Iran rights rally set to draw huge numbers during Munich conference

A demonstration that aims to spotlight the human rights situation in Iran is expected to draw huge numbers on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, organizers said.

The group called The Munich Circle has registered 100,000 participants for its protest against Iran’s hardline clerical rulers starting at 12 pm (1100 GMT) in the Bavarian capital.

The rally is titled “Human Rights and Freedom for Iran: International Solidarity with the Iranian People.”

Organizers said the timing during the conference was deliberate, as political and military decision-makers from around the world would be in the city.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) puts the death toll from a crackdown by Iranian authorities on anti-government protesters angered by crippling economic conditions at more than 7,000.

The unrest erupted in late December and turned most violent on January 8 and 9. Although the protests have since subsided, activists are still counting the dead and fear the toll could rise further.

Munich city officials said that more than 15 additional demonstrations linked to the conference have been registered for the weekend.

The protests will mean extra work for police. The conference venue, the luxury Hotel Bayerischer Hof in the city centre, is already a high-security zone with road closures and police checks.

The Munich Security Conference, which opened on Friday and runs through Sunday, is considered the world’s premier gathering of security policy experts. More than 60 world leaders and around 100 foreign and defence ministers are attending the 62nd edition.