Bay Area demonstrations grow as protests in Iran intensify amid crackdown

SAN FRANCISCO - Iranian Americans and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco’s Ferry Building over the weekend, calling attention to escalating protests in Iran and voicing support for demonstrators facing a violent government crackdown.

The protests in Iran began two weeks ago amid severe inflation and rising economic hardship, then quickly expanded into broader opposition to the country’s leadership. Observers say the demonstrations now represent one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s authorities since the 1979 revolution.

Weekend protest in San Francisco

Local perspective:

At the San Francisco rally, demonstrators waved flags, honked car horns, while calling for political change and international attention. One sign read: "Iranians are dying for freedom."

"This time around, my family here and inside Iran, we are very optimistic," said Hamid Azimi, an East Bay resident and volunteer with the Iranian American Community in Northern California. "Because the opposition to the government is more organized this time, and that’s why we see the scope of what’s happening being different from any other time."

Azimi came to the United States in 1979 and is part of a group that traveled to Washington, D.C. this weekend. Members rallied outside the White House in support of protesters in Iran. He said years of political repression and worsening economic conditions have pushed many Iranians to continue demonstrating despite the risks.

"The biggest thing to look for is the continuation of the uprising," Azimi said. "Today is the 15th day. Of course, the Ayatollah wants to put an end to it, and the people want to continue it. As long as the uprising continues, the regime is going to get weaker and weaker."

What's going on in Iran?

Big picture view:

The Iranian government has imposed widespread internet and phone shutdowns in an effort to suppress communication. Human rights groups say the death toll has risen to more than 500 and continues to climb, though the exact number remains difficult to verify.

In Los Angeles, a separate protest denouncing Iran’s government turned chaotic when a driver allegedly drove a U-Haul truck into a crowd of demonstrators. Police detained a man at the scene and are investigating the incident. Writing on the truck rejected both Iran’s current clerical leadership and a return to monarchy, while warning the United States against repeating its role in Iran’s 1953 coup.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday on X: "California stands in solidarity with the people of Iran, who are confronting violent repression, mass internet and power shutdowns, and economic collapse imposed by a theocratic authoritarian regime. The scale and persistence of protests across Iran demand fundamental change after decades of state violence and denial of basic rights. In support of California’s Iranian community and in defense of universal human rights, we urge an immediate end to violence against civilians, the restoration of internet access, and respect for the Iranian people’s right to chart their own future."

The Iranian American Community in Northern California says it plans to hold weekly solidarity rallies in San Francisco.