The piece argues that Iran’s theocratic regime has been brutally repressive at home and a global sponsor of terrorism, applauds recent lethal action against its leadership, criticizes U.S. demonstrators who defend the mullahs, and calls out the coalition of leftist and Islamist groups organizing protests in American cities.
All day Saturday, American and Israeli forces struck hard at Iran’s theocratic leadership, and from this perspective that was a necessary and moral response. Iran under the mullahs has been a brutal, murderous regime, and its record of repression and external aggression is well known. The regime has crushed dissent inside its borders and funneled support to violent groups that have murdered innocents abroad.
The Tehran regime has been linked to mass killings, and countless Iranians have paid with their lives for demanding basic freedoms. Reports suggest the security services have killed tens of thousands of protestors who only wanted a freer society. That kind of cruelty has consequences, and when the regime’s command and control are weakened, people who suffered for years may finally see an opening.
When news broke that the top figure in Iran had been killed, reactions were raw and direct. My mother used to say you should try to say something good when someone dies, but in this case one can only be straightforward: “He’s dead. Good.” That line captures the visceral relief felt by many who endured the mullahs’ reign. Emotions run high after years of suffering, and simple, blunt statements reflect that.
There were immediate protests across American cities from a loose coalition of activist groups who branded the strikes as “unprovoked” and “illegal.” The spectacle of people in the United States defending or excusing the theocracy in Tehran is baffling to many who know Iran’s record of state-sponsored violence. It is striking that some domestic movements choose to side with an enemy of freedom simply because that enemy opposes American or Israeli policy.
A coalition of organizations on Saturday have planned protests opposing the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier in the day, with demonstrations planned across multiple cities.
“Trump’s unprovoked, illegal attack on Iran is an act of war that threatens to cause unthinkable death and destruction. But the people of this country reject another endless war and will take to the streets now and make our voices heard,” stated Action Coalition.
The coalition listed several emergency protests scheduled earlier in the day and into Saturday afternoon across several cities. These cities include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City and more.
Six more protests will be held on Sunday in Albany, N.Y.; Ellensburg, Va.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Decorah, Iowa; Gainesville, Fla.; and Springfield, Mo.
Labeling these strikes “unprovoked” ignores two decades of Iranian aggression and destabilizing actions across the region. Tehran has trained, armed, and financed militant proxies that have slaughtered civilians and attacked U.S. interests and allies. To ignore that history and pretend the regime is anything other than a malignant force is to be willfully blind.
Who organized these demonstrations is telling. The coalition includes groups that range from Islamist-aligned activists to socialist and far-left organizations. That alignment makes a strange bedfellow team: radicals who oppose American and Israeli actions, some of whom excuse, minimize, or openly support movements that benefit the Iranian regime’s influence.
The coalition is made up of other organizations like the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink and The People’s Forum, among other activist groups.
Domestic freedom of speech protects these protesters, and in a pluralistic society we tolerate dissenting voices even when they make little sense. Yet tolerance does not mean approval, and it does not change the facts about Tehran’s brutality or the moral clarity of opposing a regime that murders its own people. Americans should recognize the difference between principled protest and siding with a murderous theocracy.
No matter the street protests or the noise made in American cities, the strategic reality is that the mullahs face severe internal and external pressure. Theocratic regimes that rule by fear often crumble when their leadership is destabilized and key assets are struck. If the goal is a more humane and freer Iran, weakening the regime’s ability to terrorize both its population and the region is a necessary step.
The protests may complicate public perception and political debate at home, but they will not change the underlying facts about the Iranian regime’s nature or its actions. Those who cheer the mullahs or excuse their murderous behavior will be on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of ordinary decency. Real solidarity with the Iranian people means standing against theocracy, not shielding it from consequences.
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