Thirteen days after Norouz, the Persian New Year, this tradition marks the end of the festivities and the arrival of spring. “It’s mainly an opportunity to come together, to unite even if morale isn’t high,” whispers Raha at the picnic event for the Iran Aix-Marseille collective, which gathers over 200 Iranians.
On December 28, 2025, following the sudden collapse of the national currency, protests, quickly suppressed by Iranian authorities, erupted in the country. Since then, this young mother has been following the uprising closely as 3,500 Iranians have died since the beginning of the conflict, according to the NGO Human Rights Activists in Iran. “We are powerless in the face of the conflict but we feel responsible to do something. The Iranian identity is disappearing. We cannot remain inactive,” she adds.
At the gathering, Amandine is happy to be there even though she remains somewhat pessimistic about the international situation. Farid shares a similar view. “I was euphoric at first. When Khamenei’s regime fell. But I’m starting to lose hope, the Islamic government will not fall without a physical armed conflict. It will likely be a fight to the death,” worries the thirty-year-old.
All gathered are not unanimous on the outcome of the conflict: whether to bring back Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah, who has been in exile in the United States since 1979 and recently moved to Paris, or to establish a new regime. For now, what matters most is, above all, “coming together and hoping for peace,” says Raha as she invites community members to dance.
(*Names have been changed)
