CBC headline draws criticism for downplaying Iran protest turnout

The state-run CBC is facing backlash for minimizing the size of a massive Toronto rally in support of Iranian anti-regime protests.

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The state-run CBC is facing backlash for minimizing the size of a massive Toronto rally in support of Iranian anti-regime protests, reporting a turnout of “more than 100” despite organizers claiming closer to 40,000 demonstrators.

The CBC News story, published on Sunday, carried the headline “More than 100 rally in Toronto to show support for uprising against Iranian regime,” in coverage of protests held at two locations in Toronto.

The headline prompted criticism from Conservative MP Rachael Thomas, who questioned the reported turnout in a post on X.

“@CBCNewsB why did you report only a little more than 100 people showed up? Is that what you call good journalism?” Thomas wrote.

The protest took place amid renewed unrest in Iran, where demonstrations have spread across the country in recent weeks, with protesters calling for greater freedoms and an end to the Islamic Republic.

Honest Reporting Canada, a group that monitors media coverage, claimed in a statement on X that the Toronto rally was significantly larger than CBC’s reporting suggested.

“An incredible 40,000 Torontonians took to the streets today to stand with the Iranian people in their fight to end the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the group wrote.

Toronto police did not immediately provide an estimate of Sunday’s turnout.

Demonstrations supporting Iranian protesters have been held in several Canadian cities in recent weeks, including multiple gatherings in the Greater Toronto Area, as diaspora communities and human-rights advocates call on Ottawa to take a tougher stance against Tehran.

The Islamic regime in Iran has faced repeated international scrutiny, including formal condemnation from the government of Canada over the treatment of protesters during the past two weeks.

The Toronto demonstration was one of the latest events organized by Iranian-Canadian activists seeking to draw attention to the protests and amplify calls for freedom in Iran.