Austin protesters rally to keep U.S. out of war amid Israel-Iran conflict

Austin protesters want America to stay out of war

As President Trump weighs in on whether the U.S. should get more involved with the conflict between Israel and Iran, protesters lined up at Austin City Hall on Thursday with a clear message: keep Americans out of it.

AUSTIN, Texas - As President Trump weighs in on whether the U.S. should get more involved with the conflict between Israel and Iran, protesters lined up at Austin City Hall on Thursday with a clear message: keep Americans out of it.

'Hands off Iran' protest

The backstory:

"I can't control what other people's countries do, but I can fight for what my country does," said Madelyn Petty, a protester. 

She joined about 100 to 150 others at Austin City Hall.

The protest comes as tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating, particularly after an attack on Iran by Israel. Israel is hoping to destroy an Iranian nuclear facility buried deep in the ground.

That's where Israel wants the U.S. to come in and help with what's called a bunker bomb.

Israel-Iran conflict: Is the U.S. getting involved?

President Trump said he'll make a decision in the next two weeks on whether he'll order a strike on Iran

"The issue is that this other country, Israel, has hundreds of bombs and is threatening the stability of an entire region and then dragging us into it," said Kamil Shunnarah, with the Palestinian Youth Movement of Central Texas.

Organizers like Shunnarah point to other ways the U.S. could use its money, instead of getting further tangled up in conflict in the Middle East.

"We don't want our tax dollars to go towards another endless war in the Middle East," said Shunnarah. "We want those dollars to go towards community here in Austin, here in Texas to go to schools, supporting people, supporting housing for folks, so we're here to say because we're here to say we don't want a war, we don't want another war."

On Thursday, Trump said he'd have an answer about whether the U.S. gets involved or not within the next two weeks.

While protesters know their group probably won't be the deciding factor for the president, they feel they have to do something.

"Although this is largely symbolic, what we are doing, God only expects of us what he has given us the opportunity and the power and the strength to do," said Ali Elamin, a protester.