Demonstrators furious with President Biden over the US military's bombing of Yemen gathered outside the White House on Thursday to protest.
Activists held anti-war placards and waved Iranian flags, chanting “Let Yemen live” and “Keep Yemen out of the way”. FOX 5 DC reports.
The rally was organized by the left-wing anti-war movement, which was founded three days after the September 11, 2001 attacks, to oppose the US war on terror. It was sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition. A similar demonstration was held in New York City's Times Square.
The protests began in response to a joint US and UK attack on more than a dozen Iranian-backed Houthi military facilities in Yemen. President Biden said he authorized the attack “in direct response to the unprecedented Houthi attack on international maritime shipping in the Red Sea, including the first-ever use of anti-ship ballistic missiles.”
Democrats condemn Biden for attacking Yemen in defiance of Congress
Demonstrators gather outside the White House to protest the U.S. bombing of Yemen on Thursday, January 11, 2024. (FOX5DC)
“The demonstrators voiced their opposition to this act of aggression aimed at supporting Israel's continued assault on Gaza,” the ANSWER coalition said in a news release.
“The Pentagon’s war machine wants to punish Yemen for refusing to use its coastal waters to sustain genocide against Palestinians. This is an unreasonable violation of Yemeni sovereignty and is extremely “This is a dangerous escalation, and the Biden administration's actions increase the likelihood of a catastrophic regional war.” ”
A demonstrator holds a placard that says “Stop it!! Bombing Yemen.” (FOX5DC)
Biden and other U.S. officials said Houthi attacks on transport ships in the Red Sea endanger U.S. military personnel and allies and threaten freedom of navigation.
“These targeted attacks are a sign that the United States and our partners are condoning attacks on U.S. personnel and for adversaries to threaten freedom of navigation in one of the world's most important commercial shipping lanes,” Biden said. This is a clear message that we will not do so.”
Top Republican supports Biden's airstrikes against Yemen's Houthis in unusual move: 'Overdue but welcome'
Left-wing activists staged a protest in front of the White House, demanding an end to US airstrikes on Yemen. (FOX5DC)
“I will not hesitate to direct further action as necessary to protect our people and the freedom of international commerce.”
The U.S. airstrikes in Yemen have drawn criticism from members of Mr. Biden's own party, who say the president needed Congressional approval before taking military action.
“The President needs to come to Congress before he launches an attack against the Houthis in Yemen and drags us into another Middle East conflict,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote about X. “That's Article 1 of the Constitution.
U.S.-British coalition strikes Iranian-backed Houthi targets in Yemen after a spate of ship attacks in the Red Sea
“I will stand up for that regardless of whether we have a Democrat or a Republican in the White House,” he added.
Other House Democrats also expressed disapproval of Biden, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Missouri, and Val Hoyle, D-Oregon.
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Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militants have stepped up attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea in recent weeks. Israel's Gaza War. Various shipping companies have suspended operations and are instead making longer voyages around Africa.
Fourteen countries, including the United States, issued a joint statement last week saying, “If the Houthis continue to threaten human life, the global economy, or the freedom of commerce in the region's vital waterways, they will be held accountable for the consequences.” Stated.
Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
