20K Iranians Rally in Paris Against Tyranny; Call for Overthrow of Mullahs
THOUSANDS IN STREETS OF PARIS / OVER 100k VIEWS!!! CLICK LINK
Paris, February 10, 2025 – More than 20,000 Iranians gathered in Paris on Feb 8 to mark the 46th anniversary of the 1979 anti-monarchical revolution and to called for the downfall of Iran’s ruling theocracy. The demonstrators, carrying banners with slogans such as “Death to the Oppressor, be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader” and “Long Live the Iranian People’s Democratic Revolution”, rejected both monarchical and clerical rule, advocating for a democratic alternative. The event also paid tribute to fallen freedom fighters, particularly those who died resisting both regimes.
Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), delivered the keynote speech. Rajavi described the clerical regime as being at its weakest point, surrounded by domestic resistance, international pressure, and growing societal unrest. “Ali Khamenei once said, ‘If we don’t fight in Syria, we will have to fight in Tehran and Isfahan.’ Well, now they are losing Syria and Lebanon, and they are resorting to mass executions in Iran to maintain control.” She reaffirmed the NCRI’s commitment to a democratic republic, gender equality, and the separation of religion from the state while urging world powers to back the Iranian people’s aspirations instead of engaging with the Tehran regime.
Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt delivered a powerful speech, declaring 2025 as the year of transformation for Iran. “Just as Syria liberated itself from Bashar al-Assad, Iran will be free of the mullahs.” He warned about the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions and its attempts to manipulate international negotiations. “The mullahs’ regime tries to obtain nuclear weapons to threaten the West and to end the sanctions. The policy of appeasement must end.” He called for decisive action: “First, end the appeasement policy. Second, reimpose the UN Security Council’s six resolutions against the mullahs. Third, designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Finally, recognize the Iranian Resistance as the real representatives of the people of Iran.”
Jean-François Legaret, former mayor of Paris’s 1st district and president of the Foundation for Middle East Studies stressed that the Iranian regime is not as invincible as it claims. “The downfall of the Assad regime was a turning point. It sends a clear message to the people of Iran that the regime is weak both inside the country and across the world.” He urged support for Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a roadmap to democracy.
Former Colombian Senator Ingrid Betancourt highlighted the global fight against tyranny. “You who rally to support those who fight give us hope that Iran will be free.” She denounced the regime’s human rights abuses, particularly its hostage-taking tactics. “We have French citizens taken hostage by the regime as bargaining chips. We are here for the people on death row in Iran. We must stop these criminals ruling Iran.”
Christine Arrighi, a French MP, underscored the historical certainty of dictatorships collapsing. “They collapse from inside, from the pressure of the world, from the resistance of people like you.” She praised the Iranian opposition, stating, “Will Iran have the democracy that the people deserve? This is what we are here to ensure.”
Kak Baba Sheikh Hosseini, Secretary General of the Khabat Organization of Iranian Kurdistan, expressed solidarity with the Iranian Resistance and emphasized that a free Iran will have no place for dictatorship. “The dictatorship of the mullahs hijacked the revolution of the Iranian people against the Shah regime. During its rule, it carried out the worst crimes against the people of Iran.” He highlighted the unity of Kurdish resistance with the broader opposition. “The people of Kurdistan have fought against the Shah and mullahs’ regimes. They will remain in the fight for a democratic republic.”
In a video message, Colonel Riad al-Asaad, founder of the Free Syrian Army, expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and their struggle against tyranny. “Our relationship with Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian Resistance was established at the very beginning of the Syrian revolution,” he said. “The people of Iran, who once overthrew the Shah’s dictatorship, have shown through their resistance that they can also topple the dictatorship of the Supreme Leader.”
Related Article(s)
Iran News in Brief – February 10, 2025 – NCRI
ABOUT ALIREZA JAFARZADEH…
Alireza Jafarzadeh serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He is also the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008).
A recognized expert on Iranian policy, Jafarzadeh has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. His groundbreaking work in 2002 and 2003 led to the discovery of key illicit nuclear sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Arak heavy water plant, the Kalaye Electric centrifuge testing facility near Tehran, and the Lashkar Ab’ad laser enrichment facility. These revelations prompted the first-ever inspections of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Jafarzadeh is a frequent guest on major television and radio networks, including CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and France 24. His insights have also been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, and The Hill.
ABOUT SHAHIN GOBADI…
Shahin Gobadi, a U.S.-educated nuclear engineer, is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
An astute observer of Iranian affairs for over three decades, Gobadi is an expert on topics including Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, proxy groups in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, Western policy toward Iran, and internal Iranian affairs.
He has been interviewed by major international media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky TV, GB News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Gobadi’s writings have appeared in prominent media across the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT ALI SAFAVI…
Ali Safavi is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
A sociologist by training, Safavi studied and taught at UCLA, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. He was an active participant in the anti-Shah student movement in the 1970s in the United States and has been deeply engaged in Iranian affairs ever since.
Safavi has lectured and written extensively on Iran, Iraq, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. He has appeared in interviews on networks such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, Sky TV, Newsmax, and France 24. His articles and commentary have been published in leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Boston Herald, The Washington Times, and The Financial Times.
CONTACT:
For further details or to arrange the interview, please contact Jerry McGlothlin at 919-437-0001 / Bookings@SeasonalLiving.com
