Key Points
- Kian Garden in northern Sydney is a community initiative that honours those who have died in Iran's protests.
- It's named after Kian Pirfalak, who was shot and killed aged just nine.
- The garden is home to some 250 plants, including many species commonly grown Iran.
Kian Pirfalak was just nine years old when he was shot and killed during a protest in Iran on 15 November 2022.
Now a group of Iranian Australians are creating a garden in his name in northern Sydney.
Through the initiative, they hope to show solidarity with the ongoing “Women, Life, Freedom” protests in Iran and also spread awareness of environmental issues among the wider Australian community.
The group has already planted hundreds of trees around Australia which they have dedicated to the protesters killed over the last 11 months in Iran.
A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran on September 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody. Source: AFP / -/AFP via Getty Images
Kazhal* (full name withheld), who works as a bush regenerator, said the group felt that people were no longer paying attention to the uprising in Iran.
A group of Iranian Australians are planting trees in honour of protesters killed during Iran's uprising. Credit: Supplied
'We are not strangers. We are your friends.'
This led the group to look for ways to raise awareness of the situation in their homeland.
“We were disappointed that no one in Australia understood us anymore. At that time, we asked ourselves, what have we done as Iranian-Australians? We needed to find a mutual language with Australians about our concerns,” she told SBS Persian.
As a group, we wanted to support the uprising in Iran, and we wanted to do that with something mutual between all of us.Kazhal
That mutual language turned out to be a love of nature, she said.
Since then, the group has planted 750 trees in Warners Park in NSW and dozens in the ACT and Victoria.
A tree planting event in Victoria. Credit: Niv Sadr
“I want Australian people to know too that we are concerned for your country. We are not strangers. We are your friends.”
'Gardens all over the world'
The community at large has welcomed these actions, Kazhal said.
In Sydney, the Willoughby City Council agreed to create a community garden in honour of the protesters in Iran, using 250 trees already planted in Warners Park by the Iranian community.
The group named the garden after Kian Pirfalak, who was killed in a shooting during the protests in Khuzestan province of Iran.
His mother, who witnessed the incident, said the government security forces were responsible for the shooting.
The group were prompted by a viral video of Kian, in which he spoke of his hope to plant a tree on National Tree Day in Iran.
“Kian was just an innocent kid who was worried about the environment. There is a video of him planting on tree day in Iran. He is the perfect symbol for our garden,” Kazhal said.
Various plants will be planted in Kian Garden, including species common to Iran like pomegranate, olive and fig trees.
On 27 August, the group plans to unveil another Kian Garden in the Mullumbimby community garden in Byron Bay.
“I am thrilled and will be even more so if we can build Kian Gardens in every state of Australia. These gardens can be our rendezvous spot where Iranian people can gather,” Kazhal said.
She hopes that there can be further Kian Gardens all over the world.
“I want Iranian people to not feel like strangers all over the world. We can create small Irans worldwide with these kinds of gardens. Our hearts beat for Iran, and this small garden will give us hope.”
Kian Garden in Sydney. Credit: Supplied
'Trees give life, a reminder of those who are gone'
Since the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of the police on 16 September 2022, there have been dozens of protests all over Iran.
According to the Human Rights Activists in Iran organisation, at least 517 protesters have been killed during the uprising, including at least 71 children.
Kazhal said each of the trees planted will be a symbol of these protesters.
“Trees give life to many things with their growth, offering a remind of the protesters who are gone. They have the same story too. Those people had many hopes and dreams and lost their valuable lives for that,” she said.
“When these trees grow, symbolically, we will see those people alive.
Those protesters wanted to send a message of freedom. For them, we will make the world green. With each person killed, thousand people will rise.Kazhal
