A crowd of one hundred-plus endured near-freezing rain to protest a possible war with Iran. The Saturday demonstration joined others in dozens of cities around the nation after President Trump ordered the killing of an Iranian General.
Fears of escalation of an all-out war with Iran worry Syracuse Peace Councilorganizer Ursula Rozum.
“I was thinking back on the 18 years of war in the Middle East that have been going on in my lifetime and I was imagining that war with Iran is only going to be worse when it comes to casualties.”
Another speaker at the rally was an Iranian-American with both parents immigrating here from the country. Maysam was protesting years of U-S policy, which he says hurt the Iranian people while keeping the rulers in power.
“The economic sanctions against Iran have only taken a toll on the people, starving them of resources, money, food and medical necessities. The sanctions do not impact the government whatsoever. And once again by weakening the people, the US has tightened the Iranian governments power over its own people.”
Another Iranian-American speaker tearfully worried that a war could have her lose relatives on both sides. The Reverend Beth DuBois spoke on behalf of the CNY Poor People’s Campaign, saying the cost of war hurts other needs in the U-S and elsewhere.
“This particular piece of aggression is a perfect storm, because what will happen? The money we use for the military and military expansion will take money away from … things like health care for all, housing for all, all the programs that could potentially reduce poverty.”
The rally in Clinton Square drew members of CNY Veterans for Peace, the Geneva Women’s Assembly, CNY Solidarity and other groups. They are all concerned more war in the Middle-East would have devastating human and other costs.
