New Yorkers protest U.S. wars on Tax Day
NYC, NY – Anti-war activists from the five boroughs came together on April 15, to protest the waste of U.S. taxes on war, sanctions and oppression. The protesters targeted the U.S. Post Office – a historic location that has been the target of Tax Day protests for decades. The April 15 protest was part of a larger National Day of Action called for by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN).
Brooklyn Against War hosted speakers from Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Workers World Party (WWP), Black Alliance for Peace, Bronx Anti-War, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), and Vox Ummah. The Tax Day protest was also endorsed by the Venezuela Solidarity Network (VSN), PALAVER Collective, Diaspora Pa’lante Collective, CUNY for Palestine, ProLibertad Freedom Campaign, Labor for Palestine, and the U.S. Peace Council.
Speakers harshly criticized the Trump administration’s ongoing war of aggression against Iran, and devastating illegal sanctions against Venezuela, Cuba and other countries. These costly campaigns of death and destruction are funded at historic levels, while infrastructure and human needs in this country are neglected.
Bárbara Larissa, from Brooklyn Against War stated, “In 2025, the average taxpayer paid $4049 for weapons and war, compared to $2492 for Medicaid, which provides healthcare to 68.5 million Americans. The recent costs of the war on Iran $35 billion, the average taxpayer will pay $130 for that war alone- that’s eight times more than the $16 spent on heating and energy assistance, which helps nearly 6 million households, including seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children.”
Briony Smith, from FRSO, told the crowd, “The truth is that the United States is the world’s most dangerous liability – the Trump administration is a government of billionaires, thieves, and war profiteers, enriching themselves while the rest of the world and the American people pay the price. Shame!”
The crowd held Iranian, Palestinian and Venezuelan flags, and alternated between chants including “Our work, our pay! Not for war, not today!” and “From Venezuela to Iran! No more sanctions, no more bombs!” As gas prices, housing, healthcare and education continue to cost more for the average American, protests against the Trump administration’s wars and oppression continue to gain momentum.