BREAKING: Hundreds Gather in Newcastle against Iranian regime

The 14th of February saw many of us celebrating Valentine’s Day with our loved ones. Saint Valentine, who was executed under the religious persecution of the Roman Empire, has become synonymous with the free expression of love. Similarly, religious persecution and a crackdown on freedom of expression have been common themes of the Iranian regime since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979.

Valentine’s Day was shared this year with a “Global Day of Action” against the Iranian regime. Huge numbers took to the streets across the world in an outpour of support for the protestors inside Iran, where over 6000 have been murdered.

Newcastle saw hundreds on their streets, with protests taking place outside Haymarket. The mood among the protestors was a palpable sense that this time is different and that things might be changing.

Internal political pressure combined with outside threats from the United States have created a strong sense of instability for the theocracy controlled by the Ayatollah Khamenei.

In Munich, where crowds exceeded 250,000, Reza Pahlavi (who is the son of the last Shah of Iran) told protestors: “My first message is to our brave and fighting compatriots inside the country: know that you are not alone, and today the world stands with you in this struggle.”

Pahlavi was just 18 years old when his father was ousted from the throne, he now stands at the centre of the opposition to the Ayatollah. Pahlavi's face adorns the placards of many protestors in Newcastle and around the world.