Around 200 people demonstrated in front of Columbus City Hall and marched along Downtown streets on June 18 to protest against the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to criticize the specter of the United States potentially entering the Israel-Iran war.
Protesters began assembling at Columbus City Hall on West Broad Street just before 6 p.m., holding signs condemning Trump and ICE. A few protesters donned traditional keffiyehs in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war in Gaza, and even fewer waved signs opposing the United States joining Israel in a dual assault on Iran.
Organizers from the Columbus chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Columbus 50501 stood at the top of the steps at city hall and began the demonstration by leading chants and giving speeches demanding that ICE cease operating in Columbus.
Organizers and demonstrators also demanded the release of Leonardo Fausto, a Brazilian immigrant and asylum seeker who was arrested by ICE on June 3 at the Franklin County Municipal Court after he went there for a traffic court hearing and was going to pay a traffic ticket. He is currently being held at the Butler County jail, one of the facilities under contract to hold federal prisoners.
Mirroring previous demonstrations over the past week, the organizers led protesters on a march through downtown Columbus, traveling south on High Street, east on Mound Street and north on Fourth Street, marching all the way up to Broad Street and ending the demonstration back at city hall.
As with previous protests, Columbus police officers from the division’s dialogue team were in attendance and largely stayed on the periphery while patrol officers temporarily halted traffic and shut down intersections so that protesters could safely march.
Logan R., 22, of Columbus, said that he attended the protest because of his opposition to both domestic and international issues spearheaded by the Trump administration.
“I want a free Palestine, I want ICE abolished, and I don’t want a war in the Middle East,” said Logan, who asked that The Dispatch only use his first name out of privacy concerns and fear of reprisal.
Organizers, demonstrators condemn Trump’s warmongering with Iran
The June 18 protest comes amid the specter of all-out war between Iran and Israel becomes more likely while President Donald Trump urges a regime change in Iran and says he might join Israel in bombing Iran — or he might not.
Trump has recently been trading threats with Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, since the outbreak of hostilities with Israel. Trump has been calling for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” while Khamenei has maintained a defiant stance and declared that Iran would not “grovel at the gates of the White House,” USA TODAY reported.
Trump said that the United States knew where Khamenei was hiding and suggested that he would be an “easy target” for U.S. bunker buster bombs.
The conflict began after Israel launched a surprise attack on June 12 on Iran, hoping to damage its uranium enrichment facility to prevent what Israel’s prime minister contends is the imminent development of a nuclear weapon that threatens Israel’s existence.
Israel, which has nuclear weapons, killed several high-ranking members of Iran’s military and targeted the country’s “leading nuclear scientists.” Since that initial attack, the two countries have traded volleys of both drones and airstrikes. More than 200 people have been killed in Iran, including women and children, while 24 people were killed in Israel after a missile fired from Iran evaded Israel’s “Iron Dome” defense system.
Trump has teased about the prospect of the United States entering the conflict. Khamenei warned that the United States’ entry into the war would cause “irreparable damage” and result in U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
Caelyn Knisley, a 25-year-old Athens resident, and her partner, Jordan Pearson, 25, were among the few demonstrators holding a sign condemning war with Iran.
“I don’t want my tax dollars to fund war,” said Knisley.
Pearson, donning a Palestinian keffiyeh, echoed this sentiment and added that he didn’t want his tax dollars to go toward “Israel’s illegal war” on both Iran and Palestinians living in Gaza.
More anti-ICE demonstrations planned for June 20 and Independence Day
Several organizations are continuing to plan more demonstrations and protests in Columbus.
On June 20, there will be a town hall event at 6 p.m. to express solidarity with immigrant communities in Columbus at 2775 Cleveland Ave., according to a flyer announcing the event.
On July 4, there will also be an “All Ohio Protest” at the Ohio Statehouse. The demonstration begins at noon and is being organized by the Columbus branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Ohio 50501.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ‘No war with Iran!’: Around 200 gather in Columbus to condemn ICE, potential war with Iran
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
