Alberta protesters stand in solidarity with Iranians outraged over woman's death in police custody
A pair of rallies in Alberta's largest cities on Saturday echoed chants worldwide over the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman detained allegedly for wearing her hijab improperly.
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets for the past two weeks protesting Amini's death, venting anger over the treatment of women in that country.
Javad Soleimani, an organizer for the solidarity rally in Edmonton, said it is important for those outside the Middle Eastern country to show support.
"Over the past 44 years, the Iranian people have endured numerous suffering and they have now made their choice," he said. "Enough is enough."
"As long as we have a government like the Iranian regime, the world is not a safe place for us," he added.
Protests have erupted worldwide, showing solidarity with the growing uprising in Iran demanding more freedom and recognition of human rights.
- Thousands of people protest in freedom rally for Iran near Toronto today
- Iranians are risking it all to protest. Their families say some of them aren't coming home
Nastaran Bazzazi, an organizer for the Calgary rally, said she and others have cut their hair in solidarity.
"The government in Iran, which is based on injustice, discrimination against women, LGTBQ, ethnic minorities, and other religion believers," Bazzazi said. "We are burning for the injustice in Iran."
"People in Iran are now bravely protesting," Soleimani said. "The Iranian regime is brutally suppressing them, but the Iranian people are not going to give up, and this is very important for us outside of Iran to increase their voice and awareness of what is going on."
With files from The Associated Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.