'A fight for basic human rights': UVic students hold rally for Iran
Students at the University of Victoria held a rally in support of Iranian protesters on Wednesday afternoon.
The students were calling for regime change and for basic human rights following months of brutal crackdowns on anti-government protests in the country.
One UVic student who didn't want to be identified out of fear of retribution says it's difficult to watch the movement from afar.
"This is no longer a fight about hijabs," she said. "This is a fight for basic human rights."
According to activists in Iran, more than 400 people have been killed during the protests.
"Seeing all these bright, young individuals being murdered because they dare to stand up for what they believe in really makes me feel survivor's guilt that I get to be here in a country with all the freedom they aren’t afforded," said the student.
The demonstration at UVic was fueled by outrage over the death of Massa Amini, a 22-year-old who died in custody after being arrested by Iran's morality police because her hijab was allegedly too loose.
One student who moved to Victoria two years ago says it could've been her.
"Every time someone from the morality police passes by, I feel like I recoil in terror because what if they just push me in their van? What if I end up in jail?" said student Stareh Alipour Kashi.
UVic students are pictured at a rally for Iran on Nov. 30, 2022. (CTV News)
Amini is being mourned globally, with rallies forming in Canada, Australia, England, France and beyond.
There have even been clashes in Qatar, where World Cup attendees are showing their support for women in Iran, and facing pushback.
The unrest in Iran is weighing heavily on students at UVic, though people who were at the rally hope their demonstration shows the people of Iran that they are not alone, and puts more pressure on the government to change.
"I'm worried about my family, my friends, who live there and who cannot travel or they have hard time [leaving] Iran," said UVic student Arian Aminalroaya.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.