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Organizer shares connection to protests for Iran in Kansas City

'This is just something simple that I can do to show my solidarity'
Mercedeh Tavacoli
Posted at 7:52 AM, Oct 21, 2022
and last updated 2023-03-31 11:14:20-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chants in Iran are echoed across the globe, including Kansas City.

Iranian-American organizer Mercedeh Tavacoli is at the forefront of protests at the Country Club Plaza.

"We're doing this for the people of Iran, to amplify their voices," Tavacoli said. "That's our main focus — to amplify their voices because they're the ones having to deal with the hardships of this regime.

"I was born and raised in the United States, but my roots will go back to Iran. The only family I have here is my immediate family. Everyone else is back home."

Tavacoli says she's taking action to stand up for those close to her.

"My mom was a part of the revolution in '79, and so I've heard what it was like living in Iran pre-revolution and how much of their freedoms were basically stripped away at that time," Tavacoli said. "I feel like I'm fighting for her."

Protests started last month when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested and died while in custody by Iranian morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely.

"That could've been any of my friends, any of my friends visiting Iran from the states, let alone any of my friends and family that live there every single day is a scary feeling," Tavacoli said. "I, myself, in middle school was stopped by the morality police in Iran, and they were basically saying to me, 'You need to be sure your pants aren't too tight, they're not too short, you're covering everything properly.' And at that point, I was just a kid, I was just in middle school. So to know that I was in Iran this summer and think, that could've been me."

She says the trip made her more cautious and conscientious of what she was wearing, how she was dressing and who she was out with. With such an understanding, Tavacoli says she's now using her voice to ensure others are not silenced.

"The people out in the streets, fighting this fight in Iran, they feel like our daughters, they feel like our sisters," Tavacoli said. "It feels like they're personally attacking us at the same time. A part of this is also ... making sure people are aware that this isn't anti-hijab or anti-Islam, this is giving women the choice of whether they want to wear a hijab or not wear it."

Some people cut their hair in solidarity with women's rights, including Tavacoli.

"This is just something simple that I can do to show my solidarity, but they're actually out there putting their lives on the line," Tavacoli said. "And risking it all in hopes of a free country and a better future."

Continuing to rally, Tavacoli hopes to organize protests as long as the group is able.

Organizers are additionally increasing visibility and raising awareness through a new billboard off Interstate 35 near Cambridge Circle, stating: "I want you to stand with Iran."

Tavacoli says another billboard for the metro area is in the works.

Protests continue at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Mill Creek Fountain.