Woman smoking cigarette lit by a burning photo of iranian leade

From Act for Freedom Now!

31 January 2026

Iran: They call it an uprising, and an uprising it is.

It is time—indeed, it is already somewhat late—for the anarchist to rise to the occasion. What is happening these days in Iran is, at present, the greatest uprising in the history of the twenty-first century. An uprising against theocracy and exploitation. An uprising that will mark our century.

Where do we stand in relation to this? If we continue to pretend that we do not see it, it will be the first time in our own history, the history of the anarchist movement, that we failed to support those who have risen up. Is this the direction we want to chart?

We call upon all comrades to stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people. To organize actions. Our anarchist comrades in Iran cannot understand our silence today in the face of their struggle. We are not interested in any national war between West and East. Our place is at the side of the rebellious of the whole world.

DOWN WITH THE STATE

STOP THEOCRACY

GOD IS A WHORE (Bataille)

anarcho feminists2026

Comments

le sigh (not verified) Sat, 01/31/2026 - 22:46

Ok. I don't know about "it's the greatest rebellion this century"

but anarchists recognize that the regime is bad, and the spirit of the revolt is good. I like to think that most of us also recognize that there are actual anarchists, who even do the circle-A in their graff, living in Iran and maybe doing struggle-ish sorts of things, both in the current moment and at other times

The question is what there is to do, from exile. This is usually the question. Most of the time, the real practical answer is "raise awareness of the issue" or "raise money to send it somewhere". If you go to an Iranian consulate or embassy, and even if you smash the windows or something, you're sort of doing the first thing, mostly. A lot of us in the West don't live in cities with Iranian consulates or embassies, or other suitable targets - and even to the extent that going out of way to attack such places counts as an attack on the Iranian state, it is not one that, I think, does much to change the rapport de force between the "freedom movement" in Iran and the regime in power

And it's easier said than done to go there and throw yourself into, like, the struggle. Which is not what this little post is arguing for, really

Like, I feel like the goal of this call to arms is to just get people to drape themselves and thier spaces in pro-Iranian (monarchist?) flags like they do with keffiyehs and pro-Palestinian symbolism. That already strikes me as empty and performative when anarchists do it. I'm not trying to pivot to something even more weird

Also, as if this is the FIRST TIME that anarchists have misread some kind of broad strokes political situation in another country

so I think this post is mostly performative. we should "show solidarity" where and how we can - perhaps we can a shoulder to cry on for the Iranian grad student who works in the same lab as us - but there is no particular problem, except the perennial one of anarchism's inability to bring an end to history and sweep away tyranny worldwide and in all its forms

anonymous (not verified) Sun, 02/01/2026 - 21:24

This "article" is absolutely absurd. It doesn't even attempt to make an argument. Revolutionaries don't stand for uprising in any facet. There are plenty of uprisings that take on a reactionary character domestically and internationally. The idea that any revolt is inherently revolutionary is bourgeois silliness. The reason this "revolt" has not gotten widespread support is because it is clearly in concert with, funded, and supported by imperialism. The primary outcome of this "revolt" succeeding would be a further blow against Palestinian liberation and an expansion of US and Zionist control in West Asia; permitting their final pivot in their drive to world war. The fact that that isnt something the author sees is remarkable. And lastly, only someone blinded by ideological delusion would think that this kind of "revolt" aided by a US/Zionist military onslaught and in collusion with Pahlavi's mercenaries could lead to a revolutionary outcome. The seriousness of this world moment deserves a higher level of thought and analysis than is typical here.

anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/02/2026 - 21:23

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

this is a site for anarchist discourse not your authoritarian nonsense. Go find another forum to talk about how much you love the state and support regimes. Maybe there will be some good boots for you to lick, or other regimes for you to co-sign.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/03/2026 - 01:58

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

*facepalm* Dude... I ain't "liberal" anon but your Paleswhining gymnastics are off the charts. It's on the Palestinian movement to pick better supporting foreign powers than *blatantly* misogynist, retrograde, Islamofascist regimes of phallocrats.

"But but ISRAEL & USA!"

Shuddup, now. I don't care how Trump, Bibi and Pootin regimes are just as bad. They're different flavors of the same authoritarian phallocrats.

"Enemy of my enemy" is an enema.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/03/2026 - 13:29

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

you are zionist scum. only a true zionist would use a bizarre cringe expression like "paleswhining." it's fortunate that you are congenitally unable to conceal your genocidal arrogance for even one second and thus immediately reveal yourselves even in an anonymous forum

Lefou (not verified) Tue, 02/03/2026 - 16:05

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

Even as a normie everyday anarch who refuses to work I find your comment sickening and grovelling to the genocidal Zionist's oppression of Palestinian people for their homeland.

anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/04/2026 - 01:24

In reply to by Lefou (not verified)

In fact... the genocide being done in GAZA is against the people who lived there, as prisoners, and due to extreme nationalist politics on both sides. Not "Palestine".

Palestine is not people, and only nationalcucks would believe otherwise.

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