GTA’s Iranian-Canadian community rallies amid deadly government crackdown in Iran

Members of Toronto’s Iranian community are rallying in the GTA, distraught by the unrest in Iran and being cut-off from loved ones due to internet blackouts.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of members of the Iranian-Canadian community in the Greater Toronto Area along with supporters rallied on Sunday in a show of support for their loved ones back home.

In late December, those opposing the country’s long-standing, oppressive Islamic regime began protesting across Iran, which is also facing a severe economic crisis.

The protests, which are now entering their third week, have intensified as the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei began imposing internet and telecom blackouts on Thursday.

Very minimal news, mostly video footage, from Iran is being disseminated via Starlink satellite.

So far, at least 72 people have been killed and more than 2,300 others have been detained as a result of the increasing unrest, says U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

On Sunday morning, rallies were held in North York, with dozens of people, many distraught and tearful, coming together to show their support and express their concern for their family members and friends back home.

“History shows that when they cut off the internet they start killing the innocent people to avoid getting the news from the other countries in Iran,” said one man at a rally in Toronto’s Little Iran neighbourhood, near Yonge Street and Finch Avenue.

“We are all gathered here to be the voice of Iran because the regime is killing people in our country. We are here to be their voice,” added a woman also rallying along Yonge.

“We have no idea what’s happening in Iran.”

CP24 spoke with several people from the Iranian diaspora on Sunday, all of whom said they haven’t heard from their family members in several days and are very worried about them.

“We’re just resonating the voice of Iranian people, who want freedom and democracy,” said an Iranian demonstrator named Malika at Mel Lastman Square, who has several family members in Tehran.

“With the internet blackout we have no news actually. It’s been a few days (that) I have no news of my family members. It’s very hard. People are suffering.”

At 3 p.m., a huge crowd began assembling for another rally for the people of Iran at Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto.

“What people here take for granted is this: Our right to free speech, our right to peaceful assembly. …Where I was born in Iran you cannot do this without extreme danger and (the) possibility of being killed,” another demonstrator, who is a lawyer, told CP24.

“Right now, the Islamic regime is using live ammunition against protesters. They’ve cut off the internet for almost the past three days. We have some video coming through Starlink that show record numbers of people being killed, but also the message that we get is that people’s resolve has not changed.”

Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MPP Michael Parsa, Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, attended the rally ouside Toronto City Hall.

Parsa, who was born in Iran and came to Canada as a child, said the Islamic regime in his homeland has a “pattern of oppressing people” once it feels pressure, one example of that is cutting off the internet and communications “silencing people’s voice even more.”

“For 47 years they’ve done this and this is why, as you can see, tens of thousands of people have gathered, united against this oppressive regime to act and to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people so that they can get their country back, a democratic country and get rid of this government, this regime once and for all,” Parsa said.

“I’m here as a citizen, united, hand and hand, shoulder to shoulder, with everyone here, waiting for that day. … We want the people in Iran to know that we hear them, we can see them, and we know what they’re asking for.”

Parsa said the restoring the rights of women in Iran is especially top of mind after decades of oppression.

A rally in support of Iran’s freedom also took place at Sankofa Square, near Yonge and Dundas streets in downtown Toronto, on Sunday.

Rallies also held in the GTA on Saturday

Yesterday, CP24’s cameras were at another large demonstration at Mel Lastman Square in support of freedom, accountability, and democracy in Iran.

A massive demonstration was also held on Saturday in Richmond Hill, which is also home to a significant Iranian population.

On Friday, Australia, Canada, and the European Union’s foreign ministers issued a joint statement condemning the recent violence against the Iranian people.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has responded to the reports of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation by the Iranian regime, urging it to ensure freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal.

U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to intervene in the situation if protesters continue to be killed in Iran.

With files from CP24’s Phil Perkins and CTV News Toronto’s Rahim Ladhani