The world has been shaken by the actions of President Trump’s and Israel’s joint attacks on Iran. Since Feb. 28, these actions and their subsequent retaliations have already taken the lives of over 1800 Iranians. As well as at least 13 U.S service members have died.
A number of political outcries sparked throughout the Bay Area and the country as a whole. March 7 saw an organized, country-wide series of 61 protests. San Jose and San Francisco were among several cities hosting protests.
The sponsors who coordinated the protests included the ANSWER Coalition, People’s Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement, National Iranian-American Council, Black Alliance for Peace, Democratic Socialists of America, CODEPINK and American Muslims for Palestine. CODEPINK is known for its activity in the political community, speaking out at Washington, D.C. and disrupting meetings.
The protest in San Francisco was originally slated to be held in Harry Bridges Plaza. However, the protest was moved to the Yerba Buena Gardens. A group of counter protesters — advocating for the war, the return of the Iranian monarchy and President Trump’s actions — had overtaken Harry Bridges Plaza. Some counter protesters showed aggression toward reporters from The Express and a pair of high school journalists from Palo Alto.
The high school students, who wished to remain anonymous for reasons of safety, wanted to cover the protest for their publication, but were unaware of the change of location. A counter protester confronted the students, instructing them to leave on the assumption the students were anti-war protesters.
“I felt very targeted because I was wearing a headscarf,” one student said. “I just don’t understand what my religion or what I wear has to do with being an objective journalist.” The student expressed how the counter protesters’s behavior seemed anti-Muslim.
The high school students elected to leave the hostile area. One counter protester shouted for the departing student journalists to “Die, die, die”.
San Francisco residents and protesters, relocated to the Yerba Buena Gardens, held signs with various taglines, “Money for people’s needs not war w/ Iran” was one featured slogan, written in all-caps. Ramsey Robinson, who is campaigning for California governor, was present and spoke out against President Trump’s actions.
The history behind this war is long. Despite its relevance, conflicts between the U.S. and the Middle East are generally uncovered by the average American school’s curricula. While LPC offers world history courses, political science professor Joanna Jen said there is little education available about the history of Middle Eastern conflicts.
The U.S. has clashed with the Middle East for decades, but the average American has little knowledge of it. Nescience does not mean immunity, however.
Jen stated the war with Iran will affect students in a number of ways. She expected incalculable effects on the mental health of students of Middle Eastern descent.
“There’s no way to overstate the incredibly negative impact of this,” Jen said. “(It’s) just one more devastating blow to that community.”
The war has and will continue to invoke economic turmoil. The conflict has already caused disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 25% of the world’s seaborne oil trade is funneled as of 2025. Jen emphasized that students and the LPC community as a whole will be greatly impacted as prices of everyday goods, like groceries and gasoline, continue to rise.
But while Americans suffer from the elevated cost of living, Jen said the war itself wasn’t sparked by global economic tensions. “(The war) seems to have no cause other than racism and religious bigotry,” Jen said.
The price of crude oil has increased significantly — gasoline prices are one of the most commonly cited changes in response to the war. According to AAA, gasoline’s average rose from $4.59 to $5.54 per gallon in the last month alone. It is expected to continue rising as the war progresses.
“This is one more American action that looks at civilian casualties as just a consequence of this search for oil,” Jen said. “It has an incalculable effect on our students and their mental health.”
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TOP PHOTO: March 7, 2026, a group of pro-Iranian war protestors gathered at Harry Bridges Plaza, San Francisco. Originally the location for an anti-war protest — the protestors were holding sign, shouting slogans and thanking President Trump for taking action against the current Iranian leadership. (Photo by Ian Kapsalis/ The Express)
Musa Ashraf is the News Editor for The Express. Follow him on X, @MusaZash.
