May 24

May 24 Iranians Condemn Regime

Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Public Declarations, Protest

Sunday afternoon members of Chicago’s Iranian community gathered outside the Wrigley Building to show their support for Iranians who are resisting an Iranian regime run by religious zealots. I can only say so much about a peaceful demonstration by eight people. But whatever the headcount, credit goes to anyone who speaks out in public about important issues.

While I was present, there were no speeches. I don’t recall any chants, either. Just eight people taking a stand. I noticed more police officers nearby than demonstrators, although the officers may have been present simply because it was a holiday weekend.

Given the location, I suspect a lot of passersby were out-of-towners who must at least have been curious about what was happening. Unfortunately for the demonstrators, most people just kept walking.

Despite being miniscule, there were two noteworthy aspects to the demonstration. First, I saw no references to Donald J. Trump. Strategically, the Iranians made a good decision if they consciously decided to omit references to Trump. At past demonstrations, some demonstrations held pro-Trump signage. Perhaps of greater significance, several speakers praised Trump’s efforts on behalf of the Iranian populace living under a repressive regime.

Iranians living in the United States are favorably disposed toward Trump because he wants to destroy the existing regime. Yet, a large segment of the American public detests Trump, meaning that strategically conflating Iran and Trump is not helpful to the cause. While Americans may love freedom, many do not love Trump.

Second, I saw no references to Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah of Iran, who would like to reclaim the throne that was vacated by the demise of his father. I was told in unequivocal terms that this group does not support Pahlavi. While Pahlavi claims he would like to see democracy in Iran restored, many Iranians living in exile do not view him as the man to restore it. Notably, the Chicago’s Iranian community does have a segment that supports Pahlavi, which explains why I have sometimes seen dueling demonstrations.

I suspect we will see this group of demonstrators back on the streets sometime before summer’s end, but in far greater numbers. With the ceasefire in place, although barely so, the U.S. war with Iran is no longer topping the headlines each day, which probably explains the today’s poor turnout.

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