WASHINGTON — Hundreds of people took to the streets of D.C. Saturday to march in solidarity with activists in Iran who have been protesting for more freedoms.
The D.C. rally comes just days after the Iranian government carried out its first known execution of an activist involved in this wave of protests.
Those who joined together at Freedom Plaza met to show their support for the protesters in Iran.
"These women, they're women with the heart of a lion," said Kayvan Mehrbakhsh. "They're going out there, without anything, in front of these bullets, and they're fighting. And we're out here, just want them to know that we're behind them."
Mehrbakhsh and his family fled to the United States after the Iranian Revolution swept into power the country's current theocratic regime in the late 1970's.
Like many others at Saturday's event, he is hoping the current wave of protests ushers in a new era of government for Iran.
"A real democracy, where everybody votes," he said.
The protests in Iran began soon after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died in Iranian morality police custody in September. She had been detained for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.
As massive protests erupted across the country, an Iranian government crackdown followed. The Associated Press reports thousands of protesters have been arrested and hundreds have died.
Most recently, the Iranian regime carried out its first known execution of someone involved in the recent protests. The government announced that it had put Mohsen Shekari to death on Thursday.
"He was murdered," said Mariam Afshar, an organizer of the D.C. rally.
Siamak Aram, another organizer, says protesters in Iran are not slowing down.
"People are still on the streets and they are shouting and they are chanting against the regime," he said.
To Afshar, the future is clear: the current regime's days are numbered.
And she has a message for those in power now.
"Those people that you have put behind bars, make sure to take a good look at that," she said. "Because that will be you behind those bars."