On the afternoon of Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, thousands of freedom-loving women, Iranians, and supporters of the Iranian Resistance from across the United States gathered in Washington, D.C. for a largescale rally and march.
The rally, attended by thousands from Iranian communities and representatives from various U.S. states, began at 1:00 PM local time in front of the U.S. Congress. The event featured a message from Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), followed by speeches from U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Senator Sam Brownback, and representatives of Iranian American communities.
Following the speeches, demonstrators marched from Congress to the White House to hold another gathering. The march and demonstration continued until 4:30 PM local time. They chanted “Woman, Resistance, Freedom,” among other slogans, including “Death to the oppressor, Be it the Shah or the mullahs’ leader.” The demonstrators vowed to take back Iran.
Resistance, the Inalienable Right of the Iranian People
In her message to the rally in Washington, D.C., Maryam Rajavi said: “For change in Iran, we rely on the brave and selfless sons and daughters of our nation, along with the unwavering support of our people. We have never sought, nor will we ever seek, the intervention of foreign powers to fight on our behalf or bring us change. Our strength in this battle, both moral and material, is rooted in our independence. This struggle stems from the Iranian people’s unquenchable thirst for freedom—a thirst for which over 100,000 martyrs have made the ultimate sacrifice in uprisings and resistance against this regime.
“We are confronting a criminal regime that has blocked every avenue for dissent, resorting to street massacres, blinding, the hanging of innocent youth, and mass arrests of thousands of people. Indeed, against a regime that wages an unrelenting war on its people, using organized violence and its criminal Revolutionary Guards, what response could be more powerful than an organized uprising and resistance waged by the Resistance Units?
“Our message is the same as the one underlined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence: ‘That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.’ Yes, this is the inalienable right of the Iranian people.”
She went on to add, “The recent resolution sponsored by over 150 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives is a significant example of bipartisan support for the legitimate rights of the Iranian people. They have emphasized that they recognize the right of the Iranian people and the Resistance Units to overthrow the Velayat-e-Faqih regime and support the Iranian Resistance’s roadmap toward change in Iran.
“Indeed, recognizing the struggle of the Iranian people and the rebellious youth against the Revolutionary Guards to overthrow this regime is essential for regional and global peace, stability, and security.”
Speakers Support Iranian People’s Right to Topple the Regime
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani condemned the Iranian regime’s aggressive actions and destabilizing interventions in the region, stressing the urgent need for its overthrow, which he said had plunged the entire region into war and crisis. He asserted that toppling the regime was a task that only the Iranian people and their Resistance, under the leadership of Maryam Rajavi, could accomplish, without the need for foreign intervention. He emphasized that it was the duty of the international community to support them.
U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, a Democrat, stated that he had supported the Iranian Resistance in Congress for 29 years and would continue to do so until democracy was established in Iran. He pointed out that just last week, more than 150 members of Congress had introduced a resolution calling for support for the Iranian people’s Resistance. The resolution, he noted, endorsed Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan and affirmed the Iranian people’s right to resist the regime.
