Thousands gathered in downtown Los Angeles Saturday morning to call for change in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini and others who were killed while protesting the 22-year-old’s death.
The rally from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. traveled from Pershing Square to City Hall. Another protest took place in Westwood Saturday night.
Amini died while in custody after her family and supporters say she was beaten by the country’s morality police for improperly wearing her hijab, or headcovering.
Iranian state officials have claimed Amini suffered a heart attack, though other say the beating resulted in a brain hemorrhage and stroke.
In response, Iranians and others across the world have taken to the streets, even as the crackdown in Iran has killed dozens of protesters.
In L.A. Saturday, attendees said they’re rallying for more freedoms for women and all Iranians.
“You don’t have those freedoms in Iran,” said activist Yasmine Aker. “It’s very hard for people outside of Iran and people who are not Iranian to understand, to even fathom, if you sing the wrong song, you can go to jail. If you’re the wrong religion, you can go to jail. If you’re a woman and a strand of your hair shows, you could go to jail, or worse. So many people have been tortured and murdered, brutally murdered, for such small infractions that we here in the West deem as just normal, everyday life.”
In response to the protests, the Iranian government has limited internet access, though it has not stopped rallies for Amini in Iran and across the world.