5,000 people march in Downtown LA to protest Iranian government

Across Downtown Los Angeles, thousands of people marched to chants for woman, life and freedom joined worldwide protests calling for regime change in Iran. 

Mandana Afaghpour marched today with her twin girls.

The march and all of the previous protests that have been taking place almost every weekend are in response to the death of Mahsa Amini who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police.

“Unfortunately, some media says, ‘oh the women of Iran only want the freedom of the hijab,’ the scarf. But, that’s just a symbol,” Afaghpour told CBSLA Reporter Jeff Nguyen. 

Since the death of Amini, women across the Southern California area and in Iran have voiced their frustrations with the current Iran regime. 

Protestors demand change in the country’s treatment of women and in its strict wardrobe policies for women. 

More importantly, the protestors are demanding change in the country’s leadership. 

“It’s about Mahsa Amini but so many other women and children like her who are so brave and courageous who put their life on the line to fight for life, freedom,” Marjan Nourai said. 

Farnaz Harouni, a mother of American-born teen daughters, told Nguyen she escaped Iran at the age of seven. 

“It’s one thing to know what you’ve had and then lost it. You know what you’re giving up. You know what you’re missing but that generation, never experienced that freedom. They were raised in a culture that was designed to suppress any uprising. It was designed to kill ambition before it ever sprung up,” Harouni said.

On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution to stand in solidarity with the women-led human rights movement in Iran and condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for the death of Amini.

CBSLA Staff

The CBS LA Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSLA.com.