DUBAI, U.A.E: As a nighttime demonstration called by Iran's exiled crown prince saw protesters shout from their windows and storm the streets, the government snapped internet and international telephone access to its people.

This protest was the first test to see whether the Iranian public could be swayed by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose fatally ill father fled Iran just before the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Demonstrators chanted support for the shah, and such protests popped up in cities and rural towns across Iran.

In the past, such a protest would have brought a death sentence, but now markets and bazaars shut down in support. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that the violence claimed nearly 500 lives, with thousands of others being detained.

The growing protests are putting more pressure on Iran's government and on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The internet company Cloudflare and the monitoring group NetBlocks said the Iranian government caused the internet shutdown. Phone calls from Dubai to Iran could not get through. In the past, these kinds of shutdowns have often been followed by intense government crackdowns.

The protests do not have clear leaders. It is not yet clear how much Pahlavi's call for demonstrations will change what happens next.

Pahlavi had asked people to protest at 8 p.m. on January 8 and January 9. At that time, people in many parts of Tehran began shouting slogans, witnesses said. They shouted things like "Death to the dictator" and "Death to the Islamic Republic." Some also shouted in support of the former shah, saying, "This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return." Thousands were seen on the streets before all communication was cut off.

Pahlavi said Iranians asked for freedom, and the government answered by cutting off the internet and phone lines. He warned that the government might also try to block satellite signals.

He called on European leaders to join U.S. President Donald Trump in promising to hold Iran's leaders responsible. He asked them to use all possible tools to restore communication so the world can hear the voices of Iranian protesters.

Pahlavi said he would announce more plans depending on how people respond to his call. In the past, he has been criticized for supporting Israel, especially after Israel's 12-day war with Iran in June. Some protesters have shouted in favor of the shah, but it is not clear if they support Pahlavi himself or want to return to life before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian officials seemed to take the planned protests seriously. A hardline newspaper, Kayhan, posted a video claiming security forces would use drones to identify protesters.

The government has not said how large the protests are, even though demonstrations took place in many areas before the 8 p.m. protests began. However, there have been reports that some security officers were injured or killed.