 My homeland is literally burning and I can't think of anything else. On Friday, September 23, 2022, the Berkeley Iranian community organized a candlelight vigil on the steps in front of Wheeler Hall in support of Masa Zina Amini, an Iranian woman recently killed by the morality police, for quote, improperly wearing her hijab. The vigil, planned by a group of UC Berkeley students, brought together an outpour of love and support with nearly 1,000 Iranians across the Bay Area in attendance. Yet today, the memorial is gone. We spoke with the organizers of the vigil, Hasti Mofidi and Yas Farzanafar, about why they planned the event and what happened. The purpose of the vigil was to bring awareness to what's happening in Iran right now, with the death of Masa Zina Amini and the fight for human rights and women's rights that's going on in Iran. We've never seen unity like this in Iran or in the diaspora, so we really wanted to bring awareness to that and give the community a place to come and bring their flowers, their posters, their candles, their motions, and we were able to do that. By cultivating a space where Iranian students at Berkeley could come together and talk about Masa Zina Amini's death, Hasti explains why this gathering is so important for the community here and Iran. And we wanted to keep the voices of the people alive. At that point, the internet had been shut down in Iran. In order to not let the movement die, we have to organize here as well. Could you just answer, how long did the memorial stay at? Less than 12 hours. Here at the steps of Wheeler Hall on UC Berkeley's campus is once where the memorial of Masa Zina Amini once stood for less than 12 hours before it was exposed to. To the Iranian students at Berkeley, this only adds their emotional distress. I don't feel supported or cared for. We had posters, there was candles, there was images and videos of how we left the vigil. And they were all, I don't know where they are, they're, I think, a trash. And I think that's a historical movement that happened on Friday and campus completely disregarded that. From the public eye, this may just be seen as another vigil, but for the organizers and attendees, they sacrificed more than what the average viewer may think. A lot of us sacrificed more deeply, like the ability to go back home when you put your face out there, when you put your name out there, even when you're showing up to these vigils and protests, you're making yourself a target. For people like Hasti and Yas, who chose to put their face out there, they are in a position to lose their relationship with their homeland. However, this vigil holds so much importance, they're willing to do so. On top of the sudden disposal of the memorial, UC Berkeley has yet to make an official statement about the events currently occurring in Iran. They said they couldn't come, which is understandable because of parents' weekend. But they said that they'll individually reach out for something to Iranian students. I haven't received anything yet. It's Monday. I feel that the university, at least to this point, has shown a lack of respect for the Iranian students at Berkeley. At 9 a.m., September 26, the Iranian Student Cultural Organization, along with other Iranian students at Berkeley, sent a follow-up letter to Chancellor Kale Christ, addressing the lack of response by the university, as well as a disposal of Massa Zina Amini's memorial. When asked what they hoped the university's response to this would be, this is what they had to say. Well, first, we hope to receive acknowledgement of what's happening in Iran, support for the students in the same way that they've supported other groups when they've been facing distraughtsities back in their homeland. Or even, as Yoss puts it, Just knowing that the campus cares about us is what we ask for. As of now, the Iranian students at Berkeley are still awaiting the university's response. But, as every day passes, the emotional drain felt by these students does not waver, it only grows. Reporting for CalTV, I'm Shaila Slampour.