IRANIAN PROTESTERS SLAM ACTIVISTS' SILENCE—'WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?'

Newsweek Exclusive Feature

As revolution sweeps Iran, a senior analyst told Newsweek why some who often speak up for humanitarian causes have stayed silent.

We are witnessing the greatest progressive movement of our time, but the loudest progressives are nowhere to be seen.

Courageous men and women, young and old, across over a reported 30 provinces in Iran have been taking to the streets in unified revolutionary fervor to take charge over their futures. They chant for an end to the Islamic Regime, democracy, equal rights and freedom of expression, movement and belief—values upheld in many other nations.

The regime they have risen up to responded with a brutal crackdown and state violence. At least a reported 2,571 Iranians, dubbed "CIA-backed rioters and terrorists" by Islamic Regime officials, have been killed, according to reports from a Regime official to Reuters, but some rights groups fear the death count could have surpassed 12,000. Thousands have been arrested, the majority reportedly under 30.

Now, Iranians are reportedly facing a form of undeclared martial law, a communication blackout, and conditions the diaspora have dubbed the largest hostage taking in history.

Iranians have risen up against the regime several times. They have called for free elections, secularism, and equal rights, notably for the nation's women, minorities and animals, in a way that is rarely seen in the Middle East. Despite the push for progressiveness, influential humanitarian figures and groups have remained silent on the tragedy or have spoken up late.

It took the U.N. days to put a statement together on the current unrest, despite getting a statement and a moment's silence sorted within a day of Ebrahim Raisi's death. Raisi, Iran's former president, was nicknamed the "Butcher of Tehran" by many Iranians due to his involvement in mass executions.

Through the ongoing communication blackout, Iranians have been calling on those outside of Iran to be their voice. On top of that, the values they have been trying to restore in their nation are those that humanitarian voices in the West claim to champion—so why did it take many so long to speak up? And why have others remained silent?

Khosro Isfahani is a senior research analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization. He told Newsweek that there are several reasons why both the public figures and ordinary people who usually speak up for humanitarian causes have been silent about Iran.

Why Are Progressive Activists Silent?

Isfahani said he knows that it is unrealistic to expect people to speak out about everything, all the time, but feels disappointed in the lack of popular support for the Iranian people—especially by Hollywood figures associated with progressive causes, such as Mark Ruffalo and Angelina Jolie.

"This is a point of frustration for all of us," said Isfahani, who spent most of his life in Iran and now lives in Washington, D.C. "The loudest voices who wouldn't stop talking about Gaza are silent now."

The analyst said that several factors have led to this.

An Iranian citizen protests the Islamic Regime in January 2026. Credit: INSTAGRAM / CITIZEN PHOTOGRAPH

Firstly, people have been conflating the grassroots, decades-long struggle of the Iranian people against the Islamic Regime with the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many, Isfahani said, took the Islamic Regime's performative support for Palestine to heart.

During the Iran-Israel War, posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were held up by some protesters in the West while they screamed "hands off Iran." Not all activists of a leftist persuasion feel compelled to prop up the Ayatollah, but the presence of Israel flags by Israelis attending Free Iran rallies taking place worldwide, and the conflation of the regional issues, has prompted some to feel they cannot stand with

Iranians, as it would mean they are abandoning their support for Palestinians.

Isfahani also believes that many in the West hold a troubled view of Iran. He said that many Westerners view Iranians as staunch supporters of their Islamic dictatorship—even if recent events have clearly shown otherwise—and believe the unrest is cultural,

complicated or even Islamophobic for them to speak out on.

"Iranians last rose up in 2022 trying to reclaim their homeland for the 10th time. We have been on the streets nonstop. We have tried again and again," Isfahani said. "The Islamic Republic has tried to erode life in Iran from existence with mass executions or censorship, and unfortunately, we have people who like to exotify the image of Iranian women in chadors.

"The media has failed us and has not reflected what Iranians are, who Iranians are. Iranian youth watch the latest TV shows, speak multiple languages, echo every social-media trend and are very talented, but, unlike many in the West who appear to hate the guts of Western civilization, the Iranian youth want Western standards of life because they see it as the standard of life."

According to Isfahani, while many are informed about Iran's repressive rulers, whom he calls "fascists," some have fallen for their propaganda that has infiltrated the internet, universities and other groups in what he dubs an "anti-West" agenda.

"A lot of the young people in developed, democratic countries have been brainwashed by left-leaning media to believe that the U.S. and European powers are the absolute evil on the Earth," Isfahani said, "and that anyone that opposes these countries are good guys."

It is for this reason that he thinks many people refrain from speaking out against the regime. He called them "useful idiots," lacking in nuance and real understanding of the Middle East.

"I come from a leftist background, too, but the only thing these people want is see the destruction of Western civilization," Isfahani said.

"They are useful, echoing talking points coming from the Ayatollah."

One woman who has been instrumental in speaking out about the so-called Marxist-Islamist alliance, and why some young people of a leftist persuasion appear more sympathetic toward the Islamic Regime, is Elica Le Bon (@elicalebon).

Le Bon, an attorney and activist, uses her social-media presence to speak about Iran, regularly schooling her followers in how its regime is not fighting Western imperialism as often glamorized, and that, by arguing so, people are only inflicting their own imperialist beliefs on Iranians and acting as regime apologists. Le Bon's following grew in recent years after she began talking about the connection between

Marxists and Islamists in the context of Iranian history and misconceptions about Iran's last monarch in the West.

Newsweek reached out to Le Bon and her representative for comment.

Several diaspora Iranians have picked up on how the Iranian people's uprising has been attached to the Israel-Palestine conflict and have reaffirmed their solidarity with Palestinians to encourage their followers to stop conflating the two regional concerns.

As the communication blackout ensues, Iranian voices remain smothered. Still, Regime officials appear free to use platforms such as X and appear on U.S. television programs—all while doubt from onlookers in the West that the regime could ever be toppled is weaponized and dissent is undermined.

Some progressive voices have caught onto what is happening in Iran, now raising awareness on their own platforms. But Isfahani has concerns that debating and politicizing the matter—by sharing doubt that Iranians can establish a democracy or arguing that Iranians have not been calling for Western help as shown in numerous video clips—instead of simply amplifying Iranian voices, could be harmful.

"When you talk about human rights in a context like Iran, women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, freedom of religion, some people would retort that these are Western values, as if things are not equal," Isfahani said. "But a lot of these values come from Iran…We had multiculturalism before they even had that word.

"They have put Iranians in a box, eroding our identity, history, civilization. We have a culture that has brought arts, poetry, human rights, coexistence, religious coexistence. This is the culture that we come from, not the Islamic Republic. They do not represent Iranians or their values," Isfahani added.

It is difficult to verify how many Iranians oppose the Islamic Regime.

Iran is a theocracy and its population cannot express political beliefs with ease. Still, recent surveys from inside Iran show that between 70 and 80 percent of the population oppose the regime.

What the Left Gets Wrong About Iran

As news of the uprisings spread, they caught the attention of commentators in the West.

While discussing the matter, several raised doubts that a fall of the regime would lead to democracy, arguing that it could only strengthen Israel's standing in the Middle East or America's influence in the region. Concerns that regime change could lead to further instability in West Asia or the rise of separatist groups have also been voiced online, in podcasts, think pieces and beyond.

U.S. commentator Ana Kasparian took to X to respond to a video shared of Iranian activist Masih Alinejad criticizing her stance on Iran during a television interview. Kasparian had framed the argument for regime change in Iran as being "spurred" by Israel and the U.S.

Owen Jones, a British journalist, also took to X to share his view that if exiled opposition leader Reza Pahlavi takes over Iran, it will result in "a brutal dictatorship." Other commentators have spoken out against possible Western intervention by Trump, while ignoring speculation that the Islamic Regime has already brought militia groups in from other countries to quell protesters.

Isfahani feels that sentiments like these are misinformed, especially the one currently circulating in comments sections online that the uprisings were spurred by Israel, or that the reports of death are Israeli propaganda.

Isfahani added that Pahlavi has been open about the mistakes of his father, Iran's last monarch, and that his plan to lead as a transitional leader until Iran establishes a secular democracy has been consistent and well-documented. His team's plans can even be found online, in English. It is unrealistic to expect Iranians, he said, under their current regime where dissent can be met with death, to create new political parties and with a clean vote oust the regime.

Isfahani noted that Iranians craving regime change know that they need to unify behind an opposition figure, but that their opposition is now being downplayed by progressives in the West. He added that Iran, despite being of diverse ethnic makeup, has a national identity and history that could likely withstand the domestic issues that neighboring countries have not.

Noticing the progressive void, Canadian broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi took to Instagram on January 7 to highlight the silence.

"Where are you guys? You could be helpful," he told viewers in a now-viral clip.

Ghomeshi also asked viewers if the silence has been "because Iranians are not as a monolith anti-Trump or anti-Israel."

Some Iranians have been thanking Trump on social media for his solidarity with protesters in the form of Truth Social posts.

From Barack Obama signing the nuclear deal to Jimmy Carter's endorsement of the Ayatollah, many antiregime Iranians have felt consistently betrayed by Democrat presidents, but their reasoning as to why has not translated to many non-Iranians—especially when it comes to younger generations, many of whom make up the progressive left.

In a video from January 17, Gomeshi added: "What's happening in Iran seems to confuse a lot of people in the West, not because it is unclear, but because it refuses to obey an ideological rule book...This revolution hasn't fit a tidy Western narrative...Iranians don't outsource their political beliefs to Western trend cycles. They are responding to experience not theory."

Being a Voice for Iranians

It is hard to report what is happening inside Iran.

The country has been disconnected from the world for over 100 hours. Connection was partially restored in some areas on Tuesday, which allowed some to connect with families overseas. Recorded messages quickly flooded social media platforms. Iranians spoke of a "massacre," a "bloodbath," and previously unseen terror, in audio clips.

Some Iranians spoke of being bribed for the bodies of their slain loved ones and an alarming number of disappearances, murders, acts of torture, false confessions and hospital attacks. The terror has reportedly led to the deaths of children and disabled people. Guests on

Iranian TV networks outside of Iran express condolences to the Iranian people for what is the largest killing in its contemporary history before conversing with presenters.

One protester, 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, caught the attention of social media users after news of his imminent execution went viral. After reported communication with the Trump administration, the Islamic Regime announced there will be no more killings.

Regime officials have since disputed that Soltani was ever on death row, despite there having been 1,922 executions in Iran in 2025, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Reports have also emerged of Islamic Regime officials wiring money out of the country as Iran's currency collapses. Several have family members living in the U.S.

The injustice prompted some to speak out.

Kelly Arvan is a content creator based in Australia. The Instagram account she runs with her husband (@arvanfamily / @kellyarvan_) has over 3.3 million followers. In recent days, Arvan has posted several clips asking to her audience to keep their eyes on Iran and express solidarity with the Iranian people.

"I think silence often comes from discomfort," Arvan told Newsweek. "Many people are afraid of saying the wrong thing, being misunderstood, or not having all the answers.

"I think many are overwhelmed, unsure, or distracted by what feels more visible or familiar. But compassion shouldn’t depend on how loud a story is or how easy it is to understand," said Arvan. "When their voices are taken away, silence feels like betrayal. Speaking is about humanity. You don’t need to be Persian to care."

Yasmin Rezai Pacella, also noticed a silence. She took to Instagram on January 3, telling her followers: "I don't hear anything. None of the celebrities. None of the so-called activists…I don't hear any of you saying a word about Iran. Iranians have been murdered by [the] Islamic Regime for decades."

Rezai Pacella is an actor, researcher, and cultural critic with a PhD in cultural, literary, and linguistic studies. Her dissertation was on Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom movement. 

"Social media plays a big role in amplifying certain narratives," she told Newsweek. "For instance, the Islamic Regime's cyber presence has

been active in shaping public opinion online.

"The regime has an incredibly strong propaganda machine—with academics, think tanks and media voices in the West subtly or overtly promoting its narratives. They shape how Iran is framed internationally, often minimizing or whitewashing the regime’s violence."

She added that diaspora Iranians now feel a responsibility to amplify the voices of their compatriots that have been silenced.

"There are virtually no independent journalists on the ground in Iran," she said. "The diaspora becomes the bridge: sourcing, verifying, and sharing stories under dangerous and difficult conditions. It’s not just a fight on the streets of Tehran—it’s also a media war, and we’re fighting it empty-handed against a regime with enormous influence."

She went on to say that the "speaking over" of Iranians under a digital blackout by commentators in the West is "deeply troubling" and infantilizes the Iranian people.

"It often comes from a place of assumed superiority—especially when people in the West believe they’re more educated or politically aware, but lived experience is irreplaceable," Rezai Pacella said. "You have to listen to the people who have been living under dictatorship for a long time.

"When outsiders politicize or reshape the Iranian struggle to fit their own ideological frameworks, they’re not helping—they’re silencing and Iranians need amplification, not interpretation."

Other social media creators have been vocal online about the silence, with some calling out famous names such as activist Greta Thunberg and actress Cynthia Nixon.

Aside from wondering where the popular support went, some have asked why people should care about Iran. The answer to that can be found in the thousands of Iranians protesting in cities around the world since the uprisings started.

Many of them see the U.S. and European powers as having had a direct hand in the deposition of the Shah and the establishment of the Islamic Regime. Many of them are also furious about the use of Iranian wealth to fund proxies, dissident repression overseas and the welcoming of regime officials and ambassadors whom they feel do not represent them. They look back on years of appeasement, legitimization and negotiations that they feel emboldened the regime, by prioritizing economic deals over Iranian lives.

Among the slogans crowds have chanted in recent days is "Trump Act Now," a rare plea for a U.S. president to strike their own motherland. Many Iranians fear that there may be no other way to destabilize the clerical rulers, but it is a will that progressives, known to be anti-war and anti-intervention, struggle to wrap their heads around.

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