Iranians in New Zealand have joined protests around the world against a crackdown by the Tehran government.
More than 90 university students have been arrested by the regime for demanding greater political freedom. More than 90 percent of those arrested in Iran are under the age of 25.
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With a young, tech-savvy population, the politicians' fear of youth organisations isn't surprising. The clerical regime responded by limiting internet access to block communication.
In a show of solidarity against the Tehran government, protesters gathered in Auckland's Aotea Square.
Refugee Maliheh Shadoust implored New Zealanders to stand up for the persecuted Iranian people.
"They are human like everybody else. Nobody knows who we are now - what for? We need support. We need everyone to come for us."
The University of Tehran has set up a committee to track its arrested students, saying many of them were innocent bystanders.
Families of detainees who are camped outside Evin Prison say they're also being threatened with arrest.
"If you say something, they catch you take you to jail and God knows what they do to you," says Ms Shadoust.
"We have some mothers here. She doesn't know where is her son."
The United States has pledged its support for the protesters, which supreme leader Ali Khamenei says is only stoking chaos.
"There is a long history of US bullying at the UN, but this is a preposterous example," Iran's UN Ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, said in response to Nikki Haley's condemnation of the Tehran government.
"[They are] the purely internal affairs of a nation, in this case protests, that the Iranian government has addressed."
While protests continue to gain momentum, new pro-government rallies have emerged where many citizens have been ordered to attend.
This has prompted the people of Iran to not only fear the fate of detainees, but also an impending crackdown by regime to restore order.
Newshub.
