TORONTO — Protesters openly backing Iran’s Islamic Republic gathered at multiple Canadian cities, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. In Toronto, the “Hands Off Iran” rally outside the U.S. Consulate drew support from CUPE Ontario and pro-Iran organizations. Many carried regime flags and chanted slogans in favour of Tehran.
The events triggered widespread pushback. Iranian dissidents, many bearing Pahlavi-era Lion and Sun flags, and local Jewish community members organized counter-demonstrations. They voiced fierce opposition to the Iranian regime’s suppression of women’s rights and its existential threat to Israel. A Reddit thread by Iranian activists outlined plans to highlight the Iranian resistance and challenge the regime’s narratives.
In Toronto alone, over 200 people participated in a counter-protest. They condemned both Iran’s domestic human rights abuses and its regional aggression. One dissident stated, “We will show up… let them see those who stand for freedom.”
A very important Israel Now Counter Protest against supporters for a Nuclear Iran at the USA Consulate in Toronto today. pic.twitter.com/Wvoy4be5wz
— Israel Now (@neveragainlive1) June 23, 2025
NGO Monitor reported a flurry of coordinated actions by anti-Israel NGOs in North America supporting Iran. These include Al-Awda Toronto and Palestinian Youth Movement chapters. The groups have staged petitions and parallel rallies, ignoring Tehran’s record of terrorism and support for militant proxies.
Toronto’s Jewish community leaders welcomed the counter-demonstrations. A spokesperson for a local Jewish organization commented, “We stand with Iranian dissidents seeking democracy and against any group aligned with the IRGC.” Supporters called for Canada to strengthen its designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization and curb its influence on Canadian soil.
A verified video from the protest shows regime supporters walking over an image of a crossed-out swastika with the words “ISREAL” and “AMERICA” scrawled around it, symbolically equating the Jewish state and the U.S. with Nazism.
Quite the imagination these radicals in Toronto have. pic.twitter.com/4xWkl2ZtFW
— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) June 22, 2025
Similar scenes took place in other Canadian cities. In Montreal and Vancouver, pro-Iran regime protesters were met with swift opposition from Iranian exiles and Jewish allies, who demanded justice for Iran’s oppressed peoples and solidarity with Israel.
These clashes highlight deep divisions over Iran’s role on the world stage. Canadian counter-demonstrators say they are determined to amplify the voices of freedom and counter-narratives that glorify a regime seen as brutal and expansionist.
This article is based on verified information from NGO Monitor, CTV News, eyewitness reports on Reddit, and firsthand accounts from Toronto and other Canadian demonstrations.