President Trump is pushing back on protests, saying Democrats are criticizing the strikes only because he ordered them and warns they could continue for weeks.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some protesters rallied Monday outside Naval Air Station Jacksonville, condemning U.S. airstrikes on Iran and calling for an immediate end to American military involvement.
The Jacksonville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America organized the demonstration, where participants chanted “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air. U.S. out of everywhere.”
Nick Pettross said the city should not support the operation.
“Innocents are dying, so we can’t have that,” Pettross said. “We need to stand up for that.”
The protests come days after U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites starting Feb. 28, escalating a conflict that has killed hundreds. President Donald Trump said Monday the operation could last four to five weeks but that the U.S. is prepared to continue “far longer if needed.”
Not all reactions in Jacksonville’s Iranian community opposed the strikes. One man man expressed gratitude.
“I know there’s some people that might oppose this, but from the Iranian people, we couldn’t be any more grateful, thankful for the United States for stepping in,” he said. “We’ve been waiting for years for this day to come.”
Trump responded to protests nationwide on social media, writing: “What most people understand is that they are only complaining because I did it … and if I didn’t do it, they would be screaming why didn’t Trump attack Iran?”
Pettross rejected the political framing, saying it’s about lives and America’s roles overseas.
“We want to educate people on what’s going on and to show them that there’s people fighting and speaking up against what’s happening in this country and around the world,” he said.
Organizers said they plan continued actions alongside campaigns on housing, trans rights and local elections.