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San Franciscans rally in support of Iranian protestors
In San Francisco Sunday, demonstrators gathered in solidarity with Iranian protesters, after thousands have been killed inside Iran.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - In San Francisco Sunday, demonstrators gathered in solidarity with Iranian protesters, after thousands have been killed inside Iran.
Ralliers also called for an end to Iran's Islamic regime.
"We want to be the voice of Iranians," said Bob of San Francisco.
Hundreds rallied at San Francisco's Embarcadero Sunday.
"There is a great uprising in Iran, and they're getting killed," said Bijan Sartipi.
"It has been horrific to watch, and everybody here is angry," said Maz of San Francisco.
Thousands of protesters killed in Iran
The show of support comes as thousands of protesters in Iran have been killed in a violent crackdown by security forces, after speaking out against the nation's Islamic government.
What they're saying:
"I haven't heard from my cousins for about four days now," said Rashel Alexin. "I am super afraid because I don't know what happened to them. I don't know what's going on with them. I know they were out there protesting."
"It makes me scared because of my family members who are in Iran," said Roya of San Francisco. "It's not safe there right now and I want to make sure they don't have any violence coming to them or anything bad."
Demonstrators here say the calls for change in Iran now feel different, stronger, than at any time since the Islamic Republic took power 47 years ago.
"It has gotten to a point where the economics, the value of money is close to zero," said Sartipi.
"This is about everything--economics, freedom, everything. Everything is so expensive where people don't even have simple food to eat right now," said Alexin.
Calls for a democratic government in Iran
Here in San Francisco, these protesters are calling not just for reform in Iran, but for a full-on regime change.
"We are tired of it, we have lost way too many people in Iran," said Nahal Curbelo.
"A regime that turns its army against its own people is not a regime of the people, but it's a regime that has to go," said Sartipi.
Some here would like to see more involvement from the US to help make that happen.
"At this point we ask for targeted strikes against the regime," said Bob of San Francisco.
For Roya, a junior in high school, it's about girls and women enjoying the same basic freedoms as she does.
"I'm able to wear my hair in a bun and wear what I want to wear. And it makes me upset that the women in Iran who have done nothing wrong don't get to have the same freedoms that I have every day," said Roya.
What's next:
Many of the demonstrators in San Francisco say they will be back out protesting over and over again, until the regime falls.
The Source: Interviews by KTVU reporter John Krinjak