Human chain for Iran: Toronto Iranians brave torrential rain to demand regime change

Demonstrators lined Yonge Street for hours as chants of “Javid Shah” echoed through torrential rain and powerful winds.

Scarlett Grace
  |   May 28, 2026   |   News Analysis   |   Be the first to comment

On Saturday, May 23, Iranians in Toronto gathered once again to stand as the voices of their people back in Iran and demand regime change.

This gathering was slightly different because, instead of marching, people lined Yonge Street dressed in white to create a human chain and demonstrate alongside the road rather than shutting it down.

The weather was absolutely atrocious. It poured rain for the entire duration of the event, and winds were so strong they nearly knocked people over. This did not deter people from coming out.

From Centrepoint Mall, people lined the street heading south. The chain was so long that, though I tried, I never reached the end of it. The air was filled with chants of “Javid Shah!” “Regime change for Iran!” and “King Reza Pahlavi!”

Iranians inside and outside Iran overwhelmingly have chosen Reza Pahlavi as their leader. Why the mainstream media continues to ignore this and only uses clips from these types of rallies where they can manage to find a patch of people not holding up his image is unknown, but they have a narrative, and he is not in it.

At the time of this demonstration, Iran had been without internet for over 2,000 hours, around 85 days. Some people were able to get online periodically, but the country was, for the most part, still under an internet blackout. The very next day, however, it appeared the internet ban was lifted, and millions of Iranians came back online. Their one message? Long live the Shah.

Iranians and their allies in the diaspora will continue to echo this call at these kinds of demonstrations and wherever they can. No deal will be acceptable. The only acceptable outcome is the total annihilation of the regime and the return of their chosen leader. Iranians have never gotten to choose who leads them. It is time the world listens and lets them.

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

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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.

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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

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