Iranian Americans in Los Angeles Friday supported anti-government protesters in their native homeland by organizing their own demonstrations and demanding regime change amid Iran\u2019s struggling economy and decades of political oppression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After more than 40 people in Iran were killed during the ongoing protests, a wave of nationwide unrest has intensified in the Middle East nation, and dozens of people from the Iranian diaspora community in LA gathered outside the Sherman Oaks Galleria Friday.<\/p>\n
Among the LA demonstrators was Tima, whose entire family is still in Iran. She decried that her family and friends are living in fear amid Iran\u2019s crackdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the Islamic country faces the biggest challenge to the regime in years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shut down the internet and prohibited international phone calls from entering the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m here to be their voice,\u201d Tima said. \u201cI know you don’t have your voice right now because (the) regime shut down your voice. I’m saying regime change in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benjamin Radd, a professor at UCLA\u2019s International Institute, said rampant inflation and economic uncertainties have triggered the widespread protests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing severe hyperinflation (and) the devaluation of the Iranian currency,\u201d Radd explained. \u201cFor example, you\u2019ll have a shopkeeper or an employee on a salary getting paid on a Friday, and by Monday, the value of what they can buy has dropped significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also said consolidated wealth amongst the elite few left parts of the Iranian middle and working classes struggling to make ends meet with a devaluing currency.<\/p>\n