Dozens of veterans filled Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago on Thursday, speaking out against the U.S. campaign in Iran and urging active-duty service members to resist orders they see as unlawful or immoral. The event, organized by About Face: Veterans Against the War, brought together Iraq War veterans and younger activists who said recent strikes betrayed the ideals that first drew them into military service.
Veterans' message
Aaron Hughes, a member of About Face who joined the National Guard soon after 9/11, told WGN-TV that 'this war on Iran is illegal, immoral, and unjust' and said 'all of the ideas and values that made him want to join the military crumbled in front of his eyes.' Hughes and other speakers urged current service members to 'push back and resist orders they disagree with,' describing that stance as a moral and constitutional responsibility rather than a partisan gesture.
About Face and the protests
About Face led the Federal Plaza rally as part of a broader coalition of local antiwar groups. Organizers and young activists at the demonstration said the goal was, in their words, to Fox 32 Chicago, 'to use our collective power and break the cycle of forever wars.'
Local and national context
The Chicago gathering was one in a series of downtown protests that began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, with the Chicago Sun-Times documenting marches from Federal Plaza through the Loop. Nationally, calls for troops to refuse 'illegal orders' have kicked off a wider debate and drawn Pentagon scrutiny, including a review launched after a widely shared video urged service members to disobey unlawful commands, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Legal risks for service members
Military law is not subtle on this point. Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice punishes 'failure to obey any lawful general order or regulation,' according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. Reporting and legal analysts note that troops face a high bar if they refuse an order, since they must show it was manifestly unlawful, and that refusing a command that is later judged lawful can lead to court-martial or other penalties, a risk outlined by Military.com.
About Face has said it plans to keep organizing in the Loop, with more downtown events already in the works, the Sun-Times reported. Supporters say they intend to keep pressing their message to both troops and the public. For Chicago readers keeping score, Thursday's rally took place at Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn St.
