Thousands of Iran Protesters gathered in Hafez street in Tehran, to call for the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei to step down-January 11, 2019

On Saturday 11, 2019, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) admitted taking down the Ukrainian passenger plane in an unprecedented crime of its kind, killing 176 passengers of the plane. The vicious crime, and three days denial game the entire regime played in trying to cover up the crime, turned into too much anger by the already dissident youth, who just a month ago faced a brutal crackdown by the IRGC forces taking the lives of at least 1,500 and the imprisonment and torture of 12,000 still in regime’s prisons.

University students in Tehran were the first to pour out to the streets and protest against the crime committed by the regime. The protests rapidly spread to several universities in Tehran and other cities.

Footages distributed online by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) network show thousands of students who were joined by the people took to Hafez Street, near AmirKabir University, blocking large areas next to the University. The protesters chanted slogans directing against the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, calling on him to step down and let go with the power.

The protesters chanted: “Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (Ali Khamenei), resign, resign,” “IRGC commits crimes, leader supports,” “Khamenei beware, we are the people and not thugs,” “Dictator and IRGC, you are our DAESH (ISIS).”, “We did not give martyrs, to praise the murderous leader”, and “Do not call me seditionist, you are the sedition, the oppressor.”(Referring to Ali Khamenei’s recent speech calling the protesters seditionist). They also draw a distinct line to show their desire for a free Iran, chanting: “Death to the oppressor, whether the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei).”

Reports from the MEK network also indicate that the anti-riot State Security Forces attacked the protesters at Amirkabir and other Universities, using tear gas and firing riot guns, to disperse the crowd. However, protesters resisted and ashamed the security forces. Referring to the last November crackdown by IRGC thugs, that killed more than 1,500 people and arrested over 12,000, they chanted:

“The nation has not seen so many crimes,” “I kill whoever killed my brother.” “Incompetent IRGC, shame on you.” “Don’t be afraid, we are all united,”

In Sharif University in Tehran, students chanted “IRGC is the shame of our country.”

In Amirkabir University the students lambasted the anti-riot units of the State Security Forces and chanted “Down with the liar”, reported the MEK.

MEK sources reported protests in Isfahan, Shiraz, Babol, Mashhad, Rasht, Hamedan, and many other cities. In Isfahan, people staged protests at the historic Siyo-Sepol Bridge and other parts of the city, chanting, “Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, resign, resign”, referring to Ali Khamenei, regime’s supreme leader.

While Iran’s dictatorship had tried very hard to use Qassem Soleimani’s funeral as a show of legitimacy, by forcing all military, schools, and state employees to attend the ceremony, the protest outbreak and the slogans targeting the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, speaks a volume.

Shahin Gobady, the spokesperson for the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) wrote in a brief statement shortly after the start of the protests: “The protest by thousands of Iranians in Tehran and a number of other cities today and this evening burst the propaganda balloon of the regime regarding Qassem Soleimani’s elimination.”

“Protesters chanted ‘Soleimani is a murderer, his leader. i.e. Ali Khamenei is also a murderer,’ and tore down Soleimani’s pictures. They held the IRGC and the regime’s leaders responsible for crimes in Iran and called for their removal.” The spokesperson for the MEK added.

Mr. Gobady reiterated: “The reports by the MEK network in Iran from protests today showed the true sentiments of Iranians and once again clearly proved that Iran is a powder-keg and the Iranian people will not stop until the regime changes. Following the November anti-regime protests in 191 cities throughout Iran during which the regime killed more than 1500 protesters and arrested 12,000, the tide has shifted the regime in its entirety.”