Feb 14

Feb 14 They Can Taste Freedom

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Public Declarations

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chicago’s Ukrainian community has repeatedly taken to the streets, staging dozens of rallies and marches. Six weeks ago, Chicago’s Iranian community stepped into the footsteps first trod by the Ukrainians, taking to the same streets as they call for regime change in Iran.

In fairness, the Iranians occasionally staged demonstrations before the current round of rallies and marches, but not to the same degree that we have seen since the recent Iranian uprising against the mullahs. Both communities seek freedom and democracy in their respective homelands. Like the Ukrainians, the Iranians should be an inspiration to all Chicagoans.

Today, members of the Iranian community gathered in Congress Plaza near the southern tip of Grant Park for a rally coinciding with rallies throughout the world. In Munich, the Iranian diaspora staged a demonstration as world leaders gathered for the annual Munich Security Conference. According to police reports, 250,000 demonstrators took to the streets, calling for regime change in Iran. Even more astonishing, the media is reporting that 350,000 people rallied in Toronto on behalf of the Iranian people.

Yesterday, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah of Iran, spoke at the Munich Conference, telling world leaders, “[support for Iran’s existing government] sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power.” Many Iranians hope that Pahlavi will assume power once the existing theocratic regime collapses. He would serve as a figurehead, while Iran shifts to a democracy, with free elections.

In recent decades, the Iranian people have repeatedly resisted the repressive mullahs. Some have paid a high price for that resistance, with many being gunned down in the streets of Tehran, imprisoned, and executed. The world is all too familiar with Iran’s macabre form of capital punishment: the hangman places the noose around the condemned man’s neck, with the rope/cable attached to a construction crane. The crane then lifts the man into the air, his legs flail for mere seconds, and then his neck snaps, extinguishing his life and sending a chilling message to those looking upward. “Do not resist. Submit to our will.”

Late last year, as another step in the seemingly never-ending cycle, the Iranian people again took to the streets, demanding regime change. Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded in January with a bloody crackdown. Depending on the source, somewhere between 7,000 and 43,000 Iranian protesters were killed, with many others imprisoned. People were murdered as they sought medical treatment in hospitals. According to reports, over 200 school children died at the hands of the regime.

As noted, outraged Chicago Iranians have held several demonstrations during the last six weeks. The cold weather has kept attendance down. Sometimes 75 people turned out; at others, the number approached 150 or 200. With the temperature soaring to 55° F today, 800 people attended the rally, which was followed by a slow procession to Trump Tower, and then a march to Daley Plaza, where several people spoke.

Everybody I spoke with was impressed by the colorful pageantry, enthusiasm on display, and the large turnout. Chicago’s Iranian community spoke loudly.

The Strategy. By and large, the Iranians dispensed with the lengthy speeches that typify rallies held by other groups. Two or three people made brief remarks, with a song and chants interspersed among the speeches. The organizers emphasized the march, which moved at a much slower pace than other marches. Notably, a man in a fluorescent green vest led the way, carrying an octagonal red sign. One side read “Stop,” while the other side was imprinted with the word “Slower.”

I can only speculate, but I suspect the organizers elevated the march because it provided more visibility. Passersby rarely stop to listen to speeches, but when demonstrators march, people sitting in bars and restaurants along the route can be seen looking out the windows. People in Millennium Park rush to the sidewalk lining Michigan Avenue to see what all the commotion is about. Even though stuck in traffic, motorists roll down their windows so that they can capture images of the marchers holding signs and flags. Some of the video inevitably ends up on TikTok, further spreading the message. What the Iranian organizers apparently had figured out is that marching in the street offers more visibility than long-winded speeches in a plaza far from Chicago’s retail strip. Better to talk to the non-Iranian public than themselves.

Trump Casts a Long Shadow. The Iranians are big fans of Donald J. Trump, at least to the extent that he is seen as someone who can bring about regime change in Iran. On June 22, 2025, Trump ordered the U.S. Air Force and Navy to strike the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center. Trump claimed that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” those facilities. Even Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that the sites had sustained severe damage.

In the wake of the recent crackdown by the mullahs, Trump has moved U.S. military assets into the Persian Gulf. Under Trump’s orders, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford and supporting ships were recently redeployed from the Caribbean to the Persian Gulf, where they will join the existing U.S. forces that are ready to strike Iran on Trump’s orders. Trump has threatened to take military action should the mullahs resume the killings, assuming they actually ever stopped. He has also threatened strikes if the ongoing nuclear disarmament talks break down.

In reality, Trump is already poised to strike Iran. Nothing would please him more than to be the president who finally brought the mullahs to their knees. He just needs an excuse (even a flimsy will do) to order an attack.

Given Trump’s actions to date, I was not surprised to see the demonstrators in Congress Plaza waving MAGA flags and prominently displaying pictures of Trump. The marchers chanted, “U.S. lead the way, act today” and “Trump act now” as they marched. Some of the signs and red caps referenced MIGA, a not very clever play on the MAGA acronym.

A Cautionary Note. Despite Trump’s efforts on behalf of Iranians, Chicago’s Iranian community should think twice about their highly visible support for the mercurial Trump. To see why, they need only recall his January 13, 2026 post on Truth Social, which proclaimed:

Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON ITS WAY

Earlier, on January 9, 2026, Trump told the Iranian regime that he would “hit Iran very, very hard where it hurts” if the mullahs continued killing protesters. The promised help and strikes never materialized, even as thousands were slaughtered in the streets of Tehran. Trump simply does not keep his promises.

More importantly, interjecting Trump into today’s demonstration may have been counterproductive. With his approval ratings now at 34%, Trump is the least popular U.S. president in decades. A significant number of Americans despise him.

For many Chicagoans who witnessed today’s march, seeing MAGA flags and signs with Trump’s images produced the sort of visceral reaction that overtakes a bull when it sees a red cape. While Chicago’s Iranian community may welcome Trump’s assistance in deposing the theocracy back home, the community might better serve its cause by forgoing references to Trump and MIGA. Conflating Trump’s brand with their cause likely undermines their effort.

If the organizers disagree, they need only look to Munich and Toronto. Why weren’t there thousands of people in the streets of Chicago today? Plenty of non-Palestinians have taken to Chicago’s streets on behalf of Palestinians living in Gaza. Plenty of non-Hispanics have taken to Chicago’s streets screaming “ICE Out.” I did not see many non-Iranians joining the marchers today. Is the Trump signage keeping Chicagoans on the sidelines? Some people I have spoken with have referred to the Iranians as Trumpers

The Paradox. The overt references to Trump also highlight a paradox. Chicago’s Iranian community welcomes Trump’s support in bringing about regime change that produces democracy in Iran. Yet, Trump’s autocratic inclinations have already damaged America’s own democratic institutions. With his threats to primary non-compliant Republicans, Trump has turned our legislative branch into a rubber stamp, eliminating the checks and oversight normally provided by a co-equal branch of government. Trump has effectively militarized the streets of Chicago, Minneapolis, and Portland. Like the mullahs, he has no problem using the military to quell dissent.

Free elections? Iranians desire free elections, but Trump has already undermined free elections in the United States, particularly with his claims that any outcome that he doesn’t like is fraudulent. He has also demanded that the Federal government administer elections, despite the U.S. Constitution explicitly stating that elections are to be administered the states.

What Follows Regime Change? Moreover, why do Chicago’s Iranians assume the results will be to their liking should Trump engineer regime change in Iran? Will Trump back an autocrat who is willing to do deals with Trump, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner at the expense of the Iranian people? Will the mullahs be replaced by an Iranian akin to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán? Will Trump syphon off the proceeds from the sale of Iranian oil, as with Venezuela, placing the funds in the same offshore bank account in Qatar that Trump controls without any accountability?

Chicago’s Iranians should also be wary of unilateral military action by Trump. Undoubtedly, congressional Democrats and at least a few Republicans will object to another unconstitutional U.S. military incursion. Is Chicago’s Iranian community willing to accept the consequences when their cause becomes entangled with domestic politics?

Admittedly, the community is in a tough spot. From a short-term perspective, Trump offers a viable and tempting solution, but what about the long-term consequences? I hope those organizing the Chicago Iranian community’s public response to events happening in Iran are at least taking these considerations into account as they fashion that response.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]