Several thousand people marched in Paris on Sunday, March 1st, against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the day after joint US and Israeli airstrikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The procession, which began at the Place de la Bastille and ended at the Pyramids, was mainly composed of opponents of the Tehran regime.
At the demonstration, numerous flags of the former Iranian monarchy bearing the "Lion and Sun" emblem were visible, alongside Israeli, American, and French flags. Some banners displayed support for Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran, with slogans such as "Iran, life, freedom with Reza Pahlavi" and "Make Iran Great Again."
A divided diaspora in the face of escalation
Several participants expressed their hope for regime change. Some welcomed the death of Ali Khamenei, believing it could mark "the beginning of the end" of the Islamic Republic. Others said they trusted the United States and Israel to weaken the current regime, while acknowledging the risks to civilians.
Earlier in the day, another rally took place in Place de la République, bringing together several hundred people opposed to the strikes. These demonstrators denounced the intervention as contrary to international law, while also condemning the repression carried out by the Iranian authorities against their own population. For them, the overthrow of the regime must come "from the Iranians themselves."
The two mobilizations illustrate the deep divisions within the Iranian diaspora in France, torn between rejection of the regime in place and concern about the human and geopolitical consequences of the military escalation in the Middle East.
