Tehran, Jan 10 (.) Iranians, both within the country and abroad, heeding exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi’s call for keeping the protests up for two more nights, and seize city centers, carried forth massive demonstrations on Saturday, raising flags of the old monarchy, burning the flag of the Islamic Republic and chanting “Death to Khamenei,” even as security personnel have been ruthlessly cracking down on the demonstrations.
Videos and eyewitness accounts indicated that large crowds took to the streets for a second consecutive week, waving the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag, burning the flag of the Islamic Republic and chanting slogans including “Death to Khamenei” and “Long live the King”.
The protests have continued despite near-total internet shutdowns and severe restrictions on communications, which have made independent verification increasingly difficult.
Video footage circulating from within the country showed demonstrators at Heravi Square chanting pro-monarchy slogans, while videos from Keshavarz Boulevard captured crowds shouting, “This year is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali will be overthrown,” reports Iran International.
In Isfahan, protesters gathered on Ayinehkhaneh Boulevard, chanting “Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is illegitimate,” alongside calls of “Long live the Shah.”
Separate footage circulated from the Dolat neighbourhood which shows residents chanting “Freedom” in the streets, with demonstrations even taking place on late night in Amol, where swathes of protesters were seen chanting “Death to the dictator” on Friday night.
Demonstrations were also reported on Saturday in Berlin and Cologne in Germany, London in the UK, Stockholm in Sweden, and Brussels, where protesters gathered outside the Iranian embassy to voice opposition to the Islamic Republic.
In Toronto, hundreds of Iranian residents rallied outside the offices of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, urging broader coverage of the protests, and argued that international media attention was critical given Tehran’s internet blackout.
Similar rallies took place in New York City and Auckland, with protesters waving monarchist flags, chanting anti-government slogans and tearing down the flag of the Islamic Republic.
Western governments have also weighed in on the ongoing demonstrations, with the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada and the European union hailing the courage of the Iranian people in a joint statement, commending their defence of human dignity and their right to peaceful protest, while the US has sternly warned Tehran over its excessive use of force to subdue the protests, which have not showed any signs of slowing down.
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