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On Wednesday, January 21, thousands of Iranians once again took to the streets—this time gathering outside the U.S. consulate in Toronto.

Protesters were demanding that President Trump “act now,” following numerous promises made via his X account that help was on the way to Iranians who have been in open uprising since late December of last year. That uprising has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, as the Islamic Republic has slaughtered Iranian citizens through machine-gun fire, hangings, and chemical warfare.

Organizer of the Toronto rallies, Salar Gholami, said holding the demonstration outside the U.S. consulate was necessary because, as he put it, “We need help. Trump must do something for us now.”

The crowd was filled with Iran’s historic Lion and Sun flags, alongside Canadian, Israeli, and American flags. Three national anthems were played during the rally: the Iranian national anthem “Ey Iran,” “O Canada,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” During both the Canadian and American anthems, Iranians raised their hands in the air as a sign of respect for the two countries.

Three national anthems were played outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto today as Iranians rallied:

Ey Iran 🇮🇷

O’ Canada 🇨🇦

The Star-Spangled Banner 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Z6mBbU169L

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) January 21, 2026

Many Iranian-Canadians in attendance grew up in Iran, where they were taught from a young age to chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Protesters stressed that these chants are dictated by the regime—not the will of the Iranian people, who have lived under occupation for 47 years.

One protester explained, “I grew up in Iran. They forced us in school, in elementary school, to say death to America, death to Israel. So they are funding these things (terrorist groups) for their own military conquest. The population of Iran don’t want this.”

Many people have asked why Israeli flags are present at Iranian demonstrations. Beyond the ancient ties between the two peoples, there is also Israel’s recent support for Iranians. Here’s what one protester had to say. pic.twitter.com/Y8WKkz0JOD

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) January 23, 2026

Another protester added, “We love Canada, honestly. And I really appreciate that Canadians respect Persians and Persians respect Canada.”

One young protester was brought to tears while describing her fear for friends still trapped inside Iran—friends she has been unable to contact. “I heard that they are raping the women. I don’t have any information from them. I’m very worried about my friends. I really love them and I don’t know what should I do about it.”

This girl broke my heart.

Please listen to what she had to say about Canada and only wanting freedom for her people in Iran. pic.twitter.com/8IW1OYnfMy

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) January 23, 2026

She came to Canada just two years ago, following the 2022 uprising sparked by the murder of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was killed by regime forces for not wearing her hijab properly. She explained, “If you’re not wearing your hijab you cannot do anything. They gonna catch you, arrest you, even not your family is gonna know what’s happened to you.”

For many in attendance, the rally was not political—it was personal. With friends and family trapped inside Iran and cut off from the world, protesters say time is running out and action is urgently needed before more lives are lost.