In recent months, it has often appeared alongside Israeli state symbols at public demonstrations where many human rights defenders, democratic rights advocates, anti-war and peace activists, leftists and others who do not identify with the Pahlavi movement have reported experiences of intimidation and harassment.
Our purpose is to create a space centered on solidarity with the people of Iran and opposition to war and repression. We respect the right of others to organize their own events and express their political views throughout the year. At this rally, however, we ask participants to respect our organizing principles and the shared space we are building.
As organizers, we do not consider national flags to be politically neutral or universally representative. We recognize that many participants may understand these symbols differently. Flags carry particular historical, political, and social meanings, and, with rare exceptions, no flag can fully represent the diversity of a people. This is true in all societies marked by deep political divisions, unequal social relations, and histories in which the vast majority of people have never had a genuinely democratic opportunity to determine the symbols that represent them.
In the case of Iran, a country of more than 93 million people with diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, political traditions, and polarized social classes, there is no single flag today that can claim to represent everyone. We have chosen to center the people themselves and the principles that unite us. We therefore ask participants to refrain from bringing flags associated with current or former ruling regimes.
How can you support this rally?
We warmly welcome participation from individuals and organizations, including anti-war, peace, labour, feminist, anti-racist, Indigenous solidarity, migrant justice, queer and trans liberation, human rights, socialist, environmental, and community organizations.
We encourage participants to bring signs, banners, organizational flags, and symbols expressing opposition to war, imperialism, repression, and dictatorship, as well as support for peace, international solidarity, workers’ rights, feminism, socialism, human rights, and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
Sunday, August 9, 2026
4:00–5:30 PM
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto
Organized by:
Iranian Collective for Peace and Justice – Canada and Feminists for Jina – Toronto
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