Lafayette Square was packed late Friday afternoon with Iranian Americans聽 honoring the more than 3,000 demonstrators killed in the wake of Iran鈥檚 crackdown on political protests.
People carried flags, pictures of protesters who were killed and signs with messages, all while chanting political messages, including, 鈥淩egime change in Iran by the people of Iran.鈥�
Before the march, the group stood behind a giant red sign that read, 鈥淗onoring over 3,000 victims of Iran鈥檚 2026 uprising.鈥� Participants displayed more than 70 pictures of the fallen protesters that served as a barricade.
蜜桃视频app spoke to several of the organizers of the protest, including Majid Sadeghpour, political director of the Organization of Iranian-American Communities.
鈥淚ran is at the precipice of change,鈥� Sadeghpour said. 鈥淭he Iranian people have an organized resistance already. They are already in the street fighting this regime tooth and nail. There is a hand-to-hand combat going on between the people of Iran.鈥�
Sadeghpour understands the battle the people of his home country are fighting, telling 蜜桃视频app that shortly after he moved to the U.S. to attend school in 1988, his brother was executed when the country was led by Ayatollah Khomeini under Islamic rule.
鈥淢y family essentially became refugees here and applied for refugee asylum and ended up staying here,鈥� he said.
Another organizer from the OIAC was Shirin Nariman, who, at the age of 16, was arrested in Iran and spent the next two years in prison.
鈥淚 was severely tortured. You know, anytime that they call you for interrogation, they have cables that they lash you (with), your back, your feet, anywhere,鈥� she said.
After escaping, Nariman came to the U.S. as a refugee at the end of 1986.
The physical pain is something she said you forget, but聽鈥渨hat remains with you always is that the minute that they call your friends for executions or your cellmates,” she said. 鈥淓very afternoon, they would call out a list, they would take people and right behind the walls there was a firing squad, so you would hear a horrendous noise.鈥�
When asked how she found the strength to keep going, Nariman said she made a promise to her friends.
“I will continue the fight. I will never forget them, and the cause is right. It was for freedom, for democracy, for having liberty and dignity in Iran,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e kicked out the throne, now we are kicking out the turban.鈥�
Shah’s son never fought for Iran’s freedom
When Nariman and protesters marching at the candlelight vigil mentioned the throne, they were referring to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran who ruled the country from 1941 until he was forced into exile in 1979.
The former Shah鈥檚 son, Reza Pahlavi, has been speaking out in support of the protesters, but Nariman has little interest in having the country ruled again by a Shah’s descendent.
“This person has not worked one day in his life. He’s a trust fund child,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e never condemned what his father did before, you know, torture. We had all the prisons in Iran, and those were all built by his father.鈥�
Sadeghpour told 蜜桃视频app that Pahlavi has never fought for the liberty of Iran.
鈥淯p to the sixth day of this very uprising, he was on a beach in South America. The Iranian people were bleeding in the streets of Iran while he was vacationing,鈥� he said.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran also had members at the vigil, including Ramesh Sepehrrad.
鈥淭he Iranian regime has massacred more than 3,000 people,” she said. “Today, there was news that the regime has arrested 50,000 people. So, the least we can do is to stand here in their support and make sure the world community understands.”
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