BUFFALO, N.Y. — After the death of a 22-year-old woman in Iran last month, thousands around the world are taking to the streets in protest.
The protests began after a 22-year-old woman died while in custody, following a violation by Iran's so-called "morality police" for what they called a violation of their dress code.
Saturday's protest in Niagara Square in Buffalo was organized by Nadia Shahram, Esq., who is a native of Tehran.
The protesters say they are rallying for human rights. Many of those participating Saturday morning have personal ties to Iran, while others want to show their support by protesting in solidarity with people who are protesting in Iran right now.
Those who organized the protest in downtown Buffalo say they want people in Iran to be able to express themselves without fear of retaliation or getting killed.
"It's about human rights, so I will always raise my voice if something is about human rights," University at Buffalo graduate student Fae Hajhosseini said.
"And the second place, it's about women's right, so they should, I think that they should choose whatever they want to do, whether they want to wear, so it's about their basic rights, they are not asking for something very, very special and very, very big, but this is only about the basic rights, so I think at least I can be their voice in another country where I can speak up."
Added Ali Hasanzadeh, a UB graduate student: "It's getting larger and larger every day. We are hoping for Islamic Republic of Iran to get cut from the roots, and for a new Iran, a democratic Iran to start a new chapter."
Hasanzadeh studies philosophy and helped organize this protest.
"This is not just a political act against a specific regime," Hasanzadeh said. "We have nothing against any religion or anything. This is about human rights. We have people, it's about women's rights, about child labor, about international security.
"It does concern every single human being on this planet to be concerned, to worry about women and men dying for showing the slightest signs of disagreement with the government."
One of the organizers of the event left Iran in the 1970s before the revolution and wants the rights she and other women in her family experienced before the revolution to be restored.
"My grandmother's generation worked too hard for the rights, which we are enjoying now. If we are not careful, it will be taken away from us in a heartbeat," said Shahram, who is a native of Tehran.
Just this week, the United States issued more sanctions on Iran in response to the Iranian government's violent actions against peaceful protesters and for shutting down the internet there.