Rooftop protests spread across Iran after mass diaspora rallies

Monday 16 February 2026 - 08:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Rooftop protests spread across Iran after mass diaspora rallies

Iranians shouted anti government slogans from rooftops and apartment buildings in Tehran and other major cities on February 14 and 15, responding to a call by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, as more than one million people gathered abroad for a coordinated “Global Day of Action.”

Videos shared on social media showed residents chanting “Death to Khamenei,” “Death to the dictator,” and monarchist slogans such as “Javid shah,” meaning long live the shah, from their windows late into the night, according to Iran International. The nighttime demonstrations signal continued unrest despite a sweeping crackdown in January that reportedly left thousands dead.

Large scale diaspora rallies on February 14 drew record crowds in several Western cities. Police in Munich said around 250,000 people assembled at the city’s Theresienwiese fairgrounds, marking what authorities described as the largest Iranian diaspora protest in Europe. In Toronto, police estimated that 350,000 demonstrators marched along Yonge Street, while substantial crowds also filled downtown Los Angeles.

Speaking in Munich alongside US Senator Lindsey Graham during the Munich Security Conference, Pahlavi urged Western leaders to support change in Iran. Graham told demonstrators he stood with the Iranian people rather than what he called a murderous ayatollah, adding that it was time for the country’s leadership to step aside. Protesters waved the pre 1979 Iranian Lion and Sun flag, now widely used as a symbol of opposition to the Islamic Republic, and wore red caps bearing the slogan “Make Iran Great Again.”

The protests unfolded as the official death toll from January’s crackdown surpassed 7,000, according to the US based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The group reported that 7,002 people were killed, including 214 members of the security forces, and that 52,941 individuals were detained. More than 11,000 additional cases remain under review.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the scale of public anger, describing it as unimaginable and calling on officials to address underlying grievances rather than rely solely on repression. He said the government’s role was to resolve citizens’ problems, not add to their burden, according to Iran International.

International pressure mounted during the Munich Security Conference, where Pahlavi appealed to President Donald Trump and other Western leaders to help bring an end to the Islamic Republic. He warned that further delays could cost more lives and argued that negotiations would not yield meaningful results.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also speaking at the conference, drew parallels between Iran’s internal repression and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said regimes such as Iran’s should not be given time, asserting that when granted time they inflict further violence.