Anti-war protesters gathered outside the White House on Saturday to voice their opposition to a US military strike in Syria, calling their picket line one that Congress shouldn’t cross as it prepares to vote on the issue. Grass roots level anti-war protests have also been held in many other US cities.
Pope Francis has made an impassioned appeal to avert a widening of Syria’s conflict, urging world leaders to pull humanity out of a “spiral of sorrow and death”.
Dozens of vigils for averting the planned Syria war were held across France, Iraq, Italy, Israel, and the US. Hundreds of Catholics prayed and fasted for the purpose.
Media reports on the anti-war demonstrations said:
At least 150 protesters picketed the sidewalk in front of the White House and marched to Capitol Hill, chanting slogans like “They say more war; we say no war” and carrying signs that said a war on Syria would be “Built on a Lie.”
“There is a grass-roots uprising against the Democrats and the Republicans,” said Medea Benjamin, a founder of the anti-war group Code Pink. “We do not want another war,” she said, underscoring the broad public sentiment against U.S. military strikes on Syria.
Benjamin, who earlier this year interrupted Obama several times as he delivered a speech on national security, said a cross-section of Americans, many of whom disagree on a variety of issues, are united against military intervention.
“We have suddenly found ourselves united as Americans, overwhelmingly saying we will not let you drag us into another war,” Benjamin shouted into a megaphone in front of the White House.
Many lawmakers in both parties oppose Obama’s request for Congress to authorize using military force against Syria.
Concerns over military action spawned other protests across the US cities including one in New York City’s Times Square and a prayer vigil in Boston that echoed Saturday’s massive gathering at the Vatican.
In New York, anti-Wall Street activists joined the protest along with some Syrian expatriates who said they supported the Assad regime. Some protesters carried signs saying, “No more wars for corporate profit,” and “Cut the Pentagon, not food stamps.”
In Indianapolis, about 150 protesters clustered around the Indiana Statehouse in a church-organized protest opposing military intervention.
Other protests were reported in Louisiana and Michigan.
The Pope’s Impassioned Plea
Pope Francis has made an impassioned appeal before 100,000 people to pull humanity out of a “spiral of sorrow and death”.
Francis, who two days earlier had branded military action in Syria “a futile pursuit”, led the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East and the world.
“Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death!” Francis said at the midpoint of a five-hour prayer service. Police and the Vatican estimated a crowd of about 100,000 in St Peter’s Square.
A number of people held up Syrian flags and placards reading “Hands off Syria” and “Obama you don’t have a dream, you have a nightmare”. But they were not allowed into St Peter’s Square, in keeping with the pope’s intention for a religious service.
The service was punctuated by music, prayer, the reciting of the rosary and long periods of silence in which the participants were asked to meditate on the need for peace to vanquish the destruction of war.
“We have perfected our weapons, our conscience has fallen asleep and we have sharpened our ideas to justify ourselves. As if it were normal we continue to sow destruction, pain, death!” said Francis, who wore his simple white cassock instead of ceremonial robes to the service.
“At this point I ask myself: is it possible to change direction? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace?”
He then asked “each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it!”
Prayer Vigils Fasting
Dozens of vigils were held across France on Saturday evening. On the Montmartre hill in Paris several hundred Catholics prayed and fasted inside the Sacre Coeur Basilica.
Other services were held by Catholics and Christians of other denominations around the world including in New York, Jerusalem, Assisi and Milan in Italy, Boston and Baghdad.
Yaha Pallavicini, a leader of Italy’s Muslim community, attended a prayer service with other Muslims.
“Praying for the intention of peace is something that can only help fraternity and, God willing, avoid more war,” he told Reuters. “As Muslims who want peace we have to work so that the values of faith and dialogue prevail over the destruction of peoples.”
Clergymans opposition to war
At least one senior US clergyman has publicly expressed reservations about US president Barack Obama’s campaign for military action against Syria.
“As Congress debates a resolution authorizing military force in Syria, I urge you instead to support US leadership for peace. Only dialogue can save lives and bring about peace in Syria,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said in a message sent to US members of congress.
Three Louisiana lawmakers say they wont support a resolution approving military action in Syria.
Sen. David Vitter and Reps. Rodney Alexander and John Fleming, all Republicans, said involvement in Syria would not serve US interests.
Unless we have a clear idea of what we intend to accomplish and its worthy to put American lives on the line here, I say we just stand down and we put diplomatic pressure on Syria and on Russia, said Fleming, R-Minden.
Rep. Rodney Alexander also opposes military action.
Congressman Alexander does not feel it is in our best interests to take military action, said Jamie Hanks, a spokesperson. However, he believes a thorough congressional debate is critical before any decisions are made regarding how to proceed.
Louisanas other five members of Congress said they are undecided about the resolution.
Rep. Charles Boustany, a Republican, said its important to understand what the implications are, based on any actions we take.
They clearly have to be in Americas national interest, and we have to understand what are the political consequences, he said.
Vitter, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, attended a closed-door briefing in Washington Wednesday. He left opposed to military action.
As horrible as events in Syria are, they do not pose a direct threat to the United States or our allies, Vitter said in a statement released Thursday. U.S. military action could spark a broader war and/or entangle us in Syria’s protracted civil war in which elements of the opposition are even worse than the Assad regime, all while our troops are underfunded.
Louisiana lawmakers applauded Obama for seeking congressional approval.
Several, including Boustany and Bill Cassidy, R-6th District, joined more than 140 House lawmakers demanding the president get their approval first.
There is uncertainty on both sides of the aisle, Fleming said.
I dont think its necessarily a partisan issue, he said. There are plenty of Democrats who are reluctant to go along with this. There are plenty of Republicans that may support this as well as plenty of Republicans who wont.
Its going to be tough to get it through the House, Fleming said. Its going to be a heavier lift than it is in the Senate. countercurrents.org
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