The flag of Iran has sparked protests worldwide, with a demonstrator in London scaling the embassy balcony to remove the flag, symbolizing opposition to the regime. On the social media platform X, the official Iranian flag was replaced with the pre-1979 revolution Lion-and-Sun flag, which has resurfaced as a symbol of protest in Iran. This change was prompted by a user’s request to X’s product head and Elon Musk.
The removal of the post-revolution red emblem and restoration of the historical symbol was implemented platform-wide, including accounts linked to the Iranian government. Despite a brief period of displaying the protest flag, the Iranian government ultimately removed the emoji from its X account.
In London, an anti-regime protest saw a protester removing the Iranian flag from the embassy balcony. The Metropolitan Police estimated 500 to 1,000 attendees at the peak of the protest in Kensington. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, urging the Iranian authorities to respect these fundamental rights. The UK, France, and Germany jointly called on Iran to heed their message.