Thousands protest Iranian regime, Syrian violence in separate marches in The Hague

On Saturday afternoon, thousands gathered in The Hague for separate protests against the Iranian regime and violence targeting Kurds in Syria.

Around 2,000 people gathered on the Malieveld to protest against the Iranian regime. Demonstrators carried protest signs reading “Down with the Islamic Republic in Iran” and “End the dictatorship in Iran,” while waving the former Iranian flag, a green-white-red banner with a central lion holding a sword, which was used until 1979.

Attendees expressed support for the recent European designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. “We no longer want an Islamic regime; their end has come. We do not descend from Islamists,” said Dutch MP Ulysse Ellian, whose father fled the Iranian regime.

In addition to the old Iranian flags, protesters carried American and Israeli flags. An American flag was also raised on the demonstration stage. The protest comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with President Donald Trump deploying multiple naval ships and fighter jets to the region and threatening military action. The first demonstrators began leaving around 3:30 p.m.

Separately, hundreds of people participated in a pro-Kurdish march protesting violence against Kurds in Syria. Demonstrators gathered on the Laan van Reagan and Gorbatsjov and marched with Kurdish flags along a route from the Koekamp through part of the city center. Protest signs read “Stop the mass murder in Rojava” and “Defend Kurdistan, defend Rojava,” referring to the Syrian region where government forces are fighting Kurdish militias.

The organizers reported that about 700 participants joined the demonstration. Police maintained a significant presence. These protests follow earlier demonstrations in The Hague, including a gathering of several hundred Kurds at Den Haag Centraal on January 21 and a nighttime protest of approximately 1,000 people near the Tweede Kamer.