Amid shouts of “death to the dictator” and demands for the Islamic Regime to change, sophomore Dorsa Baghaei proudly took to the streets of Washington, D.C.. On Sept. 16,  protestors rallied to show solidarity with the Iranian people who have gathered in the streets after the death of Mahsa Amini. 

Baghaei attended a protest that urged President Biden to bring awareness to their government’s brutality. People were enraged that women in Iran are not allowed to show their hair after a certain age in public. “People in the protest were saying it’s not the Islamic Republic of Iran, it’s the Islamic Republic versus Iran,” Baghaei said. “Basically, they meant that the Islamic Republic is like this form of government that’s dictating people and trying to tell them how to wear their clothes. We wanted to protest that; we’re trying to have freedom of religion.” The event and others like it got the president’s attention:  after that protest, Biden released a statement about the unjust practices.

The executive reaction, though, did not come without a few terrifying moments. In the crowd of protestors, there was an undercover spy that worked for Iran’s regime. He put a knife up one of the protestors back to make them leave, because that person traveled frequently between Iran and the U.S.. According to Baghaei, fortunately, the spy was arrested when the D.C. police saw what he did, and the person that was threatened by him got out of immediate danger. 

Iran’s hijab law, which states that women who have hit puberty must wear a hijab — a headcovering worn by some Muslim women — in public has been in effect since 1981.

On Sept. 13, Masha Amini was out with her family visiting her country’s capital, Tehran. Amini had her hair covered “too loosely”  and was then detained on the streets of Iran. Three days later, she died, suffering with bruises to her legs. According to an interview with Iran International, her father believes that the police were responsible for her death.  This stirred outrage in women all over the world. Thousands of protests commenced in different countries, and now women worldwide are on a mission for justice. They continued their rallies and made sure to  inform everyone on the unfairness of the Iranian law.

Less than a month later, Iranian students in Sharif University of Technology were shot with rubber bullets while they peacefully protested. According to the Iranian media, at least 37 students got arrested. The NGO (Iran Human Rights) disclosed that 154 people and possibly more have been killed. The police brutally also beat lecturers while other passive protesters have been hunted down. 

The internet in Iran has been shut down, which makes it hard to contact family. “[I] can’t contact any of her family there unless they have a VPN,” freshman Sheyda Hossani said. Hossani hopes more influential people will take this matter into their own hands to help Iran. Billionaire Elon Musk proposed an idea to give Iranians a special internet satellite service called Starlink. It would bypass the internet restrictions put by Iranian officials so that video footage of the government’s brutal acts would be shown. 

These protestors deserve our attention and our help. Thousands of people continued their protest online by reposting “How to help” and “Learn about what’s happening in Iran” posts. There are lots of tweets that try to tug at people’s hearts for a change to occur. These posts are important because it brings it to people’s attention and motivates them to want to do more, and it helps them become more knowledgeable on what is happening around the world. 

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THE PROTESTORS? 

These protesters need our help so they can create an impact in Iran and also other areas of the world

DONATE. Donating can make a huge impact, and it’s so simple that we can , even give from our beds. The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) is an organization that researches human right violations and engages with the community to help. According to TIME, they “ensure that cases are shared and reported on,” and they also create “policy briefings” for government leaders. 

Other reliable organizations you can look into are: Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, United for Iran, and Human Rights Watch. Additional Research can help you find more places to donate. 

PETITIONS. Another way to support protestors are petitions. You can sign one with just a click of a button. Petitions are a good way of getting worldwide support and leaders attention. Iran petitioners are asking “for the creation of an independent United Nations mechanics” that will help hold Iranian officials responsible for the violence they are causing. 

Other petitions are trying to get leaders from all over the world to help and make a move. You can see many different petitions online through Change.org. 

STAYING INFORMED. Keeping up with the latest news is a huge part of helping out the protestors. Knowing what is going on and being educated on the topic could also help you spread awareness to people who might not know what is happening in Iran.. Protests happen everywhere, and if you are informed on where it is, you could potentially go and make a huge difference. 

Some verified accounts that’ll frequently update on what is happening are @fayedsouza and @ninaansary. The best way to support Iranians and protesters in need of help is to share information. Reposing things on your social media will spread awareness throughout the digital world. 

These protesters are making a huge difference in basic human rights, they are working so hard for a change. The least we could do is support them to continue doing what they’re doing.