In Los Angeles, dozens of protesters gathered outside City Hall on March 2, 2026, to voice strong opposition to the United States’ ongoing military strikes against Iran. The demonstration came just days after joint U.S. and Israeli attacks, which began on February 28, killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking officials. President Donald Trump has described the operation as necessary to eliminate a nuclear threat to Americans, with plans for the strikes to continue for weeks.
The protesters, however, saw the conflict differently. Chants filled the air with demands like “Money for jobs and education, not for bombs and deportation,” “Free Palestine,” and criticism of funding wars while ignoring poverty at home. Organizers and speakers argued that the U.S. itself poses the greater danger to global peace, especially as a nation armed with nuclear weapons.
Kameron Hurt, a key organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in Los Angeles, spoke at the event alongside groups such as the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition. Hurt called the conflict “yet another rich man’s war.” He pointed out that President Trump and his family would not face the dangers of combat, but ordinary Americans—brothers, sisters, and community members—could be sent to fight. As of March 3, six U.S. service members had been confirmed dead in the escalating violence.
Speakers highlighted broader concerns: the strikes occurred without congressional approval, the proposed U.S. military budget exceeds one trillion dollars, and many Americans struggle with domestic problems like hunger and lack of resources. Aida Ashouri, an Iranian immigrant running for Los Angeles City Attorney, shared a personal perspective. She noted that many immigrants in the U.S. are exiles or refugees forced from their homelands due to bombing and conflict. “That’s why we are a nation of immigrants and exiles and refugees,” Ashouri said. She described the bombings in Iran as a “nightmare come true” for many in the community. Yet she argued that “Iran is not the American enemy” and that true regime change must begin at home to reclaim any moral authority.
Southern California hosts one of the largest Iranian communities in the U.S., particularly in Los Angeles. While some Iranian Americans have celebrated the strikes as a potential end to the regime’s rule, others—like those at the protest—condemned the action as illegal and unconstitutional.
Bert Voorhees, a 70-year-old attendee, described the moment as an “inflection point” for American society. He viewed the war as an attack on democracy itself. Acknowledging the violence Iranians endured under the ayatollah, Voorhees insisted it does not justify U.S. military intervention. “If people don’t stand up and get loud about this, all together right now, we’re not going to have a country,” he warned. He urged protesters to join larger anti-war demonstrations planned for March 7, sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition.
Voorhees went further, calling for drastic action: “I think it’s time for a national strike. It’s time to shut this government down, and it is time for Donald Trump not to be in the White House, but to be behind bars.”
The Los Angeles protest reflects deep divisions over the conflict. While the administration frames the strikes as defensive, critics see them as an unauthorized escalation that diverts resources from pressing needs at home and risks wider war. As the situation develops, calls for peaceful resistance and accountability continue to grow in cities across the nation.
