The War in Ukraine – 1 year on
This webinar took place on 2/21/23
Click here or the image to view the Webinar
Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector in Iraq
Margaret Kimberley of the Black Alliance for Peace, Black Agenda Report and UNAC
US Peace and Solidarity Delegation goes to Venezuela
A 13-member peace and solidarity delegation from the United States landed in Caracas, Venezuela on the weekend of March 9 and 10 despite American Airlines, the main US airline that flies to Venezuela, cancelling some flights. The delegation including leaders of antiwar groups from the US and Canada including: Bahman Azad the organizational secretary of the US Peace Council, who was the sponsoring organization for the trip, Gerry Condon, pres. of Veterans for Peace, Sara Flanders, co-coordinator of the International Action Center, Ajamu Baraka, national coordinator of the Black Alliance for Peace, progressive journalist, Eva Bartlett, Joe Lombardo, co-coordinator of the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), Sarah Martin from Women Against Military Madness, Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers of Popular Resistance, Darien De Lu, President of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom - US, Miguel Figueroa, president of the Canadian Peace Congress and Daniel Shea, board of directors, Veterans for peace. [read more]
Free Julian Assange
Many believe that Julian Assange may be extradited to the U.S. at any time. All of his appeals in the U.K. have been exhausted. Here he faces the possibility of 175 years in prison in harsh conditions of the "crime" of exposing U.S. War crimes to the world. The U.S. wants to make sure that no journalist of activists will ever contradict the statements of the U.S. government or expose the cover-ups of their crimes so they want to make an example of Julian Assange as a warning to us all.
Recently, former U.K. diplomat and Assange supporter, Craig Murray did a short tour in the U.S., which UNAC helped organize. Other U.S. supporters appeared on the platforms with Craig Murray. Click here or the image below to hear the program in Woodstock, NY.
Click here to sign the antiwar statement in support of freedom for Julian Assange.
UNAC Statement on the Present situation in Palestine
10/09/2023
Free Palestine!
Resistance is justified when people are occupied!
The United National Antiwar Coalition stands firmly behind the people of Palestine as they resist over 75 years of brutal and illegal occupation by the Israelis. We call on people and organizations across the United States to take to the streets to support the cause of a free Palestine and to demand an end to all US military and economic aid to Israel.
While the mainstream media will tell people this war began with rockets from Hamas on October 7, 2023, we know that the Palestinian people have been living in a constant state of war since the Israeli state was conceived in 1948 when historic Palestine was divided to create the current Zionist, Apartheid state and hundreds of thousands of dispossessed Palestinians were driven off their lands into internal and external exile. Violence against Palestinians by Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) and settlers has increased under the new Netanyahu government. This constant violence and oppression against a people and the failure of nonviolent methods of holding the Israeli state accountable lead to one, logical outcome: resistance. [read more]
UNAC in Odessa to Support Memorial of those killed by Right-wing on May 2, 2014
Gathering for memorial of those massacred Fascist try to disrupt
UNAC members and friends traveled to Odessa to support the memorial of those killed by fascist forces on May 2, 2014 while they were protesting the US supported coup at Maidan Square. Once again the fascist forces tried to disrupt and held their own rally to "celebrate" what they consider a victor.
Please read the report by UNAC co-coordinator Joe Lombardo here
A second report of Maidan Square in Kiev can be seenhere
In Ukraine pro-fascist organizations have been supported by the police and the government. Many from ultra-rightest organizations are in the government. The anti-Maidan organizations also functions but face arrest and assassination and are driven underground. This is the government that the US supports.
We are the Camp of Peace and Anti-Imperialism
By the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
Gilbert Achcar’s article in The Nation entitled, “How to Avoid the ‘Anti-Imperialism’ of Fools,” argues that the anti-imperialism of the peace movement has changed over time. During the time of the Vietnam War, he contends, we all opposed U.S. imperialism’s involvement, but today is different. The peace movement today is wrong to oppose U.S. imperialist interventions in Syria, Libya and other countries, in Achcar’s opinion. In his attack piece, he specifically condemns three organizations, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and the U.S. Peace Council, both based in the United States, and the Stop the Wars Coalition from Britain. All three include leaders who have been active in the peace movement from the Vietnam War era to the present. All three have remained consistent in condemning U.S. imperialism’s wars around the world, including its drone wars, sanction wars, CIA Special Operation wars, privatized mercenary army wars and embargo/blockade wars.
It is not the trajectory of the anti-imperialists that has been inconsistent and needs to be examined but the journey of Achcar himself, from his opposition to the Vietnam War to his support to U.S. and British imperialism, which even includes training British military personnel. (1)(2) [read more]
UNAC members participated in anti-NATO protests in Madrid, Spain during the weekend before the June 28 - 30 NATO Summit
During the weekend before the NATO meeting in Madrid, Spain, on June 28 – 30, thousands rallied in the streets and meeting halls of the city in opposition to the NATO summit. Protesters include people from the United States including Joe Lombardo, coordinator of UNAC and other UNAC members along with Ann Wright, Paki Weiland of Code Pink and others. People also came from many other countries around the world. Two meetings were held in Madrid to counter the NATO summit, one called the Peace Summit and the other the Counter Summit. Both recognized the aggressive character of the US led NATO alliance. The Peace Summit’s final resolution can be found here, and rough translation of the Counter Summit’s final resolution can be found here. [read more]
The Climate Costs of the US Military Machine
1. The Department of Defense budget comprises more than half of all federal discretionary spending every year. Just 11% of the military budget could fund renewable energy for every US home.
2. A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies calculates that the cost of U.S. militarization in the last 20 years is a staggering $21 trillion, (this does not included the uncountable and unaudited money sent to Ukraine). About half of the budget goes to military contractors. Estimates calculate the total cost of shifting to 100% renewable energy over 10 years would be a fraction of this - $4.5 trillion.
3. The US military is exempt from reporting on greenhouse emissions even though it is the largest single source of US environmental pollution IN THE WORLD. [read the full list here]
A video message from the Union of Political Emigrants and Refugees from Ukraine talked about popular resistance to US-backed fascism and was played along with Jeff Mackler and Tom Baker from Socialist Action and Socialist Action Canada addressed the danger of expanding NATO war in Ukraine.
Defending our movement, Confronting Repression
A key part of the conference program was fighting repression across the US. Mick Kelly opened the session by recounting the unity built by the Antiwar 23 against FBI frame-up charges. The panel also focused on the “Uhuru 3” leaders of the African People’s Socialist Party, who are being prosecuted for opposing the US proxy war against Russia; and Efia Nwangaza on the campaigns to Stop Kop Cities. Roger Harris described the international campaign to gain the return of Diplomat Alex Saab to Venezuela. Colleen Rowley focused on the mobilization for Julian Assange, while Tom Burke described the continuing campaign to free Colombian Simon Trinidad. Mel Underbakke described the two decades focused on the hundreds of FBI frame ups of Muslims to justify the so-called US War on Terror.
A well attended youth meeting was also held at the conference that was organized by Code Pink National Co-Director Danaka Katovich, Cody Urban of the Resist US Wars movement and Wyatt Miller of the Minneapolis Antiwar Committee and the UNAC Administrative committee.
The conference took months in planning, with over 60 sponsoring organizations, all of whom experienced a major surge in street actions in the past six months, since the Palestinian Resistance forces broke out of military encirclement in Gaza last Oct. 7.
Action Plans
A major action plans was approved at the conference included:
Support for May 1/May Day actions as Workers Day to Defend Palestinian Resistance,
Major national protests at NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit July 6-7 in Washington, DC,
Mobilization against the Republican National Convention July 15-18 in Milwaukee, and the Democratic National Convention Aug 19-22 in Chicago.
A call to oppose the “RIMPAC” naval war games in the Pacific in August, sponsored by ILPS and BAYAN.
The conference called for ending all U.S. aid to Israel, opposing all U.S. wars, abolition of the trillion-dollar US war budget, shutting down the 800-plus US military bases around the world, and elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide starting with the US arsenal.
The conference action plan can be found here.
There were 16 workshops during the conference, providing ample time for participants to discuss and make proposals. Focus topics included Palestine organizing across the US, the ominous US Pivot to Asia, tactics in bringing anti-imperialist issues into community, workplace and school settings, tactics in movement building, building Zones of Peace in the Americas, challenging US sanctions and hybrid warfare, imperialism out of Africa, connecting climate change and climate justice to war and a skills workshop.
Africa Workshop Pivot to Asia workshop
In the final plenary the action plan was developed that reflected the cohesion and level of unity at the conference.
Margaret Kimberley, senior editor of Black Agenda Report, gave the concluding talk to a resounding ovation. Her talk is here.
The conference was livestreamed and recorded by Wilton Vought of Essential Dissent. The raw videos are below. These will be edited and put on the UNAC web site soon.
Livestream Session 1
Livestream Session 2
Livestream Session 3
Livestream Session 4 - 1
Livestream Session 4 - 2
Livestream Session 4 - 3
Livestream Session 5
(now more than ever)
The two Sanctions Kill webinars, hosted by UNAC were important steps in the fight against US imposed Sanctions
Thousands attended through Zoom, Facebook and YouTube
View the first webinar here.
View the second webinar here.
The speakers at the webinars included:
Venezuela – Vice Minister for North America, Carlos J. Ron Martinez
Syria – Syrian Ambassador to the UN, Bashar Ja’afari
Nicaragua – Nicaragua Ambassador to the US, Francisco O Campbell
Cuba – Ana Silvia Rodriguez Abascal, Charge des Affaires, Permanent
Cuban Mission to UN,
Zimbabwe - Represented by Omawale Clay
Iran - Majid Takkt-Ravanchi, Ambassador to the United Nations
and Sayed Hosein Mousavian, Retired Iranian Ambassador
Palestine - Dr. Medhat Abbas, Director of Primary Care, speaking from Gaza
Yemen - Dr. Yahyia Mohammed Saleh Murshed, Union of Arab Academics,
speaking from Sana’a University, Yemen
Korea DPRK - Dr Kee Park, Harvard Medical School neurosurgery doctor,
who volunteers in DPRK
The US has imposed economic sanctions against 39 countries. In many cases, this denies them access to medicine and medical equipment as well as access to world markets for food and other necessities. During the coronavirus crisis the US, with the highest death count in the world, has upped the sanctions against countries like Iran and Venezuela, and has tried to weaponize COVID-19 to bring down governments that will not follow the dictates of Washington and Wall Street. The UN has asked that sanctions be loosened during this crisis but the US has done the opposite. Many US allies have broken with them and sent medical aid to some of these countries. Now is an important time for the people in the US to come out strongly against these sanctions, which are simply war by other means.
For more information on the Sanctions Kill campaign please go to the website at: http://sanctionskill.org. Also look at the important resource section on the website.
Sign the Open Letter to the Government of the US and the UN to end sanctions now
UNAC Blog
Visit the UNAC Blog for articles on important issues written by UNAC members and friends
UNAC‘s answer to an attack on our anti-imperialism that was printed in the Nation.
Recently, there have been increased attacks on the peace movement from “progressives” for our consistent opposition to U.S. intervention in other countries. A recent sign-on letter was produced with hundreds of signatures attacking our opposition to outside intervention in Syria. UNAC answered that letter with our own sign-on letter explaining our position on Syria. Our letter got over 1300 individual and organizational co-signers from 50 different countries. That letter can be seen here.
Now, the Nation has published an attack piece by Professor Gilbert Achcar, who considers himself a socialist. Achcar's article singles out 3 organizations, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and the US Peace Council from the United States and the Stop the War Coalition from Britain. Below is a statement from UNAC answering this attack.
These attacks do not happen in a vacuum. Since the Biden election, there has been increased activity on the part of the US administration in Syria, increased propaganda aimed at China and Russia and a continuation of Trump’s policies against Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and other countries as well as support for Israel and its horrific attacks on the Palestinian people. The article in the Nation and other outlets give left cover to the imperialists. These attacks serve the interest of the new Democratic administration to silence the peace movement. But, we have no intention of being silent.
Members of the Sanctions Kill coalition from the New York area, including members of the UNAC Administrative Committee had the opportunity to meet with a Venezuelan delegation that was in New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting during the week of September 20 – 24. We presented them with a copy of the new report just released by the coalition called, “The Impact and Consequences of US Sanctions.” Please click the link to read or download a copy of the report
Meeting of Sanctions Kill members with Venezuelan representatives
At the meeting we were able to discuss with the Venezuelans the work we are doing to oppose sanctions against all 39 countries that are illegally sanctioned by the US. They were able to tell us of the important meetings they were holding with other sanctioned countries to demand the US abide by the UN charter and not imposed these illegal unilateral sanctions.
The new report by the Sanctions Kill coalition that was presented to the Venezuelans was announced and released at a webinar sponsored by the coalition called, “North American Solidarity Activists Speak Out. US SANCTIONS AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA.”
Click here to view the webinar.
No to U.S. War Threats Against China
UNAC Statement on China
The Biden administration is intensifying its aggression against China. The Pentagon’s new Pacific Deterrence Initiative includes increasing the U.S. military’s encirclement of China and deploying nuclear missiles that had previously been banned by the U.S.-signed Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Recently, President Biden met with leaders of Japan, India and Australia – what has become known as the “Quad,” a military and economic alliance against China. The Pentagon is calling for its annual Pacific budget to be doubled over last year’s $multi billion allocation. Read More
U.S. Hands off Iran!
Please Donate to UNAC
Add Your name to UNAC's email list
UNAC Supports Odessa Solidarity Movement.
The web site is here: www.odessasolidaritycampaign.org. Please go to the web site and support the campaign.
Video, fascism in Ukraine:
https://youtu.be/APR5E4d3GKQ.
Read documentation of the growth of fascism in Ukraine:
http://nepajac.org/ukraine%20evidence.pdf (please wait a few seconds for documentation to load)
Read the report of UNAC member's trip to Odessa to support the families of those murdered at the house of trade unions -Report 1 – Kiev. Report 2 - Odessa
United National Antiwar Coalition
Sanction Kill
UNAC is a founding member of the Sanctions Kill Coalition. Unilateral economic sanctions is the perfered way that the US has sought regime change recently in countries that will not follow the dictates of Washington and Wall Street. Crippling sanctions have been imposed on 39 countries and have been even increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, please go to the Sanctions Kill web site at: https://sanctionskill.org/
Support the Black Alliance for Peace
UNAC Supports the work of the Black Alliance for Peace. Click here to read their statements: https://blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/
BAP web site is here: https://blackallianceforpeace.com/
UNAC Conference
Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism
A conference for the entire movement
UNAC conference draws hundreds for mass actions against genocide in Gaza, hybrid war against China with a focus on building unity in action
Over 400 antiwar/anti-imperialist and Palestine solidarity activists convened in St. Paul, MN, April 5, 6, and 7, in the first major conference of the US antiwar movement since before the Pandemic of 2020 and 2021. Geographical representation ranged from Maine and New York to California and the Pacific Northwest, and from Minnesota to New Orleans and Florida, as well as Canada. There were international representatives from a number of countries.
More than 50 national and local groups participated – most notably the Black Alliance for Peace, the US Palestinian Community Network, American Muslims for Palestine, Veterans For Peace, CodePink, US Peace Council, Green Party Action Committee, BAYAN USA and International League for People’s Struggle, Bolivarian Circle, Just Peace Advocates from Canada, Sanctions Kill Campaign, Task Force on the Americas, China-US Solidarity Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Workers World Party, Alliance for Global Justice, Socialist Action, Party of Communists-USA, Struggle La Lucha, Coalition for Civil Freedoms and Movement Against War and Occupation (MAWO).
Conference hosts included Minneapolis-based Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), local Antiwar Committees, Twin Cities Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine. There were community based groups from around the country including the Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Bronx Antiwar Coalition, Virginia Defenders, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) Antiwar Committees from Dallas and Denver, and others.
Ajamu Baraka of Black Alliance for Peace and UNAC’s national coordinator Joe Lombardo opened the conference, and the Twin City Free Palestine Coalition provided the Opening Panel recapping lessons from months of struggle. At sundown Friday the Twin Cities Free Palestine Coalition hosted a fast-breaking for Ramadan, followed by a Palestinian drum performance.
United for Palestine
The Palestinian issue and delegations inspired a high level of spirited unity against the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. At its founding 15 years ago, UNAC came together as an antiwar coalition determined to include support for Palestine and united on the demand to “End All US Aid to Israel.”
Palestine panel Panel of local Palestine coalition
The Palestinian Resistance struggle was a key focus throughout the conference, generating shared determination and strong unity. Other major issues included “No to NATO,” opposition to the US hybrid war against China, and resistance to racist US government attacks on migrants and people of color.
Greetings and receptions from the UN ambassadors of Sandinista Nicaragua and the Polisario Front of Western Sahara – Ambassador Lautaro Sandino and Dr. Sidi M. Omar, Ambassador of the Polisario Front of Western Sahara – were a highlight of the conference. Ambassador Sandino told participants the Nicaraguan government has
filed a charge against Germany in the International Court of Justice for providing weapons to Israel.
Nicaraguan Ambassador Lautaro Sandino Ambassador Dr. Sidi Omar of Western Sahara
Mnar Adley, founding editor of MintPress News, gave an extremely moving account of her family’s experience living in Jerusalem/Al Quds during the Israeli crackdown against the Second Intifada, of the 1990s. Conference participants also heard a greeting from Olga Sanabria Davila, representing the struggle to decolonize Puerto Rico, while William Camacaro of the Alliance for Global Justice raised accelerating US interventions in Latin America and the significance of the return of Diplomat Alex Saab to Venezuela after torturous imprisonment by the US.
Mnar Adley
Stop the US war against China
The impending US war against China, and how to oppose it was the focus of a major conference plenary, as well as a follow-up workshop where buzzing discussion provided participants with details of the bristling US armada that now threatens China. Bruce Gagnon described the scale of U.S. space weapons blanketing the skies. Mike Wong, former national vice president of Veterans For Peace, gave a closeup view of the true stories in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, while Lee Siu Hin raised the importance of eye witness delegations and video images to counter official US propaganda’s false pictures of “genocide” and repression – hiding the true role of the CIA in both places. KJ Noh, noted Korean researcher and analyst, provided valuable details of ongoing US war plans against China and the ominous threats by US generals of war with China by 2025. Dee Knight, an author and war resister during the Vietnam era, raised a proposal to build large-scale support for the right of active duty US soldiers and sailors to say no to being sitting ducks and cannon fodder in extremely dangerous US war moves against China. Sara Flounders of Workers World Party posed the set-backs and defeats confronting US imperialism – Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and the global turning point of resistance in Gaza driving U.S. imperialism toward war with China – a desperate attempt to reassert its fading global economic position by military means.
The Wars Come Home
UNAC Statement on the Black Lives Matter Uprising
Defend Black Lives!
NO Police State! NO Military Dictatorship!
Release all arrestees! NO more attacks on anti-racist protesters!
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) stands in solidarity with communities across the country who are rising up in protest against racist police violence. As Donald Trump calls for the deployment of the U.S military in response to these national protests, UNAC condemns the use of any police and military forces being deployed to violently suppress these protests. We call on all anti-war activists to help organize or join in these actions demanding justice and an end to the state-terror being inflicted upon black and brown communities within this country.
The ongoing protests began in Minnesota on Monday May 25, 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year old black man, by four police officers in the city of Minneapolis. The horrific killing was caught on multiple videos which revealed two cops pinning an already handcuffed Floyd facedown to the ground, one cop standing over him, and a fourth one pressing his knee into the victim’s neck for nearly nine minutes even as he cried, “I can’t breathe,” and soon became unresponsive. Floyd died moments later. [read more]
US Hands off Cuba
This is a picture of a pro-government protest in Cuba that the corporate media said was anti-government
Cuba, a small island with a population of only 11 million people and few resources has been the target of US imperialism since its revolution in 1959. It has been subject to invasions such as that at the Bay of Pigs, many assassination attempts of Fidel Castro, and the US has imposed a crippling blockade for years. However, under the Trump and Biden administrations these attacks have been stepped up. Trump greatly increased the sanctions against Cuba and labeled it as a terrorist country. This further hindered its ability to trade with other countries as banks and markets were closed to Cuba causing severe shortages and hardships for the Cuban people. The Biden administration maintained these increased sanctions and the terrorist label and is trying to organize demonstrations against the Cuban government based on dissatisfaction with the shortages. This is especially criminal during the COVID-19 crisis, during which the US sanctions have not allow medicine or medical equipment into the country. [read more]
UNAC condemns the calls for armed intervention in Haiti
The possibility of another armed intervention in Haiti has come one step closer as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has caved into US pressure and voted to support a US military attack on the country.
Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in early July, the CARICOM conference has switched from opposition to such an intervention to supporting it. At the meeting, attended by Antony Blinken and a bipartisan US Congressional delegation, CARICOM called for the creation of a “Humanitarian and Security Corridor” in Haiti. On the following day the head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) issued a call for a “robust international force” to be sent to Haiti. BINUH along with the so called “Core Group” (Which includes the US, France. Canada, the EU and others) have been an occupying force in Haiti since 2004. This occupying force has been responsible for the suppression of Haiti’s independence and sovereignty and have helped create a vacuum of leadership that has resulted in an acute crisis in the country. [read more]
United National Antiwar Coalition Statement on Ukraine
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) remains steadfast in its opposition to the United States/NATO imperialist project. The people of Ukraine are now suffering in a war zone because of the actions of the United States, beginning with the 2014 coup which violently ousted an elected president. The goal then as now was to use Ukraine as a weapon to target Russia militarily. We point out that the current conflict is not the first for Ukraine. More than 14,000 people living in the eastern Donbas region have died in an eight-year long war because they refused to accept the coup government imposed by the U.S. [read more]
For a more comprehensive background statement from UNAC, please click here
