French authorities have issued a last-minute ban on a massive rally planned by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 20. The Paris Police Prefecture justified the decision by citing a “particularly tense national and international context,” warning that a serious risk of violent clashes between opposing activist factions could disrupt public order. The NCRI, the political arm of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, vehemently rejected the police’s reasoning as “bogus,” noting that organizers had coordinated legally with law enforcement for two months and that their previous rallies—including one in February 2025—had concluded entirely without incident.
The sudden cancellation occurred just hours after a diplomatic phone call between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, regarding efforts to end the regional Iran war. While the NCRI alleged that the ban was a political concession to Tehran, France’s foreign ministry swiftly rejected the claim, stating that the Iranian minister never requested the cancellation or mentioned the protest. Simultaneously, French officials allowed other potentially controversial events to proceed, including a Sunday concert featuring Israeli artists for the Paris music festival, despite anticipated opposition from pro-Palestinian groups.
Tehran has long demanded crackdowns on the NCRI’s activities across Western capitals, regularly condemning the group through state media. This marks the second time in recent years that French police have attempted to block the group’s high-profile gatherings, which routinely attract thousands of expatriates alongside prominent former U.S. and European officials; a similar ban in 2023 was ultimately overturned by a French court. In tandem with the security measures, Foreign Minister Barrot emphasized that France distinguishes between the Iranian regime and its people, announcing a new state platform to support exiled Iranian artists independently of political considerations.
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