On Saturday, September 6, 2025, Brussels became the center of a historic political rally as tens of thousands of Iranians and supporters of a democratic Iran gathered at the Atomium and Heysel Plateau. The event marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and called for a Free Iran free from the current clerical regime.

The demonstration, organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), drew large sections of the Iranian diaspora in Europe. Despite strict security restrictions, Maryam Rajavi, the Iranian dissident and NCRI’s president-elect, made a rare public appearance and delivered the keynote address. She was joined by prominent international figures including former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, and former UK House of Commons Speaker John Bercow.

“We are here today to make our voices heard against the Iranian regime and to support Maryam Rajavi in her call for democracy in Iran,”
said Afchine Alavi, NCRI spokesperson, speaking to reporters on-site.
(Belga News Agency)

Participants called on the European Union to impose tougher sanctions on Tehran, to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and to recognize the Iranian people’s right to overthrow the ruling theocracy.

“Through this demonstration, we are showing our support for the Iranian resistance’s call to dismantle the regime and build a democratic, secular Iran,”
Alavi added.
(Brussels Times)

International media widely covered the rally:

• Belga News Agency reported tens of thousands gathered to demand a European boycott of Tehran and to press for a democratic future.

• The Brussels Times highlighted the high-profile attendance of Maryam Rajavi and Mike Pence, with protesters urging a firm EU stance against Tehran.

• The Washington Times streamed the rally live under the banner “WATCH LIVE: Brussels Free Iran Rally – Young Iranians across Europe call to join the Sept 6 resistance rally in Brussels.”
  Just The News also streamed it, reporting demonstrators’ demands for the EU to halt the wave of executions in Iran and trigger the nuclear “snapback” mechanism.

Speeches from Mike Pence and Guy Verhofstadt emphasized support for Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a democratic, secular, non-nuclear Iran and urged the international community to abandon decades of appeasement in favor of engagement with the Iranian people and organized resistance.

This rally served not only as a commemoration of six decades of resistance but also as a powerful signal that the Iranian people’s demand for change is organized, international, and impossible to ignore. For many observers, the Brussels rally marked a turning point in how the world views Iran’s opposition: not as a distant hope, but as a ready alternative preparing for the day after the clerical regime falls.