Community Leaders, Artists Stand in Solidarity with Iran for SF's Day of Action

San Francisco, CA (July 25th) – An estimated 4,000 people across Northern California joined thousands of demonstrators across the world to this past weekend to participate in the Day of Action, a globally coordinated event to express solidarity with the Iranian people challenging results of the country’s controversial June 12th election. Bay Area residents poured into San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza on Saturday to participate in the demonstration, spearheaded by District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, the first Iranian-American to be elected to San Francisco public office. The event was organized with effort from NorCal4Iran, Northern California’s Division of human rights group United4Iran, in conjunction with other outreach groups, such as Amnesty International.

Numerous prominent figures, including Reverend Cecil Williams, Former California Governor and Current Attorney General Jerry Brown, California Senator Mark Leno, and Brisbane Mayor Sepi Richardson took the stage in front of City Hall to express support.

“People are being executed and tortured in prison simply [for] exercising their right to peaceful dissent,” remarked Supervisor Mirkarimi, “and we stand in solidarity with them.”

Also in attendance was a former member of the Iranian Parliament, Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, as well as journalist Masih Alinejad, previously imprisoned and tortured in Iran.

Joining public officials were various artists and local community members, including American artist Paula Slater, who unveiled a clay sculpture of “The Angel of Iran, The Angel of Freedom,” modeled after 27-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan, whose brutal death was caught on camera and made her a symbol of Iran’s pro-democracy movement.

Rap-focused Revolution of the Mind, musical group Kiosk, and Iranian poet/rapper Turaj Zaim, whose politically-active father was imprisoned following the June 12th election, also took the stage to rap, play, and speak in support of the Iranian people.

NorCal4Iran representatives emphasized the goal of pressuring UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, to investigate Iran’s human rights violations, as well as the fate of disappeared persons, political prisoners, and prisoners of conscience.

“This isn’t over,” one United4Iran organizer underlined as Saturday’s rally wound down, “This isn’t the beginning, this isn’t the end; this is ongoing, and we need to keep the situation in Iran at the forefront of the international community’s consciousness.”

A candlelight vigil will be held Thursday, July 30th to honor the 40th day anniversary of the twenty reportedly killed since the election, a culturally significant anniversary to Iranians.

A partial list of dead, detained, and disappeared can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jun/29/iran-election-dead-detained.

Vigils will take place 8-9 pm on July 30th in San Francisco at UN Plaza, on Market St. between 7th and 8th; 8-9pm in San Jose at the corner of Stevens Creek and Winchester; and 7-8pm in Walnut Creek Broadway Plaza across from Nordstrom

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About United4Iran / NorCal4Iran
The Northern California Chapter United4Iran is a non-partisan collaborative of individuals and human rights organizations. United4Iran does not promote any political agenda and are opposed to any military interference in Iran. Our aim is to condemn the widespread and systematic violations of the Iranian people’s human rights and to call for the full restoration of them.

CONTACT

Organization: United4Iran, Northern California/NorCal4Iran Media Outreach
Media Coordinator: Mana Mostatabi
E-Mail: NorCal4IranMediaOutreach [at] gmail.com
On the Web: http://www.norcal4iran.org
http://www.united4iran.org