Mass Rallies Return to Iran Despite Internet Blackout

AFP/APP

Paris: Fresh mass rallies swept across major Iranian cities overnight as protesters denounced the Islamic republic, with the son of the ousted shah calling on demonstrators to move beyond street protests and seize and hold city centres.

The unrest, now in its second week, represents one of the most serious challenges faced by Iran’s theocratic leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has responded defiantly, blaming the United States for fomenting the protests.

Following what activists described as the largest demonstrations yet on Thursday, new rallies erupted late Friday, according to images verified by AFP and videos circulating on social media. The protests continued despite a sweeping internet shutdown imposed by authorities. Internet monitor NetBlocks said early Saturday that “metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours.”

In Tehran’s Saadatabad district, videos verified by AFP showed residents banging pots, chanting anti-government slogans including “death to Khamenei,” while passing cars honked in support. Similar scenes were reported in other parts of the capital, as well as in Mashhad, Tabriz, Qom, and Hamedan, according to footage shared on social media and Persian-language outlets based abroad.

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In Hamedan, one video showed a man waving a pre-revolution Iranian flag bearing the lion and sun emblem amid fires and dancing crowds. Other unverified footage appeared to show protesters dancing around fires on a highway in Tehran’s Pounak district and marching through Mashhad’s Vakilabad district chanting slogans against the supreme leader.

‘Big trouble’

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of the late shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, praised Friday’s turnout as “magnificent” and urged protesters to organize more focused demonstrations over the weekend.

“Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets,” Pahlavi said in a video message. “The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres.” He also said he was “preparing to return to my homeland,” claiming the moment was “very near.”

Human rights groups have warned that the communications blackout could conceal a violent crackdown. The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said at least 51 people have been killed so far. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi cautioned that security forces could be preparing a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout.”

Iranian authorities say several members of the security forces have been killed. In a speech on Friday, Khamenei denounced protesters as “vandals,” vowed the Islamic republic would “not back down,” and accused the United States of orchestrating the unrest—claims echoed by other officials.

US President Donald Trump on Friday again declined to rule out further military action against Iran following Washington’s support for Israel during last month’s 12-day conflict with Tehran.

“Iran’s in big trouble,” Trump said. “It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago.” Asked about his message to Iran’s leaders, he added: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”