Maryland residents fight for the freedom of Iranian women
BALTIMORE -- Thousands of Marylanders of Iranian descent and non-Iranian allies have been demonstrating in Washington, D.C., this weekend.
They are fighting for women's freedom in Iran for the sixth month in a row.
The demonstrations have taken place in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Many people from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County have participated in the demonstrations.
The catalyst for this movement was the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September.
She was arrested in Tehran by Iran's morality police for not properly wearing a hijab.
Amini died in their custody.
Her death sparked an outpouring of anger over the treatment of Iranian women in the Islamic Republic.
WJZ spoke with Anne Arundel resident Sarah Salami, 19, amid a global march for Iran on Saturday.
"You might think that this has nothing to do with you, and that it's not your problem because it's not happening here, but nobody is truly free until all of us are free," Salami said. "Women of Iran are still women. Yes, they're women of Iran, and we're women of the U.S., but they're still women. At the end of the day, they're human and they deserve basic fundamental human rights."
Salami is part of an organization called National Solidarity Group of Iran.
The organization is trying to raise awareness of the democratic aspirations of people in Iran, Salami said.
Its members want to make sure that U.S. citizens and elected officials are informed of their plight.
"We're just trying to, honestly, be their voice for them," she said.