SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Hours after President Donald Trump warned Iran’s rulers against cracking down on protesters, more than a hundred Iranians gathered at U.S. City Hall, waving the Lion and Sun flag and calling for reform. At the same time, a nearby socialist group protested against ICE and voiced support for foreign powers.
As protests continue in hundreds of provinces across Iran against the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a group of Iranian Americans held a rally in San Antonio on Saturday to show their support for reforms in the Islamic-controlled country. Breitbart Texas observed Saturday’s rally at San Antonio City Hall in the center of the city.
Video shows rally attendees waving the Iranian Lion and Sun flag, which was used until it was replaced by the national flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Lion and Son flag, used before and during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, is widely associated with the resistance movement to the Islamic government of Ayatollah Khamenei.
The San Antonio Iranian American community rallies for freedom in Iran (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Others in the crowd held photos of the late shah’s eldest son, Reza Pahlavi, who was named crown prince of Iran by his father at his coronation as shah. The group cheered as the speaker addressed the crowd, often chanting in support of the movement to bring about reform in Iran.
Some in the crowd carried messages of hope and concern for their relatives in Iran who had not been heard from following a recent blackout of communications and internet access that was blamed on government forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Saturday’s rally in support of freedom and reform in the Alamo City is one of hundreds held across the country.
In response to reports about a communications blackout within Iran, President Trump gave a clear warning to the Iranian government at a press conference on Friday. Trump told reporters at the conference, “I have made this statement very strongly that if they start hitting people like they have before, we will join in. We will hit them very hard where it hurts and that doesn’t mean hitting the boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard.”
Pro-Iran reform flyer for San Antonio rally
Saturday’s rally was promoted on multiple social media platforms to show support for protesters in Iran, who are continuing their third week of protests within the Islamic Republic of Iran. Flyers for the rally appeared on the San Antonio Persian Cultural Society’s Facebook page, advertising the event in San Antonio and a simultaneous event in Austin, Texas.
Breitbart Texas spoke with pro-independence attendee Ardy, who did not want to give his last name. Ardi says he hopes the current protests in Iran will eventually overthrow the Khamenei regime and bring real change to the country. “Protesters need our support and help from the U.S. government to bring about the necessary change in Iran. Iran has been supporting terrorism in the region for too long and creating chaos that needs to stop,” Ardy told Breitbart Texas.
Ardy blamed the former Carter administration for weak leadership, which dealt the final blow to the Shah’s rule over what was once a prosperous country. Ardi says Iran still has great potential to become what it once was and serve as a country that provides stability in the region.
Ardi, a member of the Iranian American community in San Antonio, says his community overwhelmingly supports Reza Pahlavi’s return to Iran and the restoration of the Pahlavi dynasty. He stressed, “If you ask, 95 percent or better of Iranians here want Reza Pahlavi to take a leadership role in Iran.” Ardi praised the message being sent by the Trump administration and said he thinks these protests are the closest we have come to ending the harsh conditions faced by the people of Iran.
Directly opposite a pro-independence rally organized by the Iranian American community on the grounds of San Antonio City Hall, a group of anti-Ice, pro-Hamas and pro-Maduro socialists protested just yards away.
Breitbart Texas reported that members of the San Antonio chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), some wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, chanted slogans against ICE and in support of the Maduro government in Venezuela.
The irony of a pro-independence Iranian rally and a pro-dictator protest happening at the same time did not escape attendees of the anti-Khamenei event. On more than one occasion, as Breitbart Texas observed, several PSL protesters wandered into the pro-independence rally, but were turned away by Ardi and several other attendees.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations and directed the operations of nine Border Patrol stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. X Follow him at @RandyClarkBBTX.
