Hundreds join Rome rally in support of Iranian protesters after crackdown

(16 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rome, Italy - 16 January 2026
1. Various of demonstrator holding up sign with photos and ages of young people protesters claim have been killed in Iran
2. Protesters holding signs reading (English) “Shame” and "Protect the protest"
3. Protesters applauding
4. Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri (left) applauding
5. Student Kamiar Alihajji holding sign with photos
6. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Kamiar Alijajji, university student:
“But here, whatever kind of humanitarian intervention is necessary. You cannot close your eyes. Those who close their eyes are the ones who say the Ayatollahs are the ones against the Netanyahu regime, against America, they don’t know how many people are dying every day. We don’t know. They have created an open-air prison.”
7. Protesters waving Iranian flags used before 1979 revolution
8. Protester holding poster depicting Reza Pahlavi, son of former Shah of Iran and opposition leader
9. Close of flag being waved
10. Tilt-down of sign reading (Italian): “No internet for 8 days in Iran”
11. Mid of protesters holding signs reading (Italian): "Support for the Iranian people" and "Support for our Iranian sisters"
12. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Pegah Moshir Pour, Italian-Iranian activist:
“In this moment there are many visions and many times it is the voice of desperation that prevails because to put an end to what they are living, what they have been living since birth, one can come to say 'attack because we don’t have anything else left to lose'. But it is logical that we also have legal instruments, we have instruments in Europe, and internationally that can really put on pressure, above all we need to react unanimously, not 10 yeses and one no and one abstention. We have to be united because we don’t want to repeat what we haven’t done in all these years.”
13. Pan of protest banner
14. Protesters chanting UPSOUND (Italian): “Women, Life, Liberty”
15. Protesters holding sign reading (English): “Free Iran, free internet” and chanting UPSOUND (Italian) "Free Iran"
16. Italian Democratic party leader Elly Schlein arriving and hugging protester
17. Various of protest
18. Protester holding sign reading (Italian) “In solidarity with the Iranian population”
19. Protesters holding signs reading (Italian) “Protect the right to protest”
20. Protester holding sign reading (Italian) “Free Iran”
21. Various of protesters holding signs reading (Italian/English) “Theocracy” and “Oppression”
22. Protester holding sign with photo of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reading (English) “No to dictatorship”
23. Various of protesters
STORYLINE:
Hundreds gathered in front of Rome’s city hall on Friday to demonstrate in solidarity with protesters in Iran and against the Iranian government.

Across Europe, thousands of exiled Iranians have taken to the streets to shout out their rage at the government of the Islamic Republic which has cracked down on protests in their homeland, reportedly killing thousands of people.

Women have taken a prominent role in organizing the protests abroad, raising their voices against the theocratic government that discriminates against them.

But beyond the anger, there’s also a sense of fear and paralysis.

Iran’s government has been shutting down the internet and limiting phone calls for days, making it nearly impossible for Iranians in the diaspora to find out if their families back home are safe.



There have been no signs of protests for days in Tehran, where shopping and street life have returned to outward normality, though a week-old internet blackout continued.








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