WA Rep. Jayapal: Iran conflict ‘nothing short of a disaster,’ with protests planned across US
Jan 3, 2020, 11:06 AM | Updated: 12:03 pm
Iranians protesting after a US airstrike killed a top general. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
After a U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian general, opposition to full-scale war is already organizing both in Seattle and across the country.
‘No known specific threats’ to Seattle in wake of Iran conflict
“By circumventing Congress and green-lighting an unconstitutional strike, President Trump is doubling down on the reckless military brinksmanship that has already led us to the edge of war,” said Washington State Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “It should be clear that the Trump Administration’s approach to Iran has been nothing short of a disaster.”
This assassination dangerously doubles down on reckless military brinkmanship.
Why was there no consultation w/ Congress or our allies? How will we keep our troops, partners & civilians in the region safe?
Congress must act swiftly to stop this Admin from further escalation. https://t.co/HDzAPmhqrc
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 3, 2020
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) is in the midst of organizing protests in a handful of major cities over the weekend, including one at 2 p.m. in Seattle’s Victor Steinbrueck Park on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Originally slated to be a protest against the United States’ military presence in Iraq, the recent killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani has since expanded the scope of the rally.
“More than a million Iraqis have died during the past 28 years as a consequence of U.S. occupation, bombings and sanctions,” ANSWER’s event page for the Westlake protest reads. “Instead of taking the United States out of this endless war, Trump is building up U.S. forces in the region and threatening a war with Iran.”
It’s unclear at this point how many people will be in attendance at Saturday’s protest. Concurrent rallies on Saturday are also scheduled in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Miami, and more.
Jayapal: President Trump ‘is the smoking gun’ for impeachment
Meanwhile, Rep. Jayapal is calling for Congress to “act swiftly to stop the Trump Administration from further escalating before this situation spirals out of control.”
“With the latest airstrike, we may well be at the brink of war,” she stated Friday. “We need to know why Congress was not consulted, whether our allies were informed of our actions, how we will keep U.S. troops, regional partners, and civilians in the region safe, and — critically — how the White House plans to prevent a catastrophic war with Iran.”
NOTE: A previous version of this article stated that Seattle’s protest was in Westlake Park; ANSWER has since changed the location to Victor Steinbrueck Park
