United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)

UNAC opposes what it calls “American imperialism,” ² has said that there is nothing to celebrate on American Independence Day, ³ and claims that lasting peace in the Middle East will only come with an end to Zionism and imperialism. UNAC supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement  ⁴ and boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel. ⁵

In April 2024, UNAC will host the United National Antiwar Coalition Conference with left-wing antiwar activist organization CODEPINK. ⁶ UNAC coordinator Joe Lombardo was a member of a “peace and solidarity delegation” that met with Venezuelan leadership, including the country’s authoritarian leader Nicholas Maduro, in 2019. ^{2 7}

History and Leadership

The United National Antiwar Coalition was founded in July 2010. ⁸

Left-wing activist Joe Lombardo is UNAC’s coordinator. ⁹ In a call for other organizations to support UNAC, Lombardo hoped these new organizations could organize a “revolt” against society and the United States government. ¹⁰

Lombardo has claimed that racism and white supremacy are the basis of all wars and has said that a “militarized police force” in the United States has murdered African Americans. ¹⁰ He has also claimed Israel is committing genocide in the Israel-Hamas war, and he participated in marches and protests opposing both Israel’s foreign policy and Zionism. ^{11 10} In 2019, Lombardo was a member of a so-called “peace and solidarity delegation” that met with Venezuelan leadership, including President Nicholas Maduro. ^{2 7}

UNAC’s administrative committee includes representatives affiliated with World Peace Council affiliate U.S. Peace Council; the Black Alliance for Peace; Syria Solidarity; International Action; the Marxist-Leninist Workers World newspaper; People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism; the Freedom Road Socialist Organization; Socialist Action; ¹¹ BAYAN-USA; the Committee of the International League for People’s Struggle; Popular Resistance; and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee. ⁹

Activities and Funding

In 2024, the United National Antiwar Coalition endorsed the American Muslim Task Force For Palestine’s March on Washington for Gaza. ¹²

UNAC is a founding member of the SanctionsKill Campaign, ⁴ an affiliate of left-of-center Veterans for Peace, ¹³ a key ally of far-left Black Alliance for Peace, ¹⁴ and is on the board of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms. ¹⁵

Political Positions

The United National Antiwar Coalition unequivocally opposes what it calls “American imperialism,” which includes sanctions, trade embargoes, and military interventions. ² The organization claims that the United States government and its allies, proxies, and corporations are the “major perpetrator of war and injustice in the world” and does not recognize the U.S. military’s right to use force anywhere, for any reason. UNAC has stated that racism, sexism, homophobia, and Islamophobia are deeply ingrained in American society at all levels and are used as tools of war. ⁵

UNAC opposes the existence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has stated that Zionism and imperialism must end to bring a lasting peace in the Middle East. ⁴

UNAC supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement ⁴ and banning nuclear weapons, ¹⁶ and has called U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu war criminals for their actions during the Israel-Hamas war that began in 2023. ¹⁷ The organization has claimed there is nothing to celebrate on American Independence Day ³ and supports critical race theory-influenced left-wing activism and boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel. ⁵

Activism

In April 2024, the United National Antiwar Coalition will host the United National Antiwar Coalition Conference with left-wing antiwar activist organization CODEPINK. ⁶ Other organizations planning to participate in the conference include Black Alliance for Peace, BAYAN-USA, Popular Resistance, the U.S. Peace Council, the International Action Center, Veterans For Peace, the Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations, Arab Americans for Syria, the Syria Support Campaign, the US Palestinian Community Network, the Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons & Power in Space, the International League for Peoples Struggle, Samidoun (Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity) Network, the radical-left National Lawyers Guild, Mobilization for Mumia, and others. ⁴

UNAC also co-signed a letter organized by far-left CODEPINK, The People’s Forum, the Tricontinential Institute for Social Research, and the ANSWER Coalition that claimed “McCarthyism is back” and called efforts to investigate Chinese Communist Party-affiliated foreign influence in the United States a “racist” and “anti-communist” witch hunt. ¹⁸

The organization also signed a letter organized by the left-of-center Center for Constitutional Rights that condemns Israel’s approach to Palestinian civil society organizations and calls for the suspension of U.S. military funding for the Israeli government. ¹⁹

Funding

The United National Antiwar Coalition is a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ). UNAC directs potential donors to make contributions to AFGJ that are earmarked specifically for UNAC. ²⁰