PITTSBURGH — About 50 demonstrators gathered outside the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh on Monday night, joining protests in roughly 40 cities nationwide calling for an end to the U.S. military operation in Iran.
Chants filled Grant Street as organizers described the operation, known as “Epic Fury,” as unlawful and dangerous.
“We’re standing in protest today against the illegal war that Donald Trump has initiated against the Iranian people,” said June Querques, an organizer of the rally.
The protest comes as tensions continue rising in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump said Monday the military campaign could last four to five weeks and possibly longer.
Organizers said they fear the conflict could expand and have global consequences.
“This is something that is affecting hundreds of millions of people not just in Iran and the United States but the entire region and really the whole world, because our world is interconnected,” Querques said.
They added that decisions about Iran’s future should be left to its citizens.
“Our stance is that it’s up to the Iranian people to decide their future. And that’s not something that could be imposed upon them through bombs and from the United States through the outside,” she said.
Protesters also warned about economic ripple effects at home.
“The global economy is interconnected and so when there is war in Iran that ends up hurting people in the U.S. because of things like gas prices,” Querques said.
Organizers said they plan to continue rallying in the coming days.
The Trump administration has defended the strikes, saying they are necessary for national security and to deter future aggression from Iran.
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