American peace activists staged demonstrations in several cities to express their opposition to another war in the Middle East as U.S.-Iran tensions spiraled up in the wake of killing of a top Iranian general and attack on the U.S. embassy in Iraqi capital Baghdad.
The demonstrations in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago and other major cities drew thousands of people as Washington and Tehran exchanged threats.
President Donald Trump, who has previously expressed aversion to American involvement in wars, has responded to invasion of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad with a strike at the city’s airport which killed powerful Iranian military leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
The killing of Soleiman has evoked a mixed response along sectarian lines in Iraq because the Shiite community sees Soleimani as a hero while the Sunnis hold him responsible for massacre of thousands of Iraqis and troubles elsewhere in the Middle East.
The Trump Administration has defended the decision to kill the Iranian general. The Democrats on the Capitol Hill have said they were not consulted before the attack. The war has political implications in the presidential election year in the United States.
Democrats, who under President Obama, approved drone strikes against suspected militant targets in several countries, have also faced criticism for perpetuating the Afghan war, the conflict in Iraq and failure to prevent conflicts in the Middle East.
People are outraged by the U.S.’ acts of war on #Iran! @EnasAlsaffadi joins hundreds in the streets of New York City to demand #NoWarOnIran! #PeaceWithIran #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/4zNTMdkfEu
— CODEPINK (@codepink) January 4, 2020
The U.S. has maintained thousands of troops in Iraq since its invasion of the country in 2003. The latest developments have dramatically escalated tensions between United States and Iran, and President Trump has sent around 3,000 additional troops to the Middle East to deal with the situation.
Iran has vowed retaliation to avenge the loss of its commander and President Trump has warned against any such move, saying Washington would go after 52 targets if Tehran retaliated. Iran’s ambassador to the UN has called the U.S. air strike that killed Soleimani as an act of war.
The standoff has revived fears of a U.S.-Iran war, and already sent oil prices soaring.
The people of San Francisco along with demonstrators in more than 70 cities across the country are demanding today: #NoWarWithIran! US Troops Out of Iraq! pic.twitter.com/bVIjTbg3mV
— ANSWER Coalition-SF (@sfANSWER) January 4, 2020
The anti-war demonstrations in the U.S. cities – numbering over 70 – were organized by CODEPINK and Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.
The protesters called for withdrawal of U.S.troops from Iraq and raised slogans against the idea of U.S. going to a conflict with Iran.
“No justice, no peace. U.S. out of the Middle East,” hundreds of protesters chanted near the Trump Tower in Chicago. Protesters held signs that read “Stop bombing Iraq” and “U.S. troops out of Iraq.”
