PHOTOS: SR 520 Bridge March and Candlelight Vigil Held in Seattle’s Third Straight Protest for Iran
By Jordan Somers
Protestors and community organizers took to the streets for a third straight week in Seattle, this time forming a human chain along the SR 520 bridge. Hundreds assembled at the University and Montlake neighborhoods, marching the near 1.4-mile span of the bridge as they continued to decry the death of Mahsa Amini and treatment of women in Iran.
Automobiles could be heard honking their horns to express their solidarity as protesters brandished signs, flags, and flowers toward the flow of oncoming traffic.
Iran now enters its fourth week of protests following Amini’s death.
Numerous social media videos showing extreme violence toward protestors, particularly women, have continued to surface. Despite the government’s staunch pushback, citizens continue to assemble en masse throughout Iran calling for the end of the Islamic State’s rule.
According to Iran Human Rights, at least 185 protestors have been killed following the death of Amini. Mass arrests of civil rights activists, journalists, and protestors have also been ongoing.
A candlelight vigil was held at University of Washington’s Redd Square later that evening, where hundreds grieved Amini and other Iranians who have reportedly lost their lives at the hands of Iran’s morality police.
Gatherers held signs reading, “Freedom,” “Life,” “Women” as residents lit candles in the square. Speakers criticized the Iranian regime while also emphasizing the importance for the community to show their continued support toward the women of Iran.
Ongoing Iranian protests have inspired global solidarity from Iranians and non-Iranians alike, as demonstrations and marches continue to spread throughout the world, signifying a potential paradigm shift for the country of Iran.