Protests originating in Iran have sparked solidarity demonstrations across Germany, drawing thousands of people into the streets on Saturday.
In Berlin, police recorded approximately 1,400 participants marching through the city centre, while another 300 gathered in a nearby square. Meanwhile, in Frankfurt, around 1,800 people took to the streets in protest.
Some protesters in Berlin held photos of Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah of Iran whose monarchy was overthrown in 1979. These images were occasionally accompanied by captions referring to him as the “king of Iran.” Based in the United States, Pahlavi has sought to unify the fractured Iranian opposition. However, other banners expressed opposing sentiments, declaring, “Neither theocracy nor monarchy – Freedom and equality.”
The demonstrations began last Sunday at Tehran’s largest mobile phone market, where vendors closed their shops in protest against the country’s worsening economic conditions. The unrest initially addressed economic grievances, particularly as Iran continues to fund groups like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but it quickly escalated with broader political opposition to the Islamic Republic’s regime.
In Brussels, around 100 opponents of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gathered near EU institutions on Friday, urging the international community to offer support.
