‘We want to show an immediate reaction’: Central Oregon group protests U.S. bombing of Iran
Claire Elmer
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — On Sunday in downtown Bend, Central Oregon 50501 organized a protest to voice their opposition to the recent U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites.
The event took place at Bend’s Peace Corner and started at 2:00p.m., just hours after the group announced its plans to the public at 9:00a.m.
“We want to show an immediate reaction,” said Freddy Finney-Jordet, co-organizer of the protest. “We’re saying ‘here’s the 84% or so that opposes this move. Here is how passionately we oppose the move’,” said Finney-Jordet.
The statistic Finney-Jordet referenced comes in part from poll results released by YouGov and The Economist, which stated that only 16% of Americans supported U.S. Military involvement in the Iran and Israel conflict; that left the remaining 84% of Americans in the ‘should not’ or ’unsure’ categories. The poll was conducted between June 13th and June 16th of this year, less than 10 days before the bombing.
Included in these results was the statistic that 85% of Americans did not want Iran to get or develop nuclear weapons.
While many in opposition of the Trump administration’s bombing say it was unconstitutional, others pushed back, citing President Trump did not violate the constitution in this instance — Congress was notified of the action within the 48 hour requirement period.
For protesters, there is concern that the bombing escalated already high tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which could lead to further military action. They fear those potential actions won’t go through the Congressional process of formal approval, the War Powers Act may be ignored, and the U.S. could end up in another war.
“This isn’t just Trump, but presidents have a tendency to skirt the lines a little bit and expand their executive power. Not outside the bounds of legality necessarily, but it’s unprecedented,” said Finney-Jordet.
The group hopes the protest on Sunday will make elected officials take notice of their stance against the bombing and call for Congress to reinforce or reform the War Powers Act. “We would like to make sure that Congress is consulted in the future to make sure that not just Trump, but any president doesn’t do this kind of thing again. The authority to launch attacks like this is in the hands of Congress and not the president,” said Finney-Jadet.
They encourage people to contact their elected officials to let them know where you stand on the issue.