LONDON (AP) — Lots of gathered in central London on Saturday to commemorate the loss of life of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish lady who… He died while in police custody in Iran final 12 months, sparking world protests in opposition to the nation’s conservative Islamic theocracy.
Chanting “Ladies! Life! Freedom!”, the crowds carried her picture and gathered across the reminiscence of a younger lady who died on September 16, 2022, after she was arrested for violating Iran’s obligatory hijab legislation. Related protests befell in Italy, Germany and France.
In Iran, the authorities sought to forestall the anniversary from reigniting the protests that swept the nation final 12 months. The Kurdish rights group Henjaw mentioned Amini’s father was arrested exterior his dwelling after the household indicated they deliberate to collect at her grave for a conventional memorial ceremony. Folks in downtown Tehran reported a heavy safety presence, and safety forces have been seen in western Iran, the place the Kurdish minority organized giant protests final 12 months.
Amini, an Iranian Kurdish lady from the Western Province, died three days after she was arrested by morality police, for allegedly violating legal guidelines requiring girls to cowl their hair in public. Whereas authorities mentioned she suffered a coronary heart assault, Amini’s supporters mentioned she was overwhelmed by police and died from her accidents.
Her loss of life sparked protests that unfold throughout the nation and shortly escalated into requires the overthrow of 4 a long time of Islamic theocracy in Iran.
The authorities responded with a violent crackdown during which greater than 500 folks have been killed and greater than 22,000 others have been arrested, in keeping with human rights teams. The demonstrations largely calmed down early this 12 months, however there are nonetheless widespread indicators of discontent. For a number of months, girls could possibly be seen brazenly flaunting the hijab rule in Tehran and different cities, prompting… A renewed crackdown during the summer.
Activists all over the world sought to resume protests on the anniversary of Amini’s loss of life.
About 100 demonstrators gathered on Saturday in entrance of the Iranian embassy in Rome underneath the slogan “Ladies, Life, Freedom.”
Demonstrator Lucia Massi mentioned: “It is necessary now that the entire world as soon as once more begins demonstrating within the streets, as a result of what we wish is to isolate this regime and we wish particularly to push all international locations to not conclude political and financial agreements with Iran.” He mentioned.
In Paris, town’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, introduced that one of many parks within the French capital now bears the identify Amini. The mayor described Amini as a heroine of the Iranian resistance, and mentioned that Paris “honors her reminiscence and her battle, in addition to the reminiscence of ladies combating for his or her freedom in Iran and elsewhere.”
Villemin Park, now additionally named Amini, is positioned within the tenth district of Paris, subsequent to a canal that gives widespread boat excursions for vacationers.
Iran blamed final 12 months’s protests on the US and different international powers, with out offering proof, and has completed so ever since. I tried to downplay the disturbances Even when he strikes to forestall any return.
The protests have been fueled partially by the widespread financial ache Iranians have suffered since then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear cope with world powers and reimposed powerful sanctions on Iran. However this struggling could have made it troublesome for the demonstrations to proceed for a very long time, as is the case for a lot of Iranians Struggle to meet their needs.
President Joe Biden issued a prolonged assertion on Friday acknowledging the anniversary of Amini’s loss of life, and the US introduced New sanctions on Iranian officials and entities. British International Secretary James Cleverly additionally marked the anniversary and imposed new sanctions on Iranian officers.
Soheila Sokhanvari, an Iranian-British artist, moved to the UK to review a 12 months earlier than the 1979 revolution that introduced Iran’s conservative Islamist leaders to energy. She was in London getting ready to carry a solo exhibition on pre-revolution feminist icons final 12 months when she heard of Amini’s loss of life.
She advised The Related Press earlier this month that the protests that adopted have been the primary time the world had witnessed a “revolution instigated by girls.”
“However I feel what’s actually essential about this protest is that Iranian males, for the primary time in Iran’s historical past, are literally standing with girls and supporting girls and displaying respect for ladies.” She mentioned. “That is very authentic and has by no means occurred within the historical past of Iran.”
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Related Press writers Paolo Santalucia in Rome, John Lister in Le Becq, France, and Emilie Schultheiss in Berlin contributed.