As Trump pursues a deal with the regime, Toronto Iranians rally for National Lion and Sun Day

Iranians gathered to honour Majidreza Rahnavard, whose final act of defiance made him a heroic figure for freedom-seeking Iranians.

Scarlett Grace
  |   June 17, 2026   |   News Analysis   |   Be the first to comment

On Friday, June 12, 2026, Toronto’s Iranian monarchist community rallied at Mel Lastman Square in North York to honour National Lion and Sun Day. This annual observance, established by His Imperial Majesty Reza Pahlavi in June 2024, falls on June 16, the birthday of Iranian hero Majidreza Rahnavard.

The day honours Iran’s historic flag and pre-Islamic occupation symbol, the Lion and Sun. Majidreza Rahnavard, born June 16, 1999, was just 23 years old when the regime publicly hanged him on December 12, 2022. He was a proud participant in the 2022 uprising sparked by the brutal murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was beaten to death by morality police for an “improper hijab.”

He carried resistance in his skin: a tattoo of the Lion and Sun on his forearm. After his arrest, regime thugs tortured him, burning off the ancient symbol they tried to erase. Paraded blindfolded before cameras on the day of his execution, his final words were a request not to mourn him but to celebrate, and not to read the Quran at his funeral. Until his death, he rejected the ideology that has enslaved his homeland and claimed countless lives.

Toronto’s monarchist organizers’ goal is to be the true voices of the people and amplify the chants echoing from inside Iran. No diaspora politics, just unfiltered solidarity with the voices inside Iran.

This year’s gatherings are particularly significant. They unfolded just days before Donald Trump announced his controversial new deal with the Islamic Republic. Iranians have begged the world not to legitimize the mullahs, not to ease pressure while brave souls inside Iran, like Majidreza, risk everything for regime change. Many still cling to hope that the agreement collapses or that the regime is toppled by other means. The message from Toronto’s rallies was crystal clear: now is the hour. The Islamic Republic must fall.

This event was more than just a commemoration. It broadcast the unfiltered cries of a nation in chains, fueling the Lion and Sun Revolution. Majidreza didn’t die for compromise or half-measures. He died demanding total freedom.

Please sign the petition to show that Canadians stand with the Iranian people!

8,039 signatures
Goal: 15,000 signatures
meta-img

The Iranian people are fighting a tyrannical Islamic regime that arrests women, crushes dissent, and kills protestors demanding freedom. Canada’s leaders need to stop tiptoeing around the dictators in Tehran and stand with those risking their lives for democracy and human rights. Add your name — tell Canada to stand with the Iranian people and against the regime oppressing them.

Will you sign?

Scarlett Grace

Anti-Discrimination Reporter

Scarlett Grace is a Canadian journalist and musician from Peterborough, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Trent University and has spent over a decade performing live and releasing original music.

In 2022, her involvement in Canada’s freedom movement marked a turning point in her career and public voice. She later joined Rebel News, where she works as an anti-discrimination journalist, reporting extensively on the rise of antisemitism in Canada and the Iranian uprising.

https://twitter.com/ScarlettGrace92

Featured Stories

COMMENTS

Be the first to comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.