Bay Area Iranian community takes to streets of SF in celebration, hope for regime change
By Tara Campbell
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Hundreds gathered in San Francisco from across the Bay Area Sunday in the wake of the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
“He has been announced killed, and it’s 80% of the way. The last 20% is the Iranian government — it is the last hill, one last punch from the people,” said San Francisco resident Kamyar Majlan.
“We support the U.S. attack on the occupying regime in Iran, and we feel that the Islamist regime is an occupying force that has occupied Iran for the past 47 years and has basically usurped the self-determination rights of the Iranian people,” said Amin Ahmadi, who made the trip up from Menlo Park.
The crowd took a moment of silence for the three U.S. service members who were announced killed in war operations Sunday, but the tone was mostly upbeat.
Hundreds of local Iranians had been gathering in front of the Ferry Building through the people’s uprising, but Sunday was a much different mood.
“You can hear the loud music. You can hear people in a celebratory mood,” said Simone Derayhe, who lives in San Francisco. “We still need to continue, but we still need to continue. This is just the first step. It’s a big step for Iranians, but it is one step toward the freedom of getting rid of the regime.”
“People have to make a decision for the future of Iran. This could be our last chance. This is time to stand up for our future,” Majlan said.
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