Thousands of people gathered in Brussels on Sunday afternoon to protest in solidarity with Iranians facing what demonstrators described as a brutal and bloody crackdown by the Tehran regime.
The protest centred around the Schuman roundabout, close to key European Union institutions. By early afternoon, crowds were waving Iranian flags alongside American and Israeli flags, while holding portraits of Reza Pahlavi, an Iranian political activist and dissident living in exile in the United States. His image also featured prominently on posters calling for the demonstration.
Organisers said they expected up to 100,000 participants to travel to Brussels from across Europe, making it one of the largest Iran-related protests held in the EU capital in recent years.
“We are protesting against a brutal regime that is killing its own people,” said Massi, one of the demonstrators, who asked that her surname not be published. “Iran is a rich country, but even children don’t have enough to eat. This is why we are here.”
Another protester, Ali, said he had joined the rally to amplify the voices of those inside Iran. “For the last two weeks, more than 20,000 people are dead,” he said, echoing claims circulating among activists. “We stand behind the Iranian people. We are going to the European Parliament to demand action.”
Iran has been gripped by widespread and escalating unrest since the end of 2025, driven by anger over political repression and a sharp economic downturn. Demonstrations across the country have been met with an increasingly harsh government response, including mass arrests, reported killings and a near-total shutdown of internet access.
Human rights organisations say thousands of people have been killed or detained during the unrest. Earlier this year, the United Nations Human Rights Council held an emergency session on Iran, acknowledging that the violence against protesters in recent weeks has been the deadliest since the 1979 Iranian revolution.
European leaders have intensified calls for tougher EU sanctions on Tehran. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said earlier this month that she was prepared to propose additional sanctions in response to what she called the regime’s “brutal repression of protestors.”
“Europe needs to act — and fast,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said, adding that the Parliament would support further EU-level measures. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin are also among those urging Brussels to escalate pressure on Tehran.
