Lessons from Times Square protests by US residents as tax money becomes a debate
Protests by residents in Times Square, New York City, reopen public debate about how tax money is used by the state, especially when public funds are linked to financing military conflicts abroad.
Hundreds of New Yorkers were reported to have gathered and marched along several city streets to protest air strikes coordinated between the United States and Israel against Iran on 28 February 2026.
‘We must not forget that the United States is the country with more than 5,000 nuclear warheads ready to launch. The United States is also the one directing those warheads at cities and civilian settlements like ours around the world,’ said Layan Fuleihan, Director of Education at The People’s Forum, during the demonstration, as quoted by Antara.
He also argued that the conflict does not reflect the concerns of a majority of Americans.
‘Iran does not pose a threat to the US. We will not be deceived by the lies used to fool us twenty years ago,’ Fuleihan said.
Similar calls were also voiced by the global taxpayer advocacy group, Tax Payer Community, which highlighted the use of public funds for military conflicts.
‘We emphasise that the people’s tax money is not for financing war, but to improve the welfare of citizens in their respective countries, strengthen public services, and build a safer and more prosperous future,’ said Abdul Koni, Chair of the Tax Payer Community, in a press statement, quoted Friday (6/3/2026).
According to Koni, people essentially hope that the taxes they pay are used to improve their quality of life.
‘The American people work hard and pay taxes in the expectation that the funds will be used to improve their quality of life, not to widen overseas armed conflicts. War only breeds suffering, not a solution,’ Koni said.
In a Kompas.com article titled ‘Where Does The Tax Money Paid By Citizens Go?’, it is explained that taxes paid by the public go into the state treasury and are used to fund various government needs.
‘The taxes paid by the public go into the state treasury and are used to finance the various needs of the state through the national budget,’ the article states.
Those funds are used for a range of sectors, from infrastructure development, health services, and education, to social protection and defence and security spending.
Hence, the debate over the priority of tax money spending often surfaces in democratic spaces in various countries, especially when questions arise about balancing military expenditure with the welfare needs of society.
The Tax Payer Community regards public discussion such as that seen in the New York demonstration as reflecting rising public concern about transparency and accountability in the use of the state budget.