French police have decided to ban a demonstration in Paris by the Iranian opposition group NCRI, citing an increased risk of clashes between activists with different views, Reuters reports.
The NCRI dismissed the police’s argument as bogus, with the sudden decision coming hours after a phone call between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in which the two discussed developments on ending the war in Iran. The French Foreign Ministry has rejected NCRI’s claims that the ban on the demonstration was linked to the phone call. In a statement to Reuters, the ministry said the allegations were false and that the Iranian minister had not mentioned the protest or called for it to be banned.
Paris police said the decision was made in light of the particularly tense situation both domestically and internationally. This poses a risk of clashes among the demonstration attendees, disrupting public order.
However, no clashes have been observed at previous NCRI events,
and the previous demonstration in Paris in February 2025 also ended without incident. The event organizers have taken the necessary steps for two months to coordinate the demonstration and have followed all legal procedures.
The NCRI has regularly held demonstrations in Paris, which have been attended by thousands of participants, including a number of high-ranking former US, European and Arab officials who are critical of the Tehran regime. The NCRI is banned in Iran, and Tehran has long sought to have its activities banned in Paris, Washington and the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The group has indicated that it will challenge the decision to ban the event. In 2023, the NCRI managed to get a court to overturn a Paris police ban on the demonstration.
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