Women, Life, Freedom rallies in Winnipeg mark one year since Mahsa Amini's death in Tehran - Action News
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Manitoba

Women, Life, Freedom rallies in Winnipeg mark one year since Mahsa Amini's death in Tehran

People from Manitoba's Iranian community showed their support for the ongoing uprising in Iran at several Winnipeg rallies held Saturdayto mark the one-year anniversary ofa young woman's deathin police custody.

Manitobans show support for Iranian uprising against the Islamic Republic's Shi'ite clerical rule

People holding Iranian flags stand in front of a brick building with columns in front of its doorway.
About 50 people gathered at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary since Mahsa Amini died in Iranian police custody, three days after she'd been arrested by morality police in Tehran for allegedly not wearing a hijab properly. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)

People from Manitoba's Iranian community showed their support for the ongoing uprising in Iran at several Winnipeg rallies held Saturdayto mark the one-year anniversary ofa young woman's deathin police custody.

"We're here for change. We're here to make change happen in Iran," said Pasha Khoshkebari, an Iranian-Winnipegger who helped organize a Women, Life, Freedom rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

Mahsa Amini was arrested in Iran's capital for "improper attire" on Sept. 13, 2022, after she allegedly did not wear a hijab properly. The 22-year-old died in police custody three days later.

Iranian police said the cause of death was a heart attack, which caused Amini to fall into a coma before being brought to a hospital. Other women detained with her alleged she suffered police brutality.

Her death sparked protests in Iran, where the slogan "Women, life, freedom" began being used as a rallying cry. Those protests sparked othersall around the world, Khoshkebari said.

"It's all about ensuring that more and more people are aware of why we're here," he said. "This is for the students of Iran, for the women of Iran, for the people who don't have equality."

A young women hold a painting of a man while sitting in front of an Iranian flag.
Nazanin Roshanshah said she attended the rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building to show support to people protesting in Iran. She's holding a painting of Mohammad Sadeghi, an Iranian actor who was arrested for criticizing Iran's morality police. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)

Wearing the hijab has been compulsory for Iranian women since after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran's so-called morality police, whichenforcethe dress code, hasbeen criticized in recent years for its treatment of people, especially young women.

But since Amini's death, women have been rebelling against the rule at unheard oflevels, saidArian Arianpour, president of the Iranian Community of Manitoba.

"The level of civil disobedience in Iran is an unprecedented level. Women especially are choosing on a daily basis what they wear, they are not abiding by the laws of the Islamic Republic anymore," he told CBC at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where more than 100 people gathered for another Women, Life, Freedom rally Saturday.

People stand in a crowd holding signs and Iranian flags.
People gathered at another Women, Life, Freedom rally at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Saturday. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)

This disobedience has led to violence, Arianpour added. Hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested, he said.

For Nazanin Roshanshah, it's important to show support for people in her home country.

"I'm not in the streets of Iran. I'm not beside my friends and the boys and girls who are bravely fighting against bullets," she said at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

"We know that it's not a big help to Iranians inside, but we're not going to stop supporting them."

WATCH| The uprisingin Iran:

Defiance, crackdowns in Iran a year after the protests

1 year ago
Duration 5:36
Mahsa Aminis death while in the custody of Irans morality police for wearing her headscarf too loosely triggered months of protests in what became one of the biggest threats the Islamic regime has ever faced. One year later, CBCs Ellen Mauro breaks down whats changed and what hasnt.

While the uprising in Iran makes Arianpour hopeful for change, he said it's important for people around the world to keep supporting the movement.

"It is upon all of us, as global citizens, to support a revolution that will impact the world positively," he said.

With files from Rachel Ferstl and Brittany Greenslade