Anti-war protests have been breaking out across the United States amid growing frustrations over the rapidly escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Demonstrations began after the large-scale U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which targeted military infrastructure and killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The attacks marked one of the most significant military escalations in the region, causing civilian casualties, air strikes, and global concern.
The BBC reported that approximately 1,825 people have been killed in Iran as of Mar. 11. Among those casualties, Iranian officials have accused the U.S. of deliberately targeting a girls’ school near an IRGC base, where 168 people were killed, including 110 children.Â
With the shocking violence displayed from the strikes at a high, protests have quickly started to appear in many American cities. Demonstrators have gathered in high-traffic places such as the White House, carrying signs that call for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the conflict.Â
Some of the organizations involved in coordinating these protests are the A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition, American Muslims for Palestine, and The People’s Forum. These groups, among many others, are motivated by concerns about the humanitarian consequences of the war and the potential for wider regional conflict. Reports from The Guardian indicate that casualties have surged in recent weeks due to continued airstrikes, naval attacks, and ongoing fighting involving U.S. forces.
With this in mind, the main concern of these organizations’ goals against the war is based on the question of why the United States and Israel attacked Iran, violating international law. Anti-war protestor Sue Johnson told The Guardian at a rally after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader that “it wasn’t sanctioned by Congress, so what Trump is doing is on his own terms, it’s making him a fascist, and it’s making the country into a fascist state.”
The demonstrations across the United States connected to Iran reflect a long tradition of protest movements in American history. It is not uncommon for American cities to bolster protests where citizens express opposition to military intervention in foreign wars. One of the most notable examples would be the anti-war protests of the Vietnam War in the early 1960s and late 1970s. Millions of Americans took to the streets to protest the United States’ involvement in Southeast Asia. The current protests against war in Iran are continuing this historical pattern, showing how anti-war activism is still a strong part of American political spheres.Â
As the war in Iran continues to unfold, it remains unclear what is in store for the future of U.S. involvement in Middle East affairs. However, these anti-war demonstrations highlight how the U.S. needs to be aware of its citizens’ wants for conversations about foreign policy and the limits of American military power.