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‘Defend Iran' slogans raised in New York following USA's airstrikes, protestors gather at Times Square
Anti-war demonstrations have erupted in New York City and other US cities following the US strikes on Iran. Hundreds of people gathered on the streets to protest against the US airstrikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities on Sunday. Protesters hold signs during a protest against U.S. strikes on Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in New York. AP/PTI(AP06_23_2025_000007B)(AP)
NBC News' Maya Eaglin, reporting from the ground, said that the protestors are against the escalation of the war. Many of the slogans raised were anti-Trump as New Yorkers objected to the Trump administration's decision to drop the bombs on Iran.
The US military struck three nuclear sites in Iran early Sunday. The strikes signal the United States directly joining Israel 's war aimed at decapitating the country's nuclear programme, reported AP.
The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
(Also read: World War III memes flood social media as US strikes Iran's nuclear facilities) Protests in New York
Anti-war protests took place in several American cities after the bombing, including New York City and Washington DC. Anti-war activists protested the escalation of the war and the involvement of the United States.
'Defend Iran against criminal US/Israel war,' read one of the slogans raised during the protest. 'Trump is a war criminal,' another placard declared.
In New York City, demonstrators gathered at Times Square, reported News Nation. The protestors also chanted 'No US War Crimes' as they marched through Manhattan.
A similar crowd of protesters also walked through Washington DC. The organizers of the Washington rally called Trump's move to bomb Iran 'an outright war crime'.
The rallies across the United States were organised by various groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation, ANSWER Coalition and the National Iranian American Council.
'Trump's unprovoked bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities is an outright war crime. It violates the UN Charter, international law and the U.S. Constitution. It threatens to set into motion a regional or even global war with massive casualties, nuclear radiation, and catastrophic consequences,' the statement said.
