Greenpeace hangs a giant banner in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square with the slogan “NO TO WAR”, a popular cry for peace and humanity

Early this morning Greenpeace climbers unfurled a giant banner with the message «NO TO WAR» in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s most emblematic locations, to send a clear message to world political leaders: wars are never the solution. It is time to choose peace.

With the slogan that mobilised millions of people against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and which has now become part of Spanish society’s heritage, Greenpeace denounces the serious military escalation in the Middle East following the illegal attack launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, which has spread rapidly throughout the region. Since the offensive began on 28 February, bombing and missile strikes have caused thousands of civilian casualties — including deaths, injuries and displacement — and have hit schools, hospitals, homes and civilian infrastructure. 

Greenpeace strongly opposes war and the militarised solution to conflicts anywhere in the world.

«Bombs, military attacks and invasions never bring peace: they destabilise entire regions, multiply suffering, cost the lives of innocent civilians and destroy the planet. Nothing justifies bombing schools, hospitals or homes,» said Eva Saldaña, Executive Director of Greenpeace Spain and Portugal.

«It is impossible to believe that those who are bombing Iran today are doing so in the name of freedom or security. To think that more bombs will bring stability or the rights that have been denied to the Iranian people for decades is simply to ignore the lessons of recent history. The governments and world leaders have a moral duty to oppose this violation of international law, peace and stability in the world as we know it. This atmosphere of war is the result of a system that prioritises the profits of a few (the fossil fuel and arms industries, among others) over the lives of the many,» Saldaña continued.

The organisation warns that the world is undergoing a dangerous dynamic of military escalation, in which multilateral mechanisms are being weakened and an international policy based on brute force, control of resources and the imposition of geostrategic interests over the lives and rights of people is being consolidated.

Greenpeace also points out that wars not only threaten life, they also leave deep scars on the planet that last for generations: they ravage forests and farmland, degrade soils and poison water supplies, destroy unique ecosystems that provide life and sustenance, accelerate the climate crisis and divert vast amounts of resources that could be used to protect people from the increasingly serious consequences of climate impacts. And, as with the climate crisis, it is the most vulnerable populations who pay the highest price for wars. 

«Saying ‘No to war‘ makes more sense today than ever before. In the face of the logic of militarism, fear and the law of the strongest, we defend international law, the protection of the civilian population and a return to diplomacy and multilateralism committed to the common good,» concluded Saldaña. 

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