20

Sep

Iranians in Toronto protest to demand freedom for women

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Prabhjot Singh

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Punjab | Friday | 20 September 2024

Iranians based in Toronto took to the streets. They held a demonstration at Queens Park, adjoining the Ontario Provincial Parliament building, to mark the anniversary of the “second Uprising”  for the second successive day. The Canadian government, meanwhile, has extended its ban on officials who had served the Iranian government post-2003.

Yesterday, Iranians held a protest rally before the Ontario Provincial Parliament.

Carrying placards and photo portraits of some of the victims of the recent alleged state atrocities, the demonstrators raised slogans to demand “freedom for women” and the end of the “Mullahs regime” in Iran.

They played some recorded songs on the “Second Uprising” in Iran. Before converging at Queens Park, a big group of demonstrators moved through the main streets to reach the protest venue.

The global protests are being held on the eve of the second anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in hospital on September 16, 2022, after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Her death sparked global protests.

 

Article at a Glance
Iranians in Toronto held a demonstration at Queens Park to mark the second anniversary of the "Second Uprising" in Iran. The protesters demanded "freedom for women" and the end of the "Mullahs regime" in Iran, carrying placards and photo portraits of victims of alleged state atrocities.
The global protests coincide with the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, which sparked global outrage. Meanwhile, the Canadian government has extended its ban on Iranian officials who served post-2003, citing human rights violations.
The ban aims to hold the regime accountable and send a strong message that those involved in terrorism and human rights violations are not welcome in Canada.

Picture portraits of other victims, including those of young girls, were carried by the demonstrators. Finally, when they arrived at Queens Park, they lined up the portraits along its main memorial roundabout and the side benches.

“These protests are not only in Toronto but all over the globe to remind the world of how the human rights in general and women's rights, in particular, were  being slaughtered in Iran,” said one of the demonstrators, holding  ”We want to create global awareness about happenings in Iran.”

Queens Park reverberated with slogans that punctuated speeches made by some of the protesting leaders. They narrated how women and young girls besides others were being tortured for defying “diktats” of the “Mullah regime”.

“We want freedom for women. We want ‘Mullahs’ regime to go,’  were the messages they gave through their discourses that got instant approval through the raising of slogans by the audience.

A contingent of Toronto police on bicycles first followed the procession and then stationed itself at the demonstration venue.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government announced to ban on tens of thousands of Iranian officials from entering Canada as part of an effort to hold the regime accountable for human rights violations.

The Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said that any senior official “who served in the Iranian government at any time since June 23, 2003, is now inadmissible to Canada. The decision extends a previous ban, announced in November 2022, that denied entry to those in the top echelons of the Iranian regime dating back to 2019.

“We are sending a strong message that those involved in terrorism, human rights violations and atrocities are not welcome here,” LeBlanc said in a statement. “Canada will always stand up for human rights and fight for justice, at home and around the world.”

The new cut-off date for admissibility reflects the day on which Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was arrested in Tehran. She died in hospital almost three weeks later, in July 2003, after being tortured and raped.

Kourosh Doustshenas, spokesperson for the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, welcomed the statement.

“Justice for Zahra Kazemi and so many others is long overdue,” Doustshenas said in a statement on social media. “This amendment is a crucial message that Canada will not be a haven for human rights violators. It’s a step toward accountability and justice for victims of the Iranian regime’s atrocities, including those affected by Flight PS752.”

It is pertinent to mention that a  Ukraine International Airlines flight was shot down over Tehran in January 2020 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian armed forces. All 176 people aboard the flight were killed. They included 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

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