200,000-250,000 Protest in Munich for Iran Regime Change

MUNICH, Germany — Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Munich on Saturday, demanding regime change in Iran during the Munich Security Conference, as exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi called on world leaders to support demonstrators facing a deadly crackdown back home.

The demonstration, estimated by police at between 200,000 and 250,000 participants, marked the largest such protest in Europe against Iran's government. Organizers, including Pahlavi, the son of the country's deposed shah, framed the event as a global day of action. Similar rallies drew crowds in cities including London, Melbourne, Athens, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Toronto, where expatriates waved the pre-1979 Iranian flag featuring a lion and sun emblem and chanted slogans such as "Regime change in Iran!" Many carried images of Pahlavi and President Donald Trump, with some wearing red caps reading "Make Iran Great Again."

The protests stemmed from nationwide unrest in Iran that began in late December over economic hardships and evolved into broader challenges to the clerical leadership under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Security forces responded with lethal force, killing thousands of...