in Los Angeles, the largest Iranian diaspora in the world mobilizes in solidarity

The movement of anger that has shaken Iran since mid-September finds an echo as far as California. The “Golden State” has a large Iranian community among its inhabitants, the largest outside Iran: 700,000 Iranians or Iranian-Americans live in the region. What earned Los Angeles the nickname “Tehrangeles“, taken from the name of the capital of the Islamic Republic, Tehran.

So to participate in this movement, they come together. Like in that park in West Hollywood, where the song “Iran-e Man, My Iran” resounds. Azadeh is present, in the middle of white t-shirts scattered in the park. On his back, it is written in Persian “woman, life, freedom“, the slogan of this protest. Azadeh brought a stick, at the end of which is hung a wig, recalling the reasons for the beginning of this movement. “I did what Iranian women do. I cut my own hair to show them that I’m behind them, and that we will get there“, declares Azadeh.

The speeches of support are linked. That of Sepi Shyne, the mayor of West Hollywood, intends to distill a message of hope. She who is the symbol of an Iranian immigration which has known success in California.

“What’s happening is causing a lot of emotions, traumas are coming back, but there’s also hope that the energy of this movement is reaching the world and it is.”

Sepi Shyne, Mayor of West Hollywood

at franceinfo

The community follows with hope and anxiety the revolt 12,000 kilometers away, without really being able to do anything else. “I think there’s a certain sense of guilt for Persians in America, knowing that we never had to fight for the same basic human rights.“, explains Natacha, a daughter of immigrants. “We’ll never really know the reality of this fight and I think that’s why people are protesting here too.”she thinks.

“Human rights for Iran!“, chant all the women gathered there, as if to amplify the voice of those whom a regime seeks to silence. At least 92 people have been killed since the start of protests in Iran on September 16, according to the NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR).