"Protesters slam Obama's, Israel's stances on Iran"
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1088670,CST-NWS-protest03.article
More than 100 political activists took to downtown streets Saturday to protest any war that would involve the United States and Iran, as the political discourse surrounding that country's nuclear program intensifies.
Representing 18 community and political groups citywide, they marched from the Thompson Center to the Israeli Consulate and the campaign headquarters of Barack Obama, chanting: "We want justice, we want peace. U.S. out of the Middle East!"
Marchers criticized Obama for failing to rule out a possible attack on Iran if negotiations break down on nuclear talks with that country.
They condemned Israel's simulated bombings against Iran's nuclear facilities, reportedly carried out in June.
"You are hypocrites. You're breakers of the nuclear proliferation treaty," Bill Chambers, of the Palestinian Solidarity Group, yelled outside the consulate.
Obama also drew criticism from marchers for recently acknowledging the possibility of an Israeli strike against Iran without offering a peaceful alternative to a potential war in that region.
Protesters said Obama has proclaimed himself the "peace candidate," while displaying indecisiveness regarding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"He says he doesn't want a third-term Bush, yet he says he's in favor of 20,000 more troops going to Afghanistan, and invading Iran and Pakistan," said Andy Thayer of the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism.
Obama's campaign later responded that the senator would continue to encourage Iran to cease its nuclear program.
"A nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to the United States and to Israel, and would threaten a nuclear arms race in the Middle East," a campaign spokeswoman said in a statement Saturday.
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