Tear gas fired at protesters, IRGC missile attack on Ukrainian plane in Tehran

According to reports and videos published on social media, rallies and demonstrations were held in some Iranian universities, including Sharif University, Tehran University, and Amir Kabir University, to protest the downing of a Ukrainian plane by the IRGC's missile defense fire.

On Saturday, January 11, hours after the Islamic Republic's political and military officials admitted to targeting a Ukrainian passenger plane in the skies south of Tehran, spontaneous protests erupted inside and in front of the University of Tehran and Amir Kabir University, with protesters chanting slogans against the "lying" and "cover-up" of government officials.

According to videos posted on social media, the Islamic Republic's security forces have been firing tear gas at protesters.

The gatherings and demonstrations in the two mentioned locations in Tehran gradually expanded and the number of protesters increased. Pictures of the gatherings have been published on social media.

Concerns about another internet shutdown in Iran

Following Saturday's protests in the Iranian capital over the Iranian armed forces' defensive fire on a Ukrainian passenger plane, some Deutsche Welle Persian readers are reporting disruptions in internet communications in Tehran.

Iran was rocked by bloody protests last November following a rise in gasoline prices. During this time, the government tried to prevent information about the violence and the spread of the protests by cutting off the internet.

There is concern that Iranian citizens will experience internet outages again.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported that the number of protesters is increasing. According to the agency, the large number of protesters in Tehran has caused the crowd to move towards Vali Asr Crossroads. The report added: “The crowd is moving from the intersection of Taleghani and Hafez streets to the intersection of Enghelab Hafez and towards Vali Asr Crossroads, and their number is increasing every moment.”

According to video images published on social media, clashes have occurred between protesters in Tehran and law enforcement forces.

Images of protesters gathering in front of Sharif University in Tehran. Demonstrators chant slogans against the Revolutionary Guards and the Leader of the Islamic Republic.

Another video from today's rally in front of Amirkabir University to protest the Islamic Republic's mistake in the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran.

At Sharif University of Technology, students held up placards and declared: “You made a mistake, you made a mistake.” This slogan is aimed at the officials of the Islamic Republic and is a reference to statements made by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in 1991 in response to the targeting of an Iranian passenger plane by a US warship in the skies over the Persian Gulf.

In videos of these rallies and demonstrations, the following slogans can be heard:

"We didn't kill to compromise/Praise the killer leader"
"Death to the liar"
"All these years of crime, death to this province"
"Don't call me a seditionist, sedition is you, the oppressor."
"Commander-in-Chief, resign, resign"
"Dictator of the Sepahi, ISIS is ours and yours"
"Referendum, referendum, this is the people's slogan"
"The IRGC commits crimes, the leader supports them"
"Be afraid, be afraid, we are all together."

The "Rokna" news agency reported from Tehran that on the evening of Saturday, January 11, a group of people in Tehran, including students, artists, and citizens, gathered in front of Amirkabir University to hold a memorial ceremony for the victims of the incident.

According to the news agency, the protesters, who were deeply saddened by the tragic death of their compatriots, called for the resignation of the officials who had a role in and were responsible for the incident.

Reza Pahlavi: This is not a human error, it is a crime against humanity

Reza Pahlavi wrote in a tweet in response to the Islamic Republic's mistake in the downing of the Ukrainian plane: "This is not a human error; it is a crime against humanity, and the leader who gives the order to fire is directly responsible for it. Enough is enough. Khamenei and his regime must go."

Security agencies threaten artists calling for gatherings

Iranian cinema director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad wrote, “My invitation is hereby declared canceled,” following a tweet he posted today inviting people to gather in Azadi Square.

The Iranian cinema director wrote: "Grieving people of Iran, the invitation of artists to mourn for our loved ones, which was supposed to be held tomorrow, Sunday, January 12, in the Azadi squares of Iranian cities, was met with a serious warning from security institutions. To prevent any excuses and to protect the security and lives of the grieving people, my invitation is hereby canceled."

Another group of artists, including Seyyed Ali Salehi, Niki Karimi, Manijeh Hekmat, Bahman Farmanara, Parviz Parastoi, Tahmineh Milani, Shohreh Soltani, and Mahaya Petrosian, supported Ms. Bani-Etemad's call.

Shirin Ebadi's petition for the resignation of the leaders of the Islamic Republic

Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has called for the resignation of all those who played a role in the decision-making and execution of the shooting down of the Ukrainian passenger plane in a petition on Saturday, January 11. Ms. Ebadi's petition has been published on the "Petition" website to collect signatures.

The lawsuit states: "The statement of 'human error' and 'unintentional mistake' will not close the case and end the pain of those who lost their families and loved ones among the passengers."

In an interview with Oicheh-e-Wale Farsi, Shirin Ebadi said: "In the petition I published online, considering the painful experiences of more than forty years of Islamic Republic rule, and considering what has happened and the government's lack of honesty and transparency that has caused all these disasters to befall us, the last of which was the loss of our dear children who were leaving the stricken country of Iran for life and education, I asked all my compatriots to sign this petition."

He said that this is a call for the resignation of the Supreme Leader, the President, the Commander of the IRGC Air Force, and all those involved in this human disaster.

Shirin Ebadi said: “More signatures on this petition are a vote that the people have been holding back in elections that have been rigged by the government for years. The government always seizes every gathering for its own benefit. More signatures on this petition will make the free world and the United Nations realize that the people of Iran do not want this government. The people should either shout in the streets that we have seen many times, the result of which has been the killing and arrest of defenseless people, or they should express their demands in other ways.”

He added: "Therefore, using the initiative of Radio Zamaneh, I have created a petition for those who believe that this regime cannot continue and that its continued rule will lead to the fall of Iran to sign it."

Shirin Ebadi said: “A larger number of signatures will make the United Nations more likely to hear the people’s voices in the decisions it makes. If you would like the situation in Iran to improve peacefully, please sign this petition so that when it reaches at least one million people, we can present it to the United Nations Human Rights Council and other decision-making bodies, including the Security Council; although according to the Charter, people cannot directly approach the Security Council, we can ask a neutral country to raise the case of this regime’s crimes on behalf of the Iranian people.”

Source: DW