Iran Protests Enter Day 3: 'Where Are the Free Palestine Activists?’

As anti-government protests in Iran enter a third consecutive day, journalists, activists, and commentators are questioning why the pro-Gaza protest movement that dominated Western streets and campuses has remained largely silent as Iranians confront an Islamist dictatorship at home.

The nationwide demonstrations, driven by economic collapse and anger at the Islamic Republic’s leadership, have seen shop closures, street demonstrations, and heavy security deployments in Tehran and other cities. Iranians have openly chanted against the ruling clerics — a rare and dangerous act under the regime.

Iranian outlets and activists have reported arrests, detentions, and the use of deadly force by security services, with videos circulating on social media showing confrontations between demonstrators and authorities.

Drawing attention to the contrast, journalist Jonathan Harounoff noted that while “Iran’s brave people are staging widespread protests against the brutal 46-year-old Islamic Republic,” the loudest “Ceasefire Now” voices and campus activists appear absent.

“Where are the solidarity rallies on our streets?” he asked, questioning why the same activists are not speaking up for Iranians facing repression.

Social media commentator Oli London echoed the sentiment, writing: “Iranians are taking to the streets of Iran to demand an end to the regime that has brutally oppressed them for 46 years.” 

“Where are the ‘Free Palestine’ activists demanding freedom for the Iranian people?” he asked. “Where are the ‘Free Palestine’ activists demanding justice?”

Iranian activist Sana Ebrahimi offered a harsher critique, writing that the “Free Palestine” movement has consistently aligned itself with the Islamic Republic — a regime Iranians view as their oppressor.

“I know you want to ‘free Palestine.’ But perhaps you should start by wanting to free Iran from the regime financing so much of the tragedy you claim to oppose,” wrote economic journalist Mani Basharzad.

Last year, Iranian-American dissident Masih Alinejad accused pro-Palestinian protest movements in the West of ignoring or downplaying the suffering of Iranians under clerical rule while amplifying narratives that benefit Tehran and its regional allies.

The criticism also follows last year’s U.S. intelligence warning that Iranian government-linked actors had exploited and helped finance anti-Israel protests in the U.S.

As protests continue inside Iran, criticism is increasingly focused on activist movements that describe themselves as champions of justice yet are now being challenged publicly for what critics describe as selective silence when that justice involves confronting an Islamist regime rather than the Jewish state.