“Death to Liars and Dictators”: Protests Erupt in Iran After UIA Crash

Protests led to clashes with security forces and the use of tear gas.

Iranians gathered on the streets of Tehran to demand the resignation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iran admitted it had mistakenly shot down a UIA passenger plane. Daily Mail reports.

Enraged crowds gathered on Saturday evening, January 11, in at least four locations in Tehran, chanting “Death to liars” and calling on the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to resign over the tragic military blunder. What began as mournful farewells to Iranians killed aboard the plane soon turned into outrage and protests against the regime, and security forces began firing tear gas at the crowd.

Protesters chanted the slogan “Death to the Islamic Republic,” as security forces reportedly used ambulances to drive heavy paramilitary police into the center of the crowd to disperse the demonstration. Thousands of people shouted “Death to the dictator”.

Large protests were recorded at universities in Tehran. At Sharif University, protesters shouted: “Commander-in-chief, resign!”, “Our enemy is right here, and they lie when they say it's the US”, “Now I believe the word of the Great Satan”.

Protesters demanded that those responsible for shooting down the civilian plane be publicly tried and held accountable. Special forces attempted to disperse the protesters with tear gas. Police armed with shields and batons also tried to disperse the crowd.

A spokesperson for the People's Mujahedin of Iran group said: “Protests by thousands of Iranians in Tehran have burst the government's propaganda bubble over the elimination of Qasem Soleimani.” According to him, “the protests showed the true mood of Iranians and once again clearly proved that Iran is a powder keg, and the Iranian people will not stop until the government changes.”

On January 8, a UIA plane took off from Tehran airport and soon crashed. There were 176 people on board, including passengers and crew. Among them were 11 Ukrainians: two passengers and nine crew members. The remaining passengers were citizens of Iran (82), Canada (63), Sweden (10), Afghanistan (4), Germany (3) and the United Kingdom (3). No one survived. 

Today, January 11, in the morning, Iran admitted its guilt in the crash of the UIA airliner. It had mistaken it for a “hostile target”. Zelensky said that our side will insist on full recognition of guilt, as well as on holding those responsible accountable and paying compensation. UIA President Yevhen Dykhne and UIA Vice President for Flight Operations Ihor Sosnovskyi also held a press conference today:   

Also today, January 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian people about the UIA plane crash in Tehran, Iran. He said he had held a phone call with the Iranian president, and that the bodies of the Ukrainians who died would be returned home in the near future.  

General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (an elite Iranian military unit), took responsibility for the crash of the Ukrainian UIA plane in Tehran.