A loud but peaceful group of protesters descended on downtown San Francisco on Wednesday evening to voice their opposition to recent air strikes in Iraq and Syria.

The group, which numbered above 50 at its peak, gathered for about an hour near the corner of Powell and Market streets around 5:30 p.m., with people making speeches calling for an end to the bombing and groups chanting against U.S. military involvement in the Middle East.

“We’re here to call out the hypocrisy of the U.S. government dropping bombs on people to bring about peace,” said Frank Lara, of the ANSWER Coalition, one of the groups that organized the demonstration. “It’s important for people to know that we in the U.S. are against this war.”

Speakers came to the microphone blasting the Obama administration for what they called the most recent in a long string of unnecessary and costly military interventions in a region halfway around the world.

“Millions upon millions upon millions of dollars are being spent to kill people in countries that have never done anything to us,” said Nathalie Hrizi, a public school teacher who brought her young son Adam to the protest.

“Money for jobs and education,” she chanted.

“Not for war and occupation,” the enthusiastic crowd chanted back.

Many in attendance seemed sick of what they called a string of miscalculations the U.S. has made in the Middle East, some of which they said helped create the Islamic State, the Nusra Front and the Khorasan Group, the stated targets of the recent air strikes.

“I’m just tired of the government making the same stupid mistakes over and over again that only hurt us,” said Mike Baldwin, a 59-year-old retiree. “To keep doing the same things that got us into this mess is ridiculous.”

Throughout the protest speakers implored tourists and businesspeople, many on their way home from work or lining up next to the cable car turnaround just a few feet away to join the protest.

“We chose this location because we want to reach the working people,” Lara said. “This affects everybody.”

How many passersby actually joined in was unclear, but organizers promised that the demonstration would not be a one-time-only demonstration. A public meeting was scheduled for Friday night at the ANSWER Coalition headquarters in San Francisco.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale