Bay Area Iranian Americans prepare for a day of protest against the Islamic government of Iran on Saturday, February 6th, 2010. The gathering is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM at Plaza de César Chávez, in front of Fairmont Hotel (South Market Street & Park Avenue) in San Jose, CA.
“Thirty-one years ago,” says the flyer for Saturday rally, “the Iranian people poured into the streets demanding their basic rights and asking for the end of totalitarianism and tyranny. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 stopped short of establishing a democratic government. But today, after enduring more than three decades of renewed repression, Iranians are protesting once again to complete a mission that was left unfinished.”
The event promises appearances by local American and Iranian-American dignitaries. Confirmed speakers up to this point include: Mayor Chuck Reed of San José, San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, recipient of Human Rights First Award and journalist Fariba Davoodi Mohajer, writer Larry Everest (author of Oil, Power & Empire,) Kurdish human rights activist Soraya Fallah, Iranian American poet and journalist Masoud Sepand, women’s rights activist Taraneh Roosta, and poet Fariba Safai. It also promises to stage live performances by Revolution of the Mind, Kaweh, and Kamran Aslanpour.
The event happens while a worldwide spiritual envisioning of peace for the motherland has initiated in the Bay Area and started last night, inviting Iranians and non-Iranians alike to imagine a life free of torture and murder for Iranians inside Iran. [Read more on it here]
The event’s bulletin continues, “[…] The Iranian people, men and women, young and old, are challenging the regime in order to reclaim their country and their freedom. The struggle has forced our people to stand up against a brutal force, losing hundreds of lives in a quest for democracy.
“Their demands are simple. They have sacrificed their lives in order to gain what they have longed for for decades: basic human rights, independence, freedom, and a democratic government. From the grounds of Iranian universities, to the rooftops and balconies of Iranian homes, people's cries of freedom are shaking the foundations of the theocratic establishment. Their call for "freedom" is spreading all around the country like a rapid fire. They are shouting that the time of petite dictators is over, and that they prefer secular governments to tyrannical ones.
“We are inviting you to join us in a rally to declare unity and our support for these brave young people and their struggles. We are not going to watch silently as our brothers and sisters lose their lives and are forced to endure imprisonment, torture, rape, and violent deaths, just for simply asking for their basic constitutional, civil, and human rights. We are here to let the world know the brutality of this atrocious and illegitimate government, and to reflect the voices of people's demands for freedom and peace to the whole world.
“Let us hope that our tears, blood, and cries would win over tyranny and help bring it down.”
The event is sponsored by: Iranian Society for Human Rights (Northern California), Nedaye Iran, & NorCal4Iran, and co-Sponsored by: Iran Crime Watch, Amnesty International, United4Iran, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, South Bay Mobilization, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center.
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