Jacksonville, FL protest against the war on Iran
Jacksonville, FL – On Sunday, March 15, in response to the U.S. and Israel aggression on Iran and Lebanon, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) took to the streets, and a coalition of organizations joined them to protest the unjust war.
This mobilization of about 80 people to downtown Jacksonville came hot off the heels of the rally JPSN organized on February 28, the day of the first strike on Iran.
Shayne Tremblay, a member of JPSN, addressed the crowd, “Against the will of the American people, Donald Trump has started a war. A war that has already displaced millions of Iranians. A war that has killed thousands of people in Iran and Lebanon. A war that has killed hundreds of children.” The crowd yelled back in response, “Shame!”
Banners reading “Hands off Iran” waved in the wind beside signs reading “End aid to Israel,” as well as Palestinian flags. Many people at the rally spoke on the relationship of this war to the genocide in Palestine, and chants of “Free, free, Palestine” echoed throughout the downtown.
Organizations from a variety of movements were in attendance, including The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, and Take Em’ Down Jax, Students for a Democratic Society, Democratic Socialists of America, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and more.
There was some rain, but the crowd held strong. People walking past the rally stopped to listen to the speakers. A member of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression stated, “The aggression we see from the U.S. in Iran, and from Israel in Palestine, is an extension of the aggression we face here at home.”
There was a contingent of proud union members in the crowd, and a general sentiment of the importance of the working class in opposing these wars.
Wells Todd, a veteran activist with Take Em’ Down Jax, spoke on the need to transform our unions into fighting organizations. A rank-and-file Teamster asked the crowd, “Do we, workers, want this war? Does this war benefit us?” The crowd shouted back: “No!”
A team of marshals stayed on the lookout for any counter-protesters; they also passed out water to the attendees.