Mahsa Amini, say her name.
These words echoed down fifth avenue this afternoon over and over again, as Prince George’s Iranian community, and others showing support, rallied against the Iranian government, their “morality police,” and the murder of Mahsa Amini.
On September 16th, 22 year old Mahsa Amini died in an Iranian hospital three days after being taken into police custody – allegedly after being severely beaten by law enforcement for not wearing her hijab properly and not being dressed modestly.
Since then, Iran has been in a state of uproar and protests have broken out across the globe.
Today was Prince George’s turn.
“Mahsa Amini is our sister” one speaker at the protest said. “Mahsa Amini is our daughter. Mahsa Amini is a family member we have lost, because of our silence in the face of such inhumanity. Silence is no longer an option.”
“We are thousands of kilometers away from Iran, but we share the resolve of fellow Iranians who are sufferings at the hands of that brutal regime,” they continued.
“We support them. We support their protests and their demonstrations.”
These protests and demonstrations have turned deadly in Iran.
Officially, at least 41 more people have been killed in these protests, mostly by law enforcement, though many of the protestors on 5th avenue today will tell you that number is much higher.
Today, as the rally was happening in Prince George and many more in Iran, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said he would “deal decisively” with the ongoing protests and riots, blaming “those who oppose the country’s security and tranquility” for the protests.
One of the first things the government did is cut internet access across the country, in an attempt to prevent organization.
One individual at the protest said they were able to speak with their mother in Iran two or three days ago for under five minutes before the call was cut, and there has been no communication between the two of them since.
The speaker said the “43 years of Islamic regime” in Iran has only survived through “violence, persecution, oppression, murder and corruption.”
Chants of “Women, Life, Freedom” in both English and Persian broke out, the cry of protest that has sprung up around the death of Mahsa Amini.
They closed by asking the public to share their story and stand with Iranians.
“We don’t want the Islamic regime anymore. We support the protestors, and by speaking up and spreading their word, we can amplify their voices.”
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