Jan. 26, 2022, with additional information added March 26, 2022.

On Jan. 21, the United Arab Emirates, coordinating with the U.S.-backed Saudi war on Yemen, launched a military attack, targeting civilian homes, hospitals, sports facilities and a detention center, resulting in more than 300 casualties. In a deliberate attempt to prevent international media coverage of the assault, the UAE also destroyed Yemen’s Internet cables, creating a nationwide Internet blackout that has yet to end.

The Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality stands in solidarity with the besieged Yemeni people. Through its multibillion dollar arms deals with oil-rich Saudi Arabia, the United States government is criminally complicit in the ongoing slaughter. 

In March of 2021, President Biden announced that the United States would cut its support for offensive operations in Yemen. And yet, the Jan. 21 attack came just one month after the U.S. Senate approved a $650 million arms sale to Saudi Arabia. In response to this recent assault on Yemen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, committing to further support for the Saudi coalition’s “defense” against Yemen, while declining to comment on the UAE’s attacks on Yemen.

According to the U.N. humanitarian office, over a quarter-million Yemenis have been killed in the Saudi-led war. According to UNICEF, 10,000 children have been killed or wounded. In the debris of the destroyed detention center where 82 civilians were killed, rescuers discovered a missile fragment with the manufacturer cage code for American defense contractor Raytheon.

The Virginia Defenders demand, in accordance with the Biden administration’s own promises, that the U.S. government end its military support for the war on Yemen and end its support for the Saudi blockade, which prevents humanitarian aid from entering the country.

We uphold our commitment to the right of the oppressed peoples of the world to self-defense, and encourage our friends and allies to continue to raise their voices against the barbaric U.S.-backed war against Yemen. A protest in Vancouver, Canada organized by Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO), Yemeni Community Association of Canada, and The Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice (FTT) will be held this Saturday, March 26th at 7PM. This protest will mark seven years of the brutal U.S.-backed Saudi war on Yemen. Additional information can be found at this Facebook event page.

Additionally, an online rally organized by the #CanadaStopArmingSaudi Coalition on the causes of the siege on Yemen and Canada’s complicity in the war will be held on Thursday, March 31st, 2022 at 7PM Eastern time. Please register for the event through this link.

The Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality is a multi-issue community organization founded in 2002. https://defendersfje.blogspot.com – https://virginiadefender.org