Hundreds gather at Hamilton City Hall to support protests in Iran

Hundreds of Iranian Canadians took to the streets in Hamilton today to show their support for their friends and family back home in Iran.

This comes after the country has seen its biggest anti-government protests since 2022, leading to hundreds being killed.

People were very passionate and emotional in Hamilton today as they are worried about their family back home. They say they can’t get ahold of them because the phone lines and internet have been cut off.

A couple hundred passionate demonstrators gathered at city hall in Hamilton today to show their support for their loved ones who are back home in Iran protesting against the Iranian regime over inflation, an economic crisis and repression of the Islamic regime.

“Right now in our home country of Iran, the internet, electricity and phones have been completely cut off and many people are being killed on the streets daily. We have no way to get in contact with our family members. And many of us who are Iranian Canadians are stuck back in Iran. And because the airports are closed, there is no way that we can get them back to Canada,” said Nila Amedi, member of the Iranian Cultural & Social Association of Hamilton.

Activists in Iran say a two week nationwide anti-government protest has led to hundreds being killed and over 10,000 people have been detained – according to a human rights agency.

“Many people here today, their mothers are back in Iran, their fathers, their siblings. And they have not had contact with these people in the past three days. And the last time they had contact with them, their family members said that we have gotten messages from the Iranian government that they are threatening us … we don’t know what’s happening, we don’t know where they are,” said Amedi.

Burlington MP Karina Gould says she has been keeping a close eye on the protests in Iran.

“The incredible courage of people in Iran to stand up for themselves under incredibly difficult circumstances. And I guess my message is that Canada stands with them. We stand for human rights. We stand for democracy and we stand for peace. And this is the country where we can continue to hold those ideals and work everyday for them,” said Gould.

Demonstrators in Hamilton today say they hope not only Canada, but the international community can intervene and bring peace to Iran.

WATCH MORE: Iran cuts off internet as anti-government protests escalate