Editor’s note: See official press release here.
New Orleans organizers are set to rally outside the Hale Boggs Federal Building on Monday evening in protest of the U.S. military’s recent strikes on Iran and the growing possibility of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
The rally, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on June 23 at 500 Poydras Street, comes in response to airstrikes ordered by the Trump administration on Iranian soil late Saturday, June 21. Organizers are calling for an end to what they describe as illegal U.S. aggression, a complete rejection of military escalation in the region, and a halt to American military aid to Israel.
The demonstration is being led by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and endorsed by several activist groups, including New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), the local chapters of Students for a Democratic Society, the Palestinian Youth Movement New Orleans, and New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP).
According to a statement from the organizers, the justification for the U.S. strikes—focusing on Iran’s alleged nuclear threat—echoes the discredited rationale used to invade Iraq in 2003. Intelligence from both the U.S. and Israel, they say, offers no concrete evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.
Organizers also cite the Israeli government’s pre-emptive attacks on Iran one week earlier, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Iranian civilians. These attacks, they argue, have received full military, financial, and diplomatic support from the United States.
The protest will also address the growing militarization both abroad and at home. While the administration has proposed cutting domestic programs in recent months, critics point out that billions are now being mobilized to fund warfare in the Middle East. At the same time, U.S. troops have been deployed in cities across the country, including New Orleans, in response to protests against ICE raids and police violence.
Organizers say the rally will be a unified call for de-escalation, accountability, and solidarity with people across the Middle East affected by military action.
For more information about the event or to contact organizers, call Antonia Mar at (504) 264-4266.
