A Historic Anniversary Marked by Global Protests
On April 19 –marking the anniversary of the executions of members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the Organization of Iranian People’s Fedai Guerrillas (OIPFG) by the Shah’s regime in 1972 and 1975– Iranians gathered in over 15 cities across four continents.
The demonstrations in cities including Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Cologne, Stockholm, Bucharest, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Bern carried a unified message: “No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs.”
The Leading Voice of Women
Among the most striking elements of these rallies was the powerful presence of women. In Amsterdam, Nahal, speaking on behalf of young Iranian women, delivered a passionate address: “We are here to be the voice of our beloved country’s history — Iran. We will spare no effort until the fall of the clerical regime.”
Participants called for a free democratic republic based on the separation of religion and state in Iran and emphasized that the Iranian people reject both monarchical rule and religious dictatorship.
The strong participation of Iranian women from different generations once again underscored the vital role of women at the heart of Iran’s struggle against oppression and dictatorship.
Standing in Solidarity with the Iranian People
Ms. Dorien Rookmaker, a former member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands, joined the Amsterdam rally to express her solidarity with the Iranian people and their fight for freedom and justice.
In Paris, Ms. Dominique Attias, President of the Administrative Council of the European Lawyers Foundation, also stood alongside the demonstrators. Recently awarded France’s prestigious Officer of the Legion of Honor, Attias denounced the systematic repression and executions targeting Iranian women, stressing that “the voices of Iran’s women must be heard.”
In Switzerland, Professor Christiane Perregaux, honorary professor at the University of Geneva, joined demonstrators and expressed academic and humanitarian solidarity with the people of Iran, particularly its women.
In cities across the U.S. and Canada, women of all ages held photos of victims and signs reading “No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs,” demanding an end to dictatorship and a new era of democracy.
No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs
Maryam Rajavi sent a message to these global gatherings: “No to the Shah, no to the Mullahs — Victory to the Democratic Revolution of the Iranian People!
“With all the blood shed during the dark years of monarchy and theocratic rule, neither a return to the past nor stagnation in the present is conceivable. The Iranian society and its vanguards are marching toward a glorious future based on freedom, equality, and democracy, and they will pay whatever price it takes to achieve it.
“The people of Iran will accept nothing less than the overthrow of the religious dictatorship and the establishment of a democratic republic: a free, non-nuclear Iran with the separation of religion from the state, and the 10-point plan of the Iranian Resistance.”
A Global Echo of Resistance and Hope
These gatherings, while honoring those who lost their lives, stood as a powerful symbol of the enduring resistance of the Iranian people. The message echoed across continents was clear: The people of Iran are firmly committed to ending dictatorship in all its forms — and they are not alone in this fight.
