Women. Life. Freedom.

St Andrews will hold a rally and vigil this week to show our community’s support for women, students, and protesters facing violence and oppression in Iran.

The University will be supporting the efforts of students, staff, the public, and the Iranian community in Fife and Dundee to protest against the actions of the Iranian regime and call for peace and human rights.

This event is supported by the St Andrews Students’ Association, the Rector and Rector’s Committee, Amnesty International St Andrews, our Iranian students and staff, and the University.

It is a direct response to emails the University has received from Iranian students, including some at Sharif University in Iran, asking us to amplify their voices. Sharif – Iran’s leading university – has been the site of a brutal crackdown against people protesting the Iranian regime and the actions of its so-called morality police.

Protests for liberty, justice, and human rights have spread across Iran following the death on Friday 16 September of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini. She was arrested under ‘morality laws’ which enforce veiling for women, and beaten and killed in custody.

Where: Gather on Lower College Lawn at 5pm on Thursday 13 October.

What: The rally will hear from some of our Iranian students and staff, including Professor Ali Ansari of the Iranian Studies Institute, and Dr Saeed Talajoy of the School of Modern Languages.

How: We want to send a message of encouragement and support to students and women in Iran, and Iranians in our own community who need support at this time. Even although the regime has tried to shut down the internet, social media and digital communications can still get through. Please post on your own channels about your attendance and support.

Who: All are welcome. We hope to be joined by members of the Iranian community in Fife and Dundee, as well as local school pupils and residents.

You can find out more about this event, the work of Amnesty International St Andrews in coordinating support for it, and evidence of the violence against women in Iran on the Students’ Association website.

Please share this event information as far and wide as possible. Full event details are available on the University Facebook page.