New York | February 4

AFP - Hundreds of protesters demonstrated Saturday in New York and pacifist groups took to the streets in dozens of other US and Canadian cities in a “Day of Mass Action” against a possible war with Iran.

About 500 protesters gathered in Manhattan’s Times Square and marched to the headquarters of the US mission to the United Nations and to the Israeli consulate.

“No war, no sanctions, no intervention, no assassinations,” read a banner leading the march.

The demonstrations came as Europe and the United States slapped tough new sanctions on Iran, and Israel this week launched new threats of military intervention if the Islamic republic fails to rein in its suspected nuclear development program.

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A leaflet distributed at the New York demonstration said “in many ways, US war on Iran has already begun,” citing as examples “harsh economic sanctions” against Tehran, “killing Iranian scientists in car bombings” and that “US aircraft carriers are right off Iran’s shore.”

“I don’t know what (US President Barack) Obama will do but I do know what he has done, which is very hard sanctions that only will hurt ordinary people,” Sweet said.

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Other peace marches were held Saturday in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington[, Los Angeles] and other US cities, according to organizers.

In Canada protests were staged in Calgary and Vancouver, and events were also planned in Britain, Ireland and India.