by Hannah Saunders
September 16 marks 200 days since the start of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, and Seattle anti-war activists are holding a protest at Pike Place Market at 5:30 p.m. where they will announce a new campaign. Several similar protests will be concurring nationwide in cities like Chicago, Denver, and San Jose under a coordinated action by the Anti-War Action Network.
“The goal of the national protests are to both demonstrate how unpopular the war on Iran is, and to draw the masses into the people’s movement against imperialism by building familiarity with people and recruiting them into anti-imperialist organizations,” Seattle Against War (SAW) told TtS.
On February 28, the Israeli government and Trump administration launched a war on Iran, causing thousands of civilian deaths and that of several aid workers. That day, they attacked an all-girls elementary school in Minab, which is in southern Iran, killing over 100 school girls and adults and kicking off the start of the war.
“Since the Iran War began, 18 U.S. service members have given their lives, and more than 750 others have been wounded,” according to the Purple Heart Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve the quality of life for veterans, including those wounded in combat.
Thousands more people have been brutally killed in Lebanon and other neighboring countries, and there seems to be no end of the war in sight. Further damages include global economic chaos, like skyrocketing oil prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; the war is costing the U.S. an estimated $40 billion, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
American residents and citizens have had little to no say in the war that only brings bloodshed overseas and hardships across the nation. Rep. Adam Smith, for instance, refuses to use his position as a Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee to put an end to the tragedies and incessant killings, despite ongoing mass pushback.
SAW is inviting community members out to protest the war and emphasize the popular demands of the people: ending the war, stopping the flow of arms to Israel and supporting an arms embargo, and calling for an investigative hearing into alleged war crimes committed by the U.S. and Israel.
SAW said it has had successful anti-war rallies at the Market previously, like Nakba Day, which has drawn in locals and visitors alike who have assisted with spreading word of the event. If the demands of the people are not met, SAW said it and other organizations it’s partnering with for this rally are well-versed in escalation tactics and have broader plans.
“We are launching a new campaign at the rally, where we will be working with students, parents, teachers, and other staff at a local high school to combat military recruiters,” SAW said.
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