[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition and demand media outlets and cable networks in the
United States support protesters in Iran!

Dear MoveOn member,

There are historic protests happening right now in Iran, which globally
may well be the first time in history that women have been both the spark
and engine for an attempted counter-revolution.^1 People all across the
country—primarily women, queer folks, and young Gen-Z Iranians—are leading
protests against the so-called "morality police" and a repressive regime
that killed 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Jina Amini, known by her
government name Mahsa since Kurdish names cannot be legally registered.^2 

Protesters have a lot to lose, as many are not only risking their safety,
but their life as they know it. Dozens of Iranians have already been
killed, including teenage girls, and hundreds more have been arrested,
disappeared, or sent to "re-education centers" as part of the protests.
[ [link removed] ]It's an inspirational uprising for freedom and bodily autonomy that
deserves global attention, solidarity and support.
However, most Americans don't even know it's happening. And this isn't by
mistake: Iranian authorities have imposed a media blackout. Tragically,
through their lack of coverage, major U.S. media outlets are perpetuating
a media blackout of their own.^3

Authorities have blocked Instagram and WhatsApp—and other social media
apps that are primarily used to communicate with family and friends
internationally—while increasing government surveillance and limiting
internet access for citizens in Iran.^4 Iranians are demanding attention
and for their voices to be uplifted, or they will face further crackdowns
and violence when the world no longer watches. [ [link removed] ]The U.S. media can play
an important role by giving more coverage, airtime, and online prominence
to these protesters and to this uprising, which will engage more Americans
and help turn more global attention to this historic series of events.

News coverage will lift up the voices and images of what's happening in
Iran, break the Iranian media blackout, and help lead to greater progress
and freedom. Sign the petition and show solidarity with protesters and the
historic women-led protests in Iran.

[4]Sign the petition!

If you scan newspaper headlines or track what's covered on 24-hour cable
news and network evening news shows, you'll find very little coverage of
Iran—or if they do have a segment or interview, it often gets the story
wrong. A lot of the coverage coming out from the United States focuses
overwhelmingly on economic pressures and geopolitics, further erasing the
feminist spark at the center of all of these protests. And even worse,
these segments all too often turn to Americans instead of voices that are
emerging from within Iran.

Despite the regime's best efforts, Iranians inside Iran are still managing
to share their stories, protests, and demands for an end to the regime and
its repression on social media, and through family and friends.^5 We have
an opportunity to be in solidarity with the brave people in Iran and bring
much-needed visibility and amplification to their stories and wishes for
change within their country. [ [link removed] ]Click here to add your name to this
petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks for all you do,

–Mana, Justin, Cheryl, Nakia, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Iran’s Protests Are the First Counter-Revolution Led by Women." The
New Yorker, October 9, 2022
[link removed]

2. "'No going back'": Gen Z at the forefront of protests in Iran," Axios,
October 17, 2022 
[link removed]

3. "Iranians see widespread internet blackout amid mass protests," The
Associated Press, September 21, 2022
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4. "As unrest grows, Iran restricts access to Instagram, WhatsApp,"
Reuters, September 21, 2022
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5. "How Iran’s protests transformed into a national uprising," CNN,
October 13, 2022
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petitions. You can [ [link removed] ]start your own petition here.


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