Protests Against Death Sentences on U.S. Bridges; Display of Images and Slogans About Political Prisoners in Iran

A number of Iranians residing in the U.S. gathered on bridges in several major cities on Friday, August 12, to protest the issuance of death sentences by the Islamic Republic, expressing their support and solidarity with political prisoners in Iran. These protests were organized by the 'Bridges of Solidarity' group in cities including Berkeley, Davis, San Diego, and Irvine in California, as well as Chicago and Minneapolis. Participants highlighted recent death sentences for Sharifeh Mohammadi, Pakhshan Azizi, Ahmadreza Jalali, and the ongoing case of the Ekbatan neighborhood boys, calling for a halt to executions in Iran. (The San Diego event was on Saturday.) Attendees displayed images and slogans about political prisoners in Iran, especially those facing the death penalty, urging the international community not to remain indifferent to the widespread human rights violations by the Islamic Republic. The 'Bridges of Solidarity' project was formed after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of the morality police and the onset of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement in Iran, initiated by a group of Iranian volunteers in Northern California. In recent months, these protests have continued on various occasions on city bridges, with participants protesting the violent suppression of Iranian freedom-seekers. Vahid Zamani, an Iranian artist and member of this project who participated in the recent protest on the Berkeley bridge, told Voice of America that the group consists of several Iranian Americans, independent of any political party or religious organization. He added that the goal of the Bridges of Solidarity project is to reflect the voices of the Iranian people around the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom,' and to fight for freedom, democracy, human rights, and change the 'ruthless regime' of the Islamic Republic. According to Vahid Zamani, raising public awareness, reflecting the unheard voices of oppressed people, and the actual situation regarding the lack of human rights in Iran, as well as preventing the spread of false news by regime agents and lobbyists outside Iran, are among the group's other objectives. He hopes that such activities will lead American representatives and officials to pay more attention to their actions, as they have a potential impact on the state of human rights and terrorism in Iran and the world. This artist calls on the U.S. and international organizations to support the Iranian people against the autocratic regime of the Islamic Republic, lobbyists, and their affiliates, by any means possible but without military intervention. Vahid Zamani emphasizes that he and his friends aim to expand this project to other cities in the U.S. and hope that one day such actions will even take place on the famous bridges of other countries around the world.