200,000 Rally in Munich Against Iran’s Government

Around 200,000 demonstrators gathered in Munich, Germany, on Saturday to protest against Iran’s ruling authorities, according to local police.

The mass rally coincided with the annual Munich Security Conference, which is bringing together world leaders in the Bavarian capital through Sunday.

Protesters filled the expansive Theresienwiese square in western Munich, calling for the overthrow of the Iranian regime following a violent crackdown that has suppressed widespread protests since late December. Many participants waved Iran’s former national flag from the era of the deposed Shah, green, white and red with a lion and sun emblem at its center.

Human rights organizations say thousands of demonstrators have been killed in Iran amid the government’s suppression of the latest wave of unrest.

Solidarity rallies are also scheduled for Saturday in Toronto and Los Angeles, with organizers urging stronger international action against Tehran.

Last week, about 10,000 people protested in Berlin at the call of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political wing of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, which Iran classifies as a terrorist organization.

Earlier Saturday, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last Shah, called on US President Donald Trump to “help” the Iranian people, saying “the time has come to get rid of the Islamic Republic.” Asked whether he would join the protest, Pahlavi did not confirm his participation.

The large turnout in Munich underscores growing international attention on Iran’s political crisis, as calls intensify for global leaders to respond to the government’s crackdown on dissent.