Paris – Thousands of Iranians Rally for Regime Change in Iran

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(Red / KD) – On Saturday, February 8, 2025, on the 46th anniversary of the overthrow of the Shah’s dictatorship in Iran, thousands of Iranians, supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), gathered in Paris for a rally and march to demand regime change in Iran and the establishment of a democratic republic. Demonstrators called for a decisive policy against the Iranian regime, primarily to stop executions, particularly the execution of political prisoners in Iran. They also condemned the regime for taking foreign nationals hostage and demanded their immediate release.

Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), addressing the rally via video, was the keynote speaker, joined by distinguished personalities including Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium, and Ingrid Betancourt, as well as members of the French National Assembly and Senate. The event featured a diverse range of Iranian specialists collaborating with the National Council of Resistance, representatives from 320 Iranian associations in Europe, North America, and Australia, as well as representatives from various nationalities, including Kurdish, Baluch, and Arab communities. There was a notable presence of women and young people, many of whom have never been to Iran, but support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the NCRI.

In her speech, Maryam Rajavi honored the Iranian people’s great anti-monarchical revolution on February 11, 1979 – with an unshakable commitment to also topple the mullahs’ tyranny – and stressed: “Yes, neither Shah nor Sheikh – long live the Iranian people’s democratic revolution! Another revolution is in the making. The clerical regime is surrounded on all sides by the Resistance Units and the fearless, rebellious youth; a society brimming with rage and defiance; and internal and external conflicts – especially after losing their most strategic footholds in the region.”

Maryam Rajavi added: “For some time, amid the domino of defeats, the regime’s warring factions were at loggerheads over whether or not to negotiate with the United States. Yesterday, Khamenei had the final word, saying, ‘Negotiating is not wise, not intelligent, not honorable.’ But we say, ‘Your demise has arrived.’ With or without negotiations, with or without nuclear weapons, the uprising and overthrow await you (regime)!”

Reminding the enshrined rights as a last resort against despotism and suppression in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she underscored: “The fundamental right to rebel is ours, our people’s and that of freedom fighters everywhere. Therefore, the international community must recognize the right of the Iranian people and the Resistance Units to resist and overthrow the regime of execution and massacre. And instead of appeasing the mullahs, they should stand with the people of Iran.”

Parliamentary delegations and representatives from France, including former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, spoke at the demonstration.

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.” 

In the resolution statement of the rally, Iranians condemned the clerical regime’s “futile attempts to prevent its inevitable downfall by executing prisoners, especially members and supporters of the principal opposition movement, PMOI/MEK.”

The resolution underlines that in fear of their downfall, the mullahs have accelerated their nuclear weapons project. Khamenei explicitly rejected negotiations over nuclear issues yesterday, stating, “Negotiations are not intelligent, not wise, not honorable.” These remarks reflect the significance of nuclear capability for the regime’s survival. The international community must activate the snapback mechanism and reinstate UN Security Council resolutions regarding the regime’s nuclear program, dismantling all its nuclear projects. The ultimate solution is the regime’s overthrow in the hands of the people and their resistance.

The rally’s concluding statement conveyed their message to Western countries: “For 46 years, the regime has turned into the greatest threat to global peace and security by exporting terrorism, warmongering, and hostage-taking. Appeasement towards the mullahs has made them exceedingly more dangerous. We demand that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be designated as a terrorist organization, the struggles of the Resistance Units for the regime’s overthrow be recognized, and any negotiations or dealings with the regime be conditioned on the cessation of executions, torture, and terrorism.”

Prior to the demonstration, around 50 former world leaders, lawmakers, and notable figures from Europe and North America endorsed the rally. The dignitaries emphasized support for the Iranian people’s struggle against both the current clerical regime and the former Shah’s dictatorship, calling for a democratic republic and endorsing the ten-point plan of Maryam Rajavi. Among the signatories is Jean-Claude Juncker, former President of the European Commission.