CPNN

Fed up with the wars and militarism of their countries, the people of Europe, North America and the Middle East have taken to the streets in protest.

In the United States, more than 5 million people participated in the No Kings rallies on June 14 to protest the escalating abuses of power by President Trump. CPNN has republished photos of No Kings rallies from all 50 states. One of the organizers, Joseph Gerson of Mass Peace Action, explained, “If you had doubts about Trump/MAGA tyrannical ambitions and the threat to democracy, think about Trump’s illegal and totally mobilization of National Guard troops,  the dispatch of Marines to repress protests in Los Angeles, the threat to arrest Governor Newsom or Trump’s stupid birthday gift to himself – his massively expensive and wasteful military parade.”

The map republished by CPNN showed that the thousands of demonstrations took place throughout the United States, including in those states that voted for Trump.

The protest in San Antonio, Texas faced National Guard sent by the pro-Trump governor of the state, who predicted violence. Instead, however, the protest was more like a fiesta with mariachi and conjunto music. According to the mayor, “Once again, San Antonio has demonstrated that we have a long tradition of peaceful demonstrations and protests in support of human rights and civil rights.”

In The Hague, Netherlands on June 15, a demonstration against the government’s support of Israeli genocide was so large that it stretched for five kilometers, as shown in a video republished on CPNN. Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organised the demonstration through the city to the International Court of Justice, creating a so-called “red line”. Many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting “Stop the Genocide”, the demonstrators turned a central park in the city into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon.

People took to the streets in The Hague again a week later to protest the NATO meeting dedicated to the rearmament of Europe, while other large demonstrations took place in Rome and Brussels for the same reason. In both Rome and Brussels the turnout was claimed to be 30,000, as can be seen in the videos published by sources in India. Protesters condemned the expansion of military budgets across Europe, coming at the direct expense of public services like healthcare, education, and other public services.”

In Israel on June 28 , tens of thousands of demonstrators fille Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to demand an end to the war on Gaza .with a deal that brings everyone home

The Israeil/American attack on Iran brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets in protest in cities across the country Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi called Friday’s demonstrations “unprecedentedly large.” “We have to keep in mind that a considerable proportion of Tehran’s population has decided to get out of the city amid the attacks, but still we see huge numbers,” said Asadi. “Since day one of these strikes, we’ve seen this strong sense of anger from ordinary citizens. Now they’re taking to the streets to express that.”

Thousands of people joined a March on Gaza, inspired by the Gaza Flotilla sailboat Madleen, that included environmental activist Greta Thunberg, that set sail to break the blockade of Gaza and that was illegally boarded and seized by Israel (an act of piracy). A video of the March was published by CPNN.. German lawyer Melanie Schweizer explained that this peaceful initiative sends a messages of international solidarity, aiming to:
° Represent civil societies of the participating countries.
° Involve unions, rights organizations, medical and humanitarian sectors, and individuals from all backgrounds to amplify the voice of global civil society.
° Emphasize the nonviolent and voluntary nature of the march — no government backing, and participants self-fund their journey.

Although the March on Gaza has been blocked by Egyptian authorities, and none of the marches and protests have yet prevented the increased genocide, war and preparations for war by the governments of the United States, Europe and the Middle East, they serve notice that their citizens do not support their wars and are not afraid to take to the streets in order to oppose them.

While the repressive policies of Russia and Ukraine have prevented street demonstrations against their war, there has been another form of resistance that may ultimately be as effective. The 100,000 documented deserters from Ukraine and Russia are an invisible army for peace. And since the war began, Russia has lost much of its scientific and artistic citizens who have protested the war. One estimate puts the figure at 700,000 people who have fled Russia in protest..

The stage is set for a global anti-war movement.