Thousands of people gathered at David Lam Park in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday afternoon, calling for regime change in Iran as part of a series of protests taking place around the world.
Protesters chanted slogans against Iran’s clerical leadership and called for an end to government repression in Iran, as widespread protests inside the country have been met with violent crackdowns.
Demonstrators carried the lion-and-sun flag that was used before the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979, along with photos of people killed during recent unrest.
Many voiced support for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, holding posters bearing his image and calling on him to play a role in Iran’s future political transition.
Mehrak Karimi, who attended the rally, says Iranians deserve freedom and peace.
“We want regime change and nothing else … no more negotiations with the government,” she added.
Karimi says she was unable to contact her parents in Iran for weeks during recent unrest due to the internet blackout.
Many protesters held photos revealing the faces of those killed during Iran’s crackdown against anti-government protests. (CBC)
“My family is okay now but I lost a lot of friends, people I knew, people I grew up with back home, it’s not fair.”
The rally in Vancouver is one of many happening worldwide Saturday, as part of what Pahlavi labelled a global day of action. Pahlavi said Toronto, Munich and Los Angeles would be the main gathering points for Iranians living abroad to protest and call for regime change in Iran.
About 350,000 people gathered in Toronto’s North York earlier Saturday, shutting down some major thoroughfares in the neighbourhood.
Police in Vancouver said about 45,000 people attended the demonstration, which closed traffic along Pacific Boulevard between Homer and Davie streets. The road has since reopened.
Vancouver Police Department said it deployed dozens of extra officers to the downtown core in anticipation of the large gathering around David Lam Park. Officials said it was “another peaceful” demonstration with no major incidents reported.
It was one of five separate rallies taking place around the city Saturday.
Simon Fraser University international relations professor James Horncastle said the demonstrations reflect growing international attention on events in Iran.
A large crowd gathered in David Lam Park Saturday afternoon to show support for Iranian people. It’s one of multiple demonstrations against Tehran’s crackdown that have taken place in Vancouver and across the country over the past weeks. (Drew Kerekes/CBC)
“We are seeing a significant increase in terms of international pressure and awareness with regards to the situation in Iran,” Horncastle said.
“Vancouver has a significant Persian population. Many individuals have family members there,” he said. “This is why we’re seeing basically people turn out from a wide variety of backgrounds for this protest, because it resonates so strongly.”
Nationwide protests have been shaking Iran for weeks. They started Dec. 28 in response to soaring prices, then turned into wider anti-government protests against the clerical rulers who have governed the country for nearly 50 years.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to keep protesting while he weighs military intervention in Iran. On Friday, Trump said regime change “seems” to be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran.
WATCH | Thousands march in Vancouver echoing global calls for end to repression in Iran:
Thousands march in Vancouver echoing global calls for end to repression in Iran
Thousands of protesters gathered in Vancouver to stand in solidarity with those facing a violent crackdown and an ongoing internet blackout in Iran. As Janella Hamilton reports, the demonstration highlighted the deep desperation of the local Iranian Canadian community, with many attendees mourning lost loved ones and struggling to contact family members in Iran.
In a news release Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand announced Canada is imposing additional sanctions against seven people linked to Iranian state bodies.
“Canada is implementing these sanctions to address Iran’s use of transnational repression, violence and repressive tactics,” the release reads. “The imposition of these sanctions sends a clear message that Canada will not tolerate the Iranian regime’s attempts to intimidate, harm or silence voices inside or outside Iran.”
Horncastle said international support can play a role in maintaining pressure.
“So, these [rallies] actually help … keep up the incentive for the Canadian government … to keep up pressure on Iran,” he said.
Mahdis Fleming, another protester at the rally, said demonstrations abroad are critical to amplifying the voices of people inside Iran.
“The voice of people back home is unheard and that’s why we have to be here,” Fleming said. “This is the least we can do.”
She said many demonstrators support Pahlavi as a potential transitional leader.
“He is the best choice we have. He has been actively supporting Iranians for the last 30, 35 years,” she said, adding that international pressure will be needed to bring meaningful change.
WATCH | Iran protests: Why it’s different this time:
Iran protests: Why it’s different this time
Protests have swept across Iran but it’s not the first time people have taken to the streets to demand change. For The National, CBC’s Ashley Fraser breaks down the key differences this time and why some say pressure has never been higher on the regime.
While some protesters see Pahlavi as a potential unifying figure, Horncastle noted his role remains uncertain.
“The question that’s not really being kind of answered right now, is if there is a regime change within Iran, what form is the government going to end up taking afterwards?” he said.
Iran’s government, which has cracked down on protests and implemented an internet blackout, said more than 3,000 people have been killed since protests broke out.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has historically been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran, has put the death toll at over 7,000.