The demonstration of Iranians in Paris was held on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at Saint-Michel Square, in solidarity with the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people in January 2026. The gathering was organized to honor the memory of the victims of Iran’s nationwide uprisings and to emphasize the urgent need for justice for those killed in government repression.
The participants, who were supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, commemorated the fallen by lighting candles and by chanting slogans such as “No to Shah, No to Mullah” and “No to the Dictator,” underscoring their rejection of all forms of dictatorship, both the current regime and any return to monarchy. These slogans directly reflect the demands voiced inside Iran. At this demonstration, Amytis Markus, from the young generation supporting the Iranian resistance, delivered a speech, the text of which follows below:
Amytis Markus: No to the Mullahs, No to Tyranny — We No Longer Want to Live on Our Knees
Hello. My name is Amytis, and I am a law student in Paris. I was born in France, but my heart beats for Iran.
Tonight, I stand before you with an immense responsibility: to carry the voice of those who can no longer speak. The Iranian youth and the victims of the 2026 uprising.
They were my age. Some were still students, others were working, and others were artists. They had a voice, hope, and immense courage. And for that, they were shot dead with live ammunition.
For weeks now, the mullahs’ regime has been massacring its own youth. More than 3,000 dead, more than 50,000 arrests. They cut off access to the Internet to kill in silence.
But despite the terror, despite the repression, the Iranian people rise up and say no to dictatorship: no to the mullahs and no to the return of any tyranny. Their message is clear: we no longer want to live on our knees. We want to live standing and free.
And if being here in Paris is a privilege, they, in Iran, in the meantime, are losing their lives. So we have no right to remain silent, we have no right to be indifferent. This struggle is not only Iran’s — it is a universal struggle. A struggle for human dignity, for freedom, for justice.
To those young Iranians who fell for freedom, I say this: your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Your courage binds us. Your struggle continues through us. Here, I say: let us be their voice, let us be their echo, let us stand on the right side of history.
Long live freedom
Long live the Iranian people
No shah No mullah
