Iranians Stage Rallies at Embassy, Ottawa - June 17, 2003

Iranians living in Ottawa are holding demonstrations in support of a surge of pro-democracy rallies in their homeland that have left at least one anti-government protestor dead. They will be held outside the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa until July 9, the anniversary of the last major student uprising in Iran four years ago. Over the past week, thousands of Iranians have taken to Tehran's streets to protest against Iran's Islamic government. Ottawa resident Narges Ghaffari says these latest protests give her hope. She left the country as a refugee more than a decade ago. 'I think our hearts just beat fast and slow, fast and slow with their demonstrations, and their fight, and we really, really want these people to have what they want,' said Ghaffari, who's been calling her family and friends in Iran often these days. Organizer Sayeh Hassan shares Ghaffari's hope. She left Iran as a refugee with her father when she was just seven years old. But Hassan says the latest protests have grown beyond a student movement. 'Right now people are saying, 'Death to Khamenei', who is the supreme leader. This is the first time ever people have said this publicly in demonstrations,' said Hassan. 'Now people are coming together too, it's not just students, you know, their parents, other Iranian freedom-loving people, they're all coming together.' Both Ghaffari and Hassan are calling on the Canadian government to shut down the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa. They say they aren't worried about their demonstrations being monitored by Iranian officials, because they have been campaigning against the Iranian regime for several years and they say embassy officials already know who they are.