Small protests against the US attack in Iran sprouted up over the weekend
US Marines stand guard as demonstrators protest against the United States joining with Israel in attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, at a federal building in Los Angeles, California, on June 22, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
Small protests against the US attack in Iran sprouted up over the weekend
Protesters in more than a dozen US cities demonstrated on June 22 against the Trump administration's airstrikes on Iran.
Some rallies attracted hundreds, while others drew dozens. The overall turnout was far less than last weekend's 'No Kings' protests against President Donald Trump that were held in all 50 states.
Many of the June 22 demonstrations, held in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles, were arranged late on June 21 and had been described by organisers as 'emergency mobilisations'.
Demonstrators at several locations carried Iranian flags, and some held signs and placed banners across fences and buildings that read 'No War in Iran!'
Outside the gates of the White House in Washington, at least 200 demonstrators condemned the president, including some veterans.
'He's trying to become a king,' said Mr Ron Carmichael, 78, who flew helicopters in the Vietnam War.
In Chicago, more than 200 people attended a rally downtown.
Mr Ali Tarokh, a resident who said he immigrated from Iran 12 years ago after being imprisoned for political activities for two years, described the news of the airstrikes as 'the worst thing that could have happened'.
Although he opposes the Iranian leadership, Mr Tarokh said slow change was the only way to reform the government.
'Regime change is kind of impossible over there,' he said, adding that Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have only impeded any transition to a democratic society.
Some protesters said that the escalating conflict with Iran would further the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In Los Angeles, Ms Noor Abdel-Haq, a 26-year-old nurse, said she came out because of her personal ties to the tensions in the Middle East. Most of her family lives in Gaza or the West Bank, she said. 'We don't want more murder and destruction.'
Ms Abdel-Haq was among the scores of people who assembled in the Westwood neighborhood in a peaceful demonstration. Nearby, a small contingent of Marines and federal agents stood wearing tactical gear and carrying rifles.
In 98 deg F (36.7 deg C) heat in Richmond, Virginia, Ms Violeta Vega, 23, an in-home care worker and a leader of the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Richmond, led protesters at Abner Clay Park in chants that included 'Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation'.
The crowd numbered in the dozens. After the rally, her voice raspy, Ms Vega said the gathering was necessary.
'I felt empowered knowing that this was a day of action around the country,' she said. NYTIMES
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
27 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Putin says Russia is ramping up production of Oreshnik missile
FILE PHOTO: Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 20, 2025. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Putin says Russia is ramping up production of Oreshnik missile MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia is stepping up production of its Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic missile, which it launched for the first time against Ukraine last November. "Serial production of the latest Oreshnik medium-range missile system is under way," Putin told a graduating class of military cadets in televised comments. The system has "proven itself very well in combat conditions," he added. Russia first used the Oreshnik (Hazel tree) against Ukraine on November 21, when Putin said it had fired the missile at a defence enterprise in the city of Dnipro. He said he had authorised the strike in direct response to Ukraine's first use of U.S.-made ballistic missiles and British-made cruise missiles to hit Russian territory, after Western countries granted their permission. Putin subsequently threatened further strikes, including against "decision-making centres" in Kyiv, if Ukraine kept attacking Russia with long-range Western weapons. Intermediate missiles have a range of up to 5,500 km (3,415 miles), which would enable them to strike anywhere in Europe or the western United States from Russia. Putin has boasted that the Oreshnik is impossible to intercept and has destructive power comparable to a nuclear weapon, although some Western experts have cast doubt on those claims. In December, a U.S. official said the weapon was not seen as a game-changer on the battlefield, calling it experimental in nature and saying Russia likely possessed only a handful. Putin said late last year that Russia could also deploy Oreshniks on the territory of its ally Belarus in the second half of 2025. Belarus shares borders with NATO members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
27 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Operation Midnight Hammer: What we know so far
People at a protest following the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday, June 22. Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times Demonstrators gathering outside the Wilshire Federal Building on June 22 in Los Angeles, during a rally opposing the US strikes on Iran./AFP A man holding a bucket with burning wood near US Marines standing guard during a protest against the US joining with Israel in attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, at a federal building in Los Angeles. REUTERS/David Swanson A man holding a sign near US Marines standing guard at a protest outside the Westwood Federal Building in Los Angeles on June 22, condemning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Bing Guan/AFP Demonstrators gathering outside the Wilshire Federal Building on June 22 in Los Angeles, during a rally opposing the US strikes on Iran./AFP US Marines standing guard at a protest condemning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, outside the Westwood Federal Building in Los Angeles, on June 22. Bing Guan/AFP
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
UK bans Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in protest against Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's plans to proscribe the \"Palestine Action\" group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Police officers detain a protester as pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in protest against Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's plans to proscribe the \"Palestine Action\" group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Police officers block a street as pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in protest against Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's plans to proscribe the \"Palestine Action\" group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy LONDON - Britain said on Monday it would ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, making it a criminal offence to belong to the pro-Palestinian campaign group which last week damaged two UK military planes in protest at London's support for Israel. The so-called proscription of Palestine Action puts the group on a par with Hamas, al-Qaeda or ISIS under British law, banning anyone from promoting the group, arranging meetings or carrying its logo in public. Those breaching the rules could face up to 14 years in jail. Palestine Action has regularly targeted defence firms and other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza in 2023. Two of its members entered a Royal Air Force base in central England on Friday, spraying paint into the engines of the Voyager aircraft and further damaging them with crowbars, in the group's most high-profile move to date. It has said that Britain was an "active participant" in the conflict in Gaza, citing military support it provides to Israel. Interior minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement on Monday that the draft proscription order will be laid before Parliament on June 30 and would become law after it goes through the parliamentary process. Earlier on Monday, the group changed the location of a planned protest after police banned it from staging a demonstration outside parliament, otherwise a popular location for protests in support of a range of causes. Palestine Action's members are alleged to have caused millions of pounds of criminal damage, police have said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
