Tax Day Protests Call for an End to Taxpayer Financed Wars

SAN FRANCISCO (04-15) – Today being Tax Day, a day most Americans dread, activists from across the country protested the unfairness of taxes allowing the rich to pay less than their fair share and in how the federal government spends taxpayers’ hard-earned money. This year, taxpayers felt even more angry as the Trump administration has irrationally gone about the dismantling of government programs through Elon Musk and his DOGE minions who have eliminated departments, environmental constrains, consumer financial protection, education, health and human services, disaster response, medical, food and drug safety all in the name of “efficiency” to the detriment of those whose tax dollars have created and supported these necessary and vital government functions.

Activists from Code Pink Bay Area assembled at the Federal Building for a “No Taxes for Genocide” rally and to protest “oligarchy, billionaire bros, inflation, Musk’s rocket subsidies, and to demand an end to illegal deportations, seriously cutting the Pentagon budget, an arms embargo on Israel, and in objecting to SF Representative Nancy Pelosi’s continued voting to fund the U.S.-Israeli genocide.”

They directed their action to raise awareness of how U.S. taxpayers’ dollars are being spent including the recent $8.8 billion appropriated by Congress for an Israeli weapons package to be used in Gaza. In particular, the group pointed out how California Democratic representatives, Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, continue voting to arm Israel along with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) whom they accused of being under the undue influence of his “AIPAC handlers” for his continued support of Israel. Those opposed to the weapons package were led in April by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who sponsored two bills under the Arms Export Control Act. Both were defeated by “overwhelming bipartisan margins.”

During a short skit the group reiterated how in using tax dollars to support the ongoing genocide in Gaza, all Americans are complicit in genocide that in turn enriches profiteering defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and others. As such, they are calling for an end to the trillion-dollar war budget and a return to utilizing the vast monies spent on war to help the American taxpayers many of whom rely heavily on government subsidies and programs.

Cynthia Papermaster, a CODE PINK spokesperson noted that “This is war profiteering, plain and simple. And we refuse to be complicit. It hurts to know that my tax dollars are paying for the hellfire missiles killing children in Gaza.” The group collectively encouraged anyone who is bothered by this to contact their respective representatives to make their objections known by calling for an immediate end of Israeli military support while reminding everyone that “silence is complicity.”

In February, President Trump lifted the Biden-imposed export ban by suppling the Israeli military with US-made Vietnam era MK-84 2,000-pound bombs that can kill anyone within a wide radius of their intended target. The reversal allowed 1,800 of the bombs to be shipped to Israel to continue its war in Gaza where most of the resultant 61,700 deaths and thousands missing under the rubble and presumed dead have been innocent civilians.
Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

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