Protesters Mark ‘Global Day of Protest Against War on Iran’

An international day of protest against the war on Iran was organized on Saturday January 25 by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), ANSWER-Act Now to Stop War and End Racism-Coalition, CODEPINK, Black Alliance for Peace, and others. The day of action saw participation in more than 200 cities worldwide.

In addition to opposing the attempts to initiate war, protesters also demanded an end to all sanctions on Iran and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the West Asia region.

In the dozens of protests held across the US, peace activists renewed longstanding calls for their government to back down from its aggressive attitude towards Iran pointing out that the latest aggression against the country is one in a long line of attempts to destabilize and strangle the country through harsh economic sanctions and isolation. Protesters also raised slogans and carried banners denouncing US imperialism.

On the heels of the International Encounter Against Imperialism held in Caracas, Venezuela, social and political movements mobilized in the center of the city to stand in solidarity with Iran, reject US imperialism everywhere and to commemorate the late General Qassem.

#FOTOS | Jornada de solidaridad con Irán y en memoria del general Soleimani se desarrolló en Caracas, con la participación de movimientos sociales y políticos de Venezuela, y delegados internacionales que participaron en el Encuentro Mundial contra el Imperialismo. pic.twitter.com/I01vJpba09

— Cancillería Venezuela ?? (@CancilleriaVE) January 25, 2020

Organizations in Canadian cities such as Montreal, Vancouver, and Waterloo also joined the global day of action. In Montreal, Canada, organizations such as the ICC and the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, among others, came together and marched across the US consulate in the city. The march was addressed by Saideh Khadir, a member of the Iranian Canadian Congress. Addressing the protesters, Khadir said “we don’t want another Libya, or Iraq or Syria, or Afghanistan or Yemen in Iraq,” The Link reported.

Out in the streets of #Vancouver #Canada joining over 200 cities around the globe to demand #US Out of the Middle East #NoWarWithIran #NoWarOnIran #HandsOffIraq @codepink @answercoalition @UNAC1 #antiwar #globaldayofprotest #usoutofthemiddleeast #HandsoffIran #vanpoli #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/xd6YDTvxYU

— MAWO Vancouver (@mawovan) January 26, 2020

The demonstrators in Sydney, Australia asked their government to bring back all the forces stationed in West Asia and close all US bases in Australia.

Similar protests were organized on January 4, a day after the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone attack by the US in Baghdad.

The risk of war against Iran has increased following the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the imposition of unilateral sanctions on Iran in 2018. The US and its regional allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, have blamed Iran for harboring ambitions of dominating the region, developing nuclear weapons and helping groups such as Houthis (Houthis) and Hezbollah (Lebanon) along with militias in Iraq whom the US designates as “terrorist organizations”.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and Iraq, who want the U.S./NATO axis to leave their region and end their deadly interference and interventions” the statement of the UNAC reads.