The protesters, organized by anti-war organizations and veterans, carried banners and signs with messages such as "No to war, no to NATO! Diplomacy, not war!" and "For peace, disband NATO". Representatives from social liberal and communist parties were also present.
A protester expressed concern that the world is closer to nuclear war than at any other point in recent history, including the Cuban missile crisis. A war veteran denounced the Iraq War, saying that there was no justification for it and that Iraqi soldiers were killed without being given the chance to surrender.
On March 19, 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces, launched a military offensive on Iraq that resulted in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, plunging the country into chaos and bloodshed. According to the Iraq Body Count project, around 200,000 civilians were violently killed as a result of the war. The US government had justified its military campaign by citing Iraq’s presumed possession of weapons of mass destruction.
The protest in Washington also called for an end to US funding for Ukraine, which has been embroiled in conflict with Russia since 2014.