Iranians Worldwide Hold Protests Against the Islamic Republic

As the government celebrates the anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, accompanied by anti-government slogans from protesters, a number of Iranians abroad held protests in various cities around the world against the ruling regime in Iran and in opposition to executions. Protests by Iranians abroad against the Islamic Republic and against executions took place on Sunday, February 11, in several European cities including London, Berlin, Stockholm, and Paris, as well as in various cities in Canada including Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver, with flags of the lion and sun being raised. In London, the capital of the UK, opponents of the Islamic Republic gathered in front of the British Prime Minister's office. Prince Reza Pahlavi, in a video message to the gathering of Iranians in front of the Prime Minister's office in London, stated that on this day in 1979, the Islamic Republic 'took our great nation hostage, turned Iranian women into second-class citizens, and began a campaign of harassment against Jews, Bahá'ís, Christians, Zoroastrians, and even devout Muslims who refused to accept the regime's vile ideology.' He emphasized that the 'Islamic Republic has plundered Iran's wealth and national resources to bring its war to the people of the Middle East and Europe,' adding that 'Israelis and Ukrainians are specifically aware of these shameful crimes committed in the name of our great civilization (Iran),' and that 'the people of Iran are fighting not only for their own liberation but also to bring peace and stability to the region and the world.' Elham Borhan, one of the organizers of the gathering, told Voice of America, 'We have come together more united than ever and are firmly against the Islamic Republic; against the IRGC and the group that kills Iranian children, blinds them, tortures innocents in prison, and recognizes no rights for Iranian citizens, with the goal of destroying Iran.' According to her, 'the children of Iran are more aware and stronger' than before, 'moving together to destroy the Islamic Republic and the IRGC.' In this gathering, flags of Israel and Ukraine were also seen among the protesters, and one of the demands of the protesters was to include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the list of terrorist groups in the UK. Protests by Iranians against the Islamic Republic were also held in various cities in Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. A caravan of trucks carrying lion and sun flags in Toronto was one of the actions of the protesters on the anniversary of the 1979 revolution. Abbas Heydari, a political activist and one of the organizers of the gathering in Toronto, honored the memory of the protesters who were killed by the Islamic Republic. Simultaneously, on February 11, a 'No to Execution' rally against human rights violations by the Islamic Republic was held in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Nik Jafarzadeh, one of the organizers of this rally, told Voice of America that we must show that February 11, when the Islamic Republic tries to gather its agents to celebrate in various cities around the world, is nothing but a lie. A performance march on an image of Ali Khamenei, which was one of the programs of this gathering, was canceled by the German police, which led to protests from the demonstrators against the violation of freedom of expression. Kani Alavi, an artist who painted this image of the leader of the Islamic Republic for this street performance, told Voice of America that it is surprising that the German police prevented me from showing this criminal who kills our innocent youth in Iran, trying to show it in a way that the German people understand and see that he commits crimes in our country. In this gathering, the flag of Israel was seen alongside the flags of Iran with the lion and sun emblem. At the same time as the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranians living in France also held a protest near the Iranian embassy in Paris. This gathering was organized by opponents of the Islamic Republic in Paris, and the opponents protested against 45 years of repression, imprisonment, and especially executions in Iran. Protests by Iranians abroad coinciding with the government celebration in Iran come as voices of protesters inside the country echoed on the anniversary of the 1979 revolution with slogans of 'Death to Khamenei' and 'Reza Shah, may your soul be blessed' in various regions of the country. On Saturday, a number of Iranians living in the eastern United States gathered in Washington, D.C., ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, against the Islamic Republic. Abram Pili, the Deputy Special Representative of the United States for Iran, released a video message on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, addressing the people of Iran, stating that the U.S. will continue to support them in their struggle for a free and democratic future.