Protesters March Against Escalation of War in Afghanistan, Ongoing Occupation of Iraq

On Saturday, October 17, nearly 400 people gathered in Minneapolis to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The demonstration was part of a national day of action to oppose the U.S. occupation of both countries.  Additional photos below.

Anti-war events were held in 50 cities across the U.S. in response to the recent escalation of the war in Afghanistan where troop levels have more than doubled since Obama took office.  There are currently 67,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and 1,000 more are headed there by the end of December.  General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, warned that unless additional troops are deployed, “the conflict will likely result in failure.”  Obama recently told Congress that he has ruled out a U.S. withdrawal and will not consider cutting back troop levels.  Right now he's considering McChrystal’s request for up to 80,000 more U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

The proposal comes at a time when civilian and troop deaths in Afghanistan are at an all-time high.  For U.S. troops, August 2009 was the deadliest month of the 8 year old war so far, with 51 soldiers killed.  And according to the UN, August 2009 was the year’s deadliest month for Afghan civilians.  Overall, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed so far this year, an increase of nearly 400 over the same period in 2008.

Related: October 17 MPLS Antiwar March | OWO Speech From Youth Feeder March (Video) | Photos: Afghan War 8th Anniversary Peace Vigil | Indymedia.US antiwar coverage

At a rally in front of the Uptown Library, Anti-War Committee member Jess Sundin, informed the crowd that 57% of people recently surveyed by CNN said they oppose the war in Afghanistan.  “The majority of people in this country agree with us,” said Sundin.  They know it’s an unjust war that doesn’t make us safer.  And while it may be difficult to not have tens of thousands marching with us, we know that members of our communities are fighting life and death battles right here at home.  They’re losing their jobs, their homes, and their health care.”

Sundin pointed out that while the U.S. is currently in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, over $900 billion has been spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  “Every dollar spent on war takes food, shelter, and other resources away from people in this country,” said Sundin.

Last week, U.S. military officials announced that they had met all of their annual recruiting goals for the first time in 35 years.  A senior Pentagon official credited the economic crisis with boosting enlistments.  “It’s up to us in the anti-war movement to provide people with information and another solution,” said Sundin.  “Poverty should not force an economic draft.  The U.S. government’s current priorities are warped and inhumane.  There can be no justice with occupation.  People at home and abroad have the right to self-determination.”

Niger Saravia Arevalo addressed the rally on behalf of the local FMLN committee.  “We’re here to say that the Latino community is part of this effort.  We stand against the atrocities being committed by the U.S. in the Middle East, in Central Asia, and in Latin America.”  He called on Obama to withdraw support for the recent coup in Honduras and to remove U.S. military bases from Colombia.  “We need to continue growing and expanding a people’s movement to stop policies of war and repression,” said Arevalo.

After being joined by a feeder march of anti-war youth, protesters marched down Hennepin Avenue to Loring Park where Sami Rasouli, the Iraqi-American founder of the Muslim Peacemaker Team (MPT) addressed the crowd.  He said that while U.S. troop levels in Iraq have slightly decreased, living conditions are still horrendous.  In his hometown of Najaf, depleted uranium residue from U.S. weapons has led to an epidemic of breast cancer.  Normal rates of breast cancer are 7 cases per 100,000 people.  Doctors working with the MPT found that in 2007, the breast cancer rate in Najaf was 28 per 100,000.  By 2009, that number jumped to 65.  Sami also said that 170 babies born in Falluja in August 2009 showed signs of depleted uranium poisoning.  25% of them died within a week, and the rest had severe birth defects.

“There are still over 100,000 troops in Iraq,” said Sami, “And the war in Afghanistan is escalating.  We must end these wars.  This is not the change we wanted when Obama was elected.”

Kira Downey, an activist with Youth Against War and Racism called for “change from the bottom up.  We can’t elect change,” she said.  “We must create it by taking a stand in the streets and in our communities.”

Speakers from the Pakistan Trade Union Defense Campaign, Military Families Speak Out, the MN Coalition for a People’s Bailout, and the facetious “Billionaires for Wealth Care” also addressed the crowd.  A performance from Junkyard Empire closed the rally.

Demonstration organizers encouraged participants to respond to any escalation of the war in Afghanistan by returning to the streets with an anti-war message in the coming weeks.  A member of the Opposition to War and Occupation collective called for non-cooperation and direct action against the state in an earlier speech to the youth feeder march.  The text of that statement can be found here:  http://www.twincities.indymedia.org/2009/oct/owo-speech-1017-anti-war-youth-feeder-march