Public Project
Iran Revolution protests, London, 2022
Summary
Eighty days passed since the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a 22 year old Kurdish Iranian woman who died after having been badly beaten by the Iranian morality police for allegedly improper way of wearing her hijab. Since then hundreds of thousands of Iranians home and abroad have been relentlessly protesting against the regime of the Islamic State. With women at the lead of the protests, Iranians of all regions, ages, trades, ethnics have united. They no longer call it a protest. For them, this is a revolution. And there is no other outcome than fall of the mullahs.
According to humanitarian organizations, almost five hundred protesters have been killed and almost 20 thousand arrested - some facing torture and even death penalties - since the revolution begun. The security forces have routinely used live ammunition against the crowds and in some areas heavy weapons were reported. Citizen journalists have been posting videos of the attrocities and street fights despite the regime regularly shutting down internet. Artists and celebrities are being targeted if they show any sign of support. Despite all this, more and more parts of Iranian society are joining the revolution with recent announcement of nationwide strike that spans at least 40 cities.
I have covered the London protests in support of the revolution since their beginning. Thousands of Iranians have joined, some of them on daily basis, demonstrations small and large, marches, performances. Many of them having relatives in Iran and afraid to be photographed at first but slowly growing their confidence as the protests took over the centre of the city.
The British Iranians are demanding closure of the Iranian Embassy and of the Islamic Centre in Kilburn, London, expulsion of all Iranian diplomats and an end of any negotiation with the regime including regarding the nuclear deal (JCPA). Red pain still glows on the facade and windows of the Embassy building where recently protesters projected images of the protesters killed by the security forces in the uprising. So large is the disconnect with the mullahs that when the national football team recently lost to the USA at the World Cup in Qatar, Iranians rejoiced and celebrated their departure from the tournament because the players did not show support to the revolution as much as some other Iranian sportsmen and women did before them.
For Iranians no longer call it a protest. For them, it is a revolution. And there is no other outcome than the fall of the mullahs.
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