South Florida activists hold rally against sanctions, war on Iran

Fort Lauderdale, FL – A dozen activists from the South Florida area joined together outside of the Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon, February 20, to denounce U.S. sanctions and any U.S. aggression against Iran, and to urge President Biden to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action without any added stipulations.

This event was part of the “No War on Iran National Days of Action” called for by Youth Against Empire (YAE), the newest formation within the United National Antiwar Coalition. YAE is part of a national initiative by leading anti-war organizations within UNAC to place young people at the center of the struggle against U.S. wars of aggression.

In Fort Lauderdale, activists held signs that read, “No war on Iran,” as well as peace signs and a large banner that had the message, “Money for jobs and education, not for wars and occupation.” Cars and passersby waved and honked loudly in agreement as they drove past the activists on the busy intersection.

This was the first in-person rally held by anti-war groups in South Florida since summer of 2020, due to COVID concerns. However, the spirited group of protesters wore masks and maintained relative distance from others and voiced hope that this would be the beginning of renewed activism in the area.

Rallies, banner-drops, and sign-waving took place in several cities across the country as part of the National Days of Action, including in Minneapolis, Albany, Denver and Dallas.