San Jose protests on 200 days of Iran war
San Jose, CA – On the evening of Thursday, September 17, over 40 people gathered in the streets of downtown San Jose to demand an end to the war of aggression against Iran.
Chants like, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!” and “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil, hands of Iranian soil!” could be heard echoing through the streets of downtown and around city hall.
Emer Martin of Vigil for Gaza spoke to the crowd, “We support Iran, from the heart of the corporate tech military empire, because we know what it has in store for us too. They have shown us what they’ve done to Gaza they will do to anyone who gets in the way of a capitalist project.”
Martin went on to say, “All the workers of the world should get on board with Iran now and reject the years of propaganda!”
Panda Shim from Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University said, “We want an end to sending young Americans to die for absolutely nothing. And until the U.S. gets their hands off the Middle East, until there is justice, there shall be no peace in the streets!”
Akubundu Amazu of the All African People’s Revolutionary Party said, “Iran knows their friends and they know their enemy. This is why they stand with Palestine, Hezbollah and Yemen against the U.S. and Israel. We must all stand together on the right side of history because that is the only way we are going to win,” said Amazu.
Jack McCann, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, addressed the crowd, “Gas and diesel prices are reaching record highs. It is estimated that this war has cost on average one billion dollars a day”
McCann continued, “Our government, in its conscious choice to prioritize bombs over babies, jails over jobs, has forfeited its right to exist. It is our job, the people of the United States, to unite all who can be united to overthrow the monopoly capitalist class. To bring an end to endless wars, we must bring an end to the system of capitalism.”
Philip Nguyen of San Jose Against War highlighted the organization’s divestment campaign targeting the city of San Jose, saying, “We are calling out the four city council members that voted to keep money invested in companies complicit in Israel’s genocide and ICE terror.”
Nguyen continued, “We will be continuing to escalate and will keep fighting until we win divestment – and we deal a material blow to the U.S. war machine and Israel!”
The crowd took to the streets and marched along a populated pedestrian path to supportive bystanders and car honks.