Dozens of anti-war activists gathered in Times Square in New York City and outside the White House in Washington late Thursday to protest the US and British airstrikes on military targets of the Houthis in Yemen. They claimed that this action threatens to expand the scope of the war in Gaza. The United States and Britain launched air and naval strikes on military targets of the Houthis in Yemen in response to the group's attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which the Houthis say are meant to show solidarity with Palestinians besieged by Israel in Gaza. Protesters in Times Square chanted slogans such as "Hands off the Middle East," "Hands off Yemen," and "Hands off Gaza." Demonstrators near the White House waved Palestinian flags and held signs stating "Free Palestine" and "Stop Bombing Yemen."
The strikes in Yemen represent one of the most overt signs so far of the widening war in Gaza since its outbreak, although the United States and its allies stated in a joint declaration that there is no intention to escalate tensions. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shipping companies to change their vessels' routes and take longer paths. The protests on Thursday were organized by the ANSWEAR coalition, an acronym for "Action Now to Stop War and End Racism." The Houthi movement stated on the platform X that it considers the strikes in Yemen a "major escalation" that could lead to a wide regional war. The Gaza war has sparked protests in many areas of the United States, including locations near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as demonstrations outside the White House and marches in Washington near the Capitol building.
