NEW YORK, March 8 (Xinhua) -- People have taken to the streets in more than 50 cities across the United States over the weekend to protest against the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, as the deadly military strikes entered their second week.
From coast to coast, demonstrators rallied and marched in major U.S. cities, including New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, demanding that the Trump administration put an end to the war.
In New York City's Manhattan, a crowd of hundreds gathered at Union Square on Saturday afternoon, chanting slogans such as "Biggest Threat in the World Today: Donald Trump and the USA" and "Trump Says More War, We Say No More," and carrying signs that read "Hands off Iran," "No New U.S. War in the Middle East," and "Money for People's Needs, Not War with Iran."
"This is an unjust war. This is another regime-change war, which usually comes from obviously corrupt reasons like land expansion -- basically colonizing other countries, taking advantage of them," Maya, one of the demonstrators in the square, told Xinhua.
"From what I saw, we're spending a billion (U.S.) dollars a day on this war while we're in an affordability crisis. So obviously that money should be used for U.S. citizens. It can be used for health care, for better child care, public transit -- anything except for this war," she added.
The United States and Israel began massive strikes against Iran a week ago, triggering Iran's retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. assets across the Middle East. The ongoing military escalation has heightened regional tensions and caused global spillover effects.
"I think that this war is terrible," said Maggie Morales, a New Yorker. "We know that this is something that only benefits him (President Donald Trump) personally. It does not benefit our country. It does not benefit our people. Unfortunately, it puts us more in danger."
"We already have so many stories, so much history of going to other countries and hurting other people with no benefit for the United States. And it's terrible that we can't learn from past lessons," Morales said.
"Today I didn't come for the protest," she added. "But I saw it, and I felt that I had to come and support them."
Speakers denounced the deadly military strikes waged by the White House as violating international law and throwing the entire Middle East into chaos. They urged Congress to take action to stop the war machine immediately.
"We've already seen that our current system is incapable of stopping the continued onslaught and bloodshed. We saw how Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, were unable to pass a War Powers resolution that would have stopped this war. Shame!" Andre Easton from the Bronx, New York City, said in his speech.
"It has always been, and it will only be up to the working people of the world to join together and oppose war here and anywhere else in the world," he added.
In Los Angeles, hundreds of people rallied in front of the City Hall on Saturday afternoon, holding Iranian flags and shouting slogans such as "Bombing Iran is a crime."
Several demonstrators told Xinhua that the war launched by the United States and Israel has destroyed regional peace and brought profound suffering to the Iranian people.
"The war is a distraction from the Epstein files, and they're killing civilians needlessly," an anonymous protester from Los Angeles said, calling on people to speak out for peace and reject another endless war. ■
