Minneapolis demands an end to U.S. aid to Israel and to attacks on Iran

Minneapolis, MN – On June 28, the Free Palestine Coalition and Minnesota Peace Action Coalition held a rally and march of over 200 people to oppose U.S. intervention in Iran and U.S. aid to Israel. The protest started in Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis after the Minneapolis People’s Pride festival ended.

Yossi Aharoni, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee told the crowd, “Two weeks ago, amidst U.S./Iran nuclear talks, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, whereby Israel attacked Iran, unprovoked, killing Iranian nuclear scientists, their families, and high ranking members of the IRGC. Five days ago, President Trump enacted Operation Midnight Hammer, dropping fourteen GBU-57, 30,000lb bunker buster bombs on the nuclear enrichment sites in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Aharoni continued, “Trump immediately claimed a total victory, that the U.S. had obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability. Not only was this an outright lie – Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity is still intact – both of these attacks were illegal acts of aggression and war under international law. But not just war, these were acts of unmitigated terrorism and war crimes. We have been told my whole life that Iran is the enemy and wants to use nukes against us. And this rhetoric has escalated this year. But has Iran attacked the U.S.? No!”

Aharoni concluded his speech, “The AWC has been working non-stop since before Oct 7 for a free Palestine. But we also have been working to end U.S. sanctions and war threats on Iran. The past two weeks have joined these two campaigns. We have both Palestinian and Iranian committee members and we are angered by the stories of people’s families trying to survive air strikes. We at the AWC stand in defense of the Iranian people against all U.S. aggression and Israeli barbarism. We demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel!”

Trelawyney Copley-Smith said they came to the protest, “to demand an end to the U.S. bombing of Iran and continued complicity in Israeli war crimes and attempts to escalate war in the Middle East. This meaningless attempt to enforce a ceasefire with Israel, when they have flagrantly ignored them in the past as they’ve continued the genocide against Palestinians, is merely an attempt for Trump to appear to be in control. We stand in solidarity with those who defend Palestinian liberation.”

The protest was the seventh in the Twin Cities in two weeks demanding an end to U.S. airstrikes and US support for Israel’s attacks on Iran.

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