Tucson rallies on Tax Day: No war on Iran!

Tucson, AZ – On Tax Day, April 15, more than a dozen organizations in Tucson united against Trump’s war on Iran. Organized by the Tucson Anti-War Committee (TAWC), the rally outside the Federal Building downtown drew a crowd of around 80 people and lots of honks in support.

TAWC is part of the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN), which called for a national day of action on Tax Day. Cities participating so far include New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Tucson, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C., Seattle, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tulsa, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Grand Rapids.

Protesters held signs that read “Stop Trump’s war on Iran!” “Money for human needs, not for war!” and “U.S. out of Iran.” A TAWC organizer led the chants, “No more money for working moms, you spent it all on building bombs!” and “Israel bombs, USA pays, how many kids did you kill today?”

The group first heard from Dr. Mario Acosta, a member of Common Defense, a progressive veteran’s organization, who stated, “People are dying as a result of what is going on. I am a psychologist and I spoke to a patient today who lost his Affordable Care coverage. He has a heart condition, and now he can’t afford his medication. You know what will happen to him? He will probably die because of the cuts to healthcare coverage that are now going to this war. We need to stop this war!”

Arlee Garcia, an organizer with TAWC stated, “At the same time that the government is spending such unfathomable amounts of money on war crimes, we can’t fund our schools. People are living on the streets. Parents skip meals to feed their kids. When we are sick, we have to seriously think about whether we can afford a hospital visit or afford an ambulance in an emergency. So today, while the government demands we pay our taxes while they are spending an average of $2 billion every single day on the war on Iran, it is up to us to seize this moment and work together to build a broad and united anti-war movement.”

Cosponsors of the action were Common Defense, Deflock Tucson, and the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance with endorsing support from Veterans for Peace Local 13, Nuclear Resister, Fluxx, Desert Rising, FRSO Tucson, Tucson Safety Team, RCA Tucson, CPUSA Tucson, and AZ ACTS.

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