The Iranian community gathered in Richmond Hill on Saturday, continuing their ongoing protests advocating for regime change in Iran that have taken place over the last few months.
With thousands, possibly tens of thousands, participating, the crowd expressed a sense of hope as they marched down Yonge Street, celebrating reports that Israel and the United States had initiated military actions against the Iranian government.
“We call this regime a regime that occupies Iran, not even a simple dictator, they simply occupy Iran, and they are killing the Iranian people,” said Alan Bostakian, one of the organizers of Saturday’s march.
Protesters once again voiced their support for Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled crown prince, claiming he is the only leader who can help transition Iran towards democracy.
“I believe that we will change the regime; we are so brave; we will do so, and then we will get the power back,” one demonstrator told City News.
“We need help internationally to weaken the pillars, and from that moment onwards, the people of Iran will know what they have to do,” added another.
“They’ve been massacring and destroying our country for almost 50 years, and we’re happy that Western governments are now supporting us, even with their military,” said one man.
Some protesters also shared worries about family members in Iran as preliminary death tolls from recent attacks began to surface.
Sepideh Saberi mentioned she hadn’t heard from her father and sister in three days due to internet outages.
“I’m so worried about them,” she said. “I cannot get in touch with them.”
Maziar Momeni noted that concerns for family safety aren’t new among Iranians abroad.
“We have concerns for the safety of citizens but we have not been safe for 47 years,” he said while referencing the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought about the current government. “Of course we are worried but this is a war.”
No official crowd estimates were provided by local police; however, around 350,000 individuals marched down Yonge Street during a rally in North York on February 13 calling for an end to governmental oppression in Iran amidst violent crackdowns on widespread protests within the country. A similar peaceful rally earlier this month in downtown Toronto attracted 150,000 attendees.
Meanwhile, dozens gathered outside the U. S. consulate in downtown Toronto protesting against military actions conducted by both U. S. and Israeli forces. Other “Hands Off Iran” demonstrations took place globally including cities like New York and London.
The death toll from nationwide protests ignited on December 28 has surpassed 7,000 according to figures from U. S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The Iranian government reported last month that 3,117 people were killed.
Files from The Associated Press were used in this report
Thousands gather in Richmond HIll to call for regime change in Iran on February 28, 2026. CITYNEWS/Ricardo Alfonso
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