ATLANTA — Atlanta-area residents, community groups and elected officials rallied Tuesday near the offices of Georgia’s two U.S. senators, calling for stronger action to end the war in Iran.
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The rally at Atlantic Station was part of a nationwide day of action organized by groups opposing the U.S. military campaign. Participants called on Congress to cut off funding for the war, enforce War Powers resolutions and hold the administration accountable for attacks on civilians.
Organizers with the American Friends Service Committee and the National Iranian American Council said they wanted Congress to prioritize diplomacy and work toward a lasting peace.
“It’s been eight months since the start of this war, and there is no end in sight,” said Shabnam Bashiri, an organizer with the American Friends Service Committee. “Congress needs to do everything in their power to put an end to this before it’s too late.”
Organizers also pointed to rising costs for Americans and the war’s reported toll on civilians as reasons for Congress to take action.
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Both U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff have opposed the war and supported efforts to end U.S. military involvement.
A spokesperson for Warnock said the senator had repeatedly voted for and introduced resolutions to end the war. The spokesperson also said Warnock led 26 Senate colleagues in calling for a bipartisan investigation into the bombing of an Iranian elementary school.
“Senator Reverend Warnock will continue to call on his colleagues to stand up for their constituents rather than simply standing up for Donald Trump,” the spokesperson said.
Ossoff’s office said the senator had opposed the administration’s war in Iran since the beginning and had voted more than a dozen times for resolutions seeking to end the conflict.
In a statement issued on the first day of the war, Ossoff said Congress needed to act to assert its constitutional authority over decisions involving war and peace.
The rally was held at the 17th Street Bridge near the senators’ offices. Organizers said they also planned to deliver a formal letter to the senators.
More than 20 community organizations had endorsed the rally, according to organizers.
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