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Minneapolis, MN – After President Obama’s announcement that he will seek congressional approval for military attacks against Syria, anti-war activists around the county have been going all out to stop a wider U.S. war.

Commenting on President Obama’s decision to have a war vote in Congress, Joe Iosbaker of the Chicago Anti-War Committee stated, “The U.S. has suffered a setback in their drive toward war with Syria. The opposition in the U.N., the vote in the British Parliament and the demonstrations across the country here has won a small victory for the anti-war movement. Now President Obama is going to ask Congress for support. We must tell the politicians to vote no! In Chicago, the Anti-War Committee is calling for a ‘Congress: Vote No to War’ noon protest on Saturday, Sept. 7 to help send that message.”

Meredith Aby of the Twin Cites based Anti War Committee says, “In Minnesota the Congressional delegation is starting to fall in line behind President Obama, including Klobuchar, Franken, and Ellison. However, public opinion is overwhelmingly on our side and we need to mobilize people to demonstrate and show that we don’t want to be dragged into another war and to pressure Congress. The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition has called for a protest at Senator Klobuchar’s office on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 4:30. It is critical that everyone who doesn’t want U.S. military strikes against Syria demonstrate and call to show that Obama really only has a 9% approval from the American people for his plan to attack Syria.”

In Florida, POWIR (People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism) calling for statewide protests and direct actions to demand that Florida Senators Marco Rubio, Bill Nelson and other Florida representatives vote no on any further U.S. aggression against the Syrian people.

Over the last several weeks demonstrations against a war on Syria have taken place in scores of cities across the U.S.

Carlos Montes, a veteran leader of the Chicano and anti-war movements, states, “Protest the U.S. plans to bomb Syria, and visit or call your local U.S. elected officials to have them say no to Obama’s bomb threat!”

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism (POWIR)

POWIR Calls for State-Wide Action Against War with Syria

Miami, FL – As President Obama’s resolution for military authorization against Syria goes before Congress, POWIR (People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism) is calling on communities across the state of Florida to take action. The anti-war group is calling for state-wide protests and direct actions to demand that Florida Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D) and other Florida representatives vote no on any further U.S. aggression against the Syrian people.

POWIR stands in firm opposition to Washington’s newest imperialist war in the Middle East, which will ultimately lead to even more civilian casualties and increasing destabilization in the region. Although an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose U.S. military intervention in Syria, the Obama administration appears to have its sights set on war.

Starting on September 9, both the House and the Senate will return from their break and will immediately begin debate on whether to give the president the green light to use military force against Syria. A decision could be reached by mid-September, which means missile strikes could begin within two weeks.

Protests across Florida will take place in front of the senators’ various offices located throughout the state. Actions also include sign-holdings, town-hall forums, and call-in days to insist that Senators Nelson and Rubio both stand with their constituents by standing up against senseless military intervention and voting against the President’s request for more war.

We are calling on President Obama to stop funding and arming factions in Syria’s conflict and we demand that Congress vote no on any US military intervention in the region. And in the event that President Obama does move forward with his war against Syria, POWIR is calling for emergency actions throughout the state within twenty-four hours.