Dozens of people gathered in Burlington on Saturday for yet another protest against policies of President Donald Trump’s administration — this time, for the decision to attack Iran. Off to the side of the Church Street demonstration, a respectful distance away, one man held aloft a version o f the Iranian flag and a sign that read “Make Iran Great Again.” Ali Jafari, who lives in Burlington, said he was born in the United States to Iranian parents who have since returned to that country. Like many Iranian Americans, Jafari opposes the regime that took over Iran 47 years ago and has stubbornly clung to power. Iranians have taken to the streets again and again seeking change, only to have their movements forcefully crushed. When protests swept the country earlier this year, armed agents of the totalitarian government opened fire and, according to reports, massacred thousands. “I listened to people over the last two months, and I’ve been listening to my mom and dad who’ve been watching,” Jafari told Seven Days. “And they’re like, ‘Hey, you know, we’re really having a revolution. When are the Americans coming to help us?’” Nearby, protesters were finishing a round of call-and-response that included the phrase, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!” Jafari said he was born in 1978, the same year a revolution swept Iran. It ultimately ushered in the theocracy that has ruled ever since. He lived in the country as a youth during the Iran-Iraq War and later as an adult. A Burlington resident for years, he recently started a YouTube channel, Iranian Royalist, where he posts videos about current developments. Its name reflects his hope that the son of the shah who was deposed in the revolution could return to Iran from the U.S., where he currently lives, and help lead the nation. While there is no large Iranian community in Vermont, Jafari said, he keeps in touch with friends and family. Regarding the U.S. military strikes, he said, many are “super excited” and even “celebratory.” The original print version of this article was headlined “The Other Side” The post An Iranian-American Demonstrates for the Attack on Iran appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less