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Members of the Humboldt Progressives are organizing a rally for peace at the Humboldt County Courthouse this evening, in light of the United States’ assassination by drone of an Iranian general in Baghdad yesterday.

From the Facebook description of the event:

Humboldt County Courthouse
825 Fifth St Eureka CA
4:30-6:00 p.m.

The war rhetoric with Iran has reached critical mass. The last thing this country needs is to be lied into another war in the Middle East. Iran just announced a major oil discovery in November, 2019 and now war lingers on the horizon. Please join local grassroots activists in this impromptu peace rally at the Humboldt County Courthouse to demonstrate our vision for peace and not war. Bring a sign if you can! Dress warmly and bring a flashlight to make your sign stand out!

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Meanwhile, this morning Rep. Jared Huffman issued a scathing statement on the situation, also via his Facebook page. Says Huffman:

I’m deeply concerned that President Trump, acting impulsively, without consulting Congress, without legal authorization, without consulting our allies or the Iraqi government, has taken us to the brink of a major war by ordering the assassination of Iran’s top military leader last night in Baghdad. It’s also disturbing, though predictable, that instead of honestly acknowledging the virtual certainty of violent retaliation in the days or weeks ahead, Secretary Pompeo is gaslighting by saying that Americans in the region are now “safer.”

I have zero confidence that President Trump and his motley crew of sycophants have thought any of this through or that they can effectively navigate the chain of events they just set in motion. It’s hard to imagine these events leading to anything other than a stronger hand for Iran in the region (especially in Iraq) and further depletion of US credibility.

My concerns about this President’s judgment and stability, and the likelihood of this administration running roughshod over Congress’ Article I war making authority, was one of the main reasons I voted “no” on the recent defense authorization bill. We must repeal the 2002 AUMF and reassert Congress’ Constitutional authority before Trump drags us into a tragic war.

Separately, I’m already cringing at the expectation that Trump will cravenly boast of killing a foreign leader at his grotesque “evangelical” rally in Florida tonight. You would think at least one of the Ten Commandments would give evangelicals cause for somber reflection, but not with this crowd.