Activists rally outside White House, urge Biden to ‘stop antagonizing Russia’

As war clouds gather over eastern Europe amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, calls are growing louder for de-escalation and calm between the two nuclear-armed powers.

Many anti-war activists on Thursday rallied outside the White House in Washington DC, urging the US government to tone down its belligerent war rhetoric and give peace and diplomacy a chance.

The protesters called on the Joe Biden administration to stop antagonizing Moscow, which they fear can trigger a devastating war with global ramifications.

A report in Sputnik said the demonstrators chanted “no war on Russia” and “disband NATO” after the intergovernmental military alliance announced its readiness to deploy hundreds more troops in eastern Europe against what they claim Russia’s plan to invade or attack Ukraine.

Earlier this week, the US put 8,500 troops on heightened alert for deployment to the region, while France showed it was willing to move soldiers to Romania under the alliance’s command.

The protesters gathered outside the White House on Thursday under the banners of prominent antiwar groups, including Code Pink, the Black Alliance for Peace, Maryland Peace Action, Act Now to Stop War, Popular Resistance and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition.

In front of the White House, local anti-war activists protest against war with Russia.

While the social spending bill is stalled, the United States government is spending over $700 billion on defense and military THIS YEAR alone. pic.twitter.com/cwV88Itw56

— NAKASEC #WeCantWait #Citizenship4All (@nakasec) January 27, 2022

They called for diplomatic dialogue, instead of war-mongering and saber-rattling, to de-escalate tensions and prevent a military confrontation.

The activists also demanded that the US withdrew all their weapons from Ukraine in order to stop provoking and antagonizing Moscow.

They also called for the abolishment and disbandment of NATO, a military alliance with a dubious reputation of involvement in foreign military occupations.

“The manufactured crisis with Russia over Ukraine, demonstrates once again the incredible recklessness and outrageous opportunism that the U.S./NATO/EU Axis of domination is prepared to pursue in order to achieve its geo-strategic objective of full-spectrum economic and political global domination,” the Black Alliance for Peace national organizer, Ajamu Baraka, said in a statement.

BAP, @answercoalition, @codepink, @MDPeaceAction1, @PopResistance & more will gather in DC today at noon in front of the White House as part of an emergency mobilization of anti-war activists to express opposition to the possibility of war in #Ukraine👇🏿https://t.co/d8hvo0ygAH

— Black Alliance for Peace (@Blacks4Peace) January 27, 2022

"Whatever the explanation, it is clear that for African peoples, the U.S./NATO/EU Axis of Domination continues to represent the greatest threat to peace, human rights, and social justice on the planet today. That is why it is so absurd to see the Black Misleadership class lining up to demonstrate their support for war with Russia while Black people still face the structural violence of capitalism and the terror of state violence from the domestic army occupying our communities that are referred to as the police."

Russia’s military buildup at the border with Ukraine has prompted the US and NATO to accuse Moscow of plans to invade or attack the former Soviet nation.

Moscow has vehemently denied the speculation, while urging NATO to cease its expansion eastward to ex-Soviet countries, including Ukraine.

Biden earlier this week threatened to impose devastating sanctions if Russia moves to invade Ukraine. He also warned to slap sanctions on Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk