Vigil held to show opposition to strike on Syria

With the possibility of a U.S. attack on Syria still in limbo, a new poll released Monday by the Pew Research Center and USA Today suggests an overwhelming majority of Americans stand in opposition. A group sharing the same sentiment came together for a vigil in Charleston Monday night with hopes that Congress will hear their message.

West Virginia Citizen Action Group and West Virginia Patriots for Peace organized the vigil along Kanawha Boulevard in front of Haddad Riverfront Park. Members of the groups and other concerned citizens held signs saying “No Boots, No Bombs, No Way” and others urging passersby to call their representatives in Congress and speak out against possible military force.

Executive Director for West Virginia Citizen Action Group Gary Zuckett said he cares about the people caught in Syria’s civil war but he believes military action might only make matters worse.

“We feel bombing [Syria] is not the road to peace and that we really need to have an international solution and an international community working on a solution to that—hopefully a peaceful solution,” said Zuckett.

“Going in there right now and bombing Assad’s equipment is not going to stop the killing and may very well escalate the conflict out of that country and into the whole region,” he argued.

Zuckett said the Charleston vigil was one of countless events Monday around the state and country showing opposition to U.S. military action in Syria.

Despite growing national sentiment against U.S. military involvement in Syria, other groups in the area have recently called on President Obama to strike. Members of the West Virginia chapter of the Syrian American Council and others  gathered at the state Capitol on Wednesday, August 28 to rally in support of the use of U.S. military force.