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Protester climbs on to balcony of Iranian embassy in London

The protester replaced the current flag with the pre-1979 Lion and Sun emblem during a solidarity rally amid Iran's deadliest protests in years, with over 70 killed, activists say.

  • A protester scaled the Iranian embassy's balcony in Kensington at around 3.20pm on Saturday, January 10, and the incident outside the embassy overlooking Hyde Park was captured on video.
  • Triggered by a devaluation of the currency and growing economic hardship, demonstrations spread nationwide after December 28, with Iranian authorities cutting internet and telephone lines and human rights observers reporting at least 62 killed and 2,300 detained.
  • Footage posted on social media showed the activist removing the Islamic Republic's flag and unfurling the Lion and Sun flag, which stayed briefly as hundreds of demonstrators cheered and held pictures of Reza Pahlavi chanting Justice for Iran.
  • Police confirmed two arrests—one for aggravated trespass and assault on an emergency worker and one for aggravated trespass—and said they were seeking another individual for trespass.
  • The stunt resonated with solidarity rallies across Europe, including London, where UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged Tehran to `exercise restraint`, recalling the embassy's 1980 siege involving 26 hostages.
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Lean Right

A symbolic gesture occurred on Saturday in London. Under the horras of several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a man climbed the balcony of the building to pick up the official flag and replace it with another, adorned with a lion wielding a sword and a sun: the emblem of the former Iranian monarchy, overthrown by the 1979 Islamic revolution.The old flag remained in place several minutes be…

·Paris, France
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Lean Left

In London a protester climbed the balcony of the Iranian embassy in Westminster and replaced the flag of the Islamic Republic with that of the monarchist era, during a protest in support of protesters who in Iran have been contesting the regime of the ayatollahs for weeks. Social footage shows the man standing on the balcony as he removes the official flag and replaces it with the Leo and Sun, symbol of the former Imperial Iran, with police offi…

·Rome, Italy
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Firstpost NewsFirstpost News
+5 Reposted by 5 other sources
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Protester replaces Iranian regime flag, climbs embassy balcony in London

An anti-regime protester climbed the balcony of Iran’s embassy in London and replaced the official flag with a pre-revolution symbol, drawing cheers from supporters gathered outside.

·Mumbai, India
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Al-Monitor broke the news in Washington, United States on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
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