Minnesota Anti-War Committee holds press conference to address targeted attack

Minneapolis, MN — On May 26, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) held a press conference outside the building that houses the offices they share with the Climate Justice Committee in South Minneapolis to address an attack over the weekend that left the building’s windows smashed and local organizers looking for answers.

Wyatt Miller of the AWC opened the event with a chant before giving the facts of the attack as they were known at that time, stating, “On Saturday we learned our office had been attacked overnight. Based on the level of damage, we believe the attackers intended to send a message and escape quickly.” Two large windows of double-paned sheet glass appeared to have been smashed repeatedly with a blunt object according to Miller, although no one appeared to have entered the building.

Meredith Aby, also of the AWC, shared that being targeted is not new to the committee. Due to the AWC’s pro-Palestine activism, it was the target of FBI raids and investigation in 2010. “In some ways it doesn’t surprise me that our office was vandalized during this upsurge of right-wing hatred in this country,” said Aby. “The language the Trump administration uses when they talk about the Palestine solidarity movement puts a target on our back and we are here to demand an end to the racist anti-Palestinian climate he is promoting.”

Aby reported that although the building owners did not yet have an exact number, the cost of damages and cleanup will be in the thousands. When press asked if police had been contacted, Aby said that due to the AWC’s politics and work with the Black Lives Matter movement, they had chosen not to contact the police at this time, but that they were investigating the incident through other means.

Kay Lorehl of the Climate Justice Committee spoke of the impactful work of the CJC and the AWC for environmental and social justice, including holding major Twin Cities air polluters accountable and marching on both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to call out the environmental impact of U.S. imperialism.

“If rattling off our accomplishments sounds like a brag, that’s because it certainly is. Because if we, and our office roommates, the Anti-War Committee, weren’t excellent, weren’t moving people to come together in the streets to move mountains, this would not have happened,” declared Lorehl.

Minneapolis City Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai spoke at the press conference and stated to the media and the crowd of about 100 that the AWC has fought in solidarity with other movements within the Twin Cities community since its inception. “They have stood in solidarity in the fight for environmental justice, for immigrants’ rights, for queer and trans liberation; they’ve turned out against crimes committed by police, stood out with us on picket lines and have remained steadfast anti-war activists for decades. They are an integral part of our Minneapolis community and crucial to our movements, not just as anti-war activists and organizers, but as part of the larger fight for oppressed people everywhere,” said Chughtai.

“This place and this building represent the best of Minnesota,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota (CAIR-MN), who rounded off the speeches for the day. “It represents those who are willing to use our tax dollars to invest in taking care of our neighbors first, and not sending bombs and displacing people all over the world.” Hussein, a Somali immigrant who told the crowd that he personally is no stranger to political displacement, called out our state leaders in their silence. “Too many unions and great leaders, and great organizations across the state of Minnesota have yet to declare that this war [in Palestine] is genocide and it needs to stop.”

Hussein echoed the sentiments of the earlier speakers, that an attack on activists is more like a boost. “You will not diminish the best of this nation. In fact, what you have done is give us a little bit of an energy shot, because of this attack we are more resolved. We are not turning back. You can break as many windows as you want, we will build them right back.”

“This desperate political attack is the result of all of us winning,” agreed Lerohl.

Aby’s message was equally clear that broken glass will not stop activists from organizing. “Vandals can be angered and destroy things like windows, but they cannot destroy our spirit because we have work to do.”

There was a short question and answer portion after the speeches regarding the investigation, which Miller and Aby fielded. There is not much information to provide yet on the attackers, but the AWC was able to declare with certainty that this attack will only make them and their work for a free Palestine even stronger. The event ended with chants of “Free free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

The entire press conference is available for viewing on the Minnesota Anti-War Committee’s YouTube page.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MNAWC #PoliticalRepression

Source: https://fightbacknews.org/minnesota-anti-war-committee-holds-press-conference-to-address-targeted-attack?pk_campaign=rss-feed