PITTSBURGH \u2014 Demonstrators in Pittsburgh spoke out against U.S. military strikes in Venezuela on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition organized a \u201cday of action\u201d in about 70 cities across the country, including Pittsburgh\u2019s East Liberty neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Participants condemned escalating U.S. action against Venezuela and the overnight capture<\/a> of President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his wife from their home, so they might face criminal charges.<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>> Pennsylvania lawmakers react to U.S. military operation in Venezuela<\/a><\/p>\n President Donald Trump has justified the operation as necessary to stem the flow of drugs. Before Maduro\u2019s capture, there had been 35 known U.S. attacks on boats accused of carrying drugs from Venezuela. <\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>> A timeline of the US military\u2019s buildup and strikes against Venezuela leading to Maduro\u2019s capture<\/a><\/p>\n Organizers of the Pittsburgh protest tell Channel 11 that ANSWER Coalition is part of an anti-war movement and wants to hold Trump accountable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly arrogant for Trump to think that he can run another country from the White House,\u201d organizer June Wearden said. \u201cIt is up to the people of Venezuela to decide Venezuela\u2019s political and economic future, not Donald Trump.\u201d <\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>> US military operation in Venezuela disrupts Caribbean holiday travel, hundreds of flights canceled<\/a><\/p>\n After removing Maduro from power, Trump said, the United States would \u201crun\u201d Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its oil reserves.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n