Montana State University students are speaking out about the U.S. attacks on Iran, joining humanitarian advocates in highlighting the danger to civilians.
Several student groups led protests in Bozeman after the initial strikes on Feb. 28.
Julian Staggs, president of the school's chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, said they will keep protesting.
"The actions in Iran are blatantly illegal under international law and have already led to the deaths of over 1,000 civilians in Iran," Staggs stressed. "There's no justification for the conflict."
A global humanitarian group is pleading with governments and military forces to make preserving human life their top priority.
Anna Zaros, director of advancement for the group Nonviolent Peaceforce, said her group's Head of Mission in northern Iraq described the civilian impact there, with people afraid to go to work or school or even sleep through the night.
President Donald Trump has said the attacks were launched to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. House and Senate have blocked efforts that would have required congressional approval for further military action in Iran.
Zaros warned because of the Trump administration's deep budget cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development, it will be harder for war-torn villages and cities to recover.
"War causes an explosion of and worsening of need. We're talking about food, sanitation, civilian protection," Zaros outlined.
Staggs pointed out along with ending the Iran attacks, his group wants Montana State University to cut ties with companies involved in military research. Staggs noted the companies are using MSU's Innovation Campus, operated by the MSU Alumni Foundation and Charter Realty, to develop military surveillance technologies used domestically and overseas.
"It's our public land grant university that is connected to it," Staggs emphasized. "This university receives public funds. It's a university that's supposed to serve the people of Montana, not supposed to be oppressing the people of other countries."
Staggs said the MSU administration has told his group since the companies are private, the university has no control over their work.