Iran protests have broken through to the world. What’s the world saying back?
By Jason Rezaian
October 13, 2022 at 3:56 p.m. EDT
Protests in Iran are pressing into a second month, with ordinary Iranians pouring into the streets to demand freedom. Despite major internet disruptions across the country, protesters are sharing images of their uprising when they can.
Those images are steadily adding to the outside world’s limited understanding of the extent of the protests, as well as what regime security forces are doing to suppress them.
The brutality being leveled against demonstrators — even schoolgirls — has broken through in particular, including to some of the world’s most influential figures and celebrities. Here’s what they’re saying:
On Tuesday, to mark the International Day of the Girl, former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama released a statement in support of the protests. Obama was criticized for not speaking up more forcefully in 2009 when Iranians were protesting election results widely believed to be fraudulent.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan is intimately familiar with Iran, having led secret negotiations with officials in 2013 to lay the groundwork for the 2015 nuclear deal. On the protests, he did not mince words.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who happens to wear the hijab by choice, also joined those supporting Iranian protesters.
And it’s not just in the United States that political figures are speaking up. Officials around the world are increasingly expressing their solidarity.
Celebrities and influencers with massive social media followings are also voicing their support.
A suite of French celebrities went as far as to cut their hair on camera in solidarity.
And even Kanye West, who hasn’t been having a very good week, tweeted his backing of the protests.
Inevitably Iran’s supreme leader blamed the unrest on everyone other than himself, trying to frame the international support for the uprising as “propaganda” and the protests themselves as orchestrated by foreigners.
And while I almost never agree with former secretary of state Mike Pompeo about anything, he got one thing right with his tweet:
The supreme leader is paying attention because the world is paying attention. We can’t look away now.
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💞 # مجاهدین_خلق ایران #ایران # کانونهای شورشی
🌳# MaryamRajavi # IranRegimeChange
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