Fayetteville Community Members Demand Peace for the Middle East

Protesters march around the Fayetteville Square Jan. 25 calling for peace in the Middle East. Photo by Natalie Demaree.

Fayetteville, Ark.—About 100 people of all ages and backgrounds gathered outside of the Fayetteville Town Center Saturday to protest imperialist warfare in the Middle East.

The “No War on Iran! International Day of Protest” rally was put together by The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology and the Arkansas Nonviolence Alliance and included many different groups such as the Arkansas Coalition for Peace & Justice, the Democratic Socialists of America, the Arkansas Poor People’s Campaign, and others. 

This event took place two days after a UA forum on Iran protests hosted by the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies where Iranian studies experts spoke to students and community members about the protests happening in Iran. 

“We’re here to say loud and clear ‘no war on Iran,’” Abel Tomlinson, OMNI Peace Action Committee Chair and ANA founder, said to the crowd.

The event started with a protest march starting at the corner of Dickson St. and West Ave. and ended in a rally at the Fayetteville Town Center. The rally featured live music and several different speakers, including two UA students, an Afghanistan War Veteran, and other peace activists.

“The reality is, these wars are for corporate profit, imperialism, and the bloody bank accounts of the richest few,” Tomlinson said in his speech. 

During the march, participants demanded peace in the Middle East by chanting and holding bright signs. 

Tomlinson said they hope to continue efforts to speak out against the war in Iran through future events.