Tens of thousands of Iranians gathered today in Berlin's Bebelplatz to connect live with a conference in Paris, where prominent guests joined speakers in the German capital to express their support for freedom in Iran. The gathering coincided with the Iranian presidential elections, where reformist candidate Massoud Bezhakian and hardline conservative Saeed Jalili advanced to a second round set for July 5.
In Berlin, former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli welcomed protesters who had traveled from various European countries. The first speaker was former Vice President of the European Parliament Alejo Vidal Quadras, who survived an assassination attempt last November when a gunman sent by Tehran shot him in the face in Madrid. He was followed by former German Defense Minister Franz-Josef Jung. Former German federal minister for economic affairs Peter Altmaier also spoke at the event, which saw the presence of a delegation of German politicians.
In Paris, a simultaneous conference took place featuring elected President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Maryam Rajavi, alongside numerous prominent international politicians, including Mike Pence, Stephen Harper, Mike Pompeo, Liz Truss, and John Bolton, as well as a bipartisan American delegation and representatives from the European Parliament. National European parliaments joined the Berlin march online.
Maryam Rajavi, via a televised link to the demonstration, praised the Iranian people and the struggle of Iranian women for freedom, stating that "your massive gathering today in Berlin represents the continuation of the Iranian people's victory in the national boycott of the elections of (Supreme Leader Ali) Khamenei." She added, "The staged elections are a result of the deadlock and major failures faced by the regime because the Iranian people have repeatedly declared that our voice is for the overthrow of the regime, and there is no place for elections in this regime. It is time for revolution."
Rajavi continued: "The next president continues the strategy of Supreme Leader Khamenei. He is a member of the Basij, steeped in four decades of oppression and war, one of the followers of the 1988 executioner Ebrahim Raisi, and a representative of the criminals known as the Hezbollah supporters, a loyal servant of Khamenei's agenda to make bombs."
Rajavi warned "Western democracies against their appeasement policy toward Iran, a policy that encourages the regime towards terrorism, hostage-taking, executions, and oppression, which has helped the regime get closer to making a nuclear bomb. It has facilitated Khamenei's instigation of war in the region; it has encouraged the mullahs to the extent that the people of Ukraine expressed their anger towards him and his regime."
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was the second speaker who joined the live meeting from Paris, stating, "The new president will inherit a regime that is weaker, less stable, and more prone to collapse than ever in its history." Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, among the guests in Paris, gave a speech at the gathering, as did former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.
Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss joined the event online. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received a warm welcome in Paris, where he addressed the crowd, followed by former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, who was also in Paris.
The meeting in Paris saw the presence of former French foreign ministers Michèle Alliot-Marie and Bernard Kouchner. U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen spoke to the crowd from Paris, joined by Senator Thom Tillis, who was also present.
A delegation from the U.S. Congress led by Nancy Mace and Raúl Ruiz followed the senators to address the audience in Paris. Politicians and parliamentary delegations from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden also attended the event in Paris and spoke to the public.
