NCRI’s supporters protested the presence at the UN General Assembly of a regime that continues to rely on repression, executions, terrorism, and regional warmongering.
New York, September 23, 2026 – Thousands of Iranian Americans and supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its principal member, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), gathered outside United Nations headquarters in New York City on Wednesday as the Iranian regime’s president addressed the UN General Assembly, turning Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza into a vibrant display of solidarity with the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democratic change.
Call for a Free Iran Echoes at the United Nations
Explore how the powerful message for a free Iran resonated at the UN.
Read the Full Report →The demonstration, organized by supporters of the NCRI, coincided with the Iranian regime’s annual appearance at the United Nations and sought to challenge the regime’s claim to speak on behalf of the Iranian people. Participants waved Iranian flags bearing the historic Lion and Sun emblem, carried photographs of Resistance leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, and held signs denouncing executions, repression, and terrorism.
In a message to the demonstrators, Mrs. Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI for the post-theocracy transitional period, said participants had gathered to protest the presence at the UN General Assembly of a regime that continues to rely on repression, executions, terrorism, and regional warmongering. She stressed that the Iranian people seek freedom, a democratic republic, and the right to determine their own destiny.
Mrs. Rajavi said the ruling establishment had never been weaker, citing deep internal instability and growing Resistance activities throughout the country. She emphasized that the solution to Iran’s crisis lies neither in appeasement nor in foreign war, but in democratic change brought about by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd. In his address, he argued that the international community should reject accommodation with Tehran and instead support the aspirations of the Iranian people. He praised the resilience of the Iranian Resistance movement despite decades of persecution and highlighted the NCRI’s vision for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. He repeatedly underscored the importance of freedom, democratic governance, and women’s rights, drawing loud applause from the audience.
Former U.S. Senator Bob Torricelli delivered one of the rally’s most forceful messages, declaring that Iran’s president had no legitimate right to represent the Iranian people at the United Nations. Addressing both the international community and audiences inside Iran, he asserted that democratic change would ultimately come from the Iranian people themselves.
Senator Torricelli paid special tribute to young activists, Resistance Units, and citizens across Iran who continue to organize despite enormous risks. He emphasized that freedom would not come from foreign governments, but from the courage and determination of Iranians seeking a democratic future.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Marc Ginsberg focused his remarks on the voices of those inside Iran who have suffered imprisonment, torture, executions, and political repression. Repeatedly invoking the experiences of young Iranians who have paid a heavy price for seeking freedom, he urged the international community not to ignore their calls for support.
Ambassador Ginsberg emphasized that a democratic roadmap already exists in the form of the NCRI’s political platform and transition plan and argued that world leaders should focus on supporting the Iranian people’s aspirations for democratic change.
One of the most striking features of the demonstration was the strong presence of young Iranian Americans, many of whom addressed the gathering, led chants, and spoke passionately about their generation’s commitment to a democratic future for Iran.
Many of the younger speakers drew connections between the sacrifices being made by young protesters inside Iran and the diaspora’s responsibility to amplify their voices. Their determination reflected a central message repeated throughout the rally: Iran’s future belongs neither to the ruling theocracy nor to any form of dictatorship, but to a democratic republic chosen by the Iranian people themselves.
Throughout the event, speakers and participants returned to several common themes: opposition to religious dictatorship, rejection of any return to monarchy, support for the Iranian people’s right to determine their own future, and endorsement of Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a democratic republic based on free elections, gender equality, separation of religion and state, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear Iran.
As the rally concluded, chants for freedom and democracy echoed across the plaza. The strong participation of young people, particularly members of Gen Z, underscored a new generation’s commitment to the struggle for a free Iran. Their presence, energy, and determination gave the gathering a forward-looking character and reinforced the message that the demand for democratic change continues to resonate far beyond Iran’s borders. – NCRI-US Staff