On Feb. 14, 2026, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bellevue, Wash., advocating against the ongoing actions of the current Iranian administration.

“We are marching to support a free Iran,” one of the protestors said. “We would like regime change in Iran and to overthrow the dictatorship that is currently murdering its citizens for peacefully protesting.” 

Organized by the nonprofit Voice of Iran Washington, this march is just one of many protests coordinated as part of a “Global Day of Action” that included thousands of people across the world. The protest acted in solidarity with the Lion and Sun Revolution, a movement in Iran aiming to overthrow the current Iranian Republic and support the return of Reza Pahlavi. Pahlavi, the exiled son of the deposed Shah, was named Crown Prince at the time of his father’s coronation and is a key figure in calling for accountability for the Iranian Republic. 

Beginning in late December 2025, nationwide protests erupted in Iran after a severe economic crisis, accompanied by worsening living conditions and mismanagement of essential services. The Iranian government responded with a brutal crackdown on protesters, using lethal force and conducting mass arrests.

In the days leading up to February 14, Pahlavi called on people inside and outside Iran to “Take to the streets to carry the voice of our great and united nation to the world and to mobilize broader international support for Iran’s Lion and Sun Revolution.”

The Lion and Sun flag is long associated with the Pahlavi dynasty that ruled before the current regime and is used both to support the return to the Pahlavi monarchy and general resistance to the Iranian Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“There were protests like this in probably 50 or more cities across North America … This is just one [protest], but it’s really part of [something] much bigger,” says one marcher.

During their march down NE 4th St and through other adjacent streets, protesters waved Iranian flags, chanted and held up posters honoring and advocating for victims of the oppressive regime. 

“Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Iran over the last month and we would like American and international support to help the protesters who are currently unarmed and have no way to protect themselves against the brutality,” a protester said.