Hundreds protest in Montreal in support of the Iranian people

Protesters expressed their support for the Iranian people in Montreal on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. The popular uprising that has been rocking Iran for nearly two weeks reached its second weekend on Saturday. (Quentin Dufranne/The Canadian Press)

Hundreds of people took to Montreal’s streets Saturday afternoon in support of the Iranian people, as the Islamic Republic has been facing a major uprising by the population for nearly two weeks, raising fears of a bloody crackdown by the mullahs’ regime.

Similar protests have taken place across the country.

The crowd marching down Sainte-Catherine Street demanded the fall of the Islamic regime and its replacement by the son of the former Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, who has been in exile in the United States for 47 years.

“We are here to be the voice of the Iranian people, who are currently on the streets in Iran and are being tortured and killed by the Iranian regime as they demand regime change and the return of the King of Iran, Reza Pahlavi,” said Katayoon Haghzadeh.

The regime of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has cut off the internet within the country for several days, depriving the population of all communication with the outside world and members of the diaspora of contact with their loved ones.

“There is no way to contact Iranians (...) I am really worried about my family, who are all in Iran. I am alone here,” said Nesha, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her family in Iran. “We are under a lot of stress and grief, but they continue to fight against this very cruel regime.”

The importance of American support

The “Global Rally in Support of Iran’s National Revolution” began at the Atwater subway station, and protesters then marched to the U.S. Consulate.

Since the protests began in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his support for the Iranian people and has repeatedly said he is ready to help them against the mullahs. He has also assured that U.S. intervention would be considered if the regime kills protesters.

“Iran is yearning for freedom like never before. The United States is ready to help!!!” Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday afternoon.

The crowd repeatedly expressed its gratitude to the American government and its support. One protester held a flag that read “Trump - Make Iran great again.”

“The support of Donald Trump is very important, but so is the support of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, because it is thanks to this support that the regime has not succeeded in carrying out a massacre,” said Kiasa Nazeran, who stressed the importance for the Iranian people of also having the support of Canada.

“We want to tell all Canadian citizens and their politicians that the regime is killing Iranians in our country, but they will not stop the fight, the revolution continues and we need your support, strong support,” he added.

In response to the situation, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, and the European Union issued a joint statement on Friday condemning the violence against the Iranian people.

“We salute the courage of the Iranian people, who are defending their dignity and their fundamental right to protest peacefully,” the statement reads. “Iran must immediately end the excessive and lethal use of force by its security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militias, against protesters.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney also reacted to the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime.

“Reports of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation by the Iranian regime against its people are deeply concerning,” he wrote on Friday on X. “We condemn the killing of protesters and urge Iran to guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisals.”

Two weeks of protests

The protests that have been rocking Iran for nearly two weeks entered their second week on Saturday, with the Iranian government acknowledging the continuing demonstrations despite increasingly intense repression and while the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world.

With internet access and telephone lines cut off in Iran, it has become more difficult to assess the scale of the protests from abroad. However, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, the death toll from the protests now stands at least 65, with more than 2,300 people arrested.

Iranian state television is reporting on the losses suffered by the security forces while presenting an image of total control over the country.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced an imminent crackdown, despite warnings from the US. Tehran stepped up its threats on Saturday, with Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad warning that anyone participating in the protests would be considered an “enemy of God,” a crime punishable by death.

The statement broadcast on Iranian state television said that even those who “helped the rioters” would be prosecuted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Jan. 10, 2025.

By Quentin Dufranne, The Canadian Press

With files from The Associated Press