Tens of thousands rally in Berlin to support Iran’s democratic revolution and reject dictatorship

2026-02-08 - 00:46

Under the freezing skies of Berlin, with temperatures dropping well below zero, tens of thousands of Iranians and international supporters gathered at the historic Brandenburg Gate. Undeterred by the biting cold and logistical hurdles, including widespread flight and train cancellations, the massive crowd turned the heart of Germany into a resounding stage for the Iranian Resistance. The rally, held to mark the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 anti-monarchical revolution, took on a distinct and urgent gravity this year. It convened in the immediate aftermath of a nationwide uprising that swept across Iran in late December 2025 and early January 2026. This recent explosion of public anger saw the clerical regime respond with unprecedented brutality, leaving thousands of protesters dead. Free Iran Rally In Support of the Iranian People’s Uprising for a Democratic Republic#BerlinFreeIranDemo #No2ShahNo2Mullahs #NCRIAlternative https://t.co/qSp5iefNLG — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 7, 2026 Prominent European and American dignitaries joined Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), to declare that the era of theocratic rule in Iran is drawing to a definitive close. The event underscored a shift in global perspective, moving away from appeasement and toward a recognition of the Iranian people’s right to self-defense and regime change. Maryam Rajavi: The Countdown to Overthrow Has Begun In her keynote address, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi set the tone for the event by drawing a direct line between the 1979 revolution against the Shah and the current uprising against the mullahs. She described the recent unrest as a turning point that has shattered the regime’s perceived stability. “The January uprising turned crimson, but with the blood of a galaxy of martyrs and thousands of devoted souls and with the fury of a heroic nation, it shook Iran and the world,” Mrs. Rajavi declared. She emphasized that the sheer scale of the sacrifice has made the regime’s downfall an inevitability visible to the entire world. “For years and years, we said: overthrow, overthrow. And now, everyone sees it is approaching with their own eyes and hears its footsteps.” From here, I call on the leaders of the world to listen to the cry for freedom of the Iranian people, demands that we have repeated many times for over three decades: 1. Recognizing the Iranian people’s struggle to overthrow the regime, and of the battle of youth and Resistance... pic.twitter.com/GloA02WkWy — Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 7, 2026 Mrs. Rajavi outlined a specific path forward, rejecting both the current theocracy and any return to the monarchical dictatorship of the past. She presented a comprehensive six-point demand to world leaders, calling for the recognition of the Iranian people’s struggle, the prosecution of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for crimes against humanity, the closure of regime embassies, and immediate UN action to halt the execution of uprising detainees. Her speech culminated in a vow that the democratic revolution, fueled by the “Resistance Units,” would inevitably triumph where the 1979 revolution was hijacked. The January Uprising: A Revolution in Blood and Fire A central theme of the conference was the recognition of the recent December 2025 and January 2026 protests not merely as civil unrest, but as a full-scale revolution. Speakers provided harrowing details regarding the intensity of the conflict and the regime’s lethal response. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo provided a stark assessment of the death toll, highlighting the severity of the regime’s crackdown. “The massacre of January 8th and January 9th killed at least 20,000, perhaps twice that many,” Pompeo stated, describing the events as a “murderous rampage” by a regime nearing its death. He noted that while protests have occurred before, the recent events represent a “hinge point” in history where the Iranian people have definitively signaled the end of the Islamic Republic. While the weather in Berlin has kept me – like thousands of others – from joining your demonstration in person, I'm excited to virtually join on the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution. The Iranian people want a democratic and free Iran, and the world should stand with... — Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) February 7, 2026 This sentiment was echoed by Mrs. Rajavi, who lamented the loss of young lives, noting that “14- and 15-year-old girls continue to be gunned down in the streets.” She described the uprising as a “lightning assault” that showed the path to freedom, driven by a generation unwilling to submit to tyranny. Peter Altmaier, former German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, addressed the heroes of the uprising directly, acknowledging those who lost their lives or are currently languishing in prisons. He emphasized that the regime has “lost all legitimacy” by treating its citizens with a level of cruelty unmatched globally. “During the various uprisings, the mullahs’ regime shot tens of thousands; tens of thousands were executed, and tens of thousands are sitting in prisons,” Altmaier observed, reinforcing the scale of the humanitarian crisis. Rejecting the “Hijackers”: No to Shah, No to Mullahs A significant portion of the rally was dedicated to clarifying the political identity of the uprising. Speakers were unified in their rejection of the “two dictatorships”—the deposed Pahlavi monarchy and the current religious tyranny. This dual rejection was presented as the guiding principle of the current revolution. .@CharlesMichel: "We reject the attempts to hijack the Iranian people’s future. We stand for a democratic republic, not a return to the Shah’s tyranny or the Mullahs' theocracy."#BerlinFreeIranDemo #No2ShahNo2Mullahshttps://t.co/gYPkWA1evH — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 7, 2026 Charles Michel, former President of the European Council, delivered a stinging critique of attempts by the remnants of the Shah’s regime to co-opt the current movement. He warned against those seeking to “steal your dreams and aspirations,” specifically pointing to the son of the Shah. “Being the son of a dictator should inspire shame and humility,” Michel argued. He accused the remnants of the shah regime of using “industrial artificial intelligence bots” and massive financial resources to manufacture a fake image of support. “He seeks to create a fake image of support to manipulate and attempt to hijack the future of the Iranian people once again,” Michel said, drawing a sharp contrast between the “organized resistance” that seeks democracy and those who feel entitled to rule by lineage. Mrs. Rajavi reinforced this narrative, categorizing the political landscape into three sides: the rebels sacrificing for freedom, the murderous clerics, and the “remnants of the Shah.” She described the slogan “Long Live the Shah” as “ultra-reactionary” and a tool that ultimately serves the current Supreme Leader by dividing the opposition and justifying suppression. “Anyone who imagines they can hijack Iran’s new democratic revolution... are gravely mistaken,” she affirmed. Mike Pompeo also weighed in, stating that the Iranian people have made their preferences “abundantly clear” through repeated uprisings: “They do not want theocracy, they do not want autocracy, and they do not want a monarchy.” The Organized Resistance and the “Third Option” Countering the narrative that the alternative to the Iranian regime is chaos, the speakers highlighted the role of the NCRI and the PMOI/MEK as a viable, organized democratic alternative. They argued that the “Third Option”—neither foreign war nor appeasement—relies on empowering the Iranian people and their organized resistance. Charles Michel articulated this explicitly: “There is an alternative! There is the mobilization of the people of Iran... The Ten-Point Plan is the right recipe to move from tyranny to democracy.” He praised the plan for its commitment to a secular system, gender equality, and the abolition of the death penalty. “The Ten-Point Plan is a solid bridge from oppression to liberty,” Michel concluded. Peter Altmaier at #BerlinFreeIranDemo: "45 years ago, the hopes of the Iranian people were betrayed when the Shah fell but the Mullahs took power. Today, we stand for a true democracy. No return to the past, only forward to a free Iran that enjoys respect throughout the world."... — People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 7, 2026 Mike Pompeo pointed to the “Resistance Units” inside Iran as the engine of the recent uprisings. “The uprisings that we have seen in these past days didn’t come out of nowhere... They are rooted in a Resistance now four decades in the making,” he said. He emphasized that the NCRI has built the capacity for popular support and laid out a systemic plan for a transition period, stressing that this movement does not ask for foreign soldiers but for recognition. Mrs. Rajavi detailed the mechanics of the proposed transition, reiterating the NCRI’s commitment to a Constituent Assembly elected within six months of the regime’s overthrow to draft a new constitution. She highlighted the presence of the “National Liberation Army” and the “Resistance Units” as the forces capable of preventing disorder and instability in