Last weekend, Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC for the ‘March Against the War Machine’ rally, which featured several prominent speakers including former US presidential candidates. The speakers accused President Biden of pushing the world to the brink of “nuclear holocaust” by supporting Ukraine militarily and called for an end to such support in favour of diplomacy.
Former US Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard warned that the proxy war in Ukraine against Russia could turn into a direct conflict between the United States/NATO and Russia, with catastrophic consequences. She criticized those who speak of “how we gonna fight and win” as if a war with a nuclear-armed country could ever be won. “Whether intentional or accidental, there is only one destination for such war, and that is a nuclear holocaust,” she said.
Former Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein called for slashing the Pentagon’s enormous budget, arguing that the $100 billion spent to support war in Ukraine could help mitigate a whole range of domestic problems, including lack of health insurance, homelessness, student debt, and medical debt.
Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich demanded accountability from the US government for its alleged illegal and unconstitutional means to destroy the energy resources needed to protect millions of people in Europe during the winter and then profit from its illegal actions by selling energy to Europe at a markup. He also criticized the US government’s misinformation and disinformation campaigns to incite fear and hatred among people, exciting partisan divisions at home, and stirring ancient hatreds abroad.
Veteran US Congressman and former US presidential candidate Ron Paul claimed that a “simple” way to stop wars is to “end the Fed!” and not send people to war unless they vote for it. He also criticized the middle class and poor for paying for wars that only benefit the wealthy.
The ‘March Against the War Machine’ rally was held almost one year after the start of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. The speakers called for an end to the war, an end to military support for Ukraine, and a redirection of the Pentagon budget towards domestic issues.
10 000 people demonstrate against war and NATO in Munich
As world leaders gathered at the luxury Bayerische Hof hotel in Munich, pledging to step up military support for Ukraine, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside to call for an end to the war. The crowd of around 10,000 included a mix of far right and far left and supporters of peace. The most prominent on signs was the anti-NATO and anti-American sentiment. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried to assure Germans who might feel unease about arming Ukraine, saying "It is not our arms deliveries that are prolonging the war." Meanwhile, despite relentless pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia messaging in the media and by political leaders, only a slight majority of Germans support the war in Ukraine, with almost every other German opposing the government's decision to give arms to Ukraine in December, according to polling.
One of the speakers, Jürgen Todenhöfer, a former Christian Democrat parliamentarian known for his criticism of the United States, questioned NATO's value for Germany, saying, "We ask ourselves whether NATO is really still good for Germany. We have to serve peace and not the Americans." Prior to Todenhöfer's speech, the crowd sang a refrain with the chorus "Ami Go Home!" - a slogan that opposes the American post-World War II presence in Germany, which has recently seen a resurgence in demonstrations. These sentiments reflect the deep-seated concerns of some Germans about the country's relationship with the United States and their role in global conflicts.
Rally in Helsinki
The anti-war and anticensorship rally in Helsinki on Saturday was organized by WWD. Several demonstrators wearing white overalls held up anti-NATO signs. The event titled "mediakriittinen ihmis- ja perusoikeuksia puolustava tapahtuma" (media-critical event defending human and fundamental rights) was part of the World Wide Demonstration
The event aimed to raise awareness about the crisis in journalism that is happening worldwide, with many people losing trust in mainstream media. According to one organisers, "The role of the media is to be a watchdog for those in power, but increasingly, mainstream media is seen as a lapdog, with its ultimate mission being to influence citizens' thinking.
"This type of media behaviour does not represent open and enlightened journalism, which should be present in a democratic Western society," said the statement. "As more and more people lose faith in mainstream media, they begin to seek the truth from alternative media outlets, where there is, unfortunately, also misleading or false information. "The truth about any matter is challenging to achieve, but every responsible journalist should strive to reach this goal in their work."
HT
