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the downing of The plane Ukrainian prodding the protests in Iran and opens up cracks in the regime protests in Tehran for shooting down the plane, Ukrainian Iran ensures to Ukraine, punish those responsible for the downing of the passenger plane
The Government of Iran has been put on the defensive before the demonstrations for the third day in a row asking for this Monday responsibilities for the downing of the plane to be Ukrainian. His spokesman, Ali Rabie, has denied that he had lied about it and highlighted the climate of “psychological warfare against Tehran” to justify their initial denial of the facts. Faced with the growing challenge posed by the protests, the regime appears divided on how to respond. Despite the deployment of riot police in front of the universities, the police ensures that you have orders to “act with moderation”.
Are mostly college students who are manifest from the Saturday when the authorities admitted the guilt. The vigils in mourning for the death of several graduates of the polytechnic, Amir Kabir and Sharif in Tehran have been extended to other higher centers not only in the capital but in other cities of the country. Of the 176 occupants of the flight PS752, 82 passengers were iranians and 63 canadians, most of them with dual nationality, and many of them students returning to the universities where they pursue master’s or doctoral degrees after taking advantage of the christmas holidays to visit their families.
Also the slogans have evolved from the initial “Kill our geniuses and replaced with clerics”, to the “Outside the clergy” or “Death to the dictator”, referring to earlier protests against the islamic system. In addition, new ones put in question the powerful Pasdarán, the members of the Revolutionary Guard. “Guards, you are the dictator, you are our ISIS”, in reference to the Islamic State who have helped to fight in Iraq and Syria, or “What a shame, guards, leave alone the country.”
Or the “I wish I had died in that plane” the air force chief of the Revolutionary Guard, nor the apologies and condolences of politicians, are serving to calm the situation. The delay in recognizing that it was a missile ground-to-air of that army which struck down the device while insisted in accusing the US and the prior decision not to close the airspace to civilian flights after having attacked two bases of this country in Iraq have given the edge to the confidence of the iranians in the regime that rules from four decades ago.
Tweet in Persian
Donald Trump, tweeter boss in addition to president of the united STATES, has begun to tweet in Persian. It premiered last Sunday to demand that the iranian leadership that “don’t kill their protesters” and ask them to reset the Internet and let the reporters do their work. Pity that the Arabic alphabet in which is written the Persian were unable to put the caps that are his personal seal.
Although using the local language is a practice that continue to many embassies, the initiative of Trump has crossed the boundaries of diplomatic and even intergalactic. Mark Hamill, the actor who plays Luke Skywalker, has also had recourse to Persian to amend the flat to the president with a “please, ignore the fact that I have forbidden the entry [in the U.S.] and threatened to bomb their cultural sites”.
The protesters, but also some politicians, insist that is not enough to admit the error and ask for the dismissal and punishment of those responsible. “As people’s representative in Parliament, I want to resignation, dismissal and punishment of the perpetrators, the encubridores and those who lied to the people”, has tuiteado the reformist Mohammad Reza Aref. Even among conservatives there is disappointment for what happened.
“it Is a smear to the system; it has left them with no arguments to defend it”, she plays a professor iranian who has found this situation in your environment.
The regime, already weakened by sanctions, is facing a difficult challenge: how to respond to the unrest? If you opt for repression as in the protests last November sparked the rise of the petrol and left at least 300 dead, will only increase its disrepute. It would be especially risky when the next February there are called legislative elections, the participation of which it uses to legitimize itself.
The alternative is to let the demonstrators throw their discomfort, it is also dangerous. Although in the immediate it could lower the tensions, not only would send a message of weakness, but that would open the door to that, as it happened in the early days of the protests post-election, 2009, was realized the extent of the discontent with the islamic dictatorship. Keep in mind the different conditions in which they come out to the street, the regime’s supporters and its critics.
at the moment, it seems significant that the deployment of riot police in front of the campuses of the major universities include also the Imam Sadegh institution, where they form many of the paintings of the regime, including the Pasdarán, with a program that combines modern education and islamic theology. In addition, it is difficult to maintain in the street, a deterrent force for days and that none of its members will go hand in hand.
have Already begun to circulate in social networks videos where you hear gunfire, you see the transfer of injured persons and to members of the security forces with assault rifles. It is not possible to verify its authenticity, but a lack of independent information (the authorities are not granting visas to the international media and the few accredited journalists in Tehran have restricted their movements), they can also not be ruled out. The police chief of Tehran, Hossein Ranimi, has denied that its men were fired because “they have orders to act with moderation”.
