In several European cities, including Paris and Düsseldorf, demonstrations by the Iranian diaspora against theocratic rule in Tehran took place on Saturday. According to various police estimates, around 2,500 people took part in Düsseldorf alone, while over a thousand supporters of the monarchy demonstrated in Paris. The protests, organized on the eve of International Women's Day, were an expression of opposition to human rights violations in Iran and support for the ongoing resistance movement. Participants chanted slogans in honor of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his son Reza Pahlavi, a pretender to the throne living in exile.

Massive protests in Düsseldorf

In the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, around 2,500 demonstrators gathered according to police estimates. The protesters, mainly members of the Iranian diaspora, expressed opposition to the Islamic regime and showed solidarity with their compatriots fighting for freedom back home.

Monarchist march in Paris

In Paris, over a thousand people marched in a demonstration with a clearly pro-monarchist character. Participants carried portraits of the last Shah of Iran and his son, Reza Pahlavi, and chanted "Chah!" (King!) and "Iran!", manifesting nostalgia for the pre-revolutionary period and support for a monarchist alternative.

Context of resistance and women's rights

The demonstrations were organized on the eve of International Women's Day, which gives them an additional, symbolic dimension in the context of repression against Iranian women, who have become one of the driving forces of nationwide resistance. The diaspora protests reflect the tensions and hopes for a change in Iran's political system that have been ongoing for years.

On Saturday, March 7, 2026, the Iranian diaspora in Europe organized a series of demonstrations, expressing opposition to theocratic rule in Tehran and solidarity with the resistance movement inside the country. The largest observed rally took place in the German city of Düsseldorf, where, according to police estimates, around 2,500 people gathered. Simultaneously, in Paris, over a thousand supporters of the monarchy marched through the streets of the French capital, chanting slogans in honor of the overthrown Pahlavi dynasty. These events, coinciding with the eve of International Women's Day, highlight the role of human rights issues, especially women's rights, in the ongoing conflict between Iranian society and the regime.

The monarchy in Iran, ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty, fell as a result of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which replaced the secular system with a theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. The last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was forced to leave the country, and his son, Reza Pahlavi, lives in exile, serving as a symbol and potential pretender to the throne for part of the opposition. For over four decades, the Islamic regime has suppressed all opposition, leading to the creation of a dispersed but active diaspora worldwide. The demonstrations in European cities are a regular element of this diaspora's activity, reflecting the deep division and ongoing political conflict. In Düsseldorf, the crowd, consisting mainly of Iranians and German sympathizers, gathered to show their support for the freedom aspirations in Iran. The Paris rally had a similar character but with a strongly marked monarchist accent. Participants carried historical Iranian flags with the Lion and Sun emblem and portraits of the Shah and his son, which is a clear reference to the pre-revolutionary period. Chants of "Chah! Iran!" (King! Iran!) filled the air, expressing a longing for a system perceived by many as more liberal and open to the West.

The organization of the protests on the eve of Women's Day is not accidental. Since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, which sparked the mass "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, the issue of women's rights has become a central point of resistance against the regime. Repression against women breaking the law, for example regarding the wearing of the hijab, has met with international condemnation and mobilized the diaspora to even greater activity. Therefore, the protests in Europe serve not only to express political opposition but also to emphasize solidarity with women in Iran fighting for basic freedoms.

Mentioned People

  • Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — The last Shah of Iran, overthrown as a result of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
  • Reza Pahlavi — Son of the last Shah of Iran, a pretender to the throne living in exile.
  • Mahsa Amini — A young Iranian woman whose death in police custody in 2022 sparked mass protests under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom".