Dallas mobilizes against Trump’s genocidal threats against Iran
Dallas, TX – A coalition of Dallas anti-war organizations met at Main Street Garden Park Wednesday evening, April 8, in response to the Trump administration’s genocidal calls for violence against the Iranian people and the wholesale destruction of their infrastructure.
A crowd of 200 community members gathered around 7 p.m., arriving to chants of “From Iran to Palestine, Israel is on borrowed time!” Energy remained high while DFW Foot Not Bombs set up a hot food table.
Ryan Ahmadi of DFW Shias for justice told the crowd, “Just yesterday it seemed that we were on the brink of a genocidal, apocalyptic nuclear war. Donald Trump used his war-mongering and genocidal language, and tactic of psychological warfare that had the entire world sick to their stomachs and on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if he would carry out his threat where he said ‘an entire civilization will die tonight.” A 3000-year-old civilization, a nation of over 90 million people. Well, we’ve got news for you – you gambled, and you lost.”
Nura Bawab of Palestinian Youth Movement stated, “The Iranian people held their ground with honor and steadfastness and showed the world that their sovereignty would not be compromised by imperialists and Zionists without global repercussions. We are proud of the resilience of the people of Iran.”
Jo Hargis of DFW Anti War Committee spoke on the role of North Texas weapons manufacturers in the last month of attacks, stating, “The factory producing the bombs Israel is using to attack Lebanon and Iran, and to carry out genocide in Palestine? Many of you know that bomb factory is in our own backyard. Many of you know that this bomb factory normalizes its complicity in murder by participating in the FAME program, partnering with schools in Garland, in Mesquite, and at Dallas College to bring students into this very facility. Many of you know DAWC is working to end those partnerships that use students at home to make the bombs killing students abroad, that DAWC has a petition at tinyurl.com/NoFAMEPaligen which all of you should sign before you leave today. And many of you know that infamous bomb factory by an old name: REPKON USA.“
Hargis continued, “The owners of this factory are the same, but seemingly overnight they changed their name to Paligen. This change happened so abruptly that when a DAWC member drove by, the old REPKON signs were simply flipped around and haven’t been replaced with anything. Paligen urgently felt the need to distance themselves from the name REPKON, and that is because they are scared. Paligen is scared of the negative international press they are receiving for arming Israel as it expands this war.”
The evening ended in chants and evening prayers as community members cleaned the park and packed out.
DFW Anti War Committee’s next rally is April 15, directly outside the Paligen Technologies facility in Garland, to draw attention on Tax Day to the gross misuse of our tax dollars to weapons of war.
The protest was organized by DFW Anti War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Code Pink, Communist Party DFW, DFW Food Not Bombs, Young Active Labor Leaders, and others.