Thousands rally in Paris against Iran's leaders
"Instead of appeasing the mullahs, (the international community) should stand side by side with the Iranian people," Maryam Rajavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told the rally.
The NCRI is the political wing of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, which Tehran regards as a "terrorist" group.
Iran's opposition abroad has been emboldened by the fall in late 2024 of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of Tehran.
"As Syria did with Bashar al-Assad, the Iranian people will free themselves of the mullahs, and it will be in 2025," said Belgium's former prime minister Guy Verhofstadt.
"The strategy of complacency has to change", he argued, adding: "I don't think it's going to happen that way with the US administration this time".
"The Iranian regime will fall like the Syrian regime fell, at a speed that no one would have predicted," former Syrian rebel leader Riad al-Asaad told the crowd by video link.
Several speakers at Saturday's rally voiced hopes that US President Donald Trump's promise to exert "maximum pressure" against Tehran would help their cause.
'Cascade of failures'
Trump has in the past lashed out at Tehran's nuclear programme, but has also expressed a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran.
On Friday, the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against negotiations with the United States.
"You should not negotiate with such a government, it is unwise, it is not intelligent, it is not honourable to negotiate," Khamenei told a meeting of military top brass.
In Paris, Rajavi told the rally that the Iranian government's "cascade of failures" had "pitted the regime's internal factions against each other over the question of whether or not to negotiate with the United States".
Police put the turnout at the Paris demonstration at around 6,000.
The throng was decked out in the flags of the NCRI, a lion holding a sword against a green, white and red backdrop, with a sprinkling of a few Ukrainian flags here and there.
"Many of the weapons which are killing our children in Ukraine come from Iran," said Lara, a Ukrainian living in the German town of Kassel who was bussed into the French capital by the NCRI.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Macron says France will ban social media for under-15s if EU does not
President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 within "a few months" if this is not done at a European level. "We must ban social media for those under 15," Macron told the public television channel France 2 after a school staff member was stabbed by a 14-year-old student at the entrance to a secondary school in Nogent. "I'm giving us a few months to get the European mobilisation going. start doing it in France. We can't wait," he said. A pupil fatally stabbed a school staff member during a routine bag check at the middle school in eastern France, officials said. The teenager was arrested at the scene. A police officer assisting with the bag checks sustained minor injuries while apprehending the suspect, who used the same knife in both attacks, according to the National Gendarmerie. It's not immediately clear whether the attack was linked to anything the student had seen on social media, or why local media had made the link. This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates. The EU is planning to borrow €150 billion on the financial markets for its new lending instrument Security Action for Europe (SAFE). It is one of the pillars of the Readiness 2030 plan, which aims to mobilise €800 billion for defence investment by the end of the decade. "Russia's war in Ukraine and the EU's attempt to support Kyiv really highlighted the dependencies and shortcomings of the EU's defence industrial base and how ill-prepared we were in the event of being forced into a conventional war," said Alice Tidey, a Euronews reporter who covered the announcement. "SAFE is about firing up European weapons manufacturing lines by getting member states to buy strategically and together so that the industry becomes less fragmented and quicker to produce, and our armies, more crucially, become more interoperable. And of course, also, it's about putting prices down," she added. The investments should boost production and procurement of air and missile defence, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition, as well as other crucial military equipment to deal with security threats, including critical infrastructure protection and cyber, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare. "It gives countries the possibility to find money to buy military equipment. It's a beginning and I think it's very good sign," said German MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the Renew group. The parliamentarian who chairs the European Parliament's Security and Defense Committee also highlighted that some of the technology could have dual use and be useful for civilian purposes. Euronews spoke to residents in Rome and opinions were divided. 'We need to defend ourselves and the threat is at our doorstep,' said one . 'They shouldn't increase spending for a war that won't happen. This is not our war,' said another resident in the Italian capital, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In Berlin, the same divisions were evident: 'If the aim is to start another arms race, then I'm not in favour,' said one resident of the German city. 'I'm all for a joint European defence effort, but without going into debt,' said another. Governments will have to repay over 45 years and they can also activate the Stability and Growth Pact's National Escape Clause, which stipulates that budget deficits cannot exceed 3% of GDP. Under SAFE, governments can exceed this figure by 1.5% per year, provided that the amount is spent solely on defence. More than half of member states have requested activation from the European Commission. To receive loans, governments must meet certain conditions: 65% of the value of each piece of military equipment must be produced in one of the 27 EU member states, Ukraine and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The remaining 35% can also come from any third country in the world. The common procurement can include EU candidate countries, such as the Western Balkans, and third countries with bilateral security and defence partnerships, such as Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. However, the EU remains highly dependent on weapons purchased from the US and the increased investment could be a clear indication of the bloc's commitment to becoming more autonomous, something that President Donald Trump has demanded in the framework of NATO. "I'm optimistic that the President of the US will realise what we are now starting to do," said Strack-Zimmermann. The EU is planning to raise more funds, with the European Commission proposing to use part of the Cohesion Funds, which are intended for regional development. The European Investment Bank will also try to mobilise private funds for this area for the first time. Watch the video here! Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva Content production: Pilar Montero López Video production: Zacharia Vigneron Graphism: Loredana Dumitru Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Is debt justified to increase defence investments?
President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 within "a few months" if this is not done at a European level. "We must ban social media for those under 15," Macron told the public television channel France 2 after a school staff member was stabbed by a 14-year-old student at the entrance to a secondary school in Nogent. "I'm giving us a few months to get the European mobilisation going. start doing it in France. We can't wait," he said. A pupil fatally stabbed a school staff member during a routine bag check at the middle school in eastern France, officials said. The teenager was arrested at the scene. A police officer assisting with the bag checks sustained minor injuries while apprehending the suspect, who used the same knife in both attacks, according to the National Gendarmerie. It's not immediately clear whether the attack was linked to anything the student had seen on social media, or why local media had made the link. This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates. The EU is planning to borrow €150 billion on the financial markets for its new lending instrument Security Action for Europe (SAFE). It is one of the pillars of the Readiness 2030 plan, which aims to mobilise €800 billion for defence investment by the end of the decade. "Russia's war in Ukraine and the EU's attempt to support Kyiv really highlighted the dependencies and shortcomings of the EU's defence industrial base and how ill-prepared we were in the event of being forced into a conventional war," said Alice Tidey, a Euronews reporter who covered the announcement. "SAFE is about firing up European weapons manufacturing lines by getting member states to buy strategically and together so that the industry becomes less fragmented and quicker to produce, and our armies, more crucially, become more interoperable. And of course, also, it's about putting prices down," she added. The investments should boost production and procurement of air and missile defence, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition, as well as other crucial military equipment to deal with security threats, including critical infrastructure protection and cyber, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare. "It gives countries the possibility to find money to buy military equipment. It's a beginning and I think it's very good sign," said German MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the Renew group. The parliamentarian who chairs the European Parliament's Security and Defense Committee also highlighted that some of the technology could have dual use and be useful for civilian purposes. Euronews spoke to residents in Rome and opinions were divided. 'We need to defend ourselves and the threat is at our doorstep,' said one . 'They shouldn't increase spending for a war that won't happen. This is not our war,' said another resident in the Italian capital, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In Berlin, the same divisions were evident: 'If the aim is to start another arms race, then I'm not in favour,' said one resident of the German city. 'I'm all for a joint European defence effort, but without going into debt,' said another. Governments will have to repay over 45 years and they can also activate the Stability and Growth Pact's National Escape Clause, which stipulates that budget deficits cannot exceed 3% of GDP. Under SAFE, governments can exceed this figure by 1.5% per year, provided that the amount is spent solely on defence. More than half of member states have requested activation from the European Commission. To receive loans, governments must meet certain conditions: 65% of the value of each piece of military equipment must be produced in one of the 27 EU member states, Ukraine and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The remaining 35% can also come from any third country in the world. The common procurement can include EU candidate countries, such as the Western Balkans, and third countries with bilateral security and defence partnerships, such as Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. However, the EU remains highly dependent on weapons purchased from the US and the increased investment could be a clear indication of the bloc's commitment to becoming more autonomous, something that President Donald Trump has demanded in the framework of NATO. "I'm optimistic that the President of the US will realise what we are now starting to do," said Strack-Zimmermann. The EU is planning to raise more funds, with the European Commission proposing to use part of the Cohesion Funds, which are intended for regional development. The European Investment Bank will also try to mobilise private funds for this area for the first time. Watch the video here! Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva Content production: Pilar Montero López Video production: Zacharia Vigneron Graphism: Loredana Dumitru Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones A second group of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were returned home on Tuesday as part of a deal made during direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June. The exchange began on Monday for soldiers aged between 18-25, focusing on seriously wounded and sick Ukrainian service personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram, without specifying the exact number. Among them were soldiers captured over three years ago in the battle for Mariupol, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram. All of those freed had severe injuries and illnesses, including amputated limbs and vision problems, it said. Amina Ivanchenko was reunited Monday with her husband, a POW for 18 months, in the initial release. She said was grateful to Ukrainian officials for supporting her. "My struggle was much easier thanks to them. Our country will definitely return everyone. Glory to Ukraine! Thank you!" Anastasia Nahorna waited in the Chernyhiv region to see if her husband, who has been missing for eight months, was among those being released in the latest swap. "This pain is more unbearable every day," she said. "I really want to hear some news, because since the moment of his disappearance, unfortunately, there has been no information. Is he alive? or maybe in captivity? Has someone seen him?" Russia's Defence Ministry said it had also received a second group of released soldiers as part of the deal. The Russian servicemen arrived on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical assistance, the ministry said in a statement, without specifying the number of exchanged soldiers. All servicemen will be transported to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation, the statement added. A similar exchange was announced for the bodies of fallen soldiers held by both sides, although no schedule has been released. Two recent rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have yielded no significant breakthroughs beyond pledges to swap prisoners as well as thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Ukraine and Russia complete second prisoner exchange in Istanbul deal
A second group of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were returned home on Tuesday as part of a deal made during direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June. The exchange began on Monday for soldiers aged between 18-25, focusing on seriously wounded and sick Ukrainian service personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram, without specifying the exact number. Among them were soldiers captured over three years ago in the battle for Mariupol, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram. All of those freed had severe injuries and illnesses, including amputated limbs and vision problems, it said. Amina Ivanchenko was reunited Monday with her husband, a POW for 18 months, in the initial release. She said was grateful to Ukrainian officials for supporting her. "My struggle was much easier thanks to them. Our country will definitely return everyone. Glory to Ukraine! Thank you!" Anastasia Nahorna waited in the Chernyhiv region to see if her husband, who has been missing for eight months, was among those being released in the latest swap. "This pain is more unbearable every day," she said. "I really want to hear some news, because since the moment of his disappearance, unfortunately, there has been no information. Is he alive? or maybe in captivity? Has someone seen him?" Russia's Defence Ministry said it had also received a second group of released soldiers as part of the deal. The Russian servicemen arrived on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical assistance, the ministry said in a statement, without specifying the number of exchanged soldiers. All servicemen will be transported to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation, the statement added. A similar exchange was announced for the bodies of fallen soldiers held by both sides, although no schedule has been released. Two recent rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have yielded no significant breakthroughs beyond pledges to swap prisoners as well as thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday condemned what he described as Russian "terror against the civilian population" of Ukraine and urged the European Union to swiftly impose new sanctions on Moscow. Speaking alongside the Netherlands' caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof in Berlin, Merz accused Russia of deliberately targeting non-military sites in its latest waves of strikes. The two met to discuss topics related to bilateral and European cooperation as well as international politics. Merz described recent attacks on Ukrainian residential areas as "the most serious war crimes" which were "anything but a proportionate response to the very precise Ukrainian attacks on military airfields and infrastructure in the last week." Moscow is escalating the situation and attempting "to create a bloodbath" instead of negotiating with Ukraine, Merz said, who added that a larger tragedy had been averted due to Ukraine's air defence. Schoof echoed Merz's concerns and said Ukraine was defending not only its own sovereignty "but also the security of a war of aggression that was started by Russia." The comments from the Dutch and German leaders come just days ahead of a G7 summit in Canada and a NATO meeting later this month. There, Ukraine's Western allies are expected to urge US President Donald Trump to take a firmer stance against the Kremlin. Merz and Schoof also extended their condolences to the victims of a shooting at a school in Graz, Austria. Merz said he was "deeply shocked by this news that young people have been so suddenly torn from life."
