Nottingham people protest the Iranian Regime following Mahsa Amini’s death

A Nottingham protest organiser has expressed her worry for people with families in Iran.

One of the founders of Nottingham’s Freedom for Iran, who has found safety in Britain for the past 18 years, expressed her concern about the Iranian regime using images and videos of protestors in other countries, including in Nottingham, against their families in Iran.

Freedom for Iran was recently launched in Nottingham following the death of Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini in police custody for not wearing her hijab in accordance with government standards.

Her concern follows the death of hundreds in Iran and the imprisonment of over 1000 people connected to the protests.

Mina Minnai, an Iranian refugee, said: “The purpose of it [the protest] is to support the movement for change in the regime.

“So, there’s been a lot in the media that is for moderation and behaviour or like rights here and there, that is not the case, we want a change in regime because people have had enough.”

She added: “We want to transform this anger, this sorrow, this grief into something positive.”

“The Iranian people want a revolution.”
An Iranian protestor

Mina came from Iran 12 years ago as a refugee, commenting on the change she has seen since this, with men supporting women, after years of not.

Crowds of around 50 gather weekly in Old Market Square to protest and show support for those fighting in Iran, joining the worldwide protests that have also broken out.

The protests in Iran have seen women cutting their hair in acts of defiance and people fighting against the morality police that had arrested Mahsa Amini for her hijab.

Another Iranian protestor said: “They [the Iranian regime] destroyed the country, they destroyed the picture of the people, they need to be gone.”

He said: “The Iranian people want a revolution.

“Any newsagent saying the people are asking for the government to change their behaviour is wrong, the Iranian people want them gone for good.”

Dec. 2, Zahedan, Sistan-Baluchestan.
“We don’t want a child-murdering regime!”#MahsaAminipic.twitter.com/49Znp1YHR7

— 1500tasvir_en (@1500tasvir_en) December 2, 2022

Since the beginning of the protests, social media has circulated videos of the situation in Iran, including a prison with political prisoners on fire, morality police cornering citizens and people calling for media attention.

Protestors shared the same sentiment when it came to non-Iranian people, they believe that people should know what was going on and how the fall of the Iranian regime affects everyone.

Vicki Morris, an administrator at the University of Nottingham, said: “I see people who have been very frustrated and kept down for decades, they always have a lot of pressure on them, economic, social, political and they try to get on with their lives but every now and then something happens that just sparks in them that anger at what’s happening to them and I feel like the death of Mahsa Amini was that spark.”

Since the Iran football team exited the World Cup, an Iranian man has been allegedly killed for celebrating their loss.