Global Rallies to Commemorate 2019 Iran Uprising for Freedom

From November 14-16, 2024, Iranians alongside supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) will convene in major cities around the world to mark the anniversary of the 2019 uprising in Iran. These global demonstrations are set to take place in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Stuttgart, Hanover; Paris; Rome; Brussels; Stockholm; The Hague, Amsterdam; Bucharest; Luxembourg; Copenhagen; Washington, DC, San Francisco; Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto; Melbourne, Sydney, highlighting the ongoing struggle for freedom and human rights in Iran.

These events will honor the 1,500 protesters who were brutally killed by Iran's repressive forces, led by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), during the 2019 uprisings. Activists are calling for an end to the current EU policy of appeasement towards Iran and demand a new approach that acknowledges the atrocities committed against the Iranian people. Key demands from the participants include the blacklisting of the IRGC, and a call for international recognition of the Iranian people's right to overthrow their repressive regime.

The rallies will feature speeches from human rights activists and dignitaries, along with large exhibitions that highlight ongoing protests, memorialize the victims of atrocities, and celebrate the fallen heroes and heroines of the 2019 and subsequent 2022 uprisings.

This series of events occurs at a critical time, considering the Iranian regime's role in regional conflicts and its record-high number of executions since President Masoud Pezeshkian's tenure began in August.

Background

The November 2019 nationwide uprising, initially sparked by a sudden gas price hike, saw widespread participation from diverse social sectors across over 190 cities. The regime's response, ordered by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was a violent crackdown resulting in the deaths of at least 1,500 protesters. Unarmed civilians were gunned down from helicopters, with reports from Mahshahr (a city in southeastern Iran) indicating that over 100 individuals were massacred. In addition to the fatalities, thousands were injured, and around 12,000 were arrested, facing torture and mistreatment. Security forces even stormed hospitals to detain the wounded and seize bodies, while an internet blackout was enforced to obscure the scale of the violence. Despite this repression, the fight for freedom persists.