Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) rallied in five different cities across Europe on Saturday, February 12, commemorating the 43rd anniversary of Iran’s 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.
Cologne, Amsterdam, Oslo, Rome, and Bucharest were scenes of Iranian Resistance supporters gathering to condemn the mullahs’ regime ruling Iran for its human rights violations, support for terrorism, and clandestine nuclear weapons program. They also voiced their support and solidarity with the Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), as the democratic alternative to the mullahs’ theocracy, and pledged to continue this struggle to overthrow the regime ruling Iran.
February 12 – Cologne, Germany
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK rally to mark the 43rd anniversary of #Iran's 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.#FreeIran2020pic.twitter.com/7Tdd7kl6YZ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2022
February 12 – Oslo, Norway
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK rally to mark the 43rd anniversary of #Iran's 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.#FreeIran2020https://t.co/VEVPO81iV5— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2022
The demonstrators chanted slogans against the Iranian regime, in support of the NCRI and MEK, Iranian Resistance leader Massoud Rajavi and NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi.
Their chants included:
“The enemies of the Iranian people are the Shah (monarchy) and the Sheikh (mullahs’ regime)!”
“Death to the oppressor, whether the Shah or the Supreme Leader!”
“Death to Khamenei, Damned be Khomeini!” the latter in reference to the regime’s first supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini.
February 12 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK rally to mark the 43rd anniversary of #Iran's 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.#FreeIran2020Part 1https://t.co/vPiI1W9q0D
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2022
February 12 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK rally to mark the 43rd anniversary of #Iran's 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.#FreeIran2020Part 2https://t.co/mk6N8DiUyL
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2022
“Iranians are awake; they hate Sheikhs (mullahs’ regime) and the Shah (monarchy)!”
“Neither the Shah nor the turban, the mullahs’ have ran out of time!”
“Let the people of the world know that Massoud Rajavi is our leader!”
“Freedom and democracy with Maryam Rajavi!”
“Hail to Rajavi! Death to Khamenei and Raisi!” the latter being in reference to current regime President Ebrahim Raisi.
“We fight, we die, we take back Iran!”
February 12 – Rome, Italy
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK rally to mark the 43rd anniversary of #Iran's 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.#FreeIran2020 pic.twitter.com/GLGudfiMn6— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2022
February 12 – Bucharest, Romania
Freedom-loving Iranians & supporters of the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK rally to mark the 43rd anniversary of #Iran's 1979 anti-monarchical revolution.#FreeIran2020pic.twitter.com/ch9OtjKSXc— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 14, 2022
These rallies across Europe were held one day after 50 bi-partisan Members of the United States House of Representatives participated in an online conference on Friday, February 11, calling on the Biden administration to adopt a firm Iran policy and stand alongside the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom and democracy. The Organization of Iranian American Communities hosted the event marking 43rd anniversary of Iran’s 1979 anti-monarchical revolution
While voicing their solidarity with the Iranian people, the representatives condemned the Iranian regime as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and criticized the current U.S. policy vis-à-vis the regime’s nuclear weapons program. The lawmakers also expressed their support for a democratic, secular and non-nuclear republic in Iran.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi was the keynote speaker at the meeting during which she explained that the 1979 revolution began with the overthrow of the Shah and his “violent tyranny” and was hijacked by the mullahs ruling the country today.
“43 years ago, today, the Shah dictatorship was overthrown by the Iranian people’s nationwide uprising. The Iranian people revolted against a violent tyranny. They sought freedom and democracy. But since the Shah had practically destroyed all democratic movements, he paved the way for a reactionary mullah to take power,” Mrs. Rajavi said.
“Today, there is a democratic alternative that has a powerful social base. It has elevated the widespread social discontent toward a goal-oriented struggle to overthrow the regime in its entirety,” she added.
Iran has been marking the 43rd anniversary of its 1979 anti-monarchical revolution that brought an end to the Shah’s dictatorship but was later hijacked by the clerics led by Ruhollah Khomeini. While the mullahs’ regime is hell-bent on portraying a strong image with a firm grip on power, the realities on the ground tell a completely different story.
A look back at the past 12 months sheds light on the deepening conflict between Iranian people and their organized resistance seeking freedom on the one hand, and a weakening regime desperately trying to stay in power on the other.
Despite the regime’s crackdown and ongoing appeasement from the West, the mullahs are paranoid that Iranian people and the organized Resistance pose an existential threat to their survival. And this is something the West cannot and should not ignore.
