Protester Climbs Balcony Of Iranian Embassy In London, Takes Down Regime Flag | Video

Last Updated:January 11, 2026, 09:16 IST

Protests that began on December 28 in Iran over economic concerns have since spread across the country, turning into a direct challenge to the country’s clerical leadership.

Screengrab of video

An anti-regime protester climbed the balcony of Iran’s embassy in London on Friday and replaced the country’s official flag with Iran’s pre-1979 “Lion and Sun" emblem, drawing loud cheers from a crowd gathered outside.

Video footage showed the demonstrator scaling the front of the embassy building in Kensington before pulling down the Islamic Republic’s flag and hoisting the historic symbol linked to Iran’s monarchy before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The act was met with applause and chants from protesters assembled below.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the scene and made two arrests. One person was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and assault on an emergency worker, while another was detained for aggravated trespass.

Police said they were also looking for a third individual in connection with trespassing. It was not immediately clear whether the person who removed the flag was among those arrested.

Iran’s embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.

Protests Spread Beyond Iran

The demonstration in London comes as Iran experiences its most serious wave of unrest in years. Protests that began on December 28 over economic concerns have since spread across the country, turning into a direct challenge to the country’s clerical leadership.

Former US President Donald Trump has warned Iran’s leadership that the United States would protect protesters if needed.

British-Iranian journalist Potkin Azarmehr said the current situation marks a sharp shift from past protests, particularly the 2009 Green Movement.

“What a contrast to Obama’s time, when protesters in Iran were chanting, ‘Obama, are you with us or with them?’" he told Fox News Digital.

“Any international support, whether at the grassroots or government level, is encouraging," he said.

However, Azarmehr questioned why more Western activist groups have not visibly rallied in support of Iranian protesters.

“The question is where are the Western activist elite protesters? Why are they not protesting? Are they on the side of the ayatollahs? An archaic religious apartheid?"

Rising Toll And Global Response

Solidarity protests with Iranian demonstrators have taken place in several European cities, including Paris and Berlin. A separate protest was also held outside the White House in Washington, DC.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 72 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained in Iran since the protests began.

Some demonstrations inside Iran have featured chants backing the country’s former monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who died in 1980. His son, Reza Pahlavi, has publicly urged people to continue protesting.

Authorities in Iran have also imposed nationwide internet shutdowns, further fuelling criticism and concern from rights groups as unrest continues to spread.

News world Protester Climbs Balcony Of Iranian Embassy In London, Takes Down Regime Flag | Video

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