Grandmother in Indonesia swallowed alive by 7m-long python

Oct 27 2022

ULET IFANSASTI/GETTY IMAGES
Pythons are able to swallow prey up to one quarter of their length and up to their own weight. 

An Indonesian woman has been eaten alive by a huge python after venturing into the jungle to collect rubber.

Horrified locals managed to catch the 7 metre snake and cut it open - inside they found the undigested remains of the 54-year-old grandmother.

Jahrah, who like many Indonesians goes by just one name, had walked into the jungle alone in Jambi province, on the island of Sumatra, but did not return home.

Her family became worried and villagers sent search parties out into the forest

Two days after her disappearance, they came across the huge snake, which had an enlarged stomach, resting in a clearing.

Video footage showed local men spearing the giant snake with a long stick and bashing it on its head.

They then cut open its stomach with knives and machetes, revealing the remains of the woman.

There is speculation that the clearing of forest for palm oil cultivation in countries such as Indonesia is leading to greater contact between pythons and humans.

The chief of the local village, named Anto, said the woman would have been snatched by the snake’s jaws and then slowly suffocated to death.

“The victim did not come home after saying goodbye to her family to go to the garden collecting rubber from trees on Friday. Her family then reported her missing to the local authorities, and a search has been carried out since then.

“The snake was killed by locals, who then dissected its stomach. Everybody was shocked. It turned out that the woman we were looking for was in the snake's stomach.”

He said locals were scared because they suspected other snakes, equally large, were living in the surrounding forest.

The chief claimed that one of the snakes that had been spotted was around 8.2m long. Two goats have been killed recently by the snake, he added. Locals had tried to catch it but were intimidated by its size, he said.

The woman’s body was largely intact when the snake was sliced open because it had not had long to start digesting its meal.

Reticulated pythons are the world’s longest snakes. Found across South and South-east Asia, they can grow up to 8m long.

READ MORE:
* US snake researchers catch 5.2-metre Burmese python

* A woman went to check her corn - and was swallowed by a python

* Indonesia man swallowed whole by python

Egypt’s PM Announces $15 Increase in Minimum Monthly Wage

PER MONTH NOT PER HOUR

Wednesday, 26 October, 2022 - 

This picture taken on October 25, 2022 shows a view of the southern part of the Nile island of Zamalek in the center of Egypt's capital Cairo, with its landmark Cairo Opera House (C) and Cairo Tower (R). (AFP)

Asharq Al-Awsat

Egypt’s prime minister on Wednesday announced a 300-pound ($15.20) increase in the minimum monthly wage, as average Egyptians suffer from soaring prices in recent months.

In a news conference, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly announced the increase to 3,000 Egyptian pounds (over $152), up from 2,700 pounds ($137).

It was the fourth increase of the minimum wage since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office in 2014. It came as the government faces towering financial and economic challenges stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine.

The prime minister also announced an increase of 300 pounds ($15.25) in pensions and bonuses for civil servants.

The government, he also said, will not increase electricity bills until June next year. It will also offer financial support to some businesses hurt by the global economic crisis to avoid furloughs, Madbouly said.

Madbouly said some of the changes will take effect immediately, while others will have to be approved by parliament.

Wednesday’s measures are meant to ease the burdens of Egyptians hurt by the current global economic crisis, he said. Already, middle-class and poor Egyptians have suffered from painful austerity measures in recent years since the government embarked on ambitious economic reforms.

Egypt’s economy has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which rattled global markets and hiked oil and food prices across the world. Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer, most of which came from Russia and Ukraine. The country’s supply is subject to price changes on the international market.

The Egyptian pound recently hit a record low against a strengthening US dollar, selling at 19.7 pounds to $1. The slide has come as the government has engaged in monthslong talks with the International Monetary Fund for a new loan to support its reform program and to help address challenges caused by the war in Europe.

The government has received pledges from wealthy Arab Gulf nations for billions of dollars in investments, some of which are for private industry.

Inflation in the country of more than 104 million people surged past 15% in September, increasing pressure on lower-income households and everyday necessities. Around a third of Egyptians live in poverty, according to government figures.

Second Railroad Union Rejects Deal, Adding to Strike Worries

The Associated Press Oct 26, 2022

Norfolk Southern locomotives work in the Conway Terminal in Conway, Pa., on Sept. 15, 2022

. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo)


OMAHA, Neb.—A second railroad union rejected its deal with the major U.S. freight railroads on Wednesday, adding to concerns about the possibility of a strike next month that could cripple the economy.

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen said nearly 61 percent of the workers who voted opposed the five-year contract even though it included 24 percent raises and $5,000 in bonuses. It is the second rail union to reject a deal this month.

Union President Michael Baldwin said the “lack of good-faith bargaining” by the railroads and the recommendations of a board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed this summer denied workers the “basic right of paid time off for illness.”

The unions say the railroads, including a couple that reported more than $1 billion profit in the third quarter, can easily afford to offer paid sick time. The negotiations included CSX, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, and Kansas City Southern railroads.

The railroads maintain that the unions have agreed during decades of negotiations to forego paid sick leave in favor of higher wages and more generous short-term disability benefits that kick in after four days of absences and continue up to a year. They have rejected all demands for paid sick time although they did offer the unions that represent engineers and conductors three days of unpaid leave to tend to medical appointments as long as workers give 30 days notice.

The railroads have refused to offer workers much more than what the Presidential Emergency Board of arbitrators recommended, and they say that board rejected unions’ requests for paid sick time in favor of recommending the largest wage increases in more than four decades.

Workers have been demanding that railroads ease the strict attendance policies that keep some of them on call 24-7.

Six smaller unions have approved their deals with the railroads, but earlier this month the large Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union that represents track maintenance workers also rejected its proposed contract because workers were concerned about the lack of paid sick time. And the two biggest unions that represent conductors and engineers, who are most affected by the railroads’ demanding schedules, won’t release their votes until mid November.

All 12 rail unions that together represent 115,000 workers nationwide have to approve contracts with the railroads to prevent a strike although there is no immediate threat of a walkout because the unions that rejected their deals agreed to return to the bargaining table and continue talks at least through Nov. 19.

If both sides can’t agree on new contracts, Congress may step in to block a strike and impose terms on workers.

Ye Shall Remember the Tree of Life Tragedy

ANTISEMITISM

October 26, 2022
Josh Lipowsky 

— CEP Senior Research Analyst

Thursday marks the fourth anniversary of the Tree of Life massacre, when alleged gunman Robert Bowers burst into the Pittsburgh synagogue during Shabbat morning services on October 27, 2018, killing 11 people and wounding six others.

As the Jewish community commemorated the High Holiday season earlier this month, rapper and entrepreneur Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, launched an antisemitic screed over social media. On October 9, Ye tweeted out his intentions to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” because Jews “toyed” with him and “tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes [their] agenda.”

The tweets were widely condemned and Ye found himself ostracized. His talent agency, CAA, dropped him. The production company MRC Entertainment shelved a documentary on the rapper, breaking down into musical allegory why his comments were so unacceptable:

“Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years – the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain. This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Kanye has now helped mainstream it in the modern era.”

This summation perfectly encapsulates the problem with insidious statements like Ye’s. No, he’s not directly carrying out massacres like Hitler did or Robert Bowers allegedly did. But he’s providing excuses for those kinds of acts. Ye’s comments, and others like it that accuse Jews of a shadowy agenda, are merely stepping stones. The Holocaust did not take place in a vacuum. Nor did the Tree of Life massacre.

Bowers allegedly chose to attack Tree of Life because he believed there was a cultural invasion happening that was destroying the America he knew. He blamed the Jewish refugee agency HIAS for bringing foreign enemies into America to subvert the dominant culture. Brenton Tarrant believed New Zealand faced similar threats from Muslims when he carried out the March 2019 massacre in Christchurch, attacking two mosques because he believed his country had been “corrupted by the influence of outsiders.” Both men expressed frustrations with watching so-called attacks on their culture and countries and decided to take action.

Despite being widely condemned, Ye’s hate also found welcome ears—evidenced by a banner displayed in Los Angeles this past weekend by the antisemitic group the Goyim Defense League, which declared “Kanye is right.” GDL members stood above the banner on a Los Angles freeway making Nazi salutes while another banner promoted the GDL’s website, which is full of antisemitic conspiracy videos.

In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted how “hate speech opens the door to hateful action.” This is what we saw in Pittsburgh. It’s what we saw in Christchurch. And it’s what we saw in Nazi Germany as Hitler’s fiery rhetoric repeatedly blamed Jews for all the country’s ills, paving the way for broad—but not total—acceptance by Germans of the Holocaust. When someone becomes conditioned to believe that an outside force—in this case, Jews—are ultimately responsible for all wrongs, both personal and societal, it is a short path from there to deciding to act against those villains.

Hitler, Bowers, and Tarrant all viewed themselves as saviors, taking what they considered necessary actions to correct the course of their societies. The GDL claims it is warning against the “Jewish agenda.” Ye is raving about a Jewish agenda that seeks to keep him down. How long will it be until the next self-appointed savior swallows enough of the rhetoric and decides to act decisively?

Bowers is set for trial next year, but the hate that inspired him rampantly swirls. The Tree of Life attack is a reminder of the dangers of the rhetoric continuing to be spread by people like Ye, the GDL, and others. It must forcefully, swiftly, and repeatedly be condemned in all its forms, or one day soon, we will wake up to the news that Tree of Life is no longer the worst attack on the American Jewish community.

Curator spends 25 years searching for T-Rex fossil — then gives it a special name

Paloma Chavez, The Charlotte Observer - 

"SUE"

A curator in Colorado has spent his entire fossil-hunting career looking for a T-Rex.

Anthony Maltese of Triebold Paleontology Inc. was finishing up his last day of a late July expedition in the Hell Creek Formation in Harding County, South Dakota, when he found what he had been looking for for 25 years, according to an email from Maltese and a press release by Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center.

After walking 100 miles on his trip and “crisscrossing a ranch,” Maltese and his team uncovered the fossil bones “scattered under soft mud,” according to the resource center.

The team had worked their way through the area on past trips, but due to erosion some of the bones were beginning to appear, according to the release. After seeing resurfaced bones, the team declared the area a “dig site worthy of complete and thorough paleontological excavation and documentation.”

“Following the first few days of serious evaluation, it became apparent to Maltese and Triebold Paleontology founder Mike Triebold that this indeed represented an individual animal and not just portions of an animal deposited in the area by other means such as being washed away in a stream,” the release said.

The paleontologists were able to uncover signs of disease, deformity, previous injury and signs of cannibalism on the bones, according to the release.

“What has been found is already telling the story of a large juvenile that appears to have been scavenged after death by other predators, including other Tyrannosaurs,” the release said.

Uncovering all the pieces, however, proved tedious.

“At this time, roughly 15% has been found, but more may still be waiting under the dirt,” the release said.

As the founder of the bones, Maltese was able to give the fossil a name.

In honor of his wife, he named the discovery ”Valerie,” for fear that he’d get in trouble with her if he didn’t.

“Not Val, though,” Maltese specified, according to the release, “Valerie.”

Valerie will be displayed at the lab of Triebold Paleontology Inc. headquarters at the Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado, according to the release.

Maltese will be hosting a talk about the fossil on Oct. 26.

For anyone who wants to go see the fossil, it will be open for public viewing on Oct. 29.

Fossil of vomited-up amphibians offers ‘rare glimpse’ into ancient life, Utah park says

Fossil of extinct reptile that lived among the dinosaurs found in Wyoming, experts say

©2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CANADA WIDE SOLIDARITY PROTESTS

 'We are here to be their voice': Thousands rally in Toronto in support of Iranian protesters

Thousands attend 'The Time Has Come' rally


Tens of thousands of people gathered in Toronto for a rally in support of Iranian protesters who are facing violent government crackdown.

Toronto rally held in support of Iran protesters


Thousands march through the streets of downtown in solidarity with protesters in Iran demanding human rights and democracy.

CP24.com, Staff
Published Saturday, October 22, 2022 

Thousands of people marched through the streets of downtown Toronto on Saturday afternoon in solidarity with protesters in Iran who have been subjected to a violent government crackdown.

They gathered at Queen's Park at around 2 p.m. and subsequently made their way to Nathan Phillips Square, chanting and carrying flags and signs that included "Stand with the people of Iran," "Say no to dictatorship in Iran," "Say Her Name, Mahsa Amini," and "Women, Life, Freedom."

Called "The Time Has Come," the rally organized by the International Centre for Human Rights is one of the several that took place worldwide on Saturday. Similar demonstrations were held in U.S. and European cities condemning the actions of the Iranian government.

PHOTO

Thousands gather at Queen's Park for 'The Time Has Come' rally in support of Iranian protesters. (Patrick Darrah/CTV News)

Protests have erupted across the Middle Eastern country following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was taken into custody by Iran's morality police after she allegedly wore her mandatory Islamic headscarf too loose.

According to several human rights groups, Iran's security forces have killed 200 people while dispersing demonstrations using live ammunition and tear gas.

"We are here in solidarity with brave Iranian women. They are on the streets and protesting against the regime. We are here to be their voice," said Mehrzad Zarei, one of the organizers of the Toronto rally.

"We are here to say the Islamic regime must go."

Zarei's son was one of the 176 people killed on board the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 when it was struck by surface-to-air missile fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran's military.

He said the thousands who attended the rally are sending a strong message to women back in Iran that they are not alone in their fight.

"We are standing with them. We will do everything in our power to be their voice."

Earlier this month, a similar rally was held in Richmond Hill that approximately more than 50,000 people attended.

The violent crackdown on protesters has prompted Ottawa to bar more than half of the Revolutionary Guard from entering the country and impose restrictions on several Iranian officials.

Kimia Bakhshi echoed the sentiments of many people who attended the rally – she wants to be a voice for the people back in Iran who are dying while fighting for their freedom.

"We escaped our country. We came to a better place to be their voice to fight for them -- people who are suppressed in Iran, people who go to prison, people who die only because they're talking about their rights," Bakhshi said.

Her fellow demonstrator, who has family in Iran and fears for their safety, said she was at the rally to add her voice and help those being persecuted in her country.

"Everyone I love is being killed, slaughtered by the government in the streets… I have to be their voice because I had the chance to escape, but they don't have that chance," she said.

She believes a revolution in Iran is the only way to bring change.

"The government does not have the right to kill our teenagers, our girls, our boys, our kids, everyone," she said.

- with files from The Associated Press      

Thousands march through Toronto for women's rights in Iran

“I say to our politicians: take the side of humanity": demonstrator Reza who hopes Canada further punishes Iran

Author of the article:

Scott Laurie

Publishing date:

Oct 22, 2022  •

Thousands of people took the streets of downtown Toronto to protest the Iranian regime on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. PHOTO BY SCOTT LAURIE /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Article content

A massive demonstration – appearing to number in the thousands – calling for an end to the Islamic regime in Iran took place in downtown Toronto Saturday.

“We didn’t expect this number of people. But the people are just trying to show to the world their hatred of the Islamic regime in Iran,” said a woman named Marges, who did not wish to share her last name.

She painted her hands red – a symbol, she said, of the blood spilled daily by the Iranian regime.

“The government in Iran is trying to kill and arrest demonstrators unfortunately,” she said, as the crowd chanted for women’s rights and for an end to the Islamic government.

The march from Queen’s Park to Nathan Phillips Square was one of several held around the world – including in Germany and in Iran itself.

Marges painted her hands red, to symbolize the blood spilled daily by the Iranian regime, as she attended a massive rally in downtown Toronto on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. PHOTO BY SCOTT LAURIE /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Anti-government protests were sparked in Iran on Sept. 17 at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, 22, in her Kurdish town of Saqez.

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Article content

Amini was arrested in Tehran on Sept. 13 by its “morality police” for wearing “inappropriate attire.”

She died three days later at a Tehran hospital.

A state coroner’s report said Amini died from pre-existing medical conditions.

A woman holds a placard with a picture of Iranian Mahsa Amini as she attends a protest against her death, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. PHOTO BY MARKUS SCHREIBER /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Her family holds the police responsible for her death, saying doctors believe she was beaten while in custody.

The demonstrations have become the biggest challenge to Iran’s clerical leaders in recent years, with protesters calling for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Toronto friends Reza, from Iran, and Tahra, from Afghanistan, attended Saturday’s rally.

“I came today to support Iranian people because I am from Afghanistan,” said Tahra. “If change comes to Iran, I think it will affect Afghanistan.”

Reza said he was impressed with the turnout and hopes it sends a signal to Western governments to further punish the Iranian government.

“I say to our politicians: take the side of humanity,” said Reza, who has two sisters still living in Iran. “Of course we are all worried about them.”

slaurie@postmedia.com

Images of in Photos Global Day Of Action for Iran Rally in Toronto

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Global Day of Action for Iran: Rally in Support of Iranian People

 Manitoba

University students in Winnipeg host protest against Iranian regime

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Around 100 people gathered at The Forks on Saturday

CBC News · Posted: Oct 22, 2022 

Around 100 people gathered at the Canadian Museum For Human Rights on Saturday as part of ongoing international protests against the Iranian regime. (Donna Lee/CBC)

The University of Manitoba Iranian Students' Association hosted a rally outside the Canadian Museum For Human Rights in Winnipeg on Saturday to protest the current Iranian government regime.

"This movement is not against Islam, this movement is not an Islamophobic movement," said association president Pouya Farokhzad, who was involved in organizing the rally.

"We are against a regime that uses Islam to oppress people."

At least 100 people attended Saturday's rally, which coincided with a similar event in Berlin and rallies elsewhere in Canada and around the world.

The movement was sparked after the in-custody death of 22-year-old Masha Amini, who had been detained in Tehran for allegedly wearing her headscarf inappropriately. 

Head scarves for women in Iran — regardless of creed — have been mandatory as per the country's strict dress code enforced since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

• Protests rage in Iran's southeast, police arrest 57 they describe as 'rioters'

• She was Iran's women's minister before the 1979 revolution. Now she's watching protests in exile

• Iran tries to deflect protests over Mahsa Amini by focusing on Kurds

In Berlin, nearly 40,000 people gathered turned out to show solidarity for the women and activists leading the movement for the past few weeks in Iran.

The protests in Germany's capital, organized by the Woman* Life Freedom Collective, began at the Victory Column in Berlin's Tiergarten park and continued as a march through central Berlin.

Some demonstrators there said they had come from elsewhere in Germany and other European countries to show their support.

Iran's nationwide anti-government protest movement first focused on the country's mandatory hijab covering for women following Amini's death on Sept. 16.

Saturday's rally took place outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. (Donna Lee/CBC)

The demonstrations there have since transformed into the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 2009 Green Movement over disputed elections.

In Tehran on Saturday, more anti-government protests took place at several universities.

Members of the Iranian community in Manitoba have held a number of rallies against the Iranian regime in the weeks following Amini's death.

• Calls for justice grow in Manitoba over in-custody death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

• Iran sees renewed protests over Mahsa Amini death amid 'major' internet disruption

"The thing that we are looking for is a regime change … basically every kind of human rights is under attack right now in Iran," Farokhzad said.

University of Winnipeg student Ershiya Bagheri, who was also involved in organizing Saturday's rally, recently moved to Canada from Iran and has been unable to communicate with friends and family back home as internet services have been disrupted.

Bagheri has found support in Winnipeg's Iranian community, and by getting involved in local protests.

"I was feeling that Iranian diasporas need to do something so that the world outside Iran can also hear us and support us," she said.

"I want to continue fighting so that everyone can hear the women of Iran."

With files from Donna Lee and The Associated Press

PEI

Charlottetown protest shows support for women in Iran

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Demonstration one of many around the world since death of Mahsa Amini

CBC News · Posted: Oct 22, 2022 

Protesters did not want to go on camera for fear of repercussions in Iran. (Tony Davis/CBC)

Dozens of people gathered in downtown Charlottetown on Saturday to speak out against women's rights issues in Iran.

Protests have been happening in Iran and around following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16. 

Amini died following her arrest by Iran's morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her mandatory headscarf too loosely, which would violate the country's strict dress code enforced since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. 

None of the protesters in Charlottetown felt safe to speak to CBC P.E.I. on camera, fearing repercussions for loved ones in Iran. CBC is protecting their identity by not showing photos of their faces.

A poster of Mahsa Amini is seen outside Mackenzie Theatre in Charlottetown. Amini died Sept. 16 while in custody of Iran's morality police. (Tony Davis/CBC)

• Protests rage in Iran's southeast, police arrest 57 they describe as 'rioters'

Protesters held signs with messages of freedom and support for women and people from the LGBTQ community. They said it is their duty to keep the conversation going for those who can't speak out.

A sign at the Charlottetown cenotaph shows a message for women, life and freedom. (Tony Davis/CBC)

‘Say no to gender segregation’: Halifax rally

 held in solidarity with Iranians

By Karla Renić Global News
Posted October 22, 2022 

Nearly 200 people gathered on the Halifax waterfront on Saturday in solidarity with Iranians who are protesting their government regime's ongoing oppression of women.

Nearly 200 people gathered on the Halifax waterfront on Saturday in solidarity with Iranians who are protesting their government regime’s ongoing oppression of women.

Speaker Atefah Tabash said at the rally they ask the Canadian government to ensure that no person affiliated with Iran’s regime benefits from the immigration system.

“We love our Canada, we want it to stay safe,” the speaker said.

“We urge the government to draft practical solutions to this problem, and help the hardworking Iranian community to be safe in Canada.”

It’s been five weeks since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who was captured for not wearing her hijab properly, as dictated by the country’s regime. She died after falling into a coma while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police” on Sept. 16. Her death has caused many to take to the street as citizens call for democracy and an overthrow of the government.

READ MORE: New protests erupt in Iranian city that was scene of bloody crackdown

Witnesses said antigovernment protests erupted at several universities in Tehran amid heavy security on Saturday as the world observed a Global Day of Action. Protests were held in several cities across Canada.

A rally in solidarity with Iranians was held in Halifax on Oct. 22, 2022.

 Amber Fryday / Global News

Halifax West Member of Parliament Lena Diab also attended Saturday’s rally on the waterfront, saying the federal government supports Iranian protestors.

“My heart is with you, and all of your friends, families and loved ones — especially those who are still in Iran,” said Diab.

“The outrageous violence being perpetrated during this crackdown is disgusting and it must stop.”

Diab said she has heard stories from Iranians across the province and in Ottawa about the brutality towards those who demand basic rights.

“I’ve heard that even in Halifax we must do more to stop the Iranian regime’s global campaign of intimidation,” she said.

Diab said Canada’s government is using its voice on the international stage to ensure countries are in sync with one common goal: “to ban the (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) from coming to Canada and other countries.”

READ MORE: Canada announces new Iran sanctions amid protests over Mahsa Amini death

Canada’s Minister of Immigration and Citizenship Sean Fraser said at the rally there are half a million Iranians in Canada, and “it’s time that we show we’re standing alongside them, not just with our words.”

Fraser said there a number of sanctions have been lobbied against officials within the Iranian regime.

“The immigration measures we put in place do not just apply to the IRGC, but senior officials across every aspect of the regime, who will no longer be able to come to Canada,” Fraser said.

“Those who may enjoy their status here now, we are not afraid to revoke it, to remove them if need be.”

Fraser said the government will do anything it can “to hold the regime accountable,” and will ensure the safety of those who are speaking against it in Canada.

Speaker Flora Riyahi told the Halifax crowd they are gathered there to “say ‘no'” to gender segregation.

“‘No’ to a regime that does not respect the demand of its people; ‘no’ to violently crashing legitimate protests; ‘no’ to unexplained deaths at custody.”

Riyahi said, “‘yes’ to hope.”

— With files from Heidi Lee and The Associated Press.

'Women, life, freedom': Hundreds attend Halifax protest in support of Iranians

Hafsa Arif
CTVNewsAtlantic.ca Video Journalist

Published Oct. 22, 2022 

More than a hundred people gathered at the Halifax waterfront Saturday in part of the many protests happening across Canada in support of Iranians.

Crowds chanted 'women, life, freedom' as they voice concerns for Iranians while also condemning the Iranian government.

"They are chanting down with the dictator, down with the Islamic Republic of Iran. They’re chanting for freedom and democracy. Here in Canada, what we’re trying to do is pressure our elected officials," said Nazanin Afshin-Jam Mackay, who is an advocate.

While the Canadian government has applied sanction against the Iranian regime officials, protestors say they want more.

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"We are asking to add the IRGC entity into the terrorist group and not to let them into the country. For those that are in the country, we want them to get out," said Ateefeh Tabesh, one of the organizers of the protest.

According to Iran’s Human Rights Activist News Agency, 12,000 people have been arrested since the protests began last month. Ottawa says it will be taking action.

"The immigrations measures that we put in place do not just apply to the IRGC, but also the senior officials across every aspect of the regime who will no longer be able to come to Canada. Those who may enjoy the status here now, we are not afraid to revoke it and to removed them if need be," said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration.

Many protestors say they are risking their safety, as well as the safety of their families back home by attending the protest.

"Their information is being shared with regime officials and from there, these officials harass the families of those that still have family there," said Afshin-Jam Mackay.

A global protest in support of Iranians is scheduled to take place next week.

Protests for women’s right in Iran at Saskatchewan legislature

By Andrew Benson Global News
Updated October 23, 2022


Over 100 community members gathered outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building Saturday and showed their support for justice and human rights in the Iranian culture.

As protests rage in Iran for women’s rights, Regina residents are doing their part to show support.

Over 100 community members gathered outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building Saturday to rally for justice, women’s rights and human rights in Iran.

“Our brothers and sisters back home are fighting whole-heartedly with bare hands against the Islamic regime,” said Shiva Souri, an Iranian student who has been living in Canada for the last year and a half.

“This is the only thing we can do as an outside country because we do have the privilege to speak with our voices and talk on their behalf and ask people who have the power to tell the world what is happening in Iran.”

Over a hundred people attended the protest on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Saskatchewan legislative building. Troy Charles / Global News

Iranians have been actively protesting the Islamic regime for over month now and during this time, the regime has shut down the internet in the entire country, arrested protestors, and killed hundreds of people, some as young as 15-years-old.

“I might put my family in danger because we have attended a protest,” when talking about the hold the regime has not just in Iran, but out of the country as well,” said Souri. “We are under pressure, we are buckled up and under stress every single morning that we wake up.”

While anger against the regime was strong for Souri this weekend, she also feels and immense amount of pride.

“I feel not helpless anymore,” she said. “I feel like I have a mountain behind me and each one of us feels the same. Our voicees will make action.”

For Zahra Mansoureh Darzi, an Iranian woman who has been in Canada for 31 years, it’s hard for people from Canada to fully understand the control the regime has on Iranian people, but protests like today’s start to slowly educate people.

“If you want to take your dog outside, you don’t have that freedom,” Darzi said. “If I want to dance or I want to sing… that is not permitted under the Islamic regime. So many small things beyond our imagination here that we can’t believe.”

Darzi’s husband was executed in 1998 when she was just two months’ pregnant, after he spoke against the regime sending 15-year-olds into war. It is something on the top of her mind throughout the protest.

“He was only asking for freedom and justice. They killed him because they were afraid of the truth coming out. I can’t even express my feeling in that moment.”

For both Darzi and Souri, the final sentiment about what needs to happen was the same.

“The one and only solution is revolution,” Souri said.

'Once people are willing to give up their lives to make change, I think we all need to support that': London rally to support reforms in Iran

Gerry Dewan
CTV News London Reporter
Published Oct. 22, 2022 

Protestors opposing the Iranian government gathered in London’s Victoria Park Saturday afternoon, continuing the calls for reform in the Islamic republic.

Organizers of the rally say it's vital to keep the pressure on the government.

About 300 people gathered at the entrance to park, filling the air with chants, including "women, life, freedom" and "down with dictators."

One organizer expected the gathering to be larger and worries there's a narrative being spread that the protests are opposing Islam.

"This has nothing to do with religion. This has nothing to do with what you believe. This has nothing to with if you want to wear a hijab or if you don't want to wear a hijab," says Sara. Like many demonstrators who have family in Iran, she only uses her first name for fear of reprisals. She says the protests are about basic human rights, "This has more to it. This about that of your part of the LGBTQ community, if you're gay, you're lesbian, you're a bisexual. Like, as a woman, your voice won't count."

Protests started in Iran hours after a 22-year-old woman died after being taken into custody by Iran's so-called morality police.

It's been more than a month since Mahsa Amini lost her life and since that time there have been persistent protests, both in Iran and around the world."

"I have experienced everything there and I can very well feel this could happen to me," says Pari. She left Iran when she was 25. She says Amini's death had a profound effect on her bringing back to mind the fear and anxiety she lived with, "The moment you go out of your house anything could happen to you because of the way you are dressed."

Speaking of her feelings when she thinks of Amini’s death she says, "First you are full of sorrow, but then you are full of rage."

Canadian educator Greg Janes has been to the Middle East but never to Iran. He says watching citizens of that country take a stand against oppression is what brought him out to the demonstration at Victoria Park, "It's been going on for a month and people are still going out. Once people are willing to give up their lives to make change, I think we all need to support that."

London Rally - Saturday October 22, 2022 (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Hundreds rally in support of Iranian protesters in downtown Kitchener


Hannah Schmidt
CTV News Kitchener Videographer
Published Oct. 22, 2022 

Iranian-Canadians in Waterloo region are rallying in support of protests in Iran.

The protests were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while she was detained by the country’s morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, an event dubbed Freedom Rally For Iran was held in downtown Kitchener. More than 400 people attended.

One speaker said the event is part of an international call to action to bring the community together and show loved ones in Iran they have support.

“Everybody is standing together and stating that they're tired of this oppressive regime. They have not been able to do anything economically or socially for the people of Iran for the past 40 years and they need to go. That's the message," said rally speaker Pooneh Bolourchi.

Bolourchi said there are plans for continued demonstrations of support throughout the region, meant to give a voice to those who may not be able to speak out.

“We're going to continue to support and be the voice of voiceless people in Iran. They're honestly walking on the streets, bare-handed and facing war weapons, and the Islamic regime and their police are just opening fire on people."

Rally participants gathered at Kitchener City Hall and then made their way to Victoria Park in solidarity with those protesting Amini’s death. Rally-goers were seen carrying signs reading “Women, Life, Freedom,” as well as posters of Amini.

Amini died in hospital on Sept. 17 and protests in support of her have followed – first in Iran and then globally.

Around 50,000 people attended a rally in Toronto earlier this month. Another took place in the city Saturday.