In a bold act of defiance, the flag of Iran's pre-1979 monarchy was briefly raised on the country's embassy in London, as protests against the clerical regime intensified both abroad and within Iran over the weekend.
Dramatic Flag Replacement in London
The incident occurred on Saturday during a demonstration outside the diplomatic mission. A viral social media video captured the moment a man scaled the building, tore down the official flag of the Islamic Republic, and hoisted the historic Lion and Sun banner, which was the national emblem before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Hundreds of other protestors gathered outside the building were seen waving the same pre-revolution flag and chanting anti-government slogans. According to an AFP report, the symbolic flag remained in place for several minutes before being taken down.
Nationwide Unrest Rekindles Inside Iran
This dramatic act in London coincided with a fresh wave of protests across several Iranian cities on Friday. Demonstrations flared in the capital Tehran, as well as in Mashhad, Tabriz, and the holy city of Qom.
Protesters directed their chants against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In Tehran's Sa'adat Abad district, residents expressed their defiance by banging pots and pans and blaring car horns. This public display directly contradicted state media claims that calm had been restored across the nation.
A Sustained Challenge to the Clerical System
The current wave of unrest, which began on December 28, is driven by soaring living costs and a plunging national currency, the rial. However, it has since evolved into open challenges against Iran's governing clerical system.
Analysts describe these as the most significant protests since the 2022–23 nationwide unrest triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. The protests signify deep-seated economic frustration morphing into direct political dissent.
The simultaneous events—a symbolic flag change at a key diplomatic outpost and sustained domestic protests—highlight the persistent and widespread opposition facing the Iranian government from both its diaspora and citizens at home.
