Indianapolis group protests military campaign in Iran

An Indianapolis group gathered at Military Park in Indianapolis Saturday evening to protest the Trump administration’s military actions in Iran. A couple of dozen people gathered on a corner of the park, gave speeches, and chanted.

The U.S. and Israel launched a major military campaign against Iran to topple the Islamic regime Saturday, NPR reported, and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

The Party for Socialism and Liberation Indianapolis organized the protest. Organizers called the attacks “unconstitutional” and “illegal.”

PSL organizer Noah Leininger, who spoke at the rally, said he came out because he heard Iranian school-aged children were killed in one of the strikes.

He said he also came out because “our government spends a trillion dollars every single year on war while there are massive unmet needs right here at home.”

An altercation broke out when a man approached the group, demanding a debate. He and members of the group began arguing. At one point, a police officer got between the man and the group. 

PSL volunteer Dani Abdullah also spoke at the rally. She told WFYI she wants Congress to “do their job.”

“What Trump has done is unconstitutional. He went out on a whim and decided to bomb another country,” Abdullah said. “Congress has been elected by the people of this country to ensure that the Constitution is being upheld, and that is not happening by the current president.”

The strikes were launched without Congressional authorization, according to reporting from NPR.

Contact WFYI reporter Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org.