Protests Erupt Across the US in Response to Iran's Strikes and Reports of Khamenei's Death
In the wake of news reports suggesting that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed in US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, anti-war protesters took to the streets across the United States, including outside the White House and in New York's Times Square. These protests aimed to voice strong opposition to the US military's involvement in the region.
"This action by Trump isn't sanctioned by Congress, which makes him appear as a fascist and the country as a fascist state," Sue Johnson, a protester, stated. "He couldn't wait to act. He's an impatient child, and he bombed Iran for no specific reason."
Johnson continued, "No president can attack or kidnap or bomb another country without Congress's permission. However, this president does whatever he wants, regardless of Congress's opinion."
The sense of inevitability that has characterized Trump's foreign policy actions, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president, was palpable at the New York protest, which gathered several hundred people.
The protest was sponsored by a coalition of left-wing groups, including the ANSWER Coalition, the National Iranian American Council, 50501, American Muslims for Palestine, the People's Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement, CodePink, Black Alliance for Peace, and the Democratic Socialists of America. The coalition organized "emergency protests" in several cities across the country, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Minneapolis.
Additional protests were planned for smaller cities on Sunday, such as Albany, New York; Ellensburg, Virginia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Decorah, Iowa; Gainesville, Florida; and Springfield, Missouri.
In a statement, the organizers emphasized, "Trump's unprovoked, illegal attack on Iran is an act of war that threatens unimaginable death and destruction. However, the people of this country reject another endless war and will take to the streets to make our voices heard."
New York's DSA-aligned mayor, Zohran Mamdani, earlier in the day stated that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran "mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities, killing civilians, and opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change."
The American Civil Liberties Union joined Democratic lawmakers in demanding that Congress take immediate action to end Trump's unconstitutional use of military force against Iran. The organization noted its consistent stance, "from Vietnam through the war in Afghanistan, both wars in Iraq, the military action against Libya, and the ongoing use of force in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, that the Constitution is clear: decisions on military force require Congress's specific, advance authorization."
Willie Cotton, 48, from Brooklyn, New York, expressed a similar sentiment, stating, "I don't believe it's in the US's interest for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, but I am opposed to US bombing. I support the demonstrations in Iran and the thousands who have been killed by the regime there. However, the US isn't there to help them or benefit the region; it's there for its own interests and goals."
Cotton acknowledged Trump's statement to Iranians, suggesting that the attack on Iran's theocratic regime was their 'only chance for generations' to take power. He pointed out, "He said that to Venezuela and then claimed it was our oil two minutes later. US history shows that they go into these conflicts for their own benefit, not for the people there. I don't think he's deviating from that course of protecting US business interests, including his own."
As a member of the Socialist Workers' Party, he supported Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas's cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. "It was Iran that organized the bombing campaigns against Israel, and Israel has the right to defend itself. But the US isn't defending itself; it's advancing its goals worldwide."
The protests took place as the FBI's counterterrorism and counterintelligence teams were placed on high alert nationwide. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, stated that they are "in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland."
Jacqueline, distributing 'Stop the War on Iran!' placards for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, emphasized that even if the protests didn't stop the bombing, "at least we can voice that people oppose another endless war in the Middle East." She added, "It's not in our interest, considering the cost of living crisis, murder on the streets by ICE, and the US's lack of democracy. We've all seen that lie clearly now."
Healthcare worker Christina Perez, 44, joined the protest to protest "the Trump regime in general. It's like constant salt in the wound. You never know what you'll wake up to. Why is this person allowed to commit these legal atrocities, and no one stops him? It's like rampant tyranny."
When asked about her feelings upon waking up to the news of the strikes, Perez said, "Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. Why do I have to keep waking up for more terrible things? We're being distracted from what really matters because we're constantly being inundated. Americans have legitimate grievances, but there's never money to solve those things, and always money for war."
