CHICAGO — More than 100 protesters gathered in Federal Plaza on Sunday evening to denounce the United States’ latest military escalation in the Middle East, as scorching heat gripped the city with temperatures reaching 96 degrees and heat indices soaring above 100.
The demonstration came just one day after the U.S. military, under President Donald Trump’s administration, launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities — an aggressive step in the intensifying Iran-Israel conflict. Organized by the Chicago chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the protest featured speakers from across the city calling for peace and condemning what they described as the beginning of another “forever war.”
Activists Condemn War and Imperialism
At 6 p.m., protesters began gathering at Federal Plaza (50 W. Adams St.), where they heard speeches from local activists representing Palestinian, Iranian, and anti-war groups. Organizers voiced outrage over what they said was a dangerous repeat of past U.S. foreign policy failures.
“We’re united in our commitment to peace,” said Nino Brown, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. “We want a better world without war and imperialism.”
The crowd echoed chants such as “From the belly of the beast, U.S. out the Middle East”, while waving Palestinian and Iranian flags in the sweltering downtown air.
A Protest in the Shadow of a New War
Sunday’s rally came just days after Israeli forces struck Iran’s uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, prompting retaliatory bombings between Tehran and Tel Aviv. According to NBC News, the exchange has left more than 400 people dead in Iran and at least 24 dead in Israel.
President Trump recently stated that the U.S. would “decide to enter the war within the next two weeks,” despite previously campaigning on a peacekeeping agenda.
Activists at the rally called out the parallels to past U.S. wars, particularly the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
“George W. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,” said Serene Amad of the Palestinian Youth Movement. “Now Israel is using the same tactics to pull the U.S. into another war based on lies.”
March Through Downtown, Despite the Heat
Protesters marched north on Dearborn before heading southwest toward the Israeli consulate at 500 W. Madison St. Police temporarily blocked off access to Madison, after which demonstrators returned to Federal Plaza and peacefully dispersed by 8 p.m.
Some organizers passed out water bottles and checked on elderly attendees as heat indices continued to rise. The record-breaking heat wave, expected to ease by Tuesday, did little to deter the message from demonstrators.
One Iranian American protester named Mehran shared the personal conflict he feels in the current moment.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m the one being bombed or the one bombing,” he said. “I want to be proud of being American, but what I see is the U.S. acting against the interests of people — both here and abroad.”
Have you participated in any Chicago-based demonstrations or local advocacy this summer? What issues matter most to you as tensions rise globally and locally? Share your thoughts with us at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com and let your voice be heard.
