Rally held following Iranian President’s visit to U.S.

SAN DIEGO — Protesters once again gathered Saturday, joining others across the globe as they rallied against the Iranian regime. These protests follow the recent death of a 22-year-old woman and the Iranian president’s visit to New York where he addressed the General Assembly at the United Nations.

Hundreds marched and rallied together Saturday at the House of Iran through Balboa Park in protest of what they’re calling an oppressive, murderous and inhumane regime of Iran.

“We don’t have our fundamental rights. We are just fighting for human rights like women rights,” said Marjan, a protester who chose to share only her first name with FOX 5 out of safety concerns. 

Marjan took her protest Saturday a step further by chopping off her hair, holding it in hand, and chanting “Iranian regime must go” as she marched alongside a sea of Iranian Americans in memory of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.  

The young woman died last week after she was taken into custody by the country’s Morality Security Forces for showing a portion of her hair while wearing the traditional hijab. She died while in custody and Iranian police allege Amini died of a heart attack.

“They beat her to death and now they’re not accepting the responsibility. Mahsa is not the only one,” said Samiamak Rahmani, an Iranian American who has lived in the United States for 47 years.

Protesters today also focused their attention on the Biden Administration while chanting the phrase, “Wake up Biden.”

“They allowed him to come to the United Nations, they allowed him to step into the land of the United States. This is the land of freedom! How can you allow a murderer to walk into this land?,” Rahmani said.  

Protester Masoud Rahmani Seyghalani escaped Iran six years ago in search of human rights and freedom.

“I haven’t seen my family for almost a decade. My city in Iran is like a war zone right now,” Seyghalani said.

This growing frustration follows the recent appearance of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in New York at the United Nations where he addressed the General Assembly.

“Stop dealing with the Islamic republic and try to support the Iranian people. Enough is enough. We want to live like normal human beings,” Seyghalani said.