Thousands of people demonstrated in Berlin on Friday against the authoritarian government in Tehran and for solidarity with the people in Iran. According to police, approximately 10,000 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate at its peak. The “Freedom for Iran” rally was called for by a broad alliance of international organizations through social media, flyers, and large advertisements in some newspapers.
Peaceful Demonstration in Berlin
The police described the demonstration as “absolutely peaceful.” They accompanied the assembly with approximately 380 officers. The demonstrators marched to Potsdamer Platz and then returned to the Brandenburg Gate.
The organizers had expected up to 100,000 participants, but many people did not arrive in Berlin in time for the demonstration. According to a spokesperson, flights from Sweden and Denmark were canceled.
Around 340 international organizations and political figures supported the demonstration. According to the German Solidarity Committee for a Free Iran, it was supported by a total of 312 Iranian associations from several European countries.
Voices from the Protest
According to the organizers, many relatives of people killed or arrested during the recent protests in Iran were among the demonstrators. Many waved Iranian flags. Photos of Maryam Rajavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which is banned in Iran, were also held up. Some people wore yellow vests with the inscription “Free Iran.”
Rajavi addressed the demonstrators in Berlin, demanding, among other things, immediate intervention by the UN Security Council to stop the executions of insurgents and political prisoners. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei must be indicted before an international court for the thousands of dead demonstrators.
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was connected live. Other speakers included former Chancellor’s Chief of Staff Peter Altmaier (CDU) and former Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (FDP).
Against the Return of the Shah Family
The demonstration was also directed against a return of the Shah family to power. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah overthrown in 1979, has supported the mass protests against the Iranian leadership and is considered the most prominent and influential Iranian opposition figure in exile.
A dramatic economic crisis and very high inflation triggered protests in Iran at the end of December. The demonstrations developed into political protests against the authoritarian system of government. Security forces acted violently. Iranian human rights groups reported more than 3,400 deaths. Exact figures are difficult to verify due to the information blockade.
