On September 23, 2024, a coalition of freedom-loving Iranians and Iranian-Americans gathered in front of the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York to stage a protest against the presence of Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president under the rule of the mullahs. The week-long demonstration aimed to hold Iran’s regime accountable for its ongoing human rights violations and oppressive policies, with a specific focus on Pezeshkian’s involvement in the 1988 Massacre and a recent surge in executions across Iran.
The protestors were vocal in their condemnation of Pezeshkian, as well as the regime of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling attention to the hundreds of lives lost to the Iranian government’s systemic brutality. Since August 2024, nearly 180 people have reportedly been executed by the regime, a statistic that reflects its continued reliance on violence to suppress dissent. The demonstrators highlighted how the mullahs’ regime uses capital punishment as a means to instill fear and silence those advocating for freedom, democracy, and secularism.
One protestor summarized the mood of the rally, saying, “The call for a free, democratic, and non-nuclear Iran is echoing loudly here in New York. We are here to expose the heinous crimes of Pezeshkian and his regime. His hands are stained with the blood of innocents, and his government funds terrorist organizations while suppressing its own people.” The protestors’ demands included accountability for the 1988 Massacre, during which thousands of political prisoners were executed in Iran, an atrocity that Pezeshkian and other regime leaders are accused of orchestrating.
The timing of the protest coincided with Pezeshkian’s scheduled address to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79). Outside his hotel, Iranian-Americans and other human rights advocates gathered to express their outrage over his presence in New York City, calling for his expulsion from the UNGA. They held signs and chanted slogans denouncing the Iranian regime’s oppressive policies, with messages such as, “Expel Pezeshkian,” and “No more appeasement of the mullahs’ regime.” Their message to Western governments was clear: it is time to stop appeasing the Iranian regime and recognize the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the current leadership, including Pezeshkian, who they see as a puppet of Khamenei.
The demonstrators made a strong case against the continued policy of appeasement that they believe Western nations have adopted in dealing with Iran. They argued that diplomatic engagement has only enabled the regime’s leaders to continue their oppressive tactics, while ignoring the plight of the Iranian people. The protestors urged the international community to abandon this approach and stand in solidarity with the Iranian people’s quest for a free, secular, and non-nuclear future.
As part of their efforts, the group planned a major rally scheduled for the following day, September 24, at 10:30 a.m., in front of the UN building on 47th Street, between 2nd and 1st Avenues. Protestors extended an open invitation for others to join their cause, stating, “Our week-long campaign is calling for an end to appeasement. We stand for a free and democratic Iran, free from the grips of a tyrannical regime. Join us in our fight!”
Their demonstration not only sought to highlight the ongoing repression in Iran but also to spark global awareness of the Iranian people’s legitimate struggle for freedom.