Reuters reported that French authorities canceled a major demonstration by supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Paris just hours before it was scheduled to begin, citing security warnings about threats linked to monarchist groups.
According to the report, published on June 30, the large-scale “Free Iran” demonstration, which had been scheduled for June 20 and was expected to draw 100,000 supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Paris, was canceled after French authorities received security and intelligence assessments.
Reuters obtained an intelligence document indicating that French security services had warned of increasing threats from individuals affiliated with monarchist groups. According to the document, some individuals displaying symbols associated with SAVAK, the secret police of Iran’s former monarchy, threatened to carry out a bombing if the gathering went ahead.
Monarchists and Bomb Threats
The report also refers to a well-known monarchist activist who urged his supporters through online messages to block the PMOI march route. According to Reuters, social media videos show the individual holding a semi-automatic firearm, and another video depicts the testing of a 3D-printed weapon.
The Paris Police Prefecture, the office of the French Interior Minister, and France’s domestic intelligence agency (DGSI) did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment regarding the authenticity of the document.
Reuters noted that the NCRI’s annual gatherings in France, which attracted participants from numerous countries, had generally been held without major incidents. This time, however, French authorities decided to cancel the demonstration, citing domestic and international security concerns.
Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) said there was no doubt that supporters of the Shah’s SAVAK had become instruments of the Iranian regime’s intelligence and security apparatus. The spokesperson added that the gathering could have been held safely through cooperation with law enforcement authorities and the PMOI’s own security arrangements.
The spokesperson also referred to alternative rallies and marches held at eight different locations on June 20, claiming that opponents were unable to prevent those events from taking place despite having the opportunity to do so.
The spokesperson also referred to attacks carried out in 2023 against a center affiliated with supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in northern Paris. According to the spokesperson, the attacks were carried out by operatives linked to the Iranian regime, and several of those responsible were later sentenced to prison by the French judiciary.
