Protesters continued to gather in New York City on Monday to voice their anger over U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and calling for an immediate end to a war that threatens to spiral out of control in the Middle East.
Joint military strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel on Iran on Saturday morning have triggered a sharp escalation across the Middle East in recent days, setting off waves of missile exchanges, mounting casualties, and far-reaching political and security repercussions.
Meanwhile, a U.S.-Israeli attack on a girls' elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab which killed at least 165 children and staff on Saturday has caused considerable outrage.
The deepening crisis has sparked demonstrations in several U.S. cities, with many expressing their concerns over the consequences of yet another U.S. military intervention in the Middle East.
In Manhattan, protesters carried anti-war signs reading "Hands Off Iran" and "Stop the War On Iran," urging the Trump administration to immediately cease all military operations against Iran.
Among them was Mohammad Esmaeil Khodami, a 26-year-old Iranian who strongly condemned the attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel. He even suggested the operation is designed to divert attention away from other issues and questions currently facing the Trump administration.
"The bombing in this war is a war for Israel. It's a war because, frankly, I believe it's also a war to cover up the crimes of the Trump administration, right? It's a play, it's a ploy for distraction. It's a move to try to garner popularity and to try to gain that like wartime sensational popularity. It has nothing to do with liberating Iranian people. They don't care about Iranian people at all. They would sooner see us all dead than come forward about the crimes that they've committed," he said.
Given the disastrous history of American military operations in the Middle East, many demonstrators also questioned the wisdom of the decision to launch a costly war against Iran which has plunged the region into huge uncertainty.
Participants in the New York protest demanded an immediate halt to strikes on Iran and stressed that Iranian affairs should be decided only by the Iranian people themselves.
"We the people here want the war to end. We want no bombs. We want no wars of aggression ever. We are very sorry that our government, in our name, with our money, is killing people in Iran. Which is the government of Iran is not our decision, it's not the United States' decision to decide who is going to govern Iran. That is for the people of Iran," said Joanna, a protester.
"I don't really understand why we're bombing Iran. I don't quite understand how American people, people in the Middle East, people around the globe benefit from this kind of militarism. I don't understand. I don't think it's in anyone's interests. So I think we should stop," said Tobias, another participant.
New York protesters rally against US-Israeli attacks on Iran
