On Sunday afternoon, January 25, Liberty Square in Taipei hosted a solidarity gathering in support of the people of Iran. The rally was organized by a coalition of student and labor groups. By inviting students, workers, and civil society activists, the organizers stressed the need to bring the voice of Taiwan’s civil society to the people of Iran, who are engaged in a difficult and costly struggle.
During the gathering, a statement and call issued by Iran Labour Confederation – Abroad was read aloud and distributed among participants. The appeal set out clear and urgent demands: the public condemnation of repression, killings, and internet shutdowns in Iran; the spread of this position across global labor networks; political and diplomatic pressure to stop state violence; the suspension of diplomatic relations and the closure of Islamic Republic embassies as a refusal to legitimize repression; practical support for Iranians’ access to a free and open internet; and efforts to pursue the suspension of the Islamic Republic from international labor bodies, including the International Labour Organization, due to its systematic violation of fundamental labor rights.
Speakers emphasized that defending the people of Iran is not a temporary political stance, but a defense of universal human rights and of the global labor movement itself. At the same time, members of Resistance United, drawing on direct contacts and field observations, described the situation inside Iran and warned against foreign interventionist projects. According to them, there are ongoing attempts to reproduce authoritarian “alternatives”—narratives that lack credibility for large segments of Iranian society. Many people clearly understand that corruption, repression, and disregard for people’s livelihoods are shared features of all authoritarian regimes.
The slogans chanted at the rally captured these messages directly and without ambiguity: “Corruption for profit, dictatorship for power,” “Stop the killings, stop the arrests,” “Unity and solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people,” and “People have the right to overthrow tyranny.”
At the end of the event, the organizers expressed hope that this action would strengthen shared voices across different segments of Taiwanese society and encourage student, labor, and civil organizations to step forward more actively. On that day, Liberty Square in Taipei was not just a public space, but a platform linking social struggles across Asia—a connection grounded in freedom, human dignity, and transnational solidarity.
