Washington, D.C. – April 18, 2025
On Friday, the Capitol Grounds of the United States became the site of a striking tribute and protest by Iranian-Americans who gathered to honor fallen heroes of Iran’s freedom movement and to condemn all forms of dictatorship—be it monarchical or theocratic. The event, organized by members of the Iranian American Community (OIAC) and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), featured a poignant photo exhibition and a candlelight vigil.
In a video released by Iranian American communities supporting the Iranian Resistance to invite freedom-loving Iranians to participate in a gathering at the Capitol Grounds, in addition to the time and location of the event, the goals of the gathering—condemning the repression and executions in Iran by the mullahs’ regime as well as during the dictatorship of the Shah before this regime—were mentioned. The video also expressed support for the Ten-Point Plan of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Joining our sister organizations, members of @OrgIAC in DC today.
Exhibition and Gathering on the US Capitol Ground to Stop #StopExecutionsInIran
When: Friday April 18, 2025
📷 Gathering: 2PM-4PM
🕯️ Light Vigil: 6-8PM#NoToExecutionsTuesdays… pic.twitter.com/vmUFYcq5vn— Iranian-American Community of NorCal (@IACNorCal) April 18, 2025
Marking the anniversary of April 19—the date when 13 brave members of Iran’s opposition were executed by the Shah’s regime in 1972 and 1975—the gathering paid homage to generations of resistance against tyranny. Protesters displayed powerful portraits of those martyred both under the Shah’s SAVAK and the clerical regime that followed, reminding the world of Iran’s decades-long struggle for freedom.
NOW on the Capitol Ground⬇️, we gather to affirm that the Iranian people will never accept single party tyranny, whether crowned or turbaned💥#No2ShahNo2Mullahs
@SpeakerJohnson @RepBrianMast @HouseGOP @HouseDemocrats @FoxNews #StopExecutionsInIran pic.twitter.com/DFzjxP1gNv— OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) April 18, 2025
“No matter the crown or the turban, dictatorship is dictatorship,” read a banner held high during the protest. The participants made it clear: the Iranian people reject any form of authoritarian rule, demanding a democratic republic grounded in human rights, equality, and justice.
In a show of solidarity with those facing executions in today’s Iran, the event echoed the urgent global call to halt the regime’s wave of repression. “We advocate a U.S. policy that supports the Iranian people’s struggle to overthrow the clerical dictatorship,” said one organizer.
Steps from America's symbol of democracy, we remember the executions that occurred during former dictator Shah & continue today in Iran. We advocat a US policy that supports people's struggle to overthrow the clerical dictators in Iran.
@SpeakerJohnson @RepBrianMast pic.twitter.com/5bVAB4vw0I— OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) April 18, 2025
The hashtag #No2ShahNo2Mullahs trended across social media platforms as attendees, many of whom are relatives of political prisoners or victims of Iran’s state violence, voiced their united opposition to both past and present regimes that have stifled Iran’s path to democracy.
This event was not just a remembrance, but a declaration: the Iranian people’s thirst for freedom cannot be silenced—whether under a crown or a turban.
