October 5, 2009 | 10:18 am

Podcast: Iranian and Standwithus protestors speak out against Ahmadinejad

Posted by Karmel Melamed

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Roz Rothstein, Standwithus's international director condemning Ahmadinejad's address before the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24th

Nearly 400 local Iranians Muslims, human rights activists and members of the L.A.-based Israel educational organization Standwi.com (SWU) held signs outside the Federal Building in Westwood on Sept. 23rd demonstrating against the arrival of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the United Nations in New York City last week. Our blog’s podcast program caught up with all of the L.A. human rights protesters who gathered at the location to voice their outrage with Ahmadinejad and Iran’s current regime.

Our podcast can he heard: HERE

Waving the imperial flags of Iran from the Shah’s era, the evening rally was a unique gathering bring together local Americans and Iranians of various religions including Jews, Muslims, Christians and Bahais who were calling for greater freedoms for average individuals living in Iran. Various Iranian groups opposed to the current regime in Iran were present at the demonstration including members of the Constitutionalist Party of Iran. The turnout of protestors that evening at seven p.m. on a weeknight was quite impressive considering the traffic many individuals have to battle after work in L.A.‘s clogged freeways and streets. SWU officials said their members were also a part of a larger two and half hour demonstration on Sept. 24th outside the United Nations Plaza in Plaza along with more than ten thousand people to demand freedom for all Iranians during Ahmadinejad’s speech to the U.N.

The following are just a few photos of the protest I captured….

Iranian Jewish activist Manucher Afari wearing a sign protesting Ahmadinejad.

(center; Sam Yebri, president of the L.A.-based Iranian American Jewish group “30 Years After” joining the protesters.

a mannequin of an Iranian woman hanging at the end of the hangman’s noose to demonstrate the lack of human rights women experience in Iran.

Iranian Jewish philanthropist and activist Dora Kadisha, proudly holding up her sign during the protest.

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