‘This is a revolution’: Iranian Americans speak out as protests intensify in Iran
Calls for regime change echo in Sacramento region amid Iran protests
FORWARD, AND AS TENSIONS RISE OVERSEAS, THERE’S A LOCAL RESPONSE HERE AT HOME SUPPORTERS GATHERING IN ROSEVILLE TODAY TO STAND WITH PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE CRISIS IN IRAN. KCRA 3’S CORTEZ JOINS US LIVE IN THE STUDIO. SO DENTON, CALIFORNIA, IS HOME TO A VERY LARGE IRANIAN AMERICAN POPULATION. THAT’S RIGHT. CECIL. MORE THAN 200,000 IRANIANS CALL CALIFORNIA HOME AS ALL EYES FOCUS ON IRAN AMID ESCALATING TENSIONS WITH PROTESTERS IN THE ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT. MANY CALLING FOR CHANGE AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. A SEA OF RED AND GREEN FILLED THE STREETS AS A DISTANT CRISIS IS FELT DEEPLY FOR MANY IRANIANS HERE IN SACRAMENTO. MORE THAN 7000 MILES AWAY, TENSIONS ESCALATING IN TEHRAN AS PROTESTS CALLING FOR REGIME CHANGE UNFOLD. THIS IS NOT THE PROTEST. YOU’RE CALLING IT A REVOLUTION. THIS IS A REVOLUTION. AND THIS IS THIS IS THE END. WE USED TO BE THE SAME AS ANY WESTERN COMMUNITY, AND NOW WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. THE ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT SHUTTING OFF INTERNET ACCESS, MAKING COMMUNICATION TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD DIFFICULT. ACTIVISTS SAY HUNDREDS OF PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN KILLED AS A RESULT OF THE UPRISING. MY NIECE AND NEPHEWS ARE GOING TO ATTEND THE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND I’M VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THEY ARE, IF THEY ARE OKAY. HAVE YOU HAD ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, EVEN WITH THE INTERNET BLACKOUT? NO, NO, NO, NO PHONE CALL, NO INTERNET, NO EMAIL. I HAVE TRIED MANY AVENUES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CANNOT REACH THEM. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WITH OUR FAMILIES AND BACK HOME, BUT WE KNOW THE LIGHT IS COMING. WITH THE PROTESTS GOING ON IN IRAN RIGHT NOW, THEY’VE TRAVELED HERE TO SACRAMENTO. YOU CAN SEE EVEN BANNERS HERE CALLING FOR A REGIME CHANGE OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN IRAN. OVER 100 PROTESTERS HERE PEACEFULLY PROTESTING FOR WHAT’S GOING ON IN A NATION IN TURMOIL. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM, BOTH TAKING TO SOCIAL MEDIA BACKING THE SUPPORT OF IRANIANS FACING VIOLENT REPRESSION. THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE’LL BACK UP IRAN AND PROTESTERS THAT DO GO OUT THERE. DO YOU TRUST HIM? ABSOLUTELY, 100%. REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN. AMONG THE SIGNS, PICTURES OF EXILED CROWN PRINCE REZA PAHLAVI, SON OF THE LAST SHAH BEFORE THE 1979 ISLAMIC REVOLUTION. I’M LOOKING AT YOUR HAT RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE THE HAT OF THE PRE-REVOLUTION FLAG. YES, SIR. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU? FOR ME, IT MEANS THE STRENGTH OF THE LION. THAT WAS MY COUNTRY. IT MEANS THE SUN WILL ONCE AGAIN SHINE. AND WE CAN ALL BENEFIT FROM THAT. AND THE SWORD SHOWS HOW POWERFUL, HOW POWERFUL IRAN ONCE WAS AND WILL BE AGAIN, AS THE PROTESTS OVERSEAS APPROACHED THE THIRD WEEK, THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY, IRANIANS CHANTING FOR CHANGE, HOLDING ON TO HOPE FOR THE NEAR FUTURE. I’M REALLY EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW, AND I’M JUST LIKE, DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY THERE RIGHT NOW? I DO, I HAVE FRIENDS, I HAVE COUSINS, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER. IRAN IS MY FAMILY AND MANY PEOPLE THERE AT THAT PROCESS JUST WAITING TO HEAR FROM FAMILY MEMBERS THAT THEY HAVEN’T HEARD FROM IN MANY WEEKS SINCE THE ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT BLOCKED INTERNET ACCESS AND COMMUNICATION. THERE IS NO OFFICIAL REPORT ON HOW MANY DEATHS THERE HAVE BEEN, BUT ACTIVISTS SAY AT LEAST OVER 500 HAVE DIED. SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THERE’S SO MUCH CONCERN FROM
‘This is a revolution’: Iranian Americans speak out as protests intensify in Iran
Calls for regime change echo in Sacramento region amid Iran protests
Updated: 8:24 PM PST Jan 11, 2026
Iranian Americans in the Sacramento area gathered to support protesters more than 7,000 miles away in Tehran, calling for regime change as unrest in Iran intensifies and communication with loved ones grows increasingly difficult.“This is not a protest,” one demonstrator said. “This is the end.”Internet access has been cut off by the Islamic Government, leaving families abroad unable to contact relatives. Activists report hundreds have been killed during the uprising, though those figures could not be independently verified. Some displayed images of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pahlavi has been outspoken and encouraging Iranians to continue protesting amidst the regime’s backlash.Gov. Gavin Newsom took to X, saying, ” In support of California’s Iranian community and in defense of universal human rights, we urge an immediate end to violence against civilians, the restoration of internet access, and respect for the Iranian people’s right to chart their own future.” More than 200,000 Iranians call California homePresident Donald Trump has considered military options in Iran amid escalating tensions.“There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if their leaders are just … they rule through violence, but we’re looking at it very seriously,” Trump told outlets Sunday on Air Force One.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Iranian Americans in the Sacramento area gathered to support protesters more than 7,000 miles away in Tehran, calling for regime change as unrest in Iran intensifies and communication with loved ones grows increasingly difficult.
“This is not a protest,” one demonstrator said. “This is the end.”
Internet access has been cut off by the Islamic Government, leaving families abroad unable to contact relatives. Activists report hundreds have been killed during the uprising, though those figures could not be independently verified.
Some displayed images of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pahlavi has been outspoken and encouraging Iranians to continue protesting amidst the regime’s backlash.
Gov. Gavin Newsom took to X, saying, ” In support of California’s Iranian community and in defense of universal human rights, we urge an immediate end to violence against civilians, the restoration of internet access, and respect for the Iranian people’s right to chart their own future.” More than 200,000 Iranians call California home
President Donald Trump has considered military options in Iran amid escalating tensions.
“There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if their leaders are just … they rule through violence, but we’re looking at it very seriously,” Trump told outlets Sunday on Air Force One.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel