Demonstrators in St. John’s rally in solidarity with Iran protests

Flecks of red, white and green were scattered across the steps of City Hall in St. John’s, N.L. Saturday afternoon as dozens rallied for peace and democracy in Iran.

Demonstrations like these are nothing new to the members of the Iranian diaspora who were chanting and raising signs denouncing the regime at the head of their home country.

The protests in Iran started in late December over its economy, but soon turned into an uprising against the Islamic Republic which has been in power since 1979. The government shut down all access to the internet and communications Thursday — an echo of the 2019 protests that saw the deaths of about 1,500 people.

At least 65 have been killed so far during this year’s protests.

Back in St. John's, demonstrator and Iranian Constitutional Monarchists volunteer Jalal Afzal said he feels a responsibility to raise the voices of the people “risking their lives right now in the streets.”

“The people who are here, they have relatives and friends and families back in Iran and we have no way to get connected to them. We are all worried about their safety,” said Afzal. “We know the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to shoot people in the streets when they just simply want their simple rights, freedom of speech, freedom of clothing.”

At times, people chanted “We trust Pahlavi,” referring to the dissident Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. His father was the last shah of Iran before the 1979 revolution, and is now calling for democracy in the country.

Afzal has been living in N.L. for six years. Although snow started to fall over the rally where emotions ran high, he said the crowd there was far safer than the protestors storming the streets of Iran.

“We know how freedom tastes, and we want the same thing for our people in Iran,” he told CBC News.

Fellow demonstrator Nooshin Ghaderi told CBC that she hadn’t spoken to her parents since Thursday afternoon.

“After that, nothing, no Internet connection whatsoever. You cannot even call them with your phone,” said Ghaderi.

She reflected on the first period of unrest she lived through when she was 10 years old, and said it’s been happening again and again since then. With that experience, Ghaderi hopes her parents are safe inside their home, and she hopes this latest bout of protests will let them transition to a life of choice and peace.

Ghaderi added that she wants her neighbours in St. John’s to know “this government is brutal and is a pure dictatorship.” She, like many of those at Saturday’s event, says it’s important to amplify the voices that are being silenced by their government.

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