'Silence is violence' is today's powerful message which could be heard echoing around Gateshead and Newcastle's shared Quayside, as hundreds turned out for protests against the current Iranian regime.
Widespread protests have been going on for months now around the world, after Mahsa Amini was brutally beaten into a coma by Iran's morality police for not wearing a hijab correctly, September.
The 22-year-old was reportedly abducted from the street for not complying with strict Iranian laws surrounding the headwear, before being beaten at a police station leaving her brain dead.
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She tragically passed away three days later, with her family, as well as the Iranian people demanding justice to come to those who left her in the state. And while anti-government protests have been going on all across Iran since, communities across the world have been equally as vocal - with demonstrations taking place across Europe and the United States also.
Today, hundreds gathered outside Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts to make their message heard - sporting banners, murals and picket signs, pleading for basic human rights in Iran. Speaking to Chronicle Live at today's lunchtime protest, Matin Salali, 28, spoke of how many Iranians cannot return home through fear of the current regime.
He said: "We're here to protest for basic human rights and Iranian women and men who are fighting for their basic human rights in Iran today. 78 days ago, a girl called Mahsa Amini was murdered for not wearing her hijab properly.
"Since the Islamic revolution, Iran has enforced oppressing policies on women all across the country, and enforced a lot of constraints on women in particular. And as a result the country has morality police in charge to enforce these policies.
"As a result of that, moralities go around harassing people, beating them for not wearing their hijab and unfortunately Mahsa Amini was only one of the people who suffered from that and ended up dying three days after she was in a coma from being beaten up.
"Ever since then, protests have sparked all across the country. All across every single city people have taken to the streets, shouting their name and fighting for their freedom.
"Since then unfortunately, hundreds of people have been killed and murdered in the protests - shot, beaten, taken into custody - hundreds are missing...we don't have official numbers but the ones we do know are on the poster at the back there."
As well as the posters, a number of Iranian flags, and candles were set out in memorial to those who have lost their lives - with protesters chanting and making their voices and messages clear. Martin also outlined that many Iranians cannot return back to their native country, leaving them feeling 'helpless' and 'stuck'.
He added: "None of these Iranians who are abroad, or are in different cities and different countries, none of them can go back home - for various reasons. I'm sure that just like me, everyone would love to at some point, but they feel completely stuck right now, just like the people in Iran fighting for their lives."
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