The American Who Joined Iran - And Never Looked Back
From Campaigning to Extremism: The Radical Path of a Gen-Z Activist
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Calla Walsh began as a promising young political organizer in Massachusetts, volunteering for Senator Ed Markey while still in high school. But what started as mainstream political involvement quickly escalated into a far more radical trajectory.
After her early work in Democratic politics, Walsh joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group that has become increasingly vocal in its opposition to capitalism, law enforcement, and U.S. foreign policy, especially regarding Israel. Yet even the DSA wasn’t extreme enough for her. She left to launch Palestine Action U.S., linked to a UK-based group recently banned for terrorist activity.
In 2024, Walsh was arrested for sabotage at a U.S. defense contractor, and later rebranded her group as Unity of Fields, an organization flagged by lawmakers for glorifying terrorist groups and promoting violence against American institutions.
Most recently, Walsh was seen in Tehran at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rally, chanting anti-American slogans. The IRGC has a long record of arming groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and targeting American forces abroad. Her participation underscores the growing overlap between far-left activism and foreign interests hostile to the United States.
Walsh’s journey isn’t isolated. Across the country, progressive circles have become increasingly tolerant of rhetoric and actions once considered extremist. From university protest groups to rising political figures, some now openly align with organizations under federal investigation for ties to terror groups.
Incidents such as a police raid on two student leaders in Virginia, where weapons and extremist materials were found, have raised alarms. Yet many of these activists continue to be embraced by mainstream progressive figures and institutions.
Whether it’s masked protestors waving terror-linked flags in New York or student groups calling for the end of Western civilization, the shift is hard to ignore. Walsh’s case is emblematic of a wider trend: a segment of the political left that no longer draws clear lines between protest and extremism.
She didn’t start her path in a foreign war zone, she started in American politics. And now she finds herself allied with those openly opposed to the U.S.
The real question is: How many more are on the same path?
