U.S carries out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen
The U.S. and U.K. militaries launched strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Thursday. (U.S. Central Command)
Demonstrators furious with President Biden over the United States military's bombing of Yemen gathered outside the White House to protest on Thursday.
Activists chanted "Let Yemen live" and "Hands off Yemen" while holding anti-war signs and waving Iranian flags, FOX 5 DC reported.
The rally was organized by the Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, a left-wing anti-war movement founded three days after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to oppose the U.S. War on Terror. A similar demonstration was held in Times Square in New York City.
The protests came in response to joint strikes by the U.S. and Britain targeting more than a dozen military locations that belong to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. President Biden said he had authorized the strikes "in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."
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Demonstrators gather outside the White House on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 to protest the U.S. bombing of Yemen. (FOX 5 DC)
"Demonstrators raised their voice against this act of aggression that is aimed at helping Israel continue its assault on Gaza," the ANSWER Coalition said in a news release.
"The Pentagon war machine wants to punish Yemen for refusing to allow the waters off their coast to be used to sustain the genocide against Palestinians. It is a wanton violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and an extremely dangerous escalation. The Biden administration’s actions have raised the prospect of a devastating regional war."
A protester holds a sign that reads, "Stop!! Boming Yemen." (FOX 5 DC)
Biden and other U.S. officials have said the Houthi attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea have endangered U.S. personnel and its allies and have threatened freedom of navigation.
"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes," Biden said.
Left-wing activists protested outside the White House, demanding the U.S. stop bombing Yemen. (FOX 5 DC )
"I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary."
The U.S. airstrikes on Yemen have drawn criticism from members of Biden's own party, who say the president needed authorization from Congress before taking military action.
"The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another middle east conflict," Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote on X. "That is Article I of the Constitution.
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"I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House," he added.
Other House Democrats expressed disapproval of Biden, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Val Hoyle, D-Ore.
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Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militants have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in recent weeks in protest against Israel's war in Gaza. Various shipping lines have suspended operations, instead taking the longer journey around Africa.
Fourteen countries, including the U.S., issued a joint statement last week saying: "The Houthis will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."
Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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