Minnesota: No war with Iran

St. Paul, MN – Over 20 people held banners and signs as part of a national day of action, February 18, on the Snelling Avenue bridge over Interstate 94. The national call was issued by the United National Antiwar Coalition’s youth committee, Youth Against Empire, to show of international solidarity by demanding “No war with Iran! End the sanctions now!”

Demonstrators stood in below freezing temperatures for over an hour waving and holding banners, signs and flags on the bridge, while those passing by and below on I-94 honked their horns in solidarity with the people of Iran.

Tom Chisholm of Veterans for Peace explained the importance of why they need to continue to come out and show opposition to the endless U.S. war mongering, “All these wars are endless lies. The U.S. has been interfering with Iran since 1953, and it’s all been about money and oil interests.”

Despite being in office for almost a month, President Joe Biden has not yet taken action to return to the Iran Nuclear Deal which was abandoned by President Trump in 2018. Instead, Biden kept the sanctions that include a vast economic embargo implemented while Trump was in office. U.S. relations continue to fray with Iran, putting the further risk of war on the horizon.

Sarah Martin of Women Against Military Madness said, “Today is an important action because Biden is going after Iran. He is refusing to lift the sanctions, which are illegal, and since the U.S. opted out of the Iran agreement we have no right to be dictating the terms of rejoining the agreement. So that’s why I’m here. We have to hold Biden accountable!”

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee and endorsed by Women Against Military Madness, the MN Peace Action Coalition, and the Climate Justice Committee.