Thousands gather in downtown Los Angeles to protest Iranian regime

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to call for a change in the current regime in Iran and ask for help from U.S. government officials. 

"People in Iran have never, I mean, in the past 47 years, never been this close to freeing up themselves from this Islamic regime," said one man. "I am proud to be here."

The demonstrators gathered for a peaceful protest outside of LA City Hall and marched through the city streets of Los Angeles as part of the Global Day of Action, which saw demonstrations in dozens of cities across the country. They called for help from the world as they showed solidarity with the Iranian people. Last year, demonstrations against the current Islamic Republic leadership were met with a government crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths. 

Protesters pleaded with the Trump administration for aid. 

"America, world, we need your help," said another demonstrator. "Iranians under the dictatorship with no weapons, no tools. They getting killed, they getting terrorized."

"We need President Trump to act now, we need President Trump to stop negotiation with murderers, they hostage our people for 47 years," said one of the many protesters who gathered on Saturday. "We need to free Iran, we need to free them."

They're calling for Iran's exiled royal leader to help guide a democratic transition. 

"I have a message to the government of Iran right now," said Sharareh Gholaman, one of the protesters. "Right now, I am talking to their face. We are with the youth of Iran, they are leading this new revolution and we are all with them and we are going to get our country back."