Over 200,000 Protesters in Munich Call for Overthrow of Iranian Regime

On Feb. 15, 2026, a mass rally of roughly 200,000 people gathered in Munich alongside the Munich Security Conference to demand the overthrow of Iran’s ruling clergy and to call for democratic change.

“Thousands gathered Saturday in downtown Los Angeles for a "Global Day of Action" protest supporting Iranians' fight for freedom and human rights”

ABC7 Los Angeles

The event featured chants of "regime change," the pre-1979 lion-and-sun flag, and a speech by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi offering to lead a transition to a secular, democratic Iran.

ABC7 Los Angeles

Multiple accounts place the Munich crowd at around 200,000 (some sources give slightly higher figures) and describe synchronized rooftop chants and pre-revolutionary symbolism.

Reports also note attendance by Western political figures, including U.S. politicians who publicly voiced support.

The Munich demonstration was described as part of a wider "global day of action" with parallel rallies in cities such as Toronto, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne.

The Munich rally formed the centerpiece of a coordinated global day of action that saw large diaspora demonstrations from Toronto and Los Angeles to Sydney, Melbourne and Zurich.

Reported crowd sizes varied widely by outlet and location.

Al Jazeera

Firstpost cited Toronto at about 350,000.

BBC and Al Jazeera reported preregistration and police-verified counts in the low hundreds of thousands for some cities.

Local reports across Australia put turnout in multiple cities ranging from thousands to several thousand.

The gatherings included visible symbols of the pre-1979 era and Pahlavi imagery, and some attendees wore novelty items such as red "Make Iran Great Again" caps, reflecting a mix of solidarity slogans and partisan signaling among sections of the diaspora.

Reporting highlights starkly different accounts of the violence inside Iran and the human cost of the crackdown.

Activist and rights‑group tallies cited by several outlets put the death toll in the thousands to tens of thousands, with Human Rights Activists News Agency figures ranging around 7,005–7,010 in multiple reports and some activist-leaning counts or warnings referencing numbers as high as 30,000.

Iranian official figures acknowledged several thousand dead but gave lower exact totals such as 3,117.

Some outlets noted that independent verification was not possible because of disrupted communications and contested methodologies, leaving a wide and unresolved range of casualty estimates.

Reza Pahlavi’s public offer to 'lead a transition' and his appeal for international backing drew both support and criticism among diaspora demonstrators and commentators.

Several outlets quoted Pahlavi pledging to oversee a move 'to a secular, democratic future' and urging democracies, including specific appeals to the United States, to act.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Reporting also noted visible opposition within the crowd and criticism over his family's monarchical legacy and past ties, including a contentious visit to Israel in 2023 that some sources said divided the opposition.

Coverage presented Pahlavi as a focal point of unity for some protesters and a polarizing figure for others.

The Munich rallies unfolded against heightened diplomatic and military tension.

“Hundreds of thousands joined demonstrations worldwide on Saturday after exiled royal Reza Pahlavi called a "global day of action" against Iran’s Islamic government”

BBC

Reporting notes an increase in U.S. military posture in the region, including the deployment of a second carrier group.

BBC

Diplomats say Oman has mediated talks and Geneva is set to host further indirect U.S.–Iran discussions.

Commentators linked international pressure and the rallies.

Some U.S. politicians publicly said a change of Iran's government would be preferable.

Outlets diverged on emphasis between calls for tougher measures and ongoing diplomacy, reflecting different editorial priorities and geopolitical lenses.