UC Santa Barbara professor Aazam Feiz hadn’t heard from her family in Iran for 10 days.
Until Friday.
She finally received a phone call from her sister reassuring her they were okay.
Her family is just one of millions affected by the latest internet blackout imposed by the Iranian government.
“It was so difficult because I didn’t know what was going on there or if they had food,” she said.
The Persian literature professor took to the streets on Saturday, alongside dozens of other protesters crowding a corner of the Storke Road and Hollister Avenue intersection, in hopes of bringing awareness to the blackout and protests in Iran.
Goleta protesters held signs reading “free Iran”and “darkness in Iran, be their voices” while Feiz led the group in chants like “freedom for Iran” and “Trump act now.”
Protests have erupted in Iran in recent weeks, according to international news reports. The demonstrations began against the dropping value of the currency. But since then, the gatherings have become larger protests against the Iranian government, which has responded with force in some areas, killing and detaining thousands of protesters, CBS News and other media have reported.
The U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran even urged citizens to make a plan to leave, without depending on aid from the United States.
“We are gathering today because human rights are universal,” Feiz said. “When people are killed for demanding basic freedoms, silence anywhere makes injustice stronger everywhere.”
She said she has had students come into her office, overcome with emotion because they haven’t been able to receive news about their family in Iran.
“What is happening in Iran is no longer just a protest. After 47 years of repression and corruption, the people have reached a clear conclusion: This system is not reformable,” Feiz said in a speech.
Nick Sarouei, Feiz’s 13-year-old son, was the youngest protester at the intersection.
“I am here to represent the youth of the Persian community,” he said. “It’s just so heartbreaking to know that there are so many kids that are growing up in a bad environment.”
He says his school peers don’t seem to know about what’s been unfolding in Iran, so he feels it’s important for him to participate to spread awareness.
The demonstration quickly caught motorists’ attention, many honking in solidarity as they drove past the intersection.
In the United States, President Donald Trump said on social media that the United States will take action against the regime and promised Iranian citizens that help is on its way, CBS reported.
“I would love to see Trump do something, but I don’t see it happening because he has promised that he would do something for two weeks and nothing has happened yet,” UCSB third-year student Tatrina Arutyunova said.
Most recently, Trump has scaled back on his threats against the regime after sources told him no more protesters are getting killed or executed, The Guardian has reported.
Above all, the Goleta crowd hopes their protest will bring awareness and encourage the local community to pay attention to what’s happening in Iran.
