As the Iranian government suppresses protests and cuts internet access, organizers say a demonstration in Pittsburgh will be a megaphone for the Iranian people, especially women. Members of Pittsburgh’s Iranian American community plan to gather at the City-County Building Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
The “Be the Voice” rally and march follows last week’s local memorial for Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died after she was held by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. It is part of a global day of action, with more than 130 cities participating.
Event co-organizer Maryam Saeedi grew up in Iran and says much of her family is still there. “The main reason for this demonstration is for us to show our support for brave Iranian women and Iranian people in general, who are fighting for their basic rights,” she said.
She argued this issue is not just about dress codes but human rights violations. “The majority of [Iranian] people do not see this kind of misogyny [as] what should be done in the country. And that is what people are fighting for. They're fighting for their freedom, and they're fighting for equality between different sexes, between different races.”
Ali Shourideh, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, stressed the importance of speaking out against the violence people in Iran are facing.
There is a large Iranian diaspora in Pittsburgh and other U.S. cities, who are concerned about what is happening on the ground in Iran, he said. “Much of the mainstream media is not covering the protests as much as they covered similar events happening, for example, in Ukraine and so forth,” Shourideh said. “And I think naturally, as a result, the community as a whole is less informed about what is happening.”
Organizers urge Pittsburghers to read about and share information about the situation in Iran.
