Exiled Crown Prince Urges World To Stand With Iranian People As 250,000 Rally In Munich

MUNICH, Germany — Some 250,000 group demonstrated Saturday against Iran’s authorities connected nan sidelines of a gathering of world leaders successful Germany, constabulary said, answering a telephone from Iran ’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for accrued world unit connected Tehran.

Banging drums and chanting for authorities change, nan elephantine and boisterous rally adjacent nan tract of nan Munich Security Conference was portion of what Pahlavi described arsenic a “global time of action” to support Iranians successful nan aftermath of deadly nationwide protests. He besides called for demonstrations successful Los Angeles and Toronto. Hundreds of group turned retired Saturday for a rally successful downtown Los Angeles, according to news reports.

In Munich, constabulary said successful a station connected X, nan number of protesters reached astir 250,000, much than nan organizers had expected.

“Change, change, authorities change!” nan immense crowd chanted, waving green-white-and-red flags pinch lion and sun emblems, nan Iranian emblem earlier its 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled nan Pahlavi dynasty.

At a news conference, Pahlavi, nan boy of Iran’s past shah, warned of much deaths successful Iran if “democracies guidelines by and watch” pursuing Tehran’s deadly crackdown connected protesters past month.

“We stitchery astatine an hr of profound peril to ask: Will nan world guidelines pinch nan group of Iran?” he asked. He added that nan endurance of Iran’s authorities “sends a clear awesome to each bully: Kill capable group and you enactment successful power.”

An estimated 350,000 group marched connected nan streets of Toronto arsenic portion of nan “Global Day of Action” rally, Toronto constabulary spokesperson Laura Brabant said.

At nan Munich rally, demonstrators sported “Make Iran Great Again” reddish caps, mimicking nan MAGA caps worn by President Trump’s supporters. Among those sporting nan caps was U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who gave a reside to nan crowd during which he was photographed holding up nan headwear.

Many astatine nan rally waved placards showing Pahlavi, immoderate that called him a king. The boy of Iran’s precocious deposed shah has been successful exile for astir 50 years but is trying to position himself arsenic a subordinate successful Iran’s future.

The crowd chanted, “Pahlavi for Iran” and “democracy for Iran” arsenic drums and cymbals sounded.

“We person immense hopes and [are] looking guardant that nan authorities is going to alteration hopefully,” said Daniyal Mohtashamian, a demonstrator who traveled from Zurich to speak for protesters wrong Iran who faced repression.

“There is an net blackout and their voices are not going extracurricular of Iran,” he said.

About 500 protesters besides rallied extracurricular nan statesmanlike palace successful Nicosia, Cyprus, pinch galore holding up banners pinch slogans against Iran’s authorities and successful favour of Pahlavi.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says astatine slightest 7,005 group were killed successful past month’s protests, including 214 authorities forces. It has been meticulous successful counting deaths during erstwhile rounds of unit and unrest successful Iran and relies connected a web of activists wrong Iran to verify deaths.

Iran’s authorities offered its only decease toll connected Jan. 21, saying 3,117 group were killed. Iran’s theocracy successful nan past has undercounted aliases not reported fatalities from past unrest.

The Associated Press has been incapable to independently measure nan decease toll, arsenic authorities person disrupted net entree and world calls successful Iran.

Iranian leaders are facing renewed unit from Trump, who has threatened U.S. subject action. Trump wants Iran to further standard backmost its atomic program. He said Friday that authorities alteration successful Iran “would beryllium nan champion point that could happen.”

Iran was besides nan attraction of protests successful Munich connected Friday, nan opening time of Munich’s yearly information convention successful nan metropolis gathering European leaders and world information figures. Supporters of nan Iranian guidance group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, besides known arsenic nan Mujahedin-e-Khalq, demonstrated.

Hodina writes for nan Associated Press. AP journalists Cedar Attanasio successful Seattle, John Leicester successful Paris and Geir Moulson successful Berlin contributed to this report.