Demonstrators in Boise, around world rally in support of Iranian people

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Across the country and abroad, thousands demonstrated on Saturday against the Iranian Islamic Republic government, which has killed thousands of protesters since January. Dozens of people in Boise joined in to show unity with the Iranian people.

The demonstrations came in response to a recent call to action from the country’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to increase international pressure on the country. Iranian communities across the globe were called to gather in Toronto, Los Angeles and Munich, and all three cities saw thousands of people in attendance.

Local Iranian community member Farnoush Davis told the Idaho Statesman that the Iranian community here wanted to show support from Boise. The crowd of about 40 people gathered at Grove Plaza, holding photos of people killed in protests in Iran.

“It is important wherever we are to show our support, show our unity,” Davis told the Idaho Statesman prior to the demonstration.

Waving the green, white and red flag with lion and sun emblems on it, used before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that resulted in the ousting of the Pahlavi dynasty, the group called for regime change, international support to dismantle the Islamic Republic government, expulsion of the government’s diplomats and the release of political prisoners.

Speaking at the demonstration, Esmaeil Fallahi, a professor at the University of Idaho, said the world is witnessing the unity of Iranians against “one of the longest brutalities.”

“We are witnessing a brutality of a regime that came in the name of making Iran and Iranian people better, but instead they put us in war with all countries around the world, with religions around the world, and gave us a label of terrorism,” Fallahi said.

According to the Associated Press, this past month, Iran has seen the worst and deadliest crackdown on protesters since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Authorities have largely cut off the country from the internet, making it difficult to know the scope of the violence. According to the AP, some 7,005 people have been killed.

Davis told the crowd during the demonstration that dissent is not just about “basic human rights,” But, she said, it is a call for an end to a government that has destabilized the region and harmed people around the world.

“Iranians, inside and outside the country, are more united than ever,” Davis said. “We stand under one national flag, we are calling one name, and we are demanding one thing, change. The Islamic Republic must go.”