Tears and anger in Europe as exiled Iranians protest Govt crackdown

Standing on an open truck making its way through Berlin, Anahita Safarnejad turned to the crowd of Iranian protesters marching behind her and took the microphone. “No more dictatorship in Iran, the mullahs must go!” she shouted. Hundreds of voices echoed her slogan with the same sense of urgency and desperation. Across Europe, thousands of exiled Iranians have taken to the streets to shout out their rage at the Government of the Islamic Republic which has cracked down on protests in their homeland, reportedly killing thousands of people. Women have taken a prominent role in organising the protests abroad, raising their voices against the theocratic Government that discriminates against them.

But beyond the anger, there’s also a sense of fear and paralysis. Iran’s Government has been shutting down the internet and limiting phone calls for days, making it nearly impossible for Iranians in the diaspora to find out if their families back home are safe. Safarnejad, 34, fled Iran seven years ago. She came to Berlin to study theatre but now works in a bar when she’s not attending one of the almost-daily protests in the German capital. Since the demonstrations broke out in Iran in late December, Safarnejad said she’s been living in two different realities that are almost impossible to combine. Anahita Safarnejad