Hundreds of thousands take to Toronto streets to protest Iran regime

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Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Toronto on Saturday in support of protesters in Iran who want an end to killings in their country and government repression.

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Demonstrators walked down Yonge St., in North York, during the massive rally chanting “King Reza Pahlavi” and drumming for regime change in the Islamic republic after violent crackdowns have resulted in at least 7,000 deaths and as many as 36,000 killed by government forcesaccording to activists and human rights groups.

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On Friday, Toronto Police said they were preparing for an estimated 200,000 people to attend the march after 150,000 rallied at Sankofa Square in the downtown core two weeks ago.

But on Saturday police estimated 350,000 people ended up taking part.

“It’s hard to see that our friends and families in Iran are being kept in prison for no reason, being shot in the head for (using) their democratic voice,” Nima Najafi said at Saturday’s rally.

Najafi said he attended the Sankofa Square protest on Feb. 1 and the crowd at the rally in North York was twice as large.

“I had a friend who got shot in the head. He died. He was a pharmacist … a high school friend,” he said. “I had another friend who is imprisoned because he was a doctor treating patients.”

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Similar protests also occurred in other major cities including Los Angeles and Munich as part of a Global Day of Action to support the country’s Lion and Sun Revolution.

Many marchers waved pre-1979 red, white and green Iranian flags featuring a golden lion, which was used before 1979’s revolution that saw the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty.

And many also carried images of Pahlavi, as well as photos of people killed in Iran, during the demonstration.

“I am so proud to be there today,” Pezhman Mehrabian wrote on social platform X of the march in Toronto.

“It is time (U.S. President Donald Trump), (Prime Minister) Mark Carney and other Western leaders recognize Iran’s Lion and Sun revolution and its only leader, (King Reza Pahlavi).”

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Arash Karimi said he participated in the Yonge St. protest to show solidarity with unarmed civilians killed in Iran, and he called government crackdowns a “one-sided war against the people.”

“Every Iranian knows someone, relatives or friends, (who have been) killed,” he said.

Protester Amirali Ahzan said he hoped the unrest in Iran leads to political change that guarantees more rights for the people.

As a member of the LGBTQ community, Ahzan said he fled Iran three years ago fearing for his safety.

Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Iran.

“There are so many people like me who have been marginalized and criminalized,” Ahzan said. “I do want to stand up for them.”

Social media was flooded with videos and photos of demonstrators throughout the day that saw Yonge St. closed from Steeles Ave. to Sheppard Ave.

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“The voice of freedom can’t be silenced,” one person shared online.

“Seeing Iranians standing shoulder to shoulder in Toronto proves that hope for a free, dignified Iran is still alive – everywhere in the world. We stand together, for justice, for life, and for the future of our homeland.”

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The rally in Munich was attended by more than 200,000 people, German news agency dpa reported.

Frustrated Iranians have protested their government since late December, sparked by an ongoing economic crisis that has sent the country’s currency into freefall.

While protesters were initially focused on Iran’s economy, demonstrators pivoted to calling for an end to Iran’s Islamic Republic, with some supporting the return of the ousted monarchy to power.

Iran’s government, which has cracked down on protests and implemented an internet blackout, said more than 3,000 people have been killed since protests broke out.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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