UCLA students rally for academic, political action for justice in Iran
Protesters at a rally against violence in Iran march down Janss Steps. Students from more than 200 universities around the world participated in protests Wednesday in support of Iranians. (Ethan Manafi/Daily Bruin staff)
By Catherine Hamilton
Dec. 2, 2022 1:07 p.m.
Dozens of protestors gathered at Dickson Plaza on Wednesday to condemn violence and discrimination in Iran.
The rally – organized by the Iranian Student Group and the Iranian Graduate and Professional Association – began at 4 p.m. and was part of a series of rallies spanning across more than 200 universities to speak out against the Iranian government, said Kimia, a behavioral neuroscience doctoral student and member of the IGPA, who requested to remain partially anonymous for safety reasons.
Protests against the Iranian government have been held around the world after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed Sept. 16 after Iran’s morality police detained her for reportedly wearing her head scarf incorrectly.
[Related: UCLA community members demonstrate against women’s rights violations in Iran]
In an opening speech, Kimia said the protests were aiming to help uplift Iranians’ voices and garner attention from school administrations and governments.
“We don’t take our position for granted. We can do a lot of things Iranian people can’t do right now,” she said. “We will use our platform to amplify their voices.”
Noor Nakhaei, a computer science doctoral student and president of the Graduate Student Association, read a statement from Iranian Scholars for Liberty, a group of Iranian scholars working at global universities.
The letter called for academic entities around the world to recognize the state of human rights in Iran and give support to the Iranian people, noting that more than 400 people have been killed in protests in Iran and more than 18,000 have been arrested. It also asked academia and governments to end relationships with university officials who actively work with the current Iranian government and to abstain from any trade with Iran.
After the statement, event organizers then played music by Iranian artists and requested that protesters sing along and stomp their feet.
Sogand Javie, a second-year nursing student, passed out bags with chocolate wrapped in the colors of the Iranian flag and pictures of some of the students who have died during protests in Iran since September. She said she took inspiration from Iranians who have been doing the same and advocating for the remembrance of those lost in the protests.
Around 4:30 p.m., the rally began marching down Bruin Walk, ending at the Inverted Fountain and chanting, “Women, life, freedom,” and “Human rights for Iran.”
“We are really proud that all Iranians are gathering together,” Javie said. “Even though we are not in Iran physically, … our minds and our hearts are with them.”
