Crown prince urges the world to stand with the people of Iran as 250,000 rally in Munich

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MUNICH (AP) — About 250,000 radical demonstrated connected Saturday against Iran's authorities connected the sidelines of a gathering of satellite leaders successful Germany, constabulary said, answering a telephone from Iran ’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for cranked up planetary unit connected Tehran.

Banging drums and chanting for authorities change, the elephantine and boisterous rally successful Munich was portion of what Pahlavi described arsenic a “global time of action" to enactment Iranians successful the aftermath of deadly nationwide protests. He besides called for demonstrations successful Los Angeles and Toronto. Police said successful a station connected X that the fig of protesters reached immoderate 250,000, much than the organizers had expected.

“Change, change, authorities change” the immense assemblage chanted, waving green-white-and-red flags with lion and prima emblems. Iran utilized that emblem earlier its 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi dynasty.

At a quality conference, Pahlavi warned of much deaths successful Iran if “democracies basal by and watch" pursuing Iran’s deadly crackdown connected protesters past month.

“We stitchery astatine an hr of profound peril to ask: Will the satellite basal with the radical of Iran?” helium asked. He added that the endurance of Iran's authorities “sends a wide awesome to each bully: termination capable radical and you enactment successful power.”

At the Munich rally, demonstrators sported “Make Iran Great Again" reddish caps, mimicking the MAGA caps worn by U.S. President Donald Trump 's supporters. Among those sporting the caps was U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who gave a code to the assemblage during which helium was photographed holding up the headwear.

Many astatine the rally waved placards showing Pahlavi, immoderate that called him a king. The lad of Iran’s deposed shah has been successful exile for astir 50 years but is trying to presumption himself arsenic a subordinate successful Iran’s future.

The assemblage chanted “Pahlavi for Iran,” and “democracy for Iran" arsenic drums and cymbals sounded.

“We person immense hopes and (are) looking guardant that the authorities is going to alteration hopefully,” said Daniyal Mohtashamian, a demonstrator who traveled from Zurich, successful Switzerland, to talk for protesters wrong Iran who faced repression.

“There is an net blackout and their voices are not going extracurricular of Iran,” helium said.

About 500 protesters besides rallied extracurricular the statesmanlike palace successful Nicosia, Cyprus, with galore holding up banners with slogans against Iran's authorities and successful favour of Pahlavi.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says astatine slightest 7,005 radical were killed successful past month's protests, including 214 authorities forces. It has been close successful counting deaths during erstwhile rounds of unrest successful Iran and relies connected a web of activists wrong Iran to verify deaths.

Iran’s authorities offered its lone decease toll connected Jan. 21, saying 3,117 radical were killed. Iran’s theocracy successful the past has undercounted oregon not reported fatalities from past unrest.

The Associated Press has been incapable to independently measure the decease toll, fixed authorities person disrupted net entree and planetary calls successful Iran.

Iranian leaders are facing renewed unit from Trump, who has threatened U.S. subject action. Trump wants Iran to further standard backmost its atomic program. He suggested Friday that authorities alteration successful Iran “would beryllium the champion happening that could happen."

Iran was besides the absorption of protests successful Munich connected Friday, the opening time of an yearly information league successful the metropolis gathering European leaders and planetary information figures. Supporters of the Iranian absorption radical People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, besides known arsenic the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, demonstrated.

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Associated Press journalists John Leicester successful Paris and Geir Moulson successful Berlin contributed.

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