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Protesters gathered outside the White House Wednesday, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh whether to formally join Israel's air campaign against Iran.
The group gathered outside the White House Wednesday evening was organized by the ANSWER Coalition, an anti-war organization formed after 9/11. Some protesters arrived carrying Iranian flags. Others carried Palestinian flags and showed up wearing keffiyeh headscarves. Many in the crowd also had signs, reading "No New War in Middle East."
"Today we're here to stand against the Israeli aggression on Iran," said Iman, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement.
The rally, organized by grassroots activists, centered around demands for what they called a "people's arms embargo" on Israel.
"Our message is a full and complete arms embargo on Israel," Iman said. "We demand the full stopping of weapons and weapons shipments from companies such as Maersk, and we will not be waiting for the government or our political class to be taking up this arms embargo. We are demanding a full people's arms embargo."
Protesters came with deeply personal reasons for attending. Arya Mahan, whose family is originally from Iran, expressed concern for his relatives still living there.
"My family is Iranian-exiled, but still have family members there and don't want to see the state be broken apart with no plan for the day," he said.
Mahan added that he fears continued military strikes may escalate the situation.
"I think continued strikes on nuclear facilities poses a huge threat. And my concern is that nobody will stop Israel from continuing their war across the Middle East," Mahan said.
Sarah Grimshaw, a Montgomery County resident, said she joined the protest because she opposes the use of American funds and political support in foreign conflicts.
"I do not want innocent civilians and people to be harmed anymore, especially using U.S. money and U.S. influence," Grimshaw said. "My main concern is just making sure that whoever is in charge, whoever can hear us, can understand that there's many, many people who do not support these atrocities."
At one point, a small group carrying Israeli flags approached the crowd.
In response, protesters began a call-and-response protesting Israel's status as a Jewish state.
"Zionists, Zionists go back home," many in the crowd chanted. "the Middle East is ours alone."
Then, tensions briefly escalated.
"Take a step back," an officer could be seen telling a protester in a keffiyeh headscarf, before pushing him off the curb. "I've asked you to step back three times."
Police quickly used bicycles to create a barrier between the two groups, and eventually the group with the Israeli flags dispersed without further incident.
Despite periods of heavy rain, protesters remained steadfast.
"We'll be in the streets until every inch of Palestine is free, until the U.S. is completely out of the Middle East, and until Israel stops its aggression on Iran, Palestine, Lebanon and Yemen and every other Arab country," Iman said. Although near the Arab world, Iran is majority ethnically Persian, with only 2% of the country identifying as Arab.
The demonstration remained peaceful, though impassioned, with participants emphasizing their call for change in U.S. foreign policy.
Israel began striking Iran Friday, with the Middle Eastern country saying that they were targeting Iran's nuclear sites. Although Iran has claimed Israel also targeted residential areas.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Tuesday it believes that Israel’s first aerial attacks on Iran’s Natanz enrichment site had “direct impacts” on the facility’s underground centrifuge halls.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed after launching the strike that Iran's nuclear program posed an existential threat to Israel and the United States.
Iran responded in kind to Israel's attacks, sending 400 missiles and drones over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, many of which had been intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome missile protection system.
The Iranian Ministry of Health reported Tuesday that 224 people have been killed in Israel's strikes, while Israeli officials reported 24 people were killed after strikes entered the country from Iran.
Still, the president's stance on US involvement remains ambiguous, with Trump posting threatening messages on TruthSocial Tuesday including: " We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran." and "We know exactly where the so-called 'supreme leader' is hiding. He is an easy target," a reference to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump told reporters Wednesday that his administration had not made a final decision on whether to strike Iran.
"I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, because things change, especially with war," Trump said.
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