Women symbolically cut off parts of their hair as Melbourne’s Iranian community gathered in their thousands at Federation Square as part of worldwide protests against the Iranian government over the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini.
Iran has been gripped by violent unrest for two weeks following the death of Amini in Tehran while in the custody of the Islamic regime’s morality police. She had been accused of violating Iran’s mandatory headscarf law.
Protestors gathered at Federation Square on Saturday to rally against the Iranian government.Credit:Jason South
On Saturday in Federation Square, women with red-stained hands used scissors to cut off their hair in a symbolic act of defiance against Iran’s compulsory hijab laws.
The crowd chanted “woman, life, freedom”, “what do we want: regime change” and “say her name: Mahsa Amini” as they spilled on to Flinders Street.
Some waved tricolour Iranian flags with a sun and lion at the centre, the national standard that was replaced by a new flag after the Islamic revolution of 1979.
Maria Faraji said she fled her country for Australia 10 years ago because of the government’s treatment of women. She cut off a piece of her blonde hair on Saturday afternoon to show her support for protesters in Iran who were risking their lives.
Some protesters used scissors to cut off their hair in a symbolic act of defiance against Iran’s compulsory hijab laws.Credit:Jason South
“We don’t have life. We don’t have anything. We left my country, my father and my family just for hair,” she said. “Every day I wish I could go back. ”
Her daughter, Amanda Jahan, was happy to see so many people turn out to show solidarity with the women of Iran.
“It means that they love their country, they love Iran but they’re here to support females. It’s amazing,” she said.
Eighty-three people had died in the protests in Iran following a fierce government crackdown, human rights group said this week.
Women raised red-stained hands at the protest in Melbourne on Saturday.Credit:Jason South
Protest organiser artist Mahla Karimian said the Iranian government was only getting weaker, while the protests continued to grow.
Internet use has been restricted in Iran in a bid to dampen the unrest, which has spread on social media.
“We want to be their voice,” she said.
“All we want is the regime to let humans, people, especially women to have choice.
“We’re not fighting Islam, we respect Muslim culture and religion. But all we want is to be able to have a choice.”
Karimian said Amini’s death was “not the first time and it won’t be the last time” that Iranian women had faced oppression at the hands of the morality police.
“I know how it feels because I’ve been through the same thing so many times before I came here and I know how terrifying it is,” she said.
Protestor Soren Ryan said he hoped the protests would push other countries to refuse to engage with the Iranian regime.
“They’re not the real representative of the Iranian people,” he said.
“All the people here chose to flee Iran because there was no life for them there. They just left everything behind and came over here.
“I believe it’s a turning point, something is happening in Iran. And I believe it’s a real revolution.”
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