Anti-war protesters rally in Chicago after U.S.-Iran conflict

Organizers accuse the Trump administration of committing war crimes and escalating conflict in the Middle East by bombing three nuclear sites over the weekend.

CHICAGO - Iran fired missiles at U.S. military bases in Qatar on Monday, but officials say no deaths or injuries have been reported.

Iran officials said the strike mirrored the number of bombs dropped by the United States on three of its key nuclear sites over the weekend. The Trump administration said it had anticipated some form of retaliation.

Reactions to the U.S. response are mixed in Chicago.

What we know:

In collaboration with the Anti-War Committee (AWC) of Chicago, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)-Chicago hosted a rally on Monday at Federal Plaza.

"This campaign of aggression must end now," said Noura Ebrahim, with USPCN-Chicago. "These are war crimes, plain and simple."

Organizers accuse the Trump administration of committing war crimes and escalating conflict in the Middle East by bombing three nuclear sites over the weekend.

"We are repeating the same mishaps that happened in 2003. This is very reminiscent of what happened during the Iraq war," said Nesreen Hasan, with USPCN-Chicago. "A lot of people are outraged – not only our community, but many communities across the board. Why are we involved in this? We shouldn't be involved in this."

After rallying at Federal Plaza, hundreds of people marched to Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue, ending their protest near Trump Tower and calling for an end to U.S. involvement in the region.

They also say they are skeptical of the agreed-upon ceasefire deal.

"We don't trust them one bit," said Husam Murajda, co-chair of USPCN-Chicago. "Iran has long adhered to nuclear agreements and was in negotiations with the U.S. until the very day that Israel bombed it on June 19th. Iran chose diplomacy, the U.S. and Israel chose war and devastation."

What they're saying:

On the other side of the aisle, supporters of Israel, including a spokesman for the Jewish United Fund (JUF), feel that the actions taken by the United States military were necessary.

"We were very pleased with the U.S. decision. President Trump, we think, made the right decision and then U.S. soldiers executed it perfectly. The idea was to make sure that the most fanatical regime in the world did not have the most ultimate weapon in the world," said Daniel Goldwin, chief public affairs officer for the JUF. "If you look back over the entire course of the Islamic Republic of Iran's history with Israel, almost every time there's a terror attack against Israelis, in Israel, against Americans, the return address is Tehran. Hopefully that can end now."

What's next:

There are currently no planned rallies or protests in Chicago in the coming days, but that could change at any moment.

A spokesman for USPCN shares the group will likely proceed with its weekly demonstration this Saturday, June 28.

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