Thousands marched in Montreal Saturday afternoon in a show of solidarity with the ongoing protests in Iran.
Thoughts of the situation in that country were too much to bear for some. They fought back tears during the march north along Parc Avenue towards the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument.
“I think it’s my social responsibility to voice the concerns of people who’re being beaten to death in Iran,” stated rally co-organizer Mohammad Mohajerani.
Protests have erupted in Iran since the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody, after she was arrested for not wearing her hijab according to the regime’s moral standards.
“I dedicate my time, my life, my humanity, all my being for bringing justice to Iran,” declared Atena Barforoushi, a protester.
Saturday’s rally in Montreal, one of several across Canada and around the world, was also meant asa reminder of the Iranian government’s crackdown against the November 2019 uprising in Iran, which was initially sparked by gas price increases.
“They killed at least 1,500 people in the streets of Iran,” Barforoushi noted.
She and other protesters see the current unrest in Iran as a continuation of the 2019 event and as a fight for rights.
“Justice in Iran is justice for around the world,” she insisted. “Human rights for Iran is human rights for around the world.”
Many of the Montreal demonstrators have family in Iran and expressed concerns about their safety.
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“Every day, every day I call them, I get news from them if they’re ok,” said Mohajerani, “and when they don’t pick up I’m deeply concerned.”
The Canadian government has imposed sanctions on a number of Iranians for human rights violations and on Monday, designated Iran as a regime that has engaged in terrorism.
Canada’s minister of crown-Indigenous relations, Marc Miller, in whose riding the march took place, also attended the Montreal march.
“This is a moment for Montrealers, all Montrealers, to support their Iranian brothers and sisters for everything that’s happening in Iran,” he told Global News.
Protest organizers say they hope Canadians as well as the government, continue to speak out.
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