ATLANTA — Iranian Americans in Atlanta gathered along the Beltline to show solidarity with protesters and political prisoners in Iran, many of whom have been killed by the government.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
They displayed photos of protesters killed in the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrators in recent weeks.
“We are asking the international community to stand with the people of Iran,” said Batool Zamani, the president of the Iranian American Community of Georgia. “The people of Iran, they know what they want. They don’t want a religious dictatorship or monarchy, they don’t want to go back.”
The group along the Beltline raised Iranian flags and placed roses on the ground, sometimes chanting “Regime change in Iran, now, now, now!” They’re calling for a democratic government to take hold in Iran.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 2 unlicensed women accused of performing cat surgeries in Coweta County home
- ‘Seats are empty in classrooms’: Teachers ask metro Atlanta sheriff to pause ICE cooperation
- State office investigating alleged $140M Georgia Ponzi scheme could lose control
With a faltering economy, protests erupted in Iran in late December, calling for the overthrow of the theocratic dictatorship that has ruled the country since 1979.
Some estimates put the number of protesters killed by the government at nearly 3,000, though the number could be higher. The government has warned of fast trials and executions of political detainees.
Sadaf Marzai is a 29-year-old Iranian American who attended the photo exhibition on the Beltline.
“The regime doesn’t value life,” she said. “They don’t even value the life of their own soccer players and the students and graduates of their universities. They don’t make any distinctions. They’ll just open fire.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
She said the dictatorship sees young people as an existential threat.
“They know if they kill the spirit of the young people, who are the stronger – who can really create the movements that they need to in the country – they’ll be able to shut down any revolution or resistance.”
The group plans to continue gathering along the Beltline to show photos of fallen protesters.
©2026 Cox Media Group
