‘WE DO NOT FORGET’ Local Iranian community members honor flight victims, feminist protesters

BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN @sulliclaire

It’s been three years since the Iranian government shot down a Ukrainian passenger flight from Tehran bound for Kyiv. And it’s been four months since a feminist revolution erupted in Iran after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in the custody of the Iranian police, who arrested her for an alleged dress code violation.

Members of the Iranian community from LSU, Baton Rouge and surrounding areas put together a performance art video in the LSU Greek Theatre to memorialize the 176 souls lost in the flight and bring attention to the ongoing struggle for human rights in Iran.

The video starts on a sign reading “Woman, Life, Freedom” in the colors of Iran’s flag, the calling chant of the recent protests. It zooms out to reveal people dressed in black surrounding an outline of a plane made from news reports.

“We do not forget. We do not forgive,” the video reads.

Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down on Jan. 8, 2020, days after the U.S. assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. The Iranian government first denied involvement in the crash but later admitted to firing missiles at the flight. But the government still claimed it was a mistake.

Among the victims were 15 children and a pregnant woman. There were 82 Iranians, 63 Cana-

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