12PM NOON - MAY 25, 2025

DEEDS POINT METROPARK, 510 Weber St

On May 25, people from across the country will gather in Dayton to protest NATO’s assembly and hold a counter-summit -- the People's Assembly for Peace and Justice. For over 75 years, NATO has been a dealer of destruction in places like Afghanistan and Libya and threatened the entire world with devastating global conflict. The march and counter-summit will demand that our taxpayer dollars be used to meet the needs of working people instead of lining the pockets of executives at weapons manufacturers. 

Buses and carpools are being organized from as far away as New York City along with Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Toledo, and Louisville.

Greg Levy, a Navy veteran and an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation said, “Our people need money right here at home, to end child poverty and homelessness, instead of funneling hundreds of billions towards Trump’s war machine. Trump may publicly pose himself as no friend to NATO, but we see through his lies. We are rallying to say NO to this ultra-right, billionaire war mongering agenda led by Trump and NATO, and to say YES for peace and justice for our people.” 

For the first time ever, U.S. military spending will hit $1 trillion as NATO nations ramp up their war budgets. NATO countries account for 55 percent of global military spending—with the U.S. covering 66% of that share! The same bill demanding $1 trillion for military spending would cut rental aid by 40%, strip Medicaid from 14+ million Americans, and slash $12 billion from the Department of Education. The so-called “big beautiful bill” would slash SNAP benefits by nearly $300 billion over 10 years, while dedicating over a course of 30 years $1.7 trillion towards expanding the U.S.’ nuclear arsenal. Fund people’s needs, not the war machine! Abolish NATO!

As Ohioans struggle with soaring grocery prices, stagnant wages, and drastic rent increases, the U.S. government instead prioritizes programs benefiting the wealthy and the war-makers. Over $2 trillion has been spent on the F-35 program (with a mission failure rate of 55 percent) at the same time House Republicans aim to slash Medicare by $1 trillion over the next 10 years. 72 million Americans’ care is now jeopardized, with over 770,000 Ohioans at risk. We don’t need cuts to people’s programs here at home, we need to cut the military budget!

Dozens of organizations across the country have endorsed and are attending the People’s Assembly for Peace and Justice, including the ANSWER Coalition, The People’s Forum, CODEPINK, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, National Students for Justice in Palestine, the Dissenters, Palestinian Youth Movement Cleveland, Palestine Diaspora Movement, Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community, Veterans for Peace Pittsburgh, New Era Cleveland, and more. The attendees will be rallying and marching from Deeds Point Metropark at 12PM, followed by a speaker program.