Massive solidarity protest in Berlin for Iranian demonstrators: “This is a revolution”
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Tens of thousands of people stand in support of Iranian protesters -
Woman, life, freedom is a recurring cry in the protests at home and abroad -
Just like the Iranian flag, the Kurdish flag also appeared en masse at the protest
In Berlin, tens of thousands of people took part in a solidarity rally for the demonstrators who, at the risk of their lives, took to the streets in Iran for women’s rights and against oppression. Berlin police estimate that around 80,000 people took part in the protest march, far more than the 50,000 the organization had expected.
The protest in Berlin is a sign of support for Iranians who have been demonstrating domestically since the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish leader Mahsa Amini. She died in custody after being arrested by the Iranian vice squad for allegedly not covering her head properly. According to human rights groups, more than 200 people have been killed in protests in Iran since then.
The solidarity march started at the Victory Column in the Tiergarten park. The crowd then moved through Berlin’s government district, which is home to numerous embassies and German government buildings. Members of the Kurdish community also laid wreaths and observed a minute’s silence in front of the Iranian embassy this morning.
“This is a revolution”
Footage from the march shows a large crowd waving Kurdish and Iranian flags and chanting slogans such as “Tod Khamenei,” a curse aimed at Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They also shouted “Woman, Life, Freedom,” a slogan more commonly used by the Kurdish independence movement and now a recurring cry at the protests following Amini’s death.
According to the organization of the protest in Berlin, the Woman Life Freedom collective, the participants came from all over Europe. The action was also supported by many other organizations working for Iranians.
The Iranian-Dutch participant Shakib Lolo, also in Berlin today, tells the AP news agency that it is of great importance that the international protest movement acts as the voice of the demonstrators who are being murdered in the protests in Iran. “This is no longer a protest, this is a revolution in Iran. And the world needs to see that.”
In the past six weeks there have been more solidarity protests outside of Iran, including in the Netherlands, but they have not been as big as they are in Berlin today. Three weeks ago, more than 50,000 people were on their feet in Toronto, Canada.
While demonstrators in Berlin show solidarity with the Iranians, the protests in Iran continue. In Tehran, Tabriz and Saqqez, among others, people took to the streets again today.
Source: NOS
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