DENVER — Protests in the United States continue to grow after a 22-year-old died while in police custody in Iran. Mahsa Amini was arrested for violating Iran's strict hair code by improperly wearing her headscarf.
Her death has many in the U.S. angry over restrictions on personal freedoms in Iran.
On Sunday afternoon, a crowd gathered at the Colorado State Capitol in support of Amini.
"Our brothers, our sisters, our cousins, our family have been fighting against the morality police for their bangs being shown, their fingernails, they can’t wear lipstick, they can’t wear fingernail polish," Lisa Andreas, a protester, said. "This young woman was doing absolutely nothing, and it’s time for change."
People of all ages joined Andreas at Sunday's protest. Many held signs, and cheers erupted as drivers honked as they passed by.
For Andreas, it was emotional, as she talked about her 11-year-old daughter in attendance with her.
"It is time that we change so my daughter has an opportunity to see her family, to be able to go," Andreas said. "I’m praying that in the next five years I can go to Iran, get on a plane and not have to change into a hijab on the airplane and cover my head."
In Iran, the protests against the government have turned deadly. Iran state media reported on Saturday that 41 people have been killed in the protests that took place over the last week.
"All of these women and all of these people on the streets, they’re wanting human rights. They’re wanting basic rights, environmental rights, economic justice, and they’re not getting that," Nush, another protester at Sunday's demonstration, said.
She hoped the protests across the country over the weekend would spark more support for the people of Iran.
"When the whole thing in Ukraine happened, so many people, they changed their social media profiles, they did hashtags about the situation, and I hope they can see this and do the same for the people of Iran," she said.
On Thursday, Iran President Ebrahim Raisi said Amini's death must be investigated, but on Saturday he also said they must deal decisively with the growing protests in Iran.
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