Salt Lake City protesters on 12th anniversary of U.S. war on Iraq (Fight Back! News/Staff)

Salt Lake City, UT- A dozen people gathered in front of the Wallace F. Bennet Federal Building on March 20 to protest on the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

“Twelve years ago, people came out into the streets to protest U.S. involvement in the Middle East. The people are still out here, and our message is the same. This isn’t what we want, and this war is not fought in our name,” said Alyssa Ferris with the Utah Anti-War Committee.

Carly Haldeman, representing the Revolutionary Students Union of Utah, stood with those gathered, saying, “We lose more than we gain out of war.” She continued, “We kill more people than we kill enemy combatants and we become our own real enemy abroad.” Her speech ended with a loud round of chants, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!”

Gregory Lucero, a speaker from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke, “On the anniversary of the Iraq War we see U.S. imperialism targeting people from all around the world, from Iraq to Venezuela. These people are not our enemies. Our real enemy is here at home, in our Senate, in the House of Representatives, and in every branch and office that keeps this machine running.”

The Utah Anti-War Committee organized the protest and fights against U.S. imperialism by demanding an end to all U.S. wars at home and abroad.