Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) will this evening hold a vigil in memory of Mahsa Amini alongside the Society for International Affairs (SOFIA), DU Amnesty, and DU Gender Equality Society (DUGES).
The vigil will take place at 7pm on the steps of the Exam Hall and is also intended to show solidarity with protests in Iran.
In a statement to Trinity News, TCDSU said: “We express solidarity and mourn the loss of all who have died defending bodily autonomy in the resulting protests following the death of Masha Amini.”
Protests have swept across Iran in recent weeks following the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody on 16 September.
At least 76 people have been killed in the unrest according to media reports, mostly protestors but also members of Iranian security forces.
The statement continued: “Standing up to an oppressive government, which seeks to quash all dissent is a brave thing to do, and we mourn the 76 people who have been killed by the regime as they sought to protest this injustice.”
Amini was detained by Iran’s morality police who accused her of violating the country’s headscarf law.
TCDSU added: “Mahsa Amini was just a woman who did not seek to die a martyr, she was detained on an expressway. The violence and brutality demonstrated was abhorrent, and we mourn her death.”
“We stand in solidarity with all those fighting for fundamental human rights. We rally for the rights of women to wear what they want, and stand in solidarity with all women and gender minorities whose bodies are politicised, whose freedoms are restricted, and whose lives are taken.”
The statement concluded: “We extend our full sympathies to anyone who has been affected by recent events, and encourage them to reach out to supports available.”
If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this article, the following supports are available:
Welfare and Equality Officer – Chloe Staunton – [email protected]
Student Counselling Service – [email protected]
Niteline (9pm-2:30am) – niteline.ie / 1800 793 793
Crisis Text Line – 50808
