Iran Protesters: Regime is 'Our Enemy' - 'They Lie to Us That it’s America'
Iranian demonstrators chant that their leaders are their enemy, not the US
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The people of Iran have been taking to the streets in their thousands over the weekend as they rise up on defiance of their brutal regime, demanding a change in leadership.
The streets of Tehran were flooded with demonstrators who were calling for Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameini to quit, with protesters heard chanting that their leaders are "the enemy" and not the United States.
The scenes have been in stark contrast to previous reports showing citizens who were forced to participate in a state-orchestrated funeral for Iran's slain terror chief Gen. Qassam Soleimani.
Today all the videos from Iran show the scale of ongoing protests in Tehran.
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 11, 2020
Iranian protesters are demanding Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei step down after the regime shot down a Ukrainian plane & killed 176 people.
Are the US media and well known actresses covering this? pic.twitter.com/SLjnSK8408
The Iranian government has responded by opening fire with live ammunition against protesters who are rising up against the Islamic Republic for shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane last week, killing all 176 people on board, and then lying about it for days.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, shot the plane down with an anti-aircraft missile early on Wednesday after launching a strike against U.S. forces in Iraq.
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“For the first three days after the crash, Iran denied growing international accusations that it had shot the plane down, and looked as if it was engaged in a cover-up,” The New York Times reported.
“The Iranian authorities insisted that the jetliner had gone down for mechanical reasons, and refused to cooperate with investigators.
"They also began to remove some evidence from the scene.”
Massive protests erupted across Iran over the weekend in at least a dozen cities and Iran responded by firing “tear gas, rubber bullets and eventually live ammunition to disperse demonstrators,” the Daily Wire reported.
The Times later noted that multiple people had been shot and that other protesters were beaten.
Warning- Graphic Video: Regime forces shoot at female protester in Tehran. Man who sent me this video was crying so hysterically, he could not speak. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/1EhDuBBuam
— Lisa Daftari (@LisaDaftari) January 12, 2020
#IranProtests2020
— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) January 13, 2020
Tehran: Security forces violently beat up a grieving man protesting the downed plane. pic.twitter.com/EgqYEbd4XY
President Donald Trump warned Iran about attacking protesters on Sunday, tweeting, “To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS.
"Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching.
"Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free! Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!”
To the leaders of Iran - DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS. Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching. Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free! Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2020
“To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you," Trump wrote on Saturday.
"We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage.”
“The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people," the president added.
"There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching.”
“Unlike previous waves of opposition, some of the outrage this time has come from conservatives who ordinarily support the government, as well as from the usual critics,” The Times added.
“Headlines in hard-line newspaper demanded resignations, and the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Hossein Salami, issued a very rare public apology. …
"The editor in chief of the Revolutionary Guard’s Tasnim news agency, Kian Abdollahi, said that attempts by government officials to lie about what had happened were as great a ‘catastrophe’ as the crash itself.”
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The Times noted that protesters chanted, “The supreme leader is a murderer; his regime is obsolete,” “Our enemy is right here, they lie to us that it’s America,” and “They killed our geniuses and replaced them with clerics.”
Truly remarkable. Just 2 mo ago regim killed over 1,500 people on streets. Despite this, people return on streets w/ even mor fierce chants against entire ruling system while emphasizing repeatedly in slogans: “The enemy is RIGHT HERE, they LIE & say it is the US”. Tehran, Jan 12 pic.twitter.com/o8OjxrFhLq
— Navid (@Navidfa) January 12, 2020
Other videos from protests in Iran showed protesters refusing to walk on flags of the United States and Israel that were painted on the ground.
BBC reporter Ali Hamedani tweeted a video that showed student protesters refusing to walk on a giant American and Israeli flag that was painted on the ground, writing, “At the height of the Iranian establishment anti-Americanism, Tehran Beheshti university’s students refused walking over the US and Israel flag while participating in #IranProtests.
"They all grew up to hate the two countries but seems like the revolutionary ideology is failed.”
At the height of the Iranian establishment anti Americanism, Tehran Beheshti university’s students refused walking over the US and Israel flag while participating in #IranProtests . They all grew up to hate the two countries but seems like the revolutionary ideology is failed. pic.twitter.com/ABQY3GzWMo
— Ali Hamedani (@BBCHamedani) January 12, 2020
Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, tweeted: “Watch how Iranian students refuse to step on American & the flag of Israel.
"This should embarrassed Iranian regime & their propaganda funeral for #Soleimani where people were told to chant ‘Death To America.’
"Now people in Iran chanting ‘Death to Islamic Republic dictatorship.'”
Watch how Iranian students refuse to step on American & the flag of Israel.
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 12, 2020
This should embarrassed Iranian regime & their propaganda funeral for #Soleimani where people were told to chant “Death To America”.
Now people in Iran chanting “Death to Islamic Republic dictatorship.” pic.twitter.com/hTxDuxZeaB
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) tweeted: “Students at Beheshti University of Tehran Refuse to Walk Over U.S., Israel Flags, Boo People Who Do”
Students at Beheshti University of Tehran Refuse to Walk Over U.S., Israel Flags, Boo People Who Do pic.twitter.com/hVPMONwwve
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) January 12, 2020
On Saturday, protesters chanted “death to liars,” “death to the dictator,” “So many years, so many crimes, death to the Islamic Republic,” and “Soleimani was a murderer, his Leader is also a murderer.”
“Soleimani was a murderer, his Leader is also a murderer!”
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 11, 2020
“Soleimani was a murderer, his Leader is also a murderer!”
“Soleimani was a murderer, his Leader is also a murderer!”
“Soleimani was a murderer, his Leader is also a murderer!”
Bravest people in the world. pic.twitter.com/xjCav4reQi
“So many years, so many crimes, death to the Islamic Republic.” Tehran, #Iran. pic.twitter.com/lFptbM4hNT
— Alireza Nader (@AlirezaNader) January 11, 2020
