SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
At least 3,000 people in Iran have died in protests, with many more detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency. An internet blackout has made it difficult to independently confirm that information, but images that trickle out of the country show a violent government response to protesters calling for reforms, regime change and, in some cases, for the return of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's king, who was deposed in 1979. We're joined now by one of those protesters. She has family in Iran, and she fears for their safety, so we will refer to her simply by her initial, A. And please note she has been witness to some disturbing scenes. A, thank you for being with us.
A: Thank you for having me. And this is important for everyone, the whole world, to know, actually, really what's happening there. So thank you.
SIMON: You're out of the country now, but you were in Iran last week and protesting, as I understand it. What did you see?
A: Thousands and millions, actually, of people came to the streets in Tehran and Karaj and many, many other cities. At first, I saw that the regular police with the normal police uniforms, they were attacking protesters where we were actually pushing them back. And then Basij and Iran Revolutionary Guard, IRGC...
SIMON: Yeah.
A: Most of them, they were speaking in Arabic, OK? And they started shooting directly at people hearts and heads without considering this, that some of them were kids, some of them were very, very young people, some of them were elderly, you know? And they were shooting in the sky, OK? And we thought, OK, this is tear gas. But it was exploding up and up in the sky. And around 50 bullets was spreading from that. And it was hitting 50, more or less, people at once.
SIMON: This was like bullets falling from the sky? Or...
A: It was exploding, and it was 50 bullets out of that, like, spreading all over the people.
SIMON: What are the protests about? That sounds naive, but what are people talking about? Why are they brave enough to come out in the streets?
A: The collapse of currency, economy situation and lack of freedom, lack of food, money. I don't know everything. People are frustrated. People are like, we cannot take this anymore. We don't want this anymore. You know? This time, everybody was calling the prince, Reza Pahlavi. They were shouting in (non-English language spoken) - this is the last fight. Pahlavi will return to the country.
SIMON: Do you hope that Reza Pahlavi, if he were to come back and come into power, would hold democratic elections?
A: Yeah, yeah, 100%. And he doesn't want power. He doesn't want anything. He just wants to help for transition, this transition time, and then we - he will hold election. He cannot be a dictator.
SIMON: You believe these demonstrations are different?
A: I strongly believe that this demonstration was totally, totally different than the ones in years ago. It's not for hijab. It's not for the votes. It's not - it is for the change of regime. It is for them to go. They just - they don't want them anymore. People had enough. And let me tell you about the worst part that I saw.
SIMON: Yeah.
A: That it always makes me cry. On Thursday, they were putting laser on people, yeah? There were these red lights like a laser. And they were scaring people that they're going to shoot at people, but, at the end, they didn't shoot. And it was a trick because on Friday, they did the same, and they shoot. With my own eyes, I saw bodies on top of the bodies in Karaj, in Chara Golzar (ph). And they were running by their motorbikes on the - on bodies, and they were dancing around them with their guns, celebrating their victory or whatever, and the street was full of blood. I don't know. I felt like I was in a nightmare. It was not real, but I was standing there. I was alive. It was real.
SIMON: Do you want the world to do something? Do you want the United States to do something?
A: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's not like we want them to change the regime or anything. Iranian people will do it themselves sooner or later, but we need help. We are empty-handed, standing in front of the bullet. If they have to kill all of us, they will kill all of us.
SIMON: What would you want the world to do, or the United States?
A: Well, Trump few times stated that help is coming and you're not alone, and when he didn't do anything, it is a bit disappointing. We need U.S. to target IRGC bases. And if the world is going to be quiet about it and do nothing about it, it just says one thing - they are with them. They support this regime.
SIMON: Do you have any hope right now?
A: For the change of regime?
SIMON: Yeah.
A: We have never been any closer to freedom than we are now. If U.S. wants to do something, it has to be now.
SIMON: A is what we're calling her, one of the many Iranians who's taken part in protests there in recent weeks. Thank you so much for speaking with us.
A: Yeah, sure. Thank you so much for listening.
(SOUNDBITE OF ORIGAMIBIRO'S "FRACTURE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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