Protests Erupt Following U.S.-Israel Attack on Iran
Amid the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s announcement of a military strike on Iran, a network of U.S.-based nonprofits, reportedly aligned with China, Russia, and Iran, mobilized protests across American cities late at night, according to reports.
These groups, known for echoing the sentiments of America’s adversaries and funded by Neville Roy Singham, a tech entrepreneur residing in Shanghai, appeared to act almost in real-time as the first bombings commenced, as noted by a news outlet on Saturday.
Singham’s connections to various far-left protest movements came to light in 2024, particularly highlighted by Peter Schweitzer, a well-known author and contributor to a popular news site. In that year, Singham featured in Schweitzer’s book and related media. Schweitzer pointed out that Singham had channeled over $100 million to support various protest organizations in the U.S. while maintaining a life of luxury and strong ties in Beijing.
In details shared by Schweitzer, the largest recipient of Singham’s funding in 2024 was the People’s Forum, located in midtown Manhattan, where the ANSWER Coalition operates.
Asra Nomani, a senior investigative editor, suggested that Singham’s influence persists despite the exposure of his backing for such groups. A brief timeline was provided:
- At 2:34 a.m. ET, the ANSWER Coalition, which identifies itself as Marxist and communist, declared a “National Day of Emergency Action—Stop the War with Iran!”
- Just ten minutes later, at 2:44 a.m., President Trump shared a video confirming the U.S. military’s operation against Iran.
- Then, at 2:52 a.m., the People’s Forum issued an urgent call for protests in Times Square, mirroring messages from a video released by the Chinese Communist Party prior to the attacks.
The People’s Forum announced a rally titled “New York City’s Emergency Day of Action to Stop the War with Iran: Today, February 28th, 2:00 p.m. in Times Square,” highlighting their rapid mobilization.
In parallel, the ANSWER Coalition expressed their resistance on social media, condemning the war and urging citizens to participate in protests across the country against what they labeled as another imperialistic conflict.
Reports indicated that following the U.S.-Israeli strikes, protest organizers quickly prepared coordinated messaging and media strategies. These included combining anti-Israel sentiments and anti-Trump rhetoric into a broad opposition narrative against the perceived U.S. “empire,” aligning with pro-regime messaging from Iran.
By late morning, protests orchestrated by the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation expanded to various cities, including significant gatherings in Washington, DC, and elsewhere across several states.
