As President Barack Obama announced outside the White House that he will seek congressional approval to strike Bashar al-Assad's regime, protests took place in Washington and New York, Politico and DNAInfo reported on Sunday. Protests supporting and opposing U.S. military actions to strike have taken place through the weekend.
Outside the White House, protesters largely organized by the anti-war groups Code Pink and the Answer Coalition were vocal, expressing their opposition to the pending military strikes, should Congress give its consent.
"We will be here every day to stop this out-of-control unilateral bombing of another country," said one protester, as reported by Politico. "I think this government has the power to sit down with all parties in Syria and reach an end to the violence, but bombing will only get you more violence," he added.
Hundred of anti-war protesters also gathered at Times Square on Saturday to voice opposition to Obama's authorization of force, even through congressional approval.
A Syrian who moved to the U.S. over 10 years said in a counter protest, "We're here to tell Obama he has to take action as the leader of the free world. Take Assad and his regime out and let the people of Syria solve the problem."
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have used chemical weapons against civilians in a Damascus suburb on August 21. Nonetheless any kind of military engagement especially in the Middle East could enable Syrian civilians to suffer from collateral damage as a result of a U.S. strike, protesters argued.
"Our bombs always end up falling on the houses of the poor," one protester said.
"[Syria] hasn't done anything to us. It's a civil war and it's horrible, but it's a civil war that's been going on for three years already."
Syria's neighbor Israel is also affected by the gravity of the civil war, as well as a potential U.S. strike. Israelis were largely dissapointed with Obama's decision to seek congressional approval. Weekend polls indicated that more than two thirds of Israelis favored a U.S. strike against Assad's regime, according to YNETNews.
"Most Israelis feel very disappointed that the leader of the free world, the American president, is lacking determination and looks spineless," Efraim Inbar, the director of the BESA Center at Bar Ilan University told The Media Line. "Israel is interested in a strong America. Obama's action weakens America and makes it the laughing stock of the Middle East."
Also the Syrian National Council, a key group of Syrian rebels who have been fighting the Assad regime reacted in surprise and anger to Obama's decision.
"The death will continue in Syria because of the (failure of the) leadership of the United States to act decisively at this point," Louay Safi said. "Obama had the moral responsibility to act and not waiver."
