Iranian Diaspora Holding Human Chains Around Globe To Support Protests

An aerial photo of the Iranians’ gathering in Sydney, Australia, on October 29
An aerial photo of the Iranians’ gathering in Sydney, Australia, on October 29

Iranian expatriate communities are holding gatherings and creating human chains in at least 80 cities as unifying gesture in support of the ongoing protests in Iran.

Upon a call by the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in January 2020, tens of thousands of members of the Iranian diaspora held long lines of people holding each other's hands to express solidarity with the people of Iran, who are holding daily protest rallies since mid-September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed in custody of hijab police.

In some cities the lines are hundreds of meters long but in cities with a large Iranian population the lines are expected to extend to over 10 kilometers.

The main organizer of the global event, Hamed Esmaeilion -- the Canada-based activist who lost his wife and daughter in the downing of the Ukrainian Airlines flight – has spearheaded several international events in support of the protests.

Last Saturday, October 22, a huge gathering of Iranians, estimated to be over 100,000 people, took to the streets in the German capital Berlin to support their fellow-countrymen struggling against government brutality.

On October 1, Iranian diaspora communities and human rights activists launched unprecedented rallies in over 150 cities throughout the world against the Islamic Republic.