THOUSANDS took to the streets across the globe on Saturday to mark one week since US and Israeli airstrikes ignited a major war in the Middle East. The demonstrations, spanning four continents, underscored the deep political fractures surrounding the Iranian leadership and the escalating military conflict.
Clashing Visions in Europe
In Paris, the streets became a flashpoint for rival Iranian factions. Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah, gathered in large numbers waving the lion-and-sun flags of pre-revolutionary Iran alongside US and Israeli banners. Protesters hailed Pahlavi as a democratic figurehead for a transitional government. However, they were met by “Yellow Vest” counter-protesters who rejected both the monarchy and the current clerical establishment, chanting, “No Shah, no Mullah.” Similar monarchist-leaning rallies were reported in Stockholm and Amsterdam, where marchers also demanded the immediate closure of Iranian embassies.
Anti-War Sentiment and Base Protests
In the United Kingdom, demonstrators gathered outside the Fairford airbase, brandishing “Yanks Go Home” placards in opposition to US military involvement. In Tel Aviv, anti-war activists clashed with security forces at HaBima Square, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
A Divided America
The United States saw a surge in localized protests with starkly different agendas. In Detroit, marchers carrying Palestinian flags chanted “No war on Iran,” while in Washington DC and Boston, crowds called for the fall of the Islamic Republic and a return to secular governance.
AFP
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