Jun 3

Jun 3 Honoring Kian

Chicago, Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

As demonstration go, today’s Chicago4Iran celebration of the life of Kian Pirfalak was a bust, if demonstrations are measured by the size of the crowd or the number of television cameras present. But how can several families coming together to honor a chid who was shot to death be viewed as a bust?

Nine-year old Kian was killed by Iranian security forces while seated in a car parked in the Izeh market, which is located in the Iranian province of Khuestan. Six others were also killed by the security forces.

The first bullet went through Kian’s heart, killing him instantly. His family did not take his body to the morgue, because Iranian security forces have been known to hold the bodies of “protesters” hostage. Instead, the family solicited ice from their neighbors, to keep Kian’s body cold prior to burial.

The Iranian authorities disputed the family’s claim that a member of Iran’s security forces pulled the trigger. The government claimed that Kian was killed by ISIS terrorists, pointing to an ISIS communiqué claiming responsibility. BBC Monitoring subsequently determined that the communiqué was fake.

The Iranian security forces were responding to protests over the killing of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian woman who died while in state custody for wearing an improper hijab, when they shot Kian. At least 43 children were killed during those protests, causing UNICEF to issue a statement condemning Iran.

I saw a listing on one of the websites that tracks Chicago-protest activity for today’s demonstration in Grant Park. Presumably the group obtained a permit for the event, but given the low turnout, it was probably unnecessary.

There were no speeches, at least none while I was present. I asked one of the parents what the paper objects symbolized. The answer, “a boat.” Before his death, Kian had built a boat for a competition, which he demonstrated in a video that has since gone viral. He wanted to be an inventor, and I was told he hoped to attend engineering school when he entered university.

The sign that the demonstrators placed on the easel references the “God of Rainbows.” As Kian tested his boat’s propeller, he said, “in the name of the God of Rainbows,” which is a phrase taken from a poem by Mahmoud Purohab. The poem is included in a Persian elementary school book that Kian must surely have read.

I spent about a half an hour watching 12 to 15 adults and children place the colored boats on a map. The kids were enjoying a summer day in the park. Several probably did not understand the significance of what was happening. They were just having fun.

The adults went about the business of filling the white sheet of paper spread across the asphalt with the hundreds of paper boats that filled a cardboard box. They were relatively subdued, but they were nevertheless enjoying a day with their kids (and in at least one case, probably grandkids).

After 30 minutes, I sensed that no one else would show up, so I left. Best to let those gathered enjoy their time together without me lingering about.

The age-old question did come to mind: Does a tree that falls in the woods make a noise if no one is around to hear it fall? Given the circumstances that sparked this demonstration, I’d say the answer is a resounding, “Yes.”

The effort will change nothing, but sometimes a demonstration serves to confirm the demonstrators’ own beliefs, bolstering their resolve. No doubt those present today will be at other demonstrations with far more participants. No doubt those demonstrations will receive far wider coverage by the media.

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