Several hundred Queen’s community members gathered on campus on Friday at noon, joining the ongoing protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody in Iran after being arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.

In a statement released Friday, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly condemned the killing and the violent crackdown on protests, saying Amini’s “death was a direct result of the systemic and continued harassment and repression of women by Iran.” Joly added: “women’s rights are human rights. We salute the courage of the Iranian women who are peacefully protesting and we join them in sending the regime a very clear message: they must end all forms of persecution and violence against women.”

Queen’s University supports Minister Joly’s statement.

Resources for those affected by the deaths and protests are available:

• The International Student Advisor at the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) can be contacted at isa@queensu.ca for any questions or concerns.
• For wellbeing and counselling support, students are encouraged to connect with the Student Wellness Services team To book an appointment: 
  - For students in Ontario: Call 613-533-2506 from 8 am-4:30 pm Monday to Friday to schedule an appointment. 
  - For students outside Ontario and international locations: Empower Me is available 24/7.