Forty people marched with candles on Monday evening to mark the eighth anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and call for all troops to be brought home now.
“We believe that after eight years of occupation, the war has only brought more suffering upon the people of Afghanistan and hasn’t brought the world closer to peace. We believe the US troops should come home now,” said anti-war activist Joel Kilgour.
The procession began at the Army Reserve base on Park Point and walked over the lift bridge to the DeWitt Seitz building in Canal Park. There followed a group singalong of peace songs and a gathering inside Amazing Grace Coffeehouse, where participants signed cards to be sent to soldiers who face jail terms for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan.
The march was organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition. The group is organizing a larger protest against the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations on Saturday, Oct. 17 at noon, starting at the Clayton, Jackson, McGhee Memorial and marching to the Civic Center for a rally with speakers. For more information, see www.northlandantiwar.blogspot.com.
Carl Sack