SEATTLE — President Donald Trump's decision to abruptly shift troops from northern Syria, leaving Kurdish forces vulnerable, triggered frustration in Seattle.
The president said he doesn't support Turkey's actions as troops push their way into northern Syria. But that's not enough for protesters who hit the streets across the U.S.
In Seattle, protesters picked one of the busiest intersections, yelling as loud as they could near Westlake Center as they demanded people educate themselves on the issue.
“They really need to open their eyes to see what's going on in this world,” Diya Faraj explained.
Faraj said she was stunned when she learned that President Trump moved troops out of Syria.
“I felt a deep betrayal, I felt like I needed to do something and I needed to get my government support,” Faraj explained. “I needed to get my senators' support and I needed to get everybody in one place so we can express how we're feeling with this.”
Faraj was joined by Abdul Shamdeen who emigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 1996. He is now an American citizen but came as a Kurdish refugee and still cares deeply about the people there.
“These are not your average people. These are people who held weapons and went out and fought ISIS alongside the US,” he explained. “With their support, there were a lot of sacrifices and a lot of people got killed but they did not give up.”
Faraj feels like the U.S. government is now turning it’s back on the Kurds.
All U.S. troops were ordered to withdraw from Syria's north to avoid a conflict between Turkey and the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters. Approximately 1,000 troops withdrew as Turkish troops and their allies pushed into northern towns and villages. At least 130,000 people have been displaced.
Since 2014, Kurdish troops have fought alongside American troops in an effort to defeat the Islamic State.
President Trump's decision to withdraw from the area was decried as a betrayal.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said an increasing risk of American troops being caught in the middle of the conflict was the driving factor in the withdraw.
In Seattle, the rally started at Westlake Center and marched to the Turkish Attache's office on Sixth Avenue.
The group left calling cards on the high rise where the office is located, posters depicting their frustrations taped on the windows. They are still hopeful for help from politicians but say it's going to take pressure from informed voters.
“I'm hoping real actions can be done; sanctions on Turkey, pressure on them, going to the UN security council and telling Turkey to stop right away,” Shamdeen said.
