5 organized by the Anti-War Committee and American Muslims for Palestine to call on Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar to take action for Palestine.

The June 29 event was organized by the Anti-War Committee and the WAMM Solidarity Committee of the Americas.

#MinneapolisMN #International #AntiwarMovement #Cuba #Haiti #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness

Minneapolis, MN – 30 people held banners and signs across three bridges on Interstate 35W during Minneapolis’ rush hour on June 9. They were out raising awareness of the consequences of U.S. aid to Israel.

Demonstrators stood in torrential rain for over an hour waving banners and holding signs and flags on the bridge. Many drivers honked, waved and flashed their brights in solidarity with Palestine.

Israel’s Supreme Court announced June 7 that they won’t stop the illegal evictions being committed by Israeli settlers in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. This means the attempts by the Israeli government to steal land and houses are likely to continue.

One driver pulled off the highway to thank the protestors for their action. He has family in Palestine. Despite the media blackout of the continued evictions, he was glad to see that Minneapolis was continuing to organize against Israeli apartheid and land theft.

“Folks are still interested in talking about Palestine, even if the media isn’t,” said Misty Rowan of the Anti-War Committee.

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee and endorsed by Women Against Military Madness and American Muslims for Palestine – MN.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #SheikhJarrah

Minneapolis, MN – On March 27, 80 people filled 4200 Cedar to witness a report on the conditions in Venezuela delivered by Sarah Martin. Martin, a longtime peace activist and member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), joined members of organizations such as International Action Center, Veterans for Peace, Canadian Peace Council, and United National Antiwar Coalition as part of an international peace delegation organized by the U.S. Peace Council and Black Alliance for Peace. The delegation's stated intention was to bring a message of solidarity to the Venezuelan people, to witness firsthand the effects of the United States’ political and economic war on the country, and to see the ways that the Venezuelan people resist the constant onslaught.

The Trump government's continued aggression towards Venezuela has intensified in recent months – beginning with John Bolton's declaration that Venezuela is a tyrannical state and culminating in the U.S.'s recent efforts to materially support the right-wing opposition led by Juan Guaido.

Martin explained that the stage for the current situation in Venezuela was set over 20 years ago. “This latest chapter to destabilize Venezuela and bring it under U.S. domination has been going on since 1998, when Hugo Chavez was swept into power in landslide election after decades of struggle by progressive movements,” Martin said, “They threw out a regime which only benefited the rich, leaving the vast majority of Venezuelans in abject poverty.”

The delegation arrived in Venezuela in the midst of the electrical blackout that was caused by a U.S.-engineered attack, and witnessed firsthand the collective strength of the Bolivarian process and the Venezuelan people's faith in their movement. “It became very obvious that Maduro and the government were in charge,” remarked Martin, “Whereas it was very obvious that Guaido is not in charge of anything – and even worse, wraps himself in U.S. intervention, even calling for a military intervention. [President Nicolas] Maduro is clearly on the rise, and Guaido is fading into oblivion.”

Martin detailed the incredible improvements made to the lives of the working people of Venezuela, with gains in healthcare, education, housing and food security exemplifying the progressive nature of the Bolivarian Revolution. Historically oppressed sectors of Venezuelan society such as women, Indigenous and Afro-Venezuelans, and the LGBT community have seen historic gains in civil rights under the system.

“The level of political understanding and commitment among the people is deep and happens in many ways and places,” Martin said. Witnessing the ways that the Venezuelan people engaged with their government – the weekly solidarity marches, engagement with popular media and even a people's occupation around the presidential palace to protect President Maduro from foreign attack – the delegation was able to see firsthand the grassroots popular support behind the Maduro government and the Bolivarian revolution.

The delegation met with President Maduro and his family on March 15. “He talked about history of Venezuela’s relationship with U.S.,” recalled Martin. “Maduro stated, ‘For 200 years it has been a struggle between Bolivar and Monroe, and now between the two systems, capitalism and socialism, for future of humanity.’” Martin informed President Maduro of the protest in support of Venezuela's sovereignty organized by the Anti-War Committee (AWC) in Minneapolis; Maduro later published a video on Twitter in which he stood with the delegation in a video saluting the work of anti-war activists in Minnesota.

The event was opposed by a group of local Venezuelan expats as part of a series of actions called Operación Libertad en Minnesota. According to their Facebook event page, Operación Libertad en Minnesota was organized to assert that the Venezuelan expats in Minnesota “recognize the National Assembly as the only legitimate organ in office and Juan Guaido as Acting President of Venezuela.” Martin displayed patience and determination despite the yelling and posturing by the pro-Guaido and pro-intervention disruptors.

Martin concluded the presentation by emphasizing that the people's movements in the U.S. need to continue to mobilize in solidarity with the Venezuelan masses. Stating “Their struggle is our struggle, and we must mobilize. Only when the people are in motion will we be able to put a brake on imperialism, and it must be stopped in Venezuela. President Maduro is right. The future of humanity depends on it. It’s all hands on deck!”

The March 27 event was organized by Women Against Military Madness and the Anti-War Committee.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #OppressedNationalities #Venezuela #US #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #Socialism #NicolásMaduro #UnitedNationalAntiwarCoalitionUNAC #DonaldTrump

Saint Paul, MN – On June 8, over 50 people protested at a busy street corner in Saint Paul, supporting the mass demonstrations in Gaza which have exposed the viciousness of occupation and siege under Israel.

Called by Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Middle East Committee, and the Anti-War Committee, the protest was quickly endorsed by other community organizations including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR MN), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP-MN), and the MN BDS community. This protest, and others like it across the world, were in response to the call by Palestinians (specifically the National Committee for the Return and Breaking-the-Siege Marches) for international solidarity actions supporting the heroic Palestinian people’s struggle against Israeli occupation.

Mary Beaudoin of WAMM said, “The Israeli government views its periodic mass killings of Palestinians, ‘mowing the grass.’” Beaudoin further stated that the people of Gaza faced two choices, “to die slowly one at a time, trapped and imprisoned under siege in a small strip of land where the infrastructure has been destroyed, or to protest, letting the world know of their suffering.”

The #GreatReturnMarch rallies in Gaza that began March 30. The June 8 violence by Israel resulted in the killing of four more unarmed Palestinians and over 600 wounded. Since the Great Return March began, 125 unarmed Palestinians have been killed and over 13,000 wounded. Israel’s rampage has resulted in a worldwide outpouring of support for the Palestinian people. This could be seen in the overwhelming support of passersby – both on foot and in traffic – at the protest on Snelling and Summit Avenues. One bike rider making several passes, leading the “Viva, viva, Palestina!” chant.

The U.S. governments gives over $10 million a day in foreign aid to Israel. This foreign aid is 20% of Israel’s military budget and is one of the primary supports that allows Israel to continue the murderous occupation of the Palestinian people and their homeland.

The U.S. government’s support for the occupation is generating resistance. As the Anti-War Committee’s Meredith Aby-Keirstead stated, “Public opinion, within the U.S. and internationally, is growing against U.S. support for Israel. Despite the U.S. efforts to provide diplomatic cover for Israel's recent massacres of Palestinians protesting for the right of return in Gaza, people are speaking out against the Israeli military. And the Palestinians aren't backing down. Our job is keep up this pressure so that we can end the $10 million a day the U.S. government pays Israel, and which funds these massacres.”

At the end of the protest, Aby-Keirstead announced upcoming actions to continue the demand for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. She invited the crowd to an Action Planning meeting on June 11, at the CAIR office in Bethany Lutheran Church, to plan for a Free Palestine Interstate 35W bridge protest action on June 12, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

#SaintPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #WAMM #CAIR

St. Paul, MN – About 25 people joined a peace vigil on Wednesday, April 18 in the Twin Cities to speak out against the U.S. attacks on Syria carried out last Friday evening.

The vigil was held on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul from 5 to 6 p.m. The vigil is held weekly and is sponsored by the End War Committee of Women Against Military Madness and the Twin Cities Peace Campaign.

The organizers focus on various issues each week and adapt the event to major news developments.

The April 18 event was organized under the call of “No U.S. War in Syria – No More U.S. Bombings – Troops Out Now.”

In addition to the recent airstrikes, the U.S. has over 2000 troops in Syria and carries out regular air and drone attacks using the pretext of fighting the Islamic State. The escalation of strikes against Syrian targets could lead to possible confrontation with Russia.

A statement by organizers notes, “Last Friday the Trump administration launched air strikes against Syria government facilities. These strikes, carried out in response to allegations of Syria chemical weapons use, only make the world a more dangerous place.

“U.S. military intervention is not intended to help people, or to resolve internal conflicts of nations in a humanitarian manner. U.S. intervention only serves the interests of the U.S. elite, who care nothing of Syrian people or the people of the Middle East,” the statement added.

The statement continues, “The U.S. government has carried out an endless series of wars and intervention for many years in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. This new escalation will only lead to more dead, injured and displaced.”

#SaintPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #TwinCitiesPeaceCampaign #EndWarCommittee

Minneapolis, MN – In response to the growing danger of a new U.S. war in Korea and the endless series of U.S. wars, a coalition of Twin Cities-area peace groups have issued an appeal urging people to send an anti-war message for the holidays by being part of a visible anti-war action.

The groups are urging people to join a peace vigil on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River on Dec. 20 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The event is being organized under the call of No U.S. War on North Korea – Stop Endless U.S. wars.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “The U.S. is at war today in many countries around the world. Threats of new wars and military interventions come on an almost weekly basis. Especially urgent is the danger of a new U.S. war in Korea. On Dec. 20, we will send an anti-war message for the holidays.”

Organizers point to U.S. military interventions, bombings and drone strikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Somalia and threats of intervention in Venezuela and elsewhere. “We gather during this time of celebrations to say no to U.S. wars and war threats.”

“The Trump administration is threatening a war on north Korea which could lead to another world war. The U.S. also continues its endless wars and interventions around the world, and threatens new military intervention on an almost weekly, sometimes daily, basis.”

“The Pentagon budget is being increased to fund these endless wars, while people need funds for housing, jobs, health care and education,” the statement concludes.

The event is sponsored by the End War Committee of Women Against Military Madness and Twin Cities Peace Campaign.

Co-sponsors include Anti-War Committee, Every Church A Peace Church, Mayday Books, Merriam Park Neighbors for Peace, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, St. Joan of Arc Peacemakers, St. Paul Eastside Neighbors for Peace, Veterans for Peace, and others.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Korea #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness

St. Paul, MN – About 50 people rallied at the corner of Snelling and Summit Avenues in Saint Paul, Dec. 7, in response to Trump’s illegal plan to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Many of those participating were from the local Palestinian community. Motorists honked to the loud and spirited chants including “Free, free Palestine” and “What is the capital of Palestine? Jerusalem.”

Kent Mori, a protest organizer said, “When U.S.-supported Israeli occupation increases injustice, violence and oppression, Palestinians resist from Gaza to the West Bank and everywhere from the river to the sea.” The rally was organized by Women Against Military Madness and the Anti-War Committee, and endorsed by Students for Justice in Palestine-UMN.

#SaintPaulMN #Palestine #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #MiddleEast

Minneapolis, MN – Marianne Hamilton, 97, a long time, highly respected, and much loved anti-war activist died Saturday August 5. Along with Polly Mann, Marianne founded Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) years ago. Polly recalls she was the model of how to do peace work, that “she was a light to all of us.”

Marianne was very active opponent of the U.S. war on Vietnam. She twice journeyed to north Vietnam during the war, dodging bombs by running into ditches and holding meetings with the people of the country. She traveled with a delegation that included David Dellinger, Cora Weiss, William Sloane Coffin and Richard Falk, as well as family members, who were to bring three American prisoners of war home. Polly Mann recalls that while there, she learned of the tiger cages used by the South Vietnamese and U.S. to hold Viet Cong prisoners of war. She helped bring worldwide attention to this despicable war crime.

Marianne successfully helped many draft resisters get to Canada, hiding them in her home and garage despite being watched by the FBI.

After the Vietnam War, Marianne traveled worldwide. She became WAMM’s international representative as she met with officials and peace and women’s groups, often organizing delegations to many war-torn areas of the world. Countries she visited include many in Asia and Central America, the Philippines, India and Yemen.

Marianne remained highly regarded in Vietnam and made many trips back to the country to visit friends including Madame Binh, the Vice President of Viet Nam who had negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference on behalf of the National Liberation Front.

She had a deep and clear understanding of U.S. intervention and opposed it in Yugoslavia, Tibet and Syria.

In October 2007 Marianne was honored by the Minnesota History Center in a festival of ten-minute films about Minnesota’s greatest generation. Marianne Hamilton: Voice of Peace, produced and directed by Kevin KcKeever, tells of the making of a peace activist. Marianne’s papers are housed at the Minnesota Historical Society under the category of Vietnam War Protests.

Alan Dale, member of Minnesota Peace Action Coalition said, “Marianne was a consistent, thoughtful and decent person. She had great courage to explore and face the world as it is and to work to change it.”

Karen Hanson, long-time friend said, “I admired Marianne from the first day I met her in WAMM. During the U.S./Contra war in Nicaragua, Marianne and I formed a Commission of Inquiry to go and investigate. We traveled in a van with eight women through Contra-infested territory to meet with the wives and families of Sandinista soldiers who had been killed. Marianne was always a step ahead. They worried the driver might be shot, so she sat next to the driver and watched how to drive the van in case something happened.”

Diana Johnstone, a Paris-based journalist writes, “I first met Marianne in 1970 when she vigorously joined our group of 30 independent Americans who went to Paris to meet the Vietnamese delegations to the peace talks, which were then bogged down by U.S. stalling. Our message to the Vietnamese and to the folks back in Minnesota was that we too supported peace and independence for the Vietnamese people. Marianne’s outgoing nature was very suited for such encounters, and this must have been a high point in her lifelong effort to promote world peace. It is such actions that make a good life, and Marianne had a long and very good life.

“Young people today who seek purpose in their lives should follow her example of working for peace by making friends with people the U.S. government wishes to brand as enemies. This is work for life itself, that goes on after all individual deaths.”

Marianne Hamilton presente!

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #WomensMovement #Remembrances #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #WAMM #MarianneHamilton

Minneapolis, MN – Members and supporters of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) picketed with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis on Sept. 25. The MNA went on strike at Allina hospitals on Labor Day.

WAMM member and former director Nikki LaSorella expressed the significance of the nurses’ strike, “This is about economic justice and we need to stand up with all people who are being treated unfairly because it impacts our economy.”

Colleen McGlip, also a WAMM member, participated in the picket, “I’m out here today because I care. These nurses are good strong fighters!” Doug McGlip, her husband, a former Teamster Local 1145 member, explained that solidarity is what motivated him to come out, “People have to pull together. An injury to one is an injury to all.”

This is the third WAMM picket in solidarity with MNA strikers. WAMM members have also been participating in the strike support committee Workers United for Nurses. WAMM plans to continue to support the nurses’ union throughout their strike.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #strike #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #WAMM #MinnesotaNursesAssociation #MNA #Strikes

Minneapolis, MN – To mark one year since the start of the latest U.S. bombing campaign in Iraq, a coalition of Minneapolis and Saint Paul organizations will hold a protest on Saturday, August 8. The protest will be held at Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis starting at 1:00 p.m.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “August 8 will mark one year since the Obama administration launched a bombing campaign and starting sending troops to Iraq in the name of fighting the Islamic State.”

The statement continues, “Over 20 years of U.S. war, sanctions, occupation and bombing campaigns have created the current crisis in Iraq. More bombs, troops, weapons and ‘advisors’ will not make things better.”

The U.S. carries out daily air strikes not only in Iraq but also in Syria. Over 3000 U.S. troops have been sent to Iraq in the past year.

The August 8 protest in Minneapolis is being organized around the slogans, “U.S. of Out of Iraq – No U.S. War, Stop Bombing Iraq and Syria, No Boots on the Ground –Troops Home Now.”

The flyer for the protest urges, “Gather with signs and banners to be part of a visible anti-war presence.”

Many groups are helping to get out the word about the protest. Both the Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness have had outreach tables at the Saturday Midtown Farmers Market, which is near the site of the protest, at which they have had large signs and flyers announcing the upcoming anti-war activity.

The August 8 protest is endorsed by AFSCME Local 3800, Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Mayday Books, Marxist Student Association, Military Families Speak Out (MN chapter), MN Coalition for Palestinian Rights, Peace with Justice Committee of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church Peace and Justice Committee (St. Paul), St. Joan of Arc Church, St. Paul Eastside Neighbors for Peace, Socialist Action, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS-UMN), Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Veterans for Peace, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Workers International League.

For more information 612-275-2720 or 612-827-5364.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness

St. Paul, MN – 15 people braved the cold and wind to say no Cold War with Russia and no U.S. weapons to the Ukraine, Feb 18. The vigil took place on the Lake Street Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “We will speak out against U.S. meddling in Ukraine, a new flashpoint with frightening global implications.”

“According to the United Nations, following the U.S.-inspired coup last February, the death toll from fighting in eastern Ukraine is more than 5300. Another 1.5 million people have been displaced.”

“As fighting intensifies, the Obama administration is now considering further escalation with $3.5 billion in heavy arms to the government in Ukraine. The U.S. is sending 600 troops to provide military training this spring.”

The statement concludes,”More U.S. intervention could provoke a war with Russia which would have regional and global implications.”

The weekly peace vigil was sponsored by the End War Committee of Women Against Military Madness and Twin Cities Peace Campaign.

The Feb. 18 vigil was endorsed by Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and others.

#SaintPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #Ukraine #MinnesotaPeaceActionCoalition #Europe

Minneapolis, MN – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) gathered a crowd on Oct. 10 to protest a speech by former President Bill Clinton and his support for U.S. wars and military attacks in the Middle East. Protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!”

The groups were also challenged Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and Senator Franken for their pro-war and pro-Israel stances. Chants at the rally called for Dayton, Franken, and Clinton to sever their ties with Israel and to stop promoting U.S. wars and occupations.

Coleen Rowley of WAMM highlighted the fact that the U.S. entered its 13th continuous year of war in the Middle East. U.S. intervention in Iraq reaches back to 1990 and the first Gulf War under President George H. W. Bush. Then President Clinton pursued economic sanctions that killed over 500,000 thousands Iraqi children, according to the United Nations. Clinton also imposed a no-fly zone and militarily attacked Iraq. The U.S. is now again at war in Syria and Iraq.

Rowley continued, “We have wars abroad, a war on drugs, a war on terror and a war on activists. But what we really need, if anything, is a war on the insane kind of thinking that allows policies like this to continue.”

Members of Students for a Democratic Society, in Minneapolis for their ninth National Convention, joined the protest against former President Clinton and Governor Dayton. Students at the rally chanted, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!”

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #StudentsForADemocraticSocietyUOfMN #MarkDayton #BillClinton

St. Paul, MN – About 40 people gathered here for Women Against Military Madness’ weekly Friday Palestine vigil, Aug. 8, at the intersection of Summit and Snelling Avenues. Protesters chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

The protest coincided with the end of the ceasefire in Palestine. Israel resumed bombing Gaza Aug. 8, killing civilians, including a 10-year-old child. Israeli occupation forces also killed a Palestinian protester during a clash near Ramallah.

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #Zionism #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #IsraeliOccupation

Minnesota’s Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness worked together to organize transportation to the protest from the Twin Cities to Chicago. In Chicago, the Minnesota contingent will march under the banner, “We’re not just Minnesota nice, we’re MAD (Minnesotans Against Drones).”

Organizer Meredith Aby-Keirstead, explained, “Drone strikes, especially in Pakistan and Yemen, have killed hundreds of civilians, many of them children. This protest will bring our voices directly to the company that has helped kill so many people. Boeing makes surveillance drones and is competing for a Pentagon contract to make the Phantom Ray, a new combat drone. The Phantom Ray would travel much further and carry more missiles than the Navy’s current combat drone, the Reaper.”

According to Kait McIntyre of the Anti-War Committee – Chicago, “It’s time to end the drone wars, not prepare to build another generation of deadly weapons.”

The protest on Sept. 28 will be followed by an organizing conference on Sept. 29.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #USImperialism #drones #MidwestActionAgainstDrones

Minneapolis, MN – About 70 peace activists in the Twin Cities protested against the growing danger of a new U.S. military intervention in Syria, Aug. 28, at the Marshall Avenue-Lake Street bridge peace vigil.

Meredith Aby, of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, explained the reason for the action call: “News reports indicate that the U.S. is preparing a military intervention in Syria. Despite the majority of people in the U.S. being against new wars and interventions, the talk of military involvement in yet another war is growing. U.S. military intervention will not bring peace and justice to a people already devastated by war.”

Aby continued, “Today President Obama gave a speech commemorating the March on Washington, but in reality Martin Luther King Jr. would be with us – protesting war threats on Syria. Dr. King knew that U.S. military inventions do not help people at home or abroad.”

Marie Braun, of Women Against Military Madness, was the first speaker to the crowd of supporters. She said, “While the administration says they are not seeking regime change, we know that similar claims were made at the outset of the NATO intervention in Libya. And these so-called limited military actions have a habit of spiraling out of control with unexpected consequences that can lead to massive escalation. There is no military solution in Syria. Expanded U.S. military intervention in Syria will not lead to peace, justice or democracy for the Syrian people. It can only lead to greater civilian death toll, more refugees and further destabilization in the region.”

The Women Against Military Madness End War Committee and the Twin Cities Peace Campaign sponsor the weekly peace vigil. The call for the Aug. 28 vigil to speak out against a U.S. war in Syria was endorsed by the Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Veterans for Peace and others.

#Minneapolis #MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Syria #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #TwinCities #HandsOffSyria #USIntervention #MiddleEast

St. Paul, MN – With the wind chill at 15 degrees below zero, about 30 peace and justice activists gathered here, Jan. 23. Their slogan, “No U.S. Drones in Mali, No U.S. intervention in Mali” was the week’s theme of the Peace Vigil that happens every Wednesday on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge across the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

“U.S. and western intervention, including drone strikes, will not lead to peace In Mali,” said Sarah Martin of Women Against Military Madness.

Marie Braun, an activist with Women Against Military Madness and the Twin Cities Peace Campaign, explained the reason for the protest in her speech at the bridge: “We are focusing on Mali today because of our government’s decision to support the French military action in Mali by providing them with surveillance and other intelligence, transport troops and military equipment, and possibly aerial refueling and drones.”

Drones are a growing part of U.S. intervention around the world. The U.S. has carried out extensive drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, leading to many civilian deaths.

Braun went on to explain, “And again as usual, this intervention on the part of the French and the U.S. is about resources. North Africa and West Africa and its valuable resources are going to be the focus of the U.S. government for many years to come. U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM – set up in 2007 – has already turned Africa into a web of U.S. bases and other operations with approximately 5000 U.S. military and Department of Defense personnel working across the continent at any one time. It is important to also understand the situations in both Mali and Algeria are about blowback – at least in part, the consequences of the U.S. bombing and policy of regime change in Libya. Military attacks and military interventions always lead to terrible consequences…death, destruction, hundreds of thousands of refugees and extreme suffering on the part of the people. Military action was not the answer in Iraq or Afghanistan, and it is not the answer in Mali or any other country.”

The event was organized by Women Against Military Madness and the Twin Cities Peace Campaign. The Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Occupy the Hood, Veterans for Peace and others co-sponsored the action.

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #USImperialism #TwinCitiesAntiWarCommittee #Mali #France

Minneapolis, MN – More than 175 people came to the event “Iran in the Crosshairs” on Oct. 19 to hear from anti-war activists and Congressman Keith Ellison (Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota) about how to stop the U.S. march to war.

Margaret Sarfehjooy with Women Against Military Madness laid out the context of U.S. war threats and sanctions on Iran. “Our crippling sanctions on Iran have already resulted in deaths caused by lack of medicine, according to an official from the Tehran Thalassemia Association. The Iranian Hemophilia Society announced in August that ‘the lives of tens of thousands of children are being endangered by the lack of proper drugs caused by international economic sanctions.’”

Representative Keith Ellison spoke about the atmosphere of war in the U.S. Congress and about the pressure he is under to support war. He explained that anyone who proposes a sanctions bill gets a hearing and that everyone in Congress is pressured to vote for any kind of sanctions.

Ellison has voted against sanctions on Iran twice and he explained his votes. He didn’t promise to vote against sanctions on Iran in the future, but he did say, “It’s easier to vote no if you know you have the backing of your community.” He did promise, “I’m not going to vote for sanctions that will make it harder for the U.S. to talk.”

Ellison concluded that he thinks the U.S. is on a path to war with Iran and that he sees pushing sanctions as leading the U.S. to war.

Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee concluded the event with an impassioned appeal for action, “We need to be a voice for peace and justice. We cannot be passive. We cannot assume that our leaders will do the right thing. The threat of war and the impact of sanctions already in place on Iran are very real. When we are silent we send a message that the status quo is acceptable and we know that there is a real possibility of war and we can’t be quiet about this. We need to raise the demand of no war with Iran on the national and state level.”

The Minnesota Peace Project, the Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness sponsored the event.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Iran #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #sanctions #RepKeithEllison #USCongress

Minneapolis, MN – Around 60 people joined a weekly peace vigil in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul on Sept. 19 to mark 4000 days since the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

The vigil participants lined the sidewalks on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River between the two cities, with signs calling for an end to the war and for U.S. troops to be brought home now.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “Today marks 4000 days since the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. We gather today to say, not one more day, not one more death, not one more dollar – end the war now.”

The statement went on to say, “While the U.S. government says the war is ‘winding down’, thousands of U.S. troops are still in Afghanistan, and there are plans to leave thousands of troops in the country, perhaps until 2024. In this election year the politicians don’t want to talk about the war, because the vast majority of people in the U.S. want an end to the war, and the politicians have nothing to offer but more years of war and occupation.”

At the end of the event, representatives of several local peace groups gave brief talks.

Jess Sundin of the Anti-War Committee said, “Today we mark not only 4000 days of war, but also 4000 days of opposition to this war. From the day the first U.S. bombs fell on Afghanistan, people have spoken out to say no to war, and we will continue to speak out. We will not be intimidated from speaking out against this war, a war fought for greed.” Sundin is among the Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists whose homes were raided by the FBI two years ago.

The event also built support for a weekend of nationally coordinated anti-war protests, Oct. 5 through 7, that will mark eleven years since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2001. A Minneapolis anti-war march and rally is planned for Sunday, Oct. 7. Participants took copies of the leaflet for the Oct. 7 protest to get out to friends, co-workers and others.

Women Against Military Madness and Twin Cities Peace Campaign are sponsors of the weekly vigil for peace, and were joined by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition in making a special appeal for people to attend on Sept. 19 to mark the 4000th day of war in Afghanistan.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #AfghanistanWar #antiimperialism