Protests - Thousands of Iranian exiles demonstrate in Berlin
Thousands of people took to the streets of Berlin in response to the Presidential elections in Iran against the rulers of the country. According to a spokesperson, the police counted around 6000 demonstrators around Bebelplatz and on Unter den Linden in the afternoon. According to the police, 8000 people were registered for the rally.
The so-called National Resistance Council of Iran called for the rally, which was attended by tens of thousands of participants and supporters. Hundreds of buses were reportedly brought in from all over the federal territory. Bundestag members also spoke at the event. The protest, according to the National Resistance Council of Iran, is against the clerical regime in the country. Many people waved the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag with a golden lion in the center.
In Iran, around 61 million people were called upon to elect a new prime minister on Friday. Iran's political system combines republican and theocratic elements since the 1979 revolution. Free elections do not exist: The Guardian Council, which checks the candidates, always assesses their suitability. Fundamental criticism of the system is not tolerated, as the suppression of protests in recent years has shown.
The National Resistance Council of Iran was founded in 1981 from the so-called People's Mujahideen. The exile group has set itself the goal of overthrowing the ruling system in Iran. However, the organization is controversial and is rejected by the opposition, both inside and outside Iran. The group is banned in Iran.
- The demonstrations in Berlin were protesting the outcome of the recent Presidential election in Iran, which many Iranians saw as not being free and fair.
- The police had to deal with several incidents during the demonstrations, as some protesters clashed with officers around Bebelplatz and Unter den Linden.
- The German government, in solidarity with the Iranian protesters, expressed its support for a peaceful resolution to the political crisis in Iran through a statement issued at its Berlin office.
- The protests in Berlin were not limited to Germans, as many Iranians living in Germany, especially those who are part of the National Council of Resistance, participated in the demonstrations at Bebelplatz.
