“Zan, Zendagi, Aazadi:” Women, Life, Freedom – a chant that has been popularized by the series of protests in Iran against the Islamic Republic were once again heard on Saturday morning at the Riverfront Commemorative Park in Corvallis.

This was the third Iran protest in Corvallis. The previous two were held at the Corvallis Courthouse and Memorial Union Quad at Oregon State University. The uproar started after a 22-year old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini died allegedly as a result of police brutality for not wearing a hijab.

More than 50 people gathered to show solidarity with the people in Iran who are currently protesting and speaking up against the government. 

“It’s a brutal dictatorship, it’s a religious government that is imposing its values on people and especially on women,” said Ali Bonakdar, a resident of Corvallis who grew up in Iran.

The protest aimed to get the attention of people to notice this issue. They expressed concerns about greater media coverage of the Ukraine war over coverage of the ongoing Iran revolution. 

“Why? What is the reason of this difference between Iranian people and Ukrainian people?” said one protester who wanted to remain anonymous out of concern for their personal safety.

The protest also emphasized that other ongoing protests in Iran have been led by women and that they need support from people all over the world.

Several protesters also mentioned how the irregular internet connectivity is making it harder for them to contact their families in Iran. 

“The internet is awful. (The government) is trying to shut it down.” said a protester who wanted to go by the name Matt. 

“It is a stressful situation for us Iranians,” the anonymous protester said.

The protesters chanted “No deal with the dictator,” suggesting the government across the world put sanctions on the Iranian government.  

“We want more support from the people (and) government of the United States,” Bonakdar said.

According to Matt, his relative in Iran incurred injuries during the protests and was reluctant to go to hospitals as they feared getting arrested by the police.

“People are furious, people are angry, people are crying,” Matt said.

Both Matt and the protester said how some people in the community have been understanding of their situation, but also mentioned how a lot of them are not aware of how intense the issue in Iran is. 

“They have been living in a safe country and they don’t have the same experience, so it is difficult for them to feel how deep (the problem) is,” a protester said.