Emergency rallies were held in both San Francisco and San Jose as part of a nationwide day of action against the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Lalia Ali was at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza early to send a message.
“To stand against the US and Israeli intervention in Iran and to stand against a war in Iran,” Ali explained.
Ali is a first-generation American; her parents are Syrian and Palestinian. She said the violence happening in the region feels personal for her, but she’s grateful people from all backgrounds were coming out to protest.
“I think this is something that is all of our duties,” Ali said. “We, in the United States. We see how our military is destabilizing people worldwide, and now people are conscious and waking up, and they know that they are sick and tired of seeing these alleged representatives of ours not representing our wants.”
She believes going to war with Iran could continue to exacerbate issues here in the United States.
“Going to war with Iran is something that the working class here doesn’t want,” Ali stated. “There’s a war on affordability in this country. There is a war on our migrants. We have ICE agents in the streets killing people, and the last thing we need to do is go and kill people in Iran.”
The rally was put on by multiple Bay Area grassroots organizations. Richard Becker was one of the organizers, specifically with the “Act now to stop war and end racism” coalition, also known as ANSWER Coalition.
Despite having the protest on a Monday afternoon, he was confident people would show up.
“I think more and more people have woken up to the fact that this is the trajectory that we’re on,” stated Becker. “The trajectory that the trump administration and unfortunately, we have to say with the establishment democrat leadership as well is not taking us anywhere good. And the people are going to have to change it.”
Becker admits he’s disheartened by what has happened in the last few months.
“Trump is on a rampage,” said Becker. “In two months, he’s kidnapped the leader of one country, a sovereign country, and now assassinated the leader of another country, and in between talked about how he’s going to overthrow the government in Cuba.”
Becker is going to continue to fight back against the status quo, and so will Ali in hopes of a different future.
“I hope to see a free and liberated Palestine,” said Ali. “I hope to see sovereignty respected in all of our nations in the Middle East and for liberation for everybody worldwide.”
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