Protests on Syria reach Carrboro

As the U.S. government debates a military strike against Syria, people across the country — including in Orange County — are speaking out.

On Saturday at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, a handful of protesters held signs calling on President Barack Obama to avoid conducting any military actions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“Physically, it’s going to hurt people, but also it’s not going to help the country find the way to peace,” said protestor Ruby Sinreich. “It creates more anti-American sentiment, and it endangers more Americans as well.”

The protest was one of many that sprung up nationwide in light of Obama’s call to intervene militarily in Syria after Assad was accused of using chemical weapons in an attack that killed more than a thousand people.

The ANSWER Coalition, a national anti-war organization, protested in front of the White House during Obama’s announcement on Saturday.

Sarah Sloan, spokeswoman for ANSWER, said the move is an example of the United States trying to influence Middle Eastern politics to pursue a national agenda.

“We believe the big picture is the United States overthrowing another government as they did in Iraq and Libya,” Sloan said.

Obama is seeking approval to intervene in Syria from Congress, which will vote on the matter Saturday.

Sloan said ANSWER will hold a demonstration in Washington, D.C. on that day to protest the vote.

Omid Safi, a UNC religious studies professor, said the United States has little credibility in the region and that intervening in the conflict now would be too late.

“I find the lack of earlier intervention from the international community in face of the slaughter of 100,000 human beings to be morally bankrupt,” Safi said.

“We care about them not because Syrians are being killed, but because we are afraid that with the increased instability of Syria, these weapons might find their way out of Syria and be used against neighboring allies.”

Timothy McKeown, a UNC political science professor, said initial opposition to intervention is common in American politics.

“If you look at the history of all interventions, you will find public opinion before each intervention, the public is ambivalent,” he said. “From Vietnam onwards — and that includes Cuba — the public is not at all enthusiastic.”

McKeown said he thinks Obama won’t take action if Congress rejects intervention.

“If he doesn’t obtain approvals, it lowers the probability to use force,” he said.

Sinreich said protesters in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community will continue to voice their opposition to intervening in Syria, and added that she hopes others will speak out in whatever way possible.

“If everyone who opposed it actually said something about, it would actually feel like a big wave.”

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