Iranian-Canadians rally at Vancouver Art Gallery as protests rage across Iran

The crowd waved versions of the "Lion and Sun" flag that Iran used before the 1979 revolution. (CTV News)

Two different groups of Iranian-Canadian protesters gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday to express their support for ongoing demonstrations against the government of their country of origin.

On the south side of the gallery, in the plaza on Robson Street, a group called Solidarity with Iranians sought to highlight the regular people harmed by the Islamic Republic regime that has ruled the country since 1979.

The latest protests are the largest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations.

Solidarity with Iranians organized weekly “Women, Life, Freedom” rallies at the art gallery for 10 months in support of those protests.

The latest demonstrations are being driven by the economic turmoil currently engulfing Iran, which has seen its currency collapse in value against the U.S. dollar.

“People are tired of the high price of the dollars and high price of the food,” said Tahmi Sadeghi of Solidarity with Iranians.

With external support, she believes, the current protest movement could lead to a revolution.

Past protests in Iran have been put down with violence, and the country’s supreme leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Saturday that "rioters must be put in their place."

So far, at least 10 people have been killed in the protests, according to The Associated Press.

“People came (out) on the street chanting ‘death to dictators, death to Khamenei,’” Sadeghi said. “They are willing to change the regime.”

On the other side of the art gallery, in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, a larger gathering of protesters—also supporting the demonstrations in Iran—offered a clear perspective on who they believe should replace the Islamic Republic.

Hundreds strong, the crowd waved versions of the “Lion and Sun” flag that Iran used before the 1979 revolution.

Masoud Zamani, a lecturer of international relations at the University of British Columbia, told CTV News the rally in the gallery’s north plaza was in favour of replacing the Islamic Republic with crown prince Reza Pahlavi, the 65-year-old son of the last shah of Iran.

Zamani described Pahlavi as “a liberal” who has pledged to hold multiple referendums on the future governance of Iran if the Islamic Republic is defeated and he is allowed to lead a transitional government.

Asked about the dueling protests both in solidarity with Iranian people, Zamani said he hopes people with different perspectives on the country’s future can unite behind their shared goal.

“Iran is a diverse country and there are so many things that we disagree about, but the voice of the majority, the voice of what people are calling out (about) inside Iran is very, very clear,” he said. “I think it’s a moment of unity and we can win this fight if we stay together.”

Both Zamani and Sadeghi called on Canadian politicians to support the cause of Iranian protesters, with Zamani arguing Canada should recognize Pahlavi as the leader of the movement.

With files from The Associated Press