ST PAUL, Minn. — A group of demonstrators rallied on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds Saturday in support of human rights and democracy in Myanmar, organizers said.
According to a release from the Karen Organization of Minnesota, the event started at Harriet Island at 10:30 a.m.
Demonstrators marched to the Minnesota State Capitol, where they held a rally at noon. They said the rally included live music, a dance performance, poetry and speeches by youth activists.
In the release, organizers said the march and rally were held "in solidarity with the civil disobedience movement and ethnic minorities facing violence in Myanmar (Burma)." They said other goals for the march were to draw attention to the ongoing coup, call for international action, and show support for human rights and democracy in Myanmar.
According to the Associated Press, military leaders in Myanmar overthrew the country's elected government in February and are using deadly force against protesters.
On Friday, the Biden administration offered temporary legal residency to people from Myanmar. The temporary protected status would last 18 months, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Associated Press. The designation applies to people from Myanmar already living in the United States.
