Iran Protestors Take to Belfast Streets

By Carmen Gray

A protest was held in Belfast on February 1st in response to the ongoing political and human rights situation in Iran. Demonstrators gathered to call for greater international awareness and accountability amid continued unrest and repression within the country.

This article draws on interviews with protest participants and independent reporting to examine the issues raised at the demonstration. One attendee, referred to as ‘B’, spoke about the reasons for protesting and the wider implications of Iran’s current political climate. She asked to remain anonymous due to security concerns.

The first reports of the recent protests in Iran were indicated on 28th December 2025. Protests in Mashhad and Neishabu were amongst the first to be reported, with sources suggesting initially protesters were motivated by economic discontent in the country.

The next day, 29th December 2025, protests would go on to erupt in the western Kermanshah Province; the opposite side of the country.

‘B’ stated that whilst the original motivation behind the protests was to protest against the collapse of the Iranian currency, the ‘underlying issue’ was that protesters were dissatisfied with the political regime in Iran, described by ‘B’ as a ‘terrorist, oppressive regime’ which has allowed ‘no democracy, no freedom of speech and no human rights’ to it’s people. ‘From the country that invented human rights, we have none’ B stated.

Discourse on human rights in Iran began with the Cyrus Cylinder, often cited as the first declaration of human rights, which became the country’s national symbol (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2013). Since then however, particularly since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, reports on human rights abuses in Iran have been increasing. The first formal raising of these was a 1995 UN Report questioning the actions of the Islamic Republic (United Nations, 1995).

‘B’ explained that the people were protesting the ‘fascist, terrorist ideologies’ being pushed onto them by the regime. This shift to protesting the wider political establishment in Iran came with charged messages in the form of chants against the leader and setup of government, such as ‘ننگ ما، ننگ ما، رهبر الدنگ ما’ (Our Disgrace is Our Incompetent Leader) and ‘استقلال، آزادی، حجاب اختیاری’ (Independence, Freedom, Optional Hijab). As the protests developed and spread to over 15 cities, the government began to crack down and discourage protest. According to Netblocks, Iran then went on to experience an internet blackout at the hand of the authorities initially reported to be in an attempt to target and eradicate the publics ability to communicate about the location and motivation of protests. Reports suggested both phoneline and internet blackouts were present across Tehran, with additional disruptions reported in Isfahan, Lordegan, Abdanan, parts of Shiraz, and Kermanshah. The blackout would last a full month, with restrictions were reportedly relaxed only in the last week of January. Motivation behind the easing of blackout also remained murky, with a government official admitting that the blackout cost the Iranian government $35.7 million a day. ‘B’ noted that during these internet blackouts, the Iranian people were ‘unable to contact their families’, and that due to the negative connections, they can ‘only just tell that their families are still alive’. Human Rights Groups maintain that the internet blackouts were put in place not only to discourage anti-establishment protests, but also to cover up the ‘Iranian Massacres’.

According to the Human Rights Watch, the Iranian massacres started during the escalation of protest, on January 8th, 2026. The massacres are reportedly being carried out by Iranian security forces, with the majority of deaths being caused by gunshot wounds. Information and investigation from the Human Rights watch found significant proof of these massacres despite the lacking presence in media. ‘They shut down the internet, and they started killing’, B stated, ‘by now, the body count is over 50,000- the morgues are full, the hospitals are full’. Many news outlets have attempted to investigate the true death-count of these Iranian Massacres.

The Iranian government have admitted and released the names of 3000 victims (PBS News, 2026), however reports by most human rights groups cite numbers over ten times this number. Reports from an Iranian news source in late January cited approximately 36,500 deaths across the few weeks of massacre (Iran International, 2026), and this number is now widely accepted by international organisations. By February, tracking the death toll had become increasingly difficult due to continued restrictions on reporting and verification.‘B’ noted that the authorities are completely behind the massacre, and are taking steps to ensure that people cannot be seen; ‘They are arresting doctors, nurses, and anybody offering to protect or shield the wounded’. These claims have been supported by reporting from multiple international news organisations.

An investigation by The Guardian documented the arrest of medical professionals accused of treating injured protesters during the crackdown. ‘B’ finished by stating that ‘The world should act now, this is a grave matter’. The protest in Belfast was part of a wider wave of international demonstrations, as diaspora communities and human rights groups seek to draw attention to events in Iran that remain lacking in media coverage and sources. The purpose behind the protest was to ensure that the crisis remained visible to the outside world.

Amid mass killings, arrests of medical professionals, and a month-long communication blackout, protesters in Belfast emphasised that the international community cannot and will not ignore these events, and that continued media attention is essential to prevent further atrocities.

References

[1] Human Rights Watch (2026). Iran: Growing Evidence of Countrywide Massacres. [online] Human Rights Watch. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/16/iran-growing-evidence-of-countrywide-massacres.

[2] Iran International (2026). Over 36,500 killed in Iran’s deadliest massacre, documents reveal. [online] Iranintl.com. Available at: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202601255198.Iranwire (2022).

[3] ‘Bi-Sharaf!’: A Guide to the Slogans Heard at Protests in Iran. [online] iranwire.com. Available at: https://iranwire.com/en/society/107735-guide-to-the-slogans-heard-at-protests-in-iran/.Iranwire (2026).

[4] $35.7 Million a Day: The Hidden Cost of Iran’s Internet Blackout. [online] Iranwire.com. Available at: https://iranwire.com/en/news/148305-357-million-a-day-the-hidden-cost-of-irans-internet-blackout/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2026].

[5] Parent, D. (2026). Iran accused of ‘campaign of revenge’ as doctors arrested for treating protesters. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/29/iran-doctors-arrested-treating-injured-protesters.

[6] PBS News (2026). Iran says 3,117 killed in recent protests, issuing lower death toll than human rights activists. [online] PBS News. Available at: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-says-3117-killed-in-recent-protests-issuing-lower-death-toll-than-human-rights-activists.

[7] The J. Paul Getty Museum (2013). The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning (Getty Villa Exhibitions). [online] http://www.getty.edu. Available at: https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/cyrus_cylinder/.

[8] United Nations (1995). UN Commission on Human Rights – Report on Human Rights Situation in Iran (Jan 95). [online] Umn.edu. Available at: https://hrlibrary.umn.edu/commission/country51/55.htm [Accessed 7 Feb. 2026].