Protest against bombing of Libya. (Fight Back! News/Mick Kelly)

St. Paul, MN - Peace groups here organized a special demonstration at the weekly Wednesday vigil at the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge, April 27, to oppose the ongoing and escalating U.S. and NATO intervention into Libya. “We are not there for humanitarian reasons but for control of Libya's oil and its strategic location in North Africa and the Middle East which has been rocked with popular uprisings,” said organizers of the bridge vigil.

The peace vigil is held every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “The war is escalating with the call by President Obama, President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Cameron for regime change in Libya. This moves far beyond the ill conceived ‘no fly zone’ resolution passed by the U.N. The recent call by U.S. politicians for the assassination of Colonel Gadhafi are even more outrageous and dangerous. The use of drones and the introduction of troops under the name of ‘advisers for intelligence, logistics and training’ will result in ever increasing death and destruction for the Libyan people. All this at a time when the Congress is threatening the people of the U.S. with deep and draconian cuts in domestic spending.”

The event called for “U.S. hands off Libya – end the bombing.”

The event was endorsed by the Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Anti-War Committee, Women Against Military Madness, MN Peace Action Coalition (formerly Iraq Peace Action Coalition), and Emergency Committee to Stop U.S. War in Libya.