Exiled Iranian designer and activist Leila Farahbakhsh over the weekend confronted a purported “pacifist” leftist anti-U.S. rally in Florence, Italy, against the United States’ “Operation Epic Fury” — criticizing the Italian leftists for staying silent over the atrocities committed by the rogue regime against its own people.
The United States on Saturday launched “Operation Epic Fury,” a military operation against the Iranian regime alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In the first hours of the operation, U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s missile assets and other high profile targets, including much of the regime’s leadership, leading to several deaths among the regime’s top brass — including “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death was personally confirmed by President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Numerous reports published in the hours following Trump’s confirmation indicate that members of the Iranian diaspora around the world jubilantly celebrated the death of the brutal dictator, who President Trump described as “one of the most evil people in history.” Argentine President Javier Milei, whose country was a victim of Iran’s terror through two deadly attacks committed by its proxy Hezbollah in the 1990s, also celebrated the death of Khamenei. Much like Trump, Milei described Khamenei as “one of the most evil, violent, and cruel people in the history of mankind.”
Italian outlets reported that, hours after the start of the U.S. military operation, a group of Italian leftists held a “peaceful” rally in Florence to condemn the United States’ actions in Iran and demand an end to the strikes against the Iranian regime. According to the Florence-based newspaper La Nazione, the rally, which saw some 150 people protest against “U.S. military intervention and all forms of violence,” was promoted by the Italian Recreational and Cultural Association (ARCI), a group that the ruling Brothers of Italy (FdI) party has accused of being linked to the Italian left-wing.
The newspaper reported that Farahbakhsh, an industrial and interior designer who has lived in Florence for 15 years, confronted the group over their “silence on the repression of the Iranian regime.
“Now I’m speaking, where have you been until now? For years we have been asking the international community for help. I couldn’t accept that people around me were talking about a reality that is not the one my family members experience,” Farahbakhsh reportedly told the protesters.
The newspaper further detailed that Farahbakhsh pointed out to the protesters that the United States “has helped the Iranian people” and further criticized the protesters for not taking into account the suffering of Iranians who have family members living under the regime’s oppression.
“All Iranians participating in this protest have no family in Iran, they have fled Iran. Our families are there, under fire from the regime. How could you remain silent? In two days, the Iranian regime shut down the internet, killed 40,000 people, arrested 53,000 people, tortured them, and subjected women to violence. Where were you?” she is heard saying in the video.
According to La Nazione, one of the protesters told Farahbakhsh, “We are here in the streets with the Iranian people,” to which the activist responded, “There are very few Iranians here, they made the Revolution for whatever reason they made it. They are here with their families here but they have no one in Iran, yet from their comfort zone they want to decide for the Iranian people.”
The newspaper further explained that Farahbakhsh has been unable to return to her country over the past years after her exile became permanent. One of the protesters invited her to “calm down” and move away, to which she asserted, “Let me speak, I am an Iranian woman and I have the right to speak.”
Farahbakhsh spoke with La Nazione on Monday and reiterated that she has lived in the city for 15 years while her family is still in Iran. She denounced the “silence” surrounding the Iranian regime’s oppression and expressed her support of the United States’ actions against the rogue Islamists.
“My people have shed blood,” she told La Nazione, and stressed, “we don’t want war, but diplomacy has not been enough.”
“My people were waiting for those planes,” she added. “Now I’m speaking out.”
The activist explained that in recent years she has seen some of her friends arrested and young people killed or blinded during protests in Iran, stressing that doctors have been detained for treating the wounded protesters. She also detailed that she managed to contact her family as soon as the strikes started, who told her, “If we can’t communicate anymore, don’t worry, we’re safe,” in light of intermittent communication and internet service availability in Iran.
“We asked for help. 98 percent of the population is happy, they are celebrating,” she asserted to La Nazione. “In some areas, they even shot at those who were celebrating.”
“I don’t want war, but the Iranian people cannot die with their bare hands because someone doesn’t like Americans,” she continued.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini complimented the activist in a social media post on Monday.
“Only applause for Leila, a free, independent, and courageous voice,” Salvini wrote. “After attempting to explain Venezuela to Venezuelans, the left in Italy is trying to explain Iran to Iranians always from the wrong side.”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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