The cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa adopted stances against the current violence in Iran against protestors, during their Tuesday, Nov. 15 meetings.
Without discussion, the Costa Mesa City Council approved a resolution announcing the city’s support for the Iranian-American community whose relatives and friends are currently being affected by violence and protests in Iran. The city also condemned the Iranian government’s actions against its people.
Mahsa Amini, 22, was killed in Iran on Sept. 16, 2022 after authorities there detained her for failing to wear a hijab.
The issue has sparked demonstrations across the world, including in Southern California.
In its resolution, Costa Mesa declared its alliance with the Iranian-American community, “particularly Iranian-American women,” and called upon the Iranian government to end “systemic human rights violations,” and for other governments to condemn the violence of the Iranian government.
Newport Beach’s resolution, proposed by Councilwoman Diane Dixon went further calling for an investigation into Amini’s death.
“The City of Newport Beach calls for an impartial investigation of the events leading to the death of Mahsa Amini and that those found liable for her death be brought to justice,” the resolution reads.
While many residents during the council’s meeting supported the resolution, current council candidate Jim Mosher—who is trailing opponent Erik Weigand by a wide margin of 26.67 to 57.03 percent of the vote—questioned if the city’s resolution had overstepped its bounds.
“I agree with the sentiment of this resolution,” Mosher wrote the council on the issue. “But I do not think spending taxpayer money preparing it was proper use of our resources.”
Mosher questioned whether the actions in Iran directly impact local residents, and if they should expect the city to condemn all reported abuses across the world, including the recent violence against the people in Ukraine.
