Germany news: Frankfurt braces for Iran protests

The city of Frankfurt am Main is bracing for another day of protests and traffic disruption on Saturday, with large numbers of Iranians expected to hold protests and counterprotests.

The demonstrations are being prompted by the appearance of exiled Iranian opposition politician Reza Pahlavi, who is to receive a peace prize in the name of Iran's people from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which is affiliated with the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP).

Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, under whose autocratic rule Iran was governed from 1941 to 1979, was expected to attend a large demonstration in the city's Ostpark and possibly speak there.

Barriers, loudspeaker towers and a stage have already been set up at the park, which is to be the final destination of a march by demonstration participants.

Counterprotests are also expected amid criticism of Pahlavi's presence by Iranian organizations, people held in prison under his father's rule and a number of leftist German parties.

The former German ambassador to the UN, Joachim Rücker, and the erstwhile justice minister, Brigitte Zypries, have also signed an open letter protesting the honor given to Pahlavi.

The last time Pahlavi visited Germany was in April, when he accused Germany and other European countries of standing by while the clerical regime in Iran violently clamped down on protesters.

Frankfurt also saw protests a week ago, with mostly peaceful Gen Z demonstrations calling for better living conditions and education hijacked in the evening by people wanting to loot and vandalize.

Germany's banking hub of Frankfurt is gearing up for another day of protests after mostly peaceful demonstrations last weekend brought violence and looting on the sidelines.

This time, the focus is not on social and political problems within Germany but on the situation in Iran, with an appearance by Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi likely to cause demonstrations by supporters and critics alike.

Meanwhile, German defense minister Boris Pistorius has expressed satisfaction with the personnel situation in the country's armed forces, saying that the largely unpopular measure of military conscription will likely not be needed.