ST. LOUIS — Jan. 8 marks three years since an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down a Ukrainian Airlines flight minutes after it took off.
"They were civilians," Mitra Naseh an Iranian immigrant told 5 On Your Side,
"They were just traveling from Tehran to Kiev."
Surrounded by fellow St. Louisans, Naseh remembered the 176 civilians at a temporary memorial near the Gateway Arch grounds.
"The Islamic Republic regime never took responsibility of something we believe was intentional, and they call it a mistake," Naseh said
Eleven Ukrainians were on that flight. Iran has been recently aiding Russia by supplying drones to Russian troops in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Tetiana Mouzi attended Saturday's memorial and protest.
"The drones are there," Mouzi said. "Every single day, more Ukrainians have been killed because of [the drones]."
The group Women Life Freedom is calling attention to death, destruction and injustice.
"All of us are people," Mouzi said. "All of us are united for the peace — first of all— for the peace and for the freedom."
The Ukrainians in attendance also showed their support for the women of Iran.
"Right now, they are going through— sorry — hell," Mouzie said. "It's horrible what is going on there."
Women in Iran face strict, restrictive laws and severe punishments for going against them. Naseh made it out and to the safety of the U.S.
"We didn't have the freedom to choose to have that in our own country. For me, it was forced," Naseh said. "For me, it was hard. For me, it was not a happy choice. I was separated from my family. I cannot go back to my home country. None of it was easy."