The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) is a far-left coalition of antiwar, environmentalist, and critical race theory-influenced left-of-center organizations that oppose the foreign policy of the United States. ²

UNAC opposes what it calls “American imperialism,” ³ has said that there is nothing to celebrate on American Independence Day, ⁴ 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  ⁵ and boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel. ⁶

In April 2024, UNAC will host the United National Antiwar Coalition Conference with left-wing antiwar activist organization CODEPINK. ⁷ 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. ^{8 9}

History and Leadership

The United National Antiwar Coalition was founded in July 2010. ¹⁰

Left-wing activist Joe Lombardo is UNAC’s coordinator. ¹¹ 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. ¹²

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. ¹³ 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. ^{14 15} In 2019, Lombardo was a member of a so-called “peace and solidarity delegation” that met with Venezuelan leadership, including President Nicholas Maduro. ^{16 17}

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; ¹⁸ BAYAN-USA; the Committee of the International League for People’s Struggle; Popular Resistance; and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee. ¹⁹

Activities and Funding

In 2024, the United National Antiwar Coalition endorsed the American Muslim Task Force For Palestine’s March on Washington for Gaza. ²⁰

UNAC is a founding member of the SanctionsKill Campaign, ²¹ an affiliate of left-of-center Veterans for Peace, ²² a key ally of far-left Black Alliance for Peace, ²³ and is on the board of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms. ²⁴

Political Positions

The United National Antiwar Coalition unequivocally opposes what it calls “American imperialism,” which includes sanctions, trade embargoes, and military interventions. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶

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. ²⁷

UNAC supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement ²⁸ and banning nuclear weapons, ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ The organization has claimed there is nothing to celebrate on American Independence Day ³¹ and supports critical race theory-influenced left-wing activism and boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel. ³²

Activism

In April 2024, the United National Antiwar Coalition will host the United National Antiwar Coalition Conference with left-wing antiwar activist organization CODEPINK. ³³ 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. ³⁴

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. ³⁵

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. ³⁶

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. ³⁷

2. UNAC is a fiscally sponsored project of the left-of-center Alliance for Global Justice. ¹ “Donate to UNAC.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/donate.html.
3. Guest Author. “Solidarity with longtime antiwar activist Joe Lombardo!” Workers World. October 13, 2021. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.workers.org/2021/10/59530/.
4. “This 4^th of July Statement by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC).” United National Antiwar Coalition. July 4, 2020. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://nepajac.org/july4.htm.
5. “Home.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/home.html.
6. “Who We Are.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/about.html.
7. “United National Antiwar Coalition Conference.” CODEPINK. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.codepink.org/unacconference24.
8.  Guest Author. “Solidarity with longtime antiwar activist Joe Lombardo!” Workers World. October 13, 2021. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.workers.org/2021/10/59530/.
9. “US Peace and Solidarity Delegation Goes to Venezuela.” UNAC. Accessed January 28, 2024. https://nepajac.org/venrptjoe.htm.
10. “United National Antiwar Coalition.” Congressional Digest. Vol. 11, No. 3. March 2013. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://congressionaldigest.com/issue/chaos-in-mali/united-national-antiwar-coalition/.
11. “About.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/about.html.
12.  “Joe Lombardo.” UNAC YouTube Channel. Uploaded June 12, 2020. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf_Fsebbbng&t=2s.
13.  “Joe Lombardo.” UNAC YouTube Channel. Uploaded June 12, 2020. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf_Fsebbbng&t=2s.
14. “Free Palestine.” UNAC YouTube Channel. Uploaded November 12, 2023. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbp6_KXz_pE.
15. “Joe Lombardo.” UNAC YouTube Channel. Uploaded June 12, 2020. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf_Fsebbbng&t=2s.
16. Guest Author. “Solidarity with longtime antiwar activist Joe Lombardo!” Workers World. October 13, 2021. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.workers.org/2021/10/59530/.
17. “US Peace and Solidarity Delegation Goes to Venezuela.” UNAC. Accessed January 28, 2024. https://nepajac.org/venrptjoe.htm.
18. “Free Palestine.” UNAC YouTube Channel. Uploaded November 12, 2023. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbp6_KXz_pE.
19. “About.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/about.html.
20. “Endorsers.” March on Washington for Gaza. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://march4gaza.org/endorsers/.
21. “Home.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/home.html.
22. “Howard Zinn Fund for Chapter Activities.” Veterans for Peace. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.veteransforpeace.org/vfp-chapters/zinn-fund-chapter-activities.
23. “On the Anniversary of the Assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Black Alliance for Peace Launches a People(s)-Centered Campaign for a Zone of Peace in the Americas.” The Black Alliance for Peace. April 4, 2023. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/2023/4/7/zoneofpeacepressrelease.
24. “ Who We Are.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/about.html.
25. Guest Author. “Solidarity with longtime antiwar activist Joe Lombardo!” Workers World. October 13, 2021. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.workers.org/2021/10/59530/.
26. “Who We Are.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/about.html.
27. “Home.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/home.html.
28. “Home.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/home.html.
29. “Ban nuclear weapons starting with the US! Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki!” February 27, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2024. https://nepajac.org/Hiroshima072721.htm.
30. “Facebook Post.” Untied National Antiwar Coalition. December 18, 2022. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/EndTheWars/posts/pfbid0F1vqXs13EKk6iMTWHgZr26jyNdm3Kk4BDFwD54MCfnJnNcbiEbakdAYDbKJnpYR9l.
31. “This 4^th of July Statement by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC).” United National Antiwar Coalition. July 4, 2020. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://nepajac.org/july4.htm.
32. “Who We Are.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/about.html.
33. “United National Antiwar Coalition Conference.” CODEPINK. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.codepink.org/unacconference24.
34. “Home.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/home.html.
35. “McCarthyism is Back: Together We Can Stop It.” Action Network. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/mccarthyism-is-back-together-we-can-stop-it?nowrapper=true&referrer=&source=.
36.  “President Biden: Stop Israeli Government’s Attacks on Palestinian Civil Society.” Center for Constitutional Rights. August 29, 2022. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://ccrjustice.org/president-biden-stop-israeli-government-s-attacks-palestinian-civil-society-0.
37.  “Donate to UNAC.” United National Antiwar Coalition. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://www.unacpeace.org/donate.html.