'Emergency' Protests across US Demand 'Hands Off Syria'
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hundreds of protesters gathered in cities across the US to speak out against President Donald Trump’s missile strikes on a Syrian airbase. Despite the demonstrations being mostly peaceful, there were arrests.
“Emergency” protests were held Friday in at least a dozen US cities. They were largely organized on social media by the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, which called the US assertion that the Syrian government carried out attacks on its own people “unsubstantiated” and demanded an independent investigation.
In downtown Manhattan, protesters gathered at Trump Tower and Union Square. Footage shared on Twitter shows one protester being arrested, following police warnings against blocking traffic and sidewalks. There were multiple unconfirmed reports of multiple arrests, Russia Today reported.
Six people were arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, after protesters against the Syria strike clashed with counter-demonstrators, according to WFOX. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office reportedly confirmed three arrested for inciting a riot, while three others were handcuffed for battery on a law enforcement officer.
In Washington, DC, protesters gathered outside the White House with signs, reading, “No War on Syria.”