JFK Jr. Lookalike Contest Meets Pro U.S.-Israel Iranian Protest

Kelly Shea Dixon ‘28

Protesters in Washington Square Park. All photos by Kelly Dixon ‘28

On Mar. 8, 2026, I marched down to Washington Square Park to see the JFK Jr. lookalike contest, to find Carolyn Bessette Kennedy wannabes and maybe a rich future husband. Instead I was surprised to find a protest/celebration had broken out in relation to the current war in Iran. There were Iranian and Israeli flags flying and posters with the words “thank you president Trump” under the arch and singing and shouting abound. While all this was going on, CBK and JFK Jr. lookalikes were strolling around, lost and confused with their tiny 90s glasses and backwards caps, trying to figure out how to get their hands on the $250 cash prize. It was the epitome of 2026: the current political conflict of the Trump administration meets the current hyperfixation with the new Ryan Murphy Hulu production centered on pre-internet 90s nostalgia. 

Amid the shouting and dancing as Iranian New Yorkers celebrated Persian freedom, 20-something men in three piece suits and backwards Kangol caps were confused as their prospects of getting a quick buck and finding their very own Carolyn Bessette seemed to have diminished due to the protestors.

Many of the lookalikes were aghast at the events that took place; a JFK Jr. lookalike, 28-year-old Craig Cartwright, and his girlfriend—a Sarah Lawrence dropout herself—22-year-old Olivia Von-Blue, were there after the contest ended, and they sadly came too late to enter the competition. 

Of the contest, Von-Blue said it was short lived, and that it only lasted a few minutes before the protest began and everyone dispersed. “Well [the lookalike contest] kinda happened, it happened for five minutes and we just missed it. There was a guy on rollerskates and I think he was the winner.”

Von-blue was sure that Cartwright would've won (maybe second to the guy on rollerskates) and she believed Cartwright to be a spot on lookalike. “Everyone kept coming up to [Craig] and were saying ‘you look just like him.’”

Cartwright and Von-Blue weren’t extremely dejected about missing the event, but Cartwright was hoping to win the $250 cash prize. “Of course, I wanted the money. Probably just go to dinner. Just one dinner is 300 bucks in the city, I wish [the contest] was longer than five  minutes.”

Lookalike poster with cash prize listed via @thewaywemet Instagram account

She had one final thing to say before leaving Washington Square Park, specifically towards the establishment of Sarah Lawrence, “Go Gryphons!” She also said a few expletives about our glorious school which I have chosen to redact.

Unnamed JFK Jr. lookalike being interviewed amid the protest

On the side of the protestors, there were multiple reasons they were gathered there. According to one protestor, 25-year-old Eilen Azimi, the event was to bring awareness to the Islamic regime, and to protest for people's human rights. “We’re protesting for people’s rights, and for human rights for the freedom of Iran. The Islamic regime…they’ve massacred more than 50,000 people including children. There’s a digital blackout in Iran, we can’t hear from family or friends. The islamic regime is very ruthless and very brutal. They don’t care about Iranians, and we’re very grateful to the U.S. and Israel for supporting us even though they have their own narratives, we’re also very scared at the same time of what could happen.”

Protestors in Washington Sq. Park

Azimi said the protest started at 12:00 p.m. at Madison Square Park, just an hour before the lookalike competition, and she and the other protestors marched from there to Washington Square Park. When questioned about the competition, Azimi said she had no prior knowledge of it. “JFK Jr.? Um. I’m so deep into Iranian news. It’s the last thing I’m gonna look at. Maybe I'll see it later. I have no idea.” 

Of the pro-Israel and pro-Trump banners and signs that were being held by protestors, Azimi explained their reason for appreciation.“Israel is standing with us, we are with them, they helped kill the supreme leader. As you can see all the signs, we don’t hate each other, we support each other of course. Each country has their own narrative.”

Azimi was born in New Jersey but she has been to Iran 10 times, as her family is originally from Tehran. “I was just there three years ago. [It was] amazing, beautiful, Tehran in my opinion is better than New York.” She was very passionate and adamant that non-Iranians should be invested and involved. “Non-Iranians should stand with us and hear our voice because of human rights…I get it’s confusing that we’re celebrating, I’m actually glad we’re somewhere where non-Iranians can see.”

Azimi went on to say that she and other Iranians are grateful for the involvement but are scared as the war continues. “Non-Iranians should stand with us and hear our voice because of human rights. We’re grateful for [U.S. and Israeli involvement], we’re scared though. We didn’t want the war but the Islamic regime left us no choice…We’re very grateful for what happened. The Islamic extreme has to go, as you can see they’re celebrating. We’re happy but we’re sad, we’re stressed out, we went through lots of stress and trouble the past two months. More people are getting killed.”

She suggested that Americans stay aware and promote her cause. “My recommendation is just post a lot, and if you see any banners that are yellow, it's propaganda, there’s lots of propaganda going on, and they’re getting paid for it. They’re not Iranians. So many people keep on getting shadowbanned. The regime does not want non-Iranians to see what’s going on, every time they go out to protest they shut the internet off.”

At this point in the interview the YMCA started playing, most known recently for being one of Donald Trump’s favorite songs. There was a young man in a ‘Persians for Trump’ shirt on one of the pillars in the fountain yelling “Young Man!”

Along with this there were multiple people dressed in pro-Trump gear, many of them Iranian and non-Iranian. An older man partaking in the protest was in a ‘gays for Trump’ shirt.

According to a sign put on multiple lampposts in Washington Square Park, there was a lookalike contest afterparty at Rocco’s, which I did investigate, but it was mainly a few stragglers from the competition; many JFKs all alone, still looking for their Carolyns to show up.

Sign on lamppost in Washington Sq. Park