Thousands of demonstrators assembled in Berlin on Saturday to show support for the ongoing nationwide uprising in Iran, choosing the anniversary of Iran's 1979 anti-monarchy revolution for the rally. The gathering took place against the backdrop of protests inside Iran that began in December over economic strains and escalated into a political movement that has been met with a severe government crackdown.
Berlin police said about 8,000 people were present at the Brandenburg Gate at 1300 GMT, while organisers had registered 20,000 participants. Organisers and some movement representatives offered larger estimates: Shahin Gobadi, a member of the foreign affairs committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said the crowd numbered 100,000 and added that many supporters were unable to travel after flights were cancelled due to weather.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was scheduled to attend but joined the event remotely after his flight was cancelled, organisers said.
The organisers reported backing from a broad coalition. According to event coordinators, 344 organisations and individual political figures lent support, including parliamentary friendship groups for Iran, trade unions, and civil society groups at national and local levels from several European countries, together with 312 Iranian associations across Europe.
"The message of the Iranian people and their Resistance has been and remains this: no appeasement, no war or foreign intervention, regime change and sovereignty of the republic of the people, by the people and their organised resistance," said Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, speaking at the rally in Berlin.
Inside Iran, the demonstrations that began in December were initially driven by economic grievances but rapidly took on broader political demands. The response from Iranian authorities has been described by observers as the most violent crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Berlin event underscored both international solidarity with the protesters in Iran and practical constraints on participation, with weather-related flight cancellations cited as preventing some supporters from travelling to the capital. Attendance estimates varied significantly between police figures, registered attendees and organisers' claims, leaving the precise size of the crowd open to dispute.
Key contextual points and quotes are embedded above. The facts reported here reflect statements from police, event organisers and speakers at the Berlin rally, as well as descriptions of the protests and the response inside Iran.