Pro-Palestine and Iran Protests on May 17th
Friday, May 17, 2024, Another cloudy day in Irvine, California
The weather today was cloudy, windy, and a little cool all day. I wore my puffy jacket and knit slouchy beanie as I drove to a walking meetup at 5:30PM. But as I drove a mile, the sky suddenly turned blue and very sunny. Eleven people showed up for this meetup. The weather was nice, but I felt a little warm. I ended up walking 4.1 miles and 11,912 steps on this energizing but relaxing walk. I needed this walk, since I haven't been going to the gym for the past week because of unexpected errands.
As I was driving home at around 7:40PM, I noticed a small protest on the corner of Culver Drive and Barranca Parkway. The people were waving Iranian flags, and there were some American flags in the background. Somewhere behind my car and to the right, a man yelled out, “Free Palestine!” from his window, a couple of times. I turned my head to the right, during a red light, and I noticed an ice cream truck. But I didn't see anyone stick their head out the window and say anything. After the red light, I continued driving until I went on Harvard Avenue.
On the corner of Harvard Avenue and Alton Parkway, I noticed a small crowd on the lawn of the Irvine Civic Center. Some people were holding a sign, others were waving a Palestinian flag as they chanting while pacing back and forth, and one woman was carrying her dog. There was also a large banner in the background that reads, "STOP STARVING GAZA" in black and "OUR TAXES KILL" in red. Since there were red traffic lights, I was able to take some quick snapshots. But it was getting dark.
I relaxed and watched the 1999 movie, Magnolia. I think it is a strange movie, filled with bunch of messed up characters. But the weirdest scene is the raining of frogs. I just hope these weren’t real frogs because that is animal abuse. I googled it, and it is noted that this dark frog-raining symbolism has to do with Exodus 8:2 in the Bible. It is about God sending these frogs on the Egyptians because they refused to free the Israelites. It also has to do with forgiveness and redemption. Since I watched this movie tonight on the independent channel, after noticing this evening's Irvine protests, it could be a sign that God will send similar frogs down on Zionist Israel because they refuse to Free Palestine. It sounds like history has been repeating itself from 1948 until the present.
Iranians continue to protest the Iranian government's violent regime. They want a complete change of leadership in their government. It all started in September 2023, when Mahsa Amini had died while under the custody of the Morality Police. She had been arrested because her hijab was worn loosely around her head, not properly covering all of her hair. She was twenty-two years old. While driving by this protest on Friday evening, I didn't hear any chanting or see any signs. Last year, this Iran protest had gone global because of human rights issues, where young people were jailed as well as others were beaten, and even killed.
Pro-Iran Protest on Culver and Barranca, on 5.17.24, around 7:45PM
Moreover, in 2007, I watched the animated film, Persepolis, in the theater. It is about a very rebellious young girl in Iran, trying to deal with the Islamic Revolution. This animated film was in French, with English captions, which was fun reading because the artwork isn't good. Since the story is similar to an action-filled adventure, I later bought a copy of the graphic novel because I enjoyed the main character's crazy, wild, and adventurous journey. This animated film is now on YouTube. I plan to watch it again.
