Hundreds in Massachusetts lined up Saturday morning with Iranian protesters who risked their lives to demonstrate against the government.
“We want to make sure people know we’re risking a lot,” said Mohamad, one of the organizers. “It’s not just us here; they can bother our families in Iran. The only way to protect people is to spread the word.”
Anti-government protests swept Iran last week in response to the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. Amini was arrested by the country’s vice squad while on vacation in Tehran for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely and was pronounced dead in police custody days later. A witness reportedly saw her being beaten with a baton.
An estimate by Iranian state television puts the death toll in Friday afternoon’s protests at 35.
Some Boston protesters called for their full names not to be used to prevent relatives in Iran from being identified.
A group of young Iranians living in Massachusetts met in a Telegram group and put together the rally in just three days, according to organizer Parmida. By Saturday, Parmida said, around 500 people had turned up.
“We’re not just fighting to get rid of the morality police,” Parmida said. “We want a new government”
In the face of the government’s “brutal, violent repression” and disruption to internet access, Parmida said the municipality wanted to make sure the Iranian protesters could be heard by people around the world — while keeping an eye on the Iranian government’s actions and the message for which the protesters are risking their lives.
Some protesters also joined an international symbol of support on Saturday, shaving their hair in solidarity with Amini and the women of Iran. A woman who walked by GB said the act had some “symbolism, like loss of vitality”.
One participant, Elahe, noted that being queer is still punishable by death under the country’s theocratic rule.
International human rights groups should do more, GB said, adding that the urgency the organizations have focused on Ukraine is different compared to Iran’s treatment of human rights abuses.
Parmida also said that the US government’s actions in making deals with the Iranian regime are seen as condoning the abuses and that they are also trying to “hold accountable” the US leadership.
The hashtag #Mahsa_Amini broke records, receiving more than 40 million retweets as of Friday.
Parmida said they’re just trying to increase recognition and get their name and story out to “as many people as possible.”
