By Addey Lilley
On June 26th, protestors gathered outside the JFK Federal Building for a “No War in Iran” rally, hosted by MAPA, National Iranian American Council (NIAC), as well as over twenty other local Boston organizations. Over 100 people came to hear a wide range of speakers, from state representatives to youth activists. This event followed an emergency rally hosted on June 22nd, the day after Trump posted to his social media that he had sent U.S. bombs to three nuclear sites in Iran without congressional approval. But in the unpredictable fashion of the modern world, this conflict continued to develop quickly. Suddenly, Trump declared an unstable ceasefire just one day later on June 23rd. Many wondered if the rally would get called off, as larger events such as the D.C. National March on Washington were officially canceled quickly after the ceasefire was announced.
Still, MAPA, NIAC, Jewish Voices for Peace, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and other organizers held strong and continued the rally preparations, as we recognized that this issue is larger than stopping this specific instance of U.S. intervention in Iran; it’s about coalition building, uplifting activist voices, letting Massachusetts politicians know what we stand for, and about continuing to draw attention to persisting issues like our continued support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. On Thursday, I saw Bostonians embody the truth about the reality of this moment in history — that none of us are free until all of us are free, and that the oppression of one means the oppression of all.
“What is quietly justified because you chose not to speak?” This was the question asked and answered by those who spoke to how the actions of the Trump administration are unacceptable to U.S. citizens, and our duty to stand up for peace and the accurate representation of American people and our interests. Coming from all walks of life, from religious leaders, to state senators, to youth activists, everyone spoke to what it means to them that we gathered despite the fragile ceasefire call.
State Senator Jamie Eldridge said “not in my name” — referencing Trump’s actions over this past week. He stated that Iran has in fact not been a direct threat to the United States, and “Not in my name to bombing nations over diplomacy, not in my name to the brutality of the consequences of death and destruction from a military attack, and not in my name to intervening in the domestic affairs of another nation.” Eldridge said not in his name, and urges the American people to say: not in ours by continuing to demand Congress pass the War Powers Resolution and speak out against democratic backsliding.
Rabbi Greg Hersh and Reverend Darrell R. Hamilton II called upon the values instilled in them through religion, speaking not just to the recent bombing in Iran but all conflict that the U.S. is complicit in, specifically the ongoing Palestinian genocide. Hersh said, “Jews are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, to give people the benefit of the doubt, to judge with compassion, to see the image of God in every human.” He spoke to freedom and dignity for all, a call that was echoed by Rev. Hamilton who addressed Rabbi Greg directly; “I pray Rabbi Greg, for the day when all nations would beat their weapons into plowshares, their bombs, their guns, their need for military might, into pruning hooks.” If President Trump thinks that peace will be brought through the destabilization of Iran, then clearly he doesn’t know his American history. As seen through U.S. intervention in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, violence only brings more violence — especially when done without concern for the interests of the domestic population that bear the long term consequences of our actions.
Reflecting on the peace movement and what Thursday’s turnout meant to him was Jeff Klein, a retired local union president, a long-time Palestine solidarity activist, and a board member of Mass Peace Action. As Klein looked out into the crowd, he spoke with pride of what he sees for the future and the power of our voices in making history. “I don’t have to remind you here that we live in challenging times politically, but it’s also important to emphasize that we live in a time of the possibility of political change.”
Klein said that he looks out at all the young people in attendance. It brings him peace of time that the fight for peace will continue beyond his generation. Young voters are “done with the U.S. war of intervention — especially in the Middle East,” said Klein.
Klein couldn’t be more right — as embodied by Kimia Kahalzadeh, a student at UMass Amherst. She spoke about her experience as an Iranian during Trump’s bombings. As Kahalzadeh left on one of the last plans from Iran, she said her “heart sank” as she received missed calls and texts from her family. She said that, “Just days before the bombing started, I had walked to the same streets in Tehran, the capital, that were later hit.” The realities of war and U.S. intervention are not lost on younger generations. Each life lost and every act of destruction caused by a U.S. bomb lives on in the memories of those left to mourn.
Even with a ceasefire called, we are not out of the conflict. The U.S. cannot go unaccountable for the destruction it has caused in Iran, and the death it continues to cause in Gaza. This rally’s focus was on motivating citizens to keep fighting, as ending wars abroad starts at home. Kojo Acheampong, a Harvard student and organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, used his time on the mic to show the fire that the youth movement for peace carries. Acheampong stated, “They beat the drum of war. Every day, they fear mongers. They feed us lies. They tell us that this war is necessary. The only threat is the billionaire class… We understand that we don’t go to the rhythm of their drum. We step to the rhythm of liberation.” Kojo personified this drum, synchronously stomping his feet along with his words.
While I watched reporters from networks like NBC and The Boston Globe move about the crowd, I was empowered by the strength and power that my fellow student activists spoke with. Our generation will not be silent, and we will not allow for the Trump administration to turn blindly to the voice of the public. This rally was more than about opposing military operations in Iran. It was about a joint fight for a better future, and about showing how a weak ceasefire will not satiate our appetites for freedom.
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Addey Lilley is a MAPA intern and a student at Wellesley College.