On Veterans Day , anti-war organizations of former US military personnel staged protests in more than 75 cities across the country under the slogan “No to war against our cities ,” rejecting internal military deployments and President Donald Trump’s security policy .
The demonstrations took place in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Memphis and Boston , among other cities.
The organizers denounced that the Trump Administration “mercilessly attacks American communities” while cutting social programs and increasing military operations both at home and abroad.
“ We are saying no for our families, for our communities, and for ourselves… no to cuts, no to troops deployed in our streets, and no to billionaires bleeding our nation dry ,” the organizers said in a joint statement.
In the U.S. capital , several hundred veterans—some in their military uniforms and insignia —gathered in front of the Veterans Memorial to demand an end to cuts in assistance programs and condemn the militarization of cities .
During the event, former members of various branches of the armed forces criticized the use of troops for internal operations and the United States’ involvement in international conflicts . A veteran who recently returned from the humanitarian flotilla to Gaza denounced Washington’s military support for Israel , calling it "complicity in a genocide against the Palestinian people . "
Major Harrison Mann , who resigned from his post at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) after refusing to participate in operations supporting Israel, stated that "US military personnel are ordered to commit war crimes . "
“ Throughout the past week, young Air Force officers have been firing Hellfire missiles at fishermen in the Caribbean , while others are being deployed to American cities to act against their own countrymen,” he denounced.
Among the most quoted voices during the day was that of Randy Kindle , an Air Force veteran, who declared: “ Veterans don’t need thanks for our service; we need a government that values our military service .”
In New York , some 200 veterans and civilians gathered in front of City Hall, where several speakers emphasized the need for a moral conscience regarding the use of force and the social impact of U.S. foreign policy . “ If we bleed other countries dry, then we can’t complain when their immigrants arrive ,” one of the participants said.
Another Marine veteran recalled that “ the same forces that occupied Iraq and Afghanistan are now occupying American cities ” and stated that, on this Veterans Day, “ I stand not with the national flag, but with the people .”
In various cities, slogans such as “Get the soldiers off our streets, we want justice, we want peace” were heard , repeated by thousands of protesters across the country. The organizing groups included Veterans for Peace , About Face: Veterans Against the War , and local collectives that link the fight against militarization with the defense of civil rights and the end of state violence .
The marches, which coincided with the official commemoration of Veterans Day , reflect a growing rift between the government and sectors of the armed forces who have retired , who reject the use of the army in internal order functions and the use of lethal force in international operations .