Protesters gathered in major European cities on Saturday in solidarity with ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran, against economic conditions that continue to worsen and a crippling food price crisis.
People gathered on the Malieveld, a large grass field in The Hague, to demonstrate against the theocratic government of Iran, after reports emerged just days after the protests started in late December, that security forces were using lethal force against the demonstrators.
The protest participants are worried about the unrest in the country and their family and friends who are hard to contact after the country was engulfed in a communications blackout.
“I’m here for the Iranian people who are now taking to the streets in Iran. Yes, I want to contribute too. So that people see that we’re also demonstrating here. We may be far away, but our hearts are with Iran,” said a woman attending the rally.
“I live here, but all my family and friends live in Iran. They have absolutely no freedom; they can’t say anything, they have no freedom, no freedom of expression. And they have no money, inflation is incredibly high,” said another protestor.
The protesters, many of them Iranians living abroad or people of Iranian descent, say they have a duty to also demonstrate and show their support from afar, as Iranians back home, of all ages and backgrounds continue to take to the streets to fight for their freedom.
“Almost everybody I know (is protesting). Even my father. He’s sixty years old, but he also went to the protests. But I don’t have any contact with them, so I don’t know if they are still alive.”
Another demonstration was also held in the German capital, Berlin, to support the two-week-long protests, which they say has become one of the greatest challenges to Iran’s authorities since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“I’ve been here for 10 years now, and I still see that the situation there is getting worse and worse, and I think people are at the end of their tether this time,” said Azadeh, a protester.
“I don’t know, I’ve often heard that this time it’s just different, not like before. People are angrier, and they don’t care if they get shot now. They just want their freedom, their rights, and their country back,” she added.
Protesters in Berlin say they hope their activism will lead Europe and the United States to assist the Iranians in their struggle to topple the regime.
“We are here today to show our solidarity with the Iranian people, and because of this mass murder by the Iranian government that has been going on for a few days now,” said Farshad Doustipour.
“I hope that (the) Europeans and Americans will come to realise that this regime will be destroyed by the people anyway, and in doing so, we need help from (the) Europeans and Americans,” he continued.
US President Donald Trump was among the first world leaders to comment on the protests, where he issued a chilling threat to the Iranian government to halt the use of lethal force against protesters, or be faced with a military response from Washington.
On Saturday, Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, where he endorsed an optimistic stance on the progress of the protests, without adding further details, and offered his country’s assistance.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” wrote the US President.
Additional sources • EBU, AFP, AP
