About 50 people gathered in Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday evening to speak out against the U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran.
The strikes began early Saturday morning and the Iranian government confirmed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
Leading up to the attack, the U.S. said it was trying to negotiate a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear program, which President Donald Trump said Iran was rebuilding.
Trump has also said the program was "totally obliterated" when the U.S. and Israeli attacked in June.
Ali Abdel-Qader, an organizer with the Party of Socialism and Liberation Tampa Bay, said he believed the attacks on Saturday were not in the interests of the American people.
"This was a premeditated attack by the US and by Israel. It is to pursue Trump's twisted dream of trying to run the whole world," said Abdel-Qader. "We want money to be spent on housing, health care, education, infrastructure, not on missiles [and] bombs."
Retaliatory strikes from Iran were reported in Gulf countries with U.S. military bases
U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran continued into Sunday. Three U.S. service members have been killed and at least five seriously wounded, according to U.S. Central Command.
Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base is the home of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which directs military operations in the Middle East.
Much of the planning and coordination for the Air Force's strikes on nuclear sites in Iran in June was run out of Tampa.
According to a post on X, U.S. Central Command also carried out the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday called "Operation Epic Fury."
The U.S. has not said if it would send ground troops into Iran. Though, according to reporting from NPR, military analysts say it will be extremely difficult to topple the government with air power alone.
Alex McBride, a resident of St. Petersburg, said she hoped things wouldn't escalate.
"What's really been weighing on my heart is the fact that I have cousins in the military, and as a progressive, I disagree with their choices, but the last thing that I want is for my cousins to be drawn into this war," said McBride.
Tampa resident Hannah Thomas, also condemned the possibility of another war. Thomas said she is studying to become a social worker for U.S. veterans.
"If we go into war with Iran, we're sending millions of young boys and women over there to fight, and that's going to affect as far as families. That's going to affect as far as just deaths," said Thomas. "It's just not right to send these kids into a war that's pointless."
Rowan Finley, a Pinellas County resident, said he felt compelled to participate in the protest because he doesn't want to see innocent civilians killed.
Iranian state media said one of the strikes hit a school, killing dozens.
"No one in the world deserves to live in a world of war," said Finley, "I think every child deserves to go to school and feel safe. I think that our taxpayer money should be going to our own education, should be going to feeding people, should be going to caring for the people here."
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, told NPR on Saturday it was aware of reports about civilians being harmed.
"We take these reports seriously and are looking into them," Hawkins said. "The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm. Unlike Iran, we have never — and will never — target civilians."
Florida lawmakers' reactions to the attack largely broke down along party lines.
Republican U.S. Senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott voiced their support for the U.S. military and the president.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Iran "must be held accountable for their missile program that threatens the safety of Americans and regional partners."
Wasserman also called for the president to comply with the War Powers Act, and to "consult and fully brief Congress before any further action is taken."
Democratic Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, said as an Iranian American, "this moment is layered with hope, fear, and uncertainty."
"I carry the stories of family, friends, and generations whose futures were stolen by this regime," Eskamani wrote on Instagram.
But she said she is also "deeply concerned about the consequences of prolonged U.S. military involvement."
Reporting from NPR was used in this story.
