Hundreds of protesters swarmed San Diego streets Saturday to protest the contested election in Iran.
Waving signs and chanting slogans, Iranian-Americans showed their solidarity during a loud protest downtown with demonstrators showing equal parts of passion and outrage.
“Democracy for Iran! Freedom for everyone,” the protesters chanted.
Many voiced support for Iranian reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has called for a recount in the Middle Eastern country's June 12 election.
“We just want to be heard all over the world, that we just want democracy. That's it,” Parsa Haghani said.
About 1,000 demonstrators in San Diego not only want to be heard but they want those values that we take for granted to spread to their homeland.
“The more aware we are as human beings, regardless of the country we are living in, about the injustices that are taking place in other places in the world, it will help this movement, every democratic movement,” Kourosh Taghavi said.
Charges of election rigging emerged after the election's results were announced just hours after polls closed.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Friday that there will be no recount, and that further demonstration in Iran is illegal. Thousands of protesters took to Iran's streets Saturday in violation of his order.
The group of protestors in San Diego says it will not be silenced until there is justice.
“These are fundamental American values that we can stand with. The idea to support democracy, to support your own candidate without risk, the ability to ask for a recount,” Kate McCarthy said.
