In an emotionally-charged rally attended by a slew of Conservative and Liberal Canadian politicians, hundreds of Iranian Canadians on Sunday called for “regime change” in Iran. They also raised slogans, condemning Iran’s “brutal theocracy” and skewed policies in the region.

The vociferous crowd filled a 389-seat conference room at the North York Civil Centre in northern Toronto, with many attendees proudly carrying the old Iranian flags, reflecting nostalgia for a more secular era. Iran was transformed into an Islamic Republic in 1979 through the Khomeini-led revolution.

The “In Solidarity with the People of Iran” rally was the Iranian diaspora’s reaction to the widespread protests across Iran, considered the biggest since the 2009 Green movement, calling for reforms.

Also, unlike previous protests, Iranians took to the streets of one of the most religious and conservative cities such as Qom. They denounced Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and demanded their government to stop intervening and squandering money and efforts in other conflicts such as Syria, and to focus on their economic and social plight.

Amid below zero freezing temperature in Toronto, both speakers and protesters at the indoor rally explicitly expressed their support to their “courageous” brethren in Iran, who “faced bullets and batons,” with at least 20 protesters announced killed on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the Iranian people and security forces had defeated the unrest it blamed on foreign enemies as parliament and key security officials met to discuss the boldest challenge to the clerical establishment since 2009.

David Zimmer, the Canadian Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliations, was one of the high-profile officials speaking at the rally. A Liberal, Zimmer stirred some emotions with his speech.

“Why is this rally important?” he asked. There is a need to “amplify” voices of the Iranian protesters, he continued. “But what is the message?” he added. “We have the moral obligation - we - as Canadians to stand side by side with the demonstrators till there is regime change,” he said with the emotionally-charged crowd soon started echoing “regime change.”

Ali Ehsassi, a Canadian Iranian Liberal politician, also lambasted the Iranian government as voices of protests, showing solidarity, were heard at a hall, outside the big conference room.

Source: Alarabiya