Why American Students Don’t Protest The Iranian Government

Iran is in the midst of an uprising that has resulted in thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people being massacred, and many more people being imprisoned, and plenty blinded or otherwise maimed. In just two days the government may have killed over 10,000 people, although reliable information is difficult to come by, with the government having imposed a virtually complete shutdown of the internet. The Islamic Republic government has responded fiercely, and it seems like the repression is having its intended effect of quelling the protests. Iran’s government has long been brutal—there were over 300 executions in just the first four months of 2024, and the country uses grotesque punishments like flogging and amputation, severely restricts free expression, practices torture, and suppresses the rights of women and LGBTQ people. But this is a new and deadly escalation. 

A Living Metaphor for a Dying World

So Much for Free Speech. A Year of Trump’s Attacks on the First Amendment

The ICE killing of Renee Good marks a turning point in Trump’s unprecedented assault on the right to protest, record ICE activity, and express political dissent without fear of government retaliation.