By: Diya Brar, SFU student
On January 16, a large crowd of SFU students gathered at the Burnaby campus to show support for Iranians protesting the Islamic Republic. The rally is just one of many internationally, as ongoing internet shutdowns and state violence continue to limit communication between Iran and the outside world.
Organized by the SFU Iranian Club, the rally brought together many Iranian Canadian students with families living in Iran. It was intended to show protesters that “we can see them and we hear them,” Artin Safaei, a general member and former executive of the club, told The Peak. Speakers addressed the crowd, and attendees chanted slogans and held signs, all while marching around the campus.
Severe economic hardship sparked protests in Iran on December 28, 2025. They later evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations calling for the removal of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Although significant unrest has persisted in Iran for decades due to political and economic tensions, the current protests are the largest since 2009 and the most widespread since 2022. In 2009, “millions of Iranians” protested against the “disputed presidential election,” while in 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini sparked “the most widespread revolt led by women since the 1979 Revolution.”
Human rights organizations estimate thousands of demonstrators have been killed, with thousands more detained, though exact numbers remain unclear due to censorship and restricted media access. Additionally, an intensifying fear and uncertainty are surrounding the possibility of Iranian authorities executing protesters.
“The goal [of the protests] is to get rid of the regime that hides behind this veil of democracy, but hates democracy,”
— Artin Safaei, general member and former executive of the SFU Iranian Club
However, he emphasized the SFU rally was not intended to push a specific ideological or political agenda: “We just wanted this to be focused on solidarity.”
Safaei added the lack of direct communication with Iran makes it “very easy for their voice to be hijacked by us, Iranians outside Iran, thinking we can represent people we are away from.”
Safaei also criticized SFU’s lack of response to the Iranian international students affected: “SFU is failing in its responsibility to provide financial aid to international Iranian students,” he said. Due to Iran’s internet shutdowns and subsequent banking restrictions, many SFU students are unable to receive financial support from family in Iran, forcing some to drop courses or struggle to afford living expenses. He voiced that the university has allowed bureaucracy to override students’ immediate needs. “We want them to know that we need them to act right now.”
In a statement to The Peak, SFU recognized “how stressful this situation must be for Iranian students.” They noted that “SFU’s International Services for Students office and Multifaith Centre have been reaching out to impacted students directly with resources around academic concessions and financial support.
“Impacted students have been advised to apply for bursaries to receive financial support from SFU. Students with immediate financial need can apply for one-time emergency funding through Financial Aid and Awards. Students can also contact Student Accounts to discuss their situation and will be provided with supports based on their specific situation,” said the university.
“The university has received several requests for Iranian students to be eligible for domestic tuition. SFU’s tuition policy is clear and must be consistently applied to ensure the process is fair and transparent for all international students. We cannot classify international student applicants as domestic students unless they meet one of the criteria found here,” they concluded.
Beyond immediate solidarity, Safaei argued Canada has a responsibility to acknowledge its role in Iran’s tumultuous political history. While he said, “we denounce the Islamic Republic,” he emphasized that foreign intervention and sanctions have contributed to deteriorating living conditions in Iran. “This is not just in a vacuum; Canada had a part in this,” he said, calling on Western countries to recognize how past involvement, or support of involvement, has undermined democracy in Iran. “These nations, right now talking about freedom and democracy, actively destroyed freedom and democracy in Iran.”
Safaei centres his message to Iranians, both inside and outside the country, on unity. “If we don’t become one, one by one, we will get destroyed,” he said.
Despite the ongoing violence, he ended on a note of hope, stating, “A government that kills its own people doesn’t stand a chance.”