Iranian protesters call for Khamenei's resignation over plane crash

[Recursion]

Source: Axios

Iranian protesters have taken to the streets after the government admitted to accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing all 176 people aboard, and they are calling for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's resignation, Reuters reports.

Zoom out: The growing anger surrounding the crash comes just weeks after the Iranian government reportedly killed citizens in an attempt to squash national protests, The Telegraph writes. Iran is facing pressure from both world leaders and people at home over the fatal crash.

The state of play: The protests started as Iranian college students gathered for a planned vigil, CNN reports.

"The death of graduates from top universities migrating to Canada on the Ukrainian light has struck a nerve with protesters. Many protesters feel their future is ruined in a country facing high unemployment," CNN writes.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/iran-protesters-khamenei-resignation-ukraine-plane-crash-e96337fc-601d-45de-90ea-77c9628608c0.html

[EX500rider]

1. The BBC added this tidbit:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51077788

Some demonstrators chanted for the resignation of the commander in chief - Ayatollah Khamenei.

The semi-official Fars news agency carried a rare report of the anti-government unrest, saying up to 1,000 people had gathered, chanting slogans against leaders and tearing up pictures of Soleimani.

I knew he wasn't as popular as portrayed, only with the hardliners, he and the QUDS force have some involvement in the heavy handed treatment of protesters in Iran.

Soleimani was a general in the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) whose main job was to keep the religious dictatorship in power. Thus while Soleimani spent most of his time causing mayhem in other countries (as commander of Quds Force), he was called in when unruly Iranians had to be pacified. In Iran, it is no secret that Soleimani was a hardliner when it comes to domestic unrest.

[Sapient Donkey]

2. I am just waiting for Trump to say something stupid about this, though...

They need to take his phone from him while this plays out

[Recursion]

3. Only Trump is stupid enough to fuck up this moment

But I guarantee he's going to do it

[Sonny Mirviss]

4. That's for sure, where were his tweets when QUDS force killed 1500 protesters last november?

Oh, that's right.

He hadn't been impeached yet.

NVM, answered my own question.

[Hoyt]

5. 1000 protestors ain't many in Iran, although they probably do risk death.

[rollin74]

8. if Fars news agency is saying 1000 protestors...

you can safely bet that it’s a lot more

Fars is not exactly known for being even slightly accurate or truthful

[Skittles]

7. good for them

[rollin74]

9. not surprised they are ripping up pictures of Soleimani

he was not well liked by the young, educated or more liberal-minded people of that country

[killaphill]

10. This is dangerous

And just like the downing of the airliner, a direct result of Trumps bad judgment in murdering Soleimani. Trump doesn't kill him... no downed airliner. No downed airliner... no protests.

Any injuries or deaths that come from this are directly on Trump's head.

[moriah]

12. There's only a point where we can be responsible for another government's actions.

I absolutely do *not* like that we attempted two decapitation strikes, particularly one in Iraq where we have may troops stationed yet are trying to get out of (and not use Iraq, as many have feared we would, as a staging ground for further ME conquest).

However, Tehran's decision to publicly stick by the "it couldn't have been an AA missile that took the plane down" story too long failed because Iranians have access to outside news. It's being lied to by their own government that these protesters are reacting to. Had it been immediately spun as caused by the reckless threats of the US president to carry out swift and hard retribution and not limit it to military sites, I think the reaction would have been very different.

If that same government tries to kill its people when they're upset about being lied to... at that point, yes, it's on that government.

[dware]

13. This is so wrong.

It was on the Iranians to shut down IKA to commercial air traffic during heightened tensions.

Iran blew it big time, they had the moral upper hand in this confrontation, then they unintentionally shoot down a Ukrainian jet, and then, despite the overwhelmingly evidence to the contrary, lied about for 3 days, 3 fucking days.

There's plenty of blame to go around, this one is on the Iranian leadership, the missile battery commander, the Mango Menace, etc.

[EX500rider]

15. Not to mention the airplane was still in sight of the commercial airport it just left..

....how were they not used to planes on that flight path headed their way?!

[dware]

16. Right about now,

I wouldn't want to be the commander of that missile battery, he would be better off defecting to another country, preferably, one that isn't friendly with Iran.

[IronLionZion]

11. After the Arab Spring, maybe now a Persian Spring?

All those ayatollahs need to resign. They could do well with some separation of mosque and state.

[AnnieBW]

14. Wow... this is HUGE

When they're going after the Supreme Leader, that's some serious shit. Expect the IRGC to pull people back in line.

Who knows, maybe some good can come out of this shitshow anyway? Of course, then Twitler will take credit for it.

[Mosby]

17. Related

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1253914