The Anti-War Committee (AWC) is a grassroots political organization based in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

that wants to end U.S. intervention.

Organizational history

The Anti-War Committee began in December 1998, with 13 people who committed civil disobedience to protest the bombing of

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

. The Anti-War Committee grew out of the Twin Cities chapter of the

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, based in Washington, D.C., is a national activist organization with chapters in various cities in the United States. CISPES supports the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) a ...

(CISPES), which had been active since the early 1980s. The Anti-War Committee has organized and been involved with most of the anti-war protests in the Twin Cities since its founding in 1998. The Anti-War Committee's main issues have been ending US aid to Israel and Colombia and ending the US occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mission and focus

The mission of the Anti-War Committee is to organize a broad-based movement which stands in solidarity with those communities, here and abroad who are adversely affected by U.S. foreign policies. The AWC works on many issues, with a focus on US foreign policy. Its members believe that the U.S. government has no right to intervene, militarily, economically or politically, in the affairs of independent nations. The Anti-War Committee calls for immediate withdrawal of all coalition troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and has collaborated with other groups to organize many protests and other activities toward that goal. They are also opposed to U.S. military aid to Israel and to Colombia. The Anti-War Committee was the first organization to apply for permits and announce plans to protest at the

2008 Republican National Convention The 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008. The first day of the Republican Party's convention fell on Labor Day, the last day of the popul ...

, which was held in

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

. On September 24, 2010, the Anti-War Committee's office was raided by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

. Several of its leading members also had their homes raided by the FBI. The Anti-War Committee is being investigated for "

material support In United States law, providing material support for terrorism is a crime prohibited by the USA PATRIOT Act and codified in title 18 of the United States Code, section2339Aan2339B It applies primarily to groups designated as terrorists by the St ...

for

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

". The AWC feels they are being targeted by the FBI for their solidarity work with Palestine and Colombia and were a part of founding the Committee to Stop FBI Repression nationally to defend their right to organize and protest. In 2018 the Anti-War Committee lead a protest of over 10,000 people to protest Trump's Muslim ban.

Coalitions and other issues

The Anti-War Committee participates in the

Iraq Peace Action Coalition The Iraq Peace Action Coalition (IPAC) is an antiwar organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The coalition was created in order to coordinate activities by local activists in opposition to the U.S. war against Iraq. IPAC also sponsors protes ...

(IPAC) now called the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, the Coalition for Palestinian Rights (CPR) the Colombia Action Network (CAN), the Coalition for Justice for Jamar Clark, and is affiliated with the University of Minnesota Anti-War Organizing League (AWOL). The AWC also concerns itself with other issues, such as with the Welfare Rights Committee; supporting striking unions, such as during the

Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...

Mechanics strike in 2005-2006 or the Alina nurses strike in 2016; and participating in the immigrant rights protests of 2006.

Media coverage

Anti-war march challenges McCain on last day of RNC: Crowd repeatedly tear gassed, 396 arrested as police pull out all stops to prevent anti-war march from reaching Xcel Center
Fight Back! News (retrieved September 16, 2008)
Anti-war protesters already planning for GOP convention
KARE11.com (retrieved November 28, 2006)
One year later, peace activists not giving up
Minnesota Public Radio, dated March 19, 2004 (retrieved November 28, 2006)
25 protesters plead not guilty
Minnesota Daily, dated April 4, 2003 (retrieved November 28, 2006)
Anti-war protesters ramp up opposition
Minnesota Public Radio, dated March 20, 2003 (retrieved November 28, 2006)

(Star Tribune, March 19, 2003 - retrieved November 28, 2006)

References

External links