Go Ad Free

On Wednesday, March 11, Iranian groups organized a rally in front of Prime Minister Mark Carney's office in Ottawa called “Hear the Voice of Iran.” Organizer Ardeshir Zarezadeh of the International Centre for Human Rights and a legal expert said in his speech, “This government is unfortunately not supporting Iranian Canadians and Iranians on the inside of the country.”

This rally came after Carney’s opposing statements about the current conflict in Iran. Carney described the widening conflict as a "failure" of the international order but, when asked about potential Canadian participation, stated, "One can never categorically rule out participation. We will stand by our allies." This came amid reports of Canada evacuating citizens from the region and facing domestic criticism for mixed messaging.

Here’s the full response of Mark Carney when he said that “one can never categorically rule out participation (in Iran), we will stand by our allies when it makes sense,” after being asked if he could definitively say Canada would not get involved in the Iran/US/Israel war… pic.twitter.com/Q03ao7dQqH

— Mackenzie Gray (@Gray_Mackenzie) March 5, 2026

However, in the House of Commons, Carney stated that Canada is not involved in the offensive and "will never participate in it," emphasizing non-involvement while condemning the regime in Iran.

Canada will 'never participate' in Iran offensive, Carney says https://t.co/yg2SOZakIa

— Castanet Kamloops (@CastanetKam) March 10, 2026

Iranians have taken note of this flip-flopping position, and though they don’t necessarily expect military participation from Canada, they do expect full, unequivocal support for Iranians inside Canada and in Iran.

Zarezadeh also stated: “We urge our government in Canada to take civil actions. If they’re not joining the military intervention, at least take civil action and support Iranians.” He put further pressure on the government to uphold its reputation, stating, “We all know that Canada is a party to international treaties. Canada signed international mechanism to protect civilians. Canada is a country, globally known to protect human rights and peace around the world. But today Canada turned one eye on what's happening in Iran.”

When explaining what it is that Iranians want from the Canadian government, he outlined, “We call on our government to put a fund for free internet. We call on our government to recognize Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as someone who is capable of bringing democracy to Iran. We have a team. We have leaders. We have people who promised a transitional government to establish a secular democracy on the inside of the country without violence. So it’s on our government in Canada to understand the situation, not to turn a blind eye on the situation, and help us.”

“We call on our government to recognize Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as someone who is capable of bringing democracy in Iran. We have a team. We have leaders. We have people who promised a transitional government to establish a secular democracy on the inside of the country without… pic.twitter.com/Q5MD4r2V0y

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) March 13, 2026

Ottawa Iranians stood in freezing rain and frigid conditions, barely able to keep their footing on the ice covering the pavement on Parliament Hill, to try and make their voices heard. They are the most determined of people, and if they want a message conveyed, they will make sure it is. Chants of “Carney Carney act now!” and “Canada hear us!” rang out outside Carney’s office.

Chants of “Carney, Carney, act now!” and “Canada, act now!” rang out outside the prime minister’s office in Ottawa today as frustrated Iranians took aim at Mark Carney’s flip-flopping position on the current situation in Iran. 🇨🇦 🇮🇷 pic.twitter.com/KuPwn1NJX7

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) March 12, 2026