MUNICH, Germany — Approximately 250,000 people demonstrated against the Iranian government in Munich on Saturday, according to police estimates, coinciding with a security conference attended by world leaders.
Demonstration Amid Security Conference
The protesters gathered on Munich’s Theresienwiese fairgrounds to denounce the leadership of Iran’s Islamic Republic following the suppression of nationwide protests in January. The demonstration occurred as Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah, spoke at the Munich Security Conference, appealing to US President Donald Trump for assistance to the Iranian people.
Pahlavi, who has lived in exile since the 1979 revolution, called for an outside “humanitarian intervention to prevent more innocent lives being killed” in Iran. He described the demonstration as part of a “global day of action” to support Iranians and called for rallies in Los Angeles and Toronto.
Protesters chanted “Change, change, regime change” and “Javid shah” (long live the shah), waving green-white-and-red flags featuring the lion and sun emblem – the flag used by Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Some demonstrators wore “Make Iran Great Again” red caps, mirroring those used by Trump’s supporters, and carried placards depicting Pahlavi, with some calling for him to be king. Pahlavi has been in exile for nearly 50 years and is seeking a role in Iran’s future.
“We have huge hopes and [are] looking forward that the regime is going to change hopefully,” said demonstrator Daniyal Mohtashamian, who traveled from Zurich, Switzerland, to voice support for protesters inside Iran who are facing repression.
“There is an internet blackout and their voices are not going outside of Iran,” Mohtashamian added.
Iranian leaders are facing increased pressure, including renewed threats of US military action. Trump has urged Iran to further reduce its nuclear program and suggested Friday that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”
Protests also took place in Munich on Friday, the opening day of the security conference, with supporters of the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran demonstrating against Iran’s crackdown on protesters last month.
“The Iranian regime is a dead regime,” said a 62-year-old protester originally from Iran, who identified himself only as Said. “It must be game over.”
At a news conference, Pahlavi warned of further deaths in Iran if “democracies stand by and watch.” He asked, “We gather at an hour of profound peril to ask: Will the world stand with the people of Iran?” He added that the survival of the Iranian government “sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power.”
Pahlavi directly appealed to Trump, stating, “To President Trump… The Iranian people heard you say help is on the way, and they have faith in you. Help them. It is time to end the Islamic Republic. This is the demand echoing from the bloodshed of my compatriots who are not asking us to fix the regime but to help them bury it.”
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports at least 7,005 people have been killed in the crackdown, primarily protesters, though rights groups believe the actual number is significantly higher. More than 53,000 people have been arrested, according to the group.
Iran’s government reported 3,117 deaths on January 21, but has a history of underreporting fatalities during unrest. The Associated Press has been unable to independently verify the death toll due to disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
