Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 protests

The Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 protests were anti-government protests that swept Iran in January 2020 after it was revealed that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran while the Iranian government covered it up.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 protests
Part of 2019–2020 Iranian protests
Protests at Tehran's Amir Kabir University, 11 January 2020
Date11 January 2020 – 16 January 2020
Location
Dozens of cities
Caused by
  • Shoot down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752
  • Protest against corruption and systematic lying
  • Opposition to Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
  • Opposition to Qassem Soleimani
  • Opposition to the continuation of the rule of the Islamic Republic
  • Disagreeing with the principle of Velayat-e Faqih
Methods
Parties to the civil conflict
Anti-government protesters
Families of the victims
Students and academics
  • Islamic Republic

Commander in Chief
Special Brigade
Revolutionary Guards
Militants Basij
Ministry of Intelligence
Intelligence Corps
Ministry of Communication
Ministry of Interior
Lead figures
No leadership structure, self-absorbed, student Ali Khamenei
Hassan Rouhani
Hossein Salami
Amir Ali Hajizadeh
Casualties and losses

Amount of killed and injured is unknown due to censorship of press

3 injured (unconfirmed)
Unknown

On 8 January 2020, the Boeing 737-800 operating the route was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport;[1][2][3] all 176 passengers and crew were killed.[4] Initially, Iranian aviation authorities said that the plane crashed due to a technical error, while Ukrainian authorities, after initially deferring to Iran's explanation, said a shoot-down of the flight was one of their main working theories. Investigation by western intelligence agencies later revealed the aircraft had been shot down by a Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile launched by Iran. Three days later, on 11 January, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had shot down the aircraft after mistaking it for a cruise missile.[5] Soon after, vigils in Iran, planned to pay respect to the victims, turned into protests, first at universities in Tehran and then across other Iran cities.[6] Protests began at the Amirkabir University of Technology, with Iranians chanting "Death to the dictator," calling for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to leave the country.[7]

Protesters in Iran refused to walk on Israeli and American flags which had been painted on the road.[8][6] Pictures of Soleimani were torn down across Iran and protesters chanted, "Our enemy is right here; They lie to us [when they say] that it's America."[9]

Background

Since April 2018, protests against the current government of the Islamic Republic have been constant. Originally against government corruption and economic deficiency, the protests quickly grew as fuel prices increased by 200% in Iran and the aim of the protests broadened into calling for the overthrow of the current Iranian government.

According to The New Yorker, Iranians are extremely nationalistic of their nation’s history before the rise of Islam and the 1979 Revolution. The International crisis group claims the Islamic Republic’s shoot down of the Ukrainian flight carrying Iranians enraged the nation’s nationalist population resulting in the widespread protest.[6] The frequency of protests in Iran has rapidly increased in recent years due to government mismanagement and corruption. Meanwhile the Iranian government's responses to protest have become considerably more violent.[6]

Iran has experienced many protests including the 2016 Cyrus the Great Revolt, 2017–2018 Iranian protests, 2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests, and 2019–2020 Iranian protests.

Timeline
Main article: Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752

Students at the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran where students issued a manifesto in the name of "the children of Iran" against the Iranian regime. Videos of the protest revealed police beatings, gunshots, blood over the floors, and the use of tear gas. The full extent to which the government repressed the protests are largely unknown due to censorship of reporting in Iran. Days of protests were followed by heavy police presence across Iran resulting in little signs of opposition.[10]

Discontent has been growing in Iran with citizens increasingly displaying frustrations years prior to the protest. When regime representatives chant "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" Iranians have chanted "Death to Russia" and "Death to China" as a sign that they don't agree with the Islamic’s republic's political views.[8] On 11 January 2020, after Iranian authorities had stated that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 had been shot down by Iranian military forces, killing all 176 passengers and flight personnel,[11] two thousand people protested in Tehran, with chants including "Death to the dictator". Police used tear gas on the protestors.[12] Officials reported that 82 Iranians among several other Iranians with dual citizenship were among the victims of the crash.[13] Two hundred people protested in front of Amirkabir University of Technology.[14] The protestors called for the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to resign, chanted "Death to the liars" and called "for the IRGC to leave the country".[15] Protests also took place at the Sharif University of Technology and in Amol, Isfahan, Rasht, Sari, and Hamedan. Protesters chanted against the Revolutionary Guards, the Supreme Leader, and the entire political system of the Islamic Republic.[16]

Protests at Sharif University, 12 January 2020

On 12 January, similar protests took place around Iran. In the morning, students gathered at the dormitories of the University of Tehran and chanted against the Supreme Leader.[17] There were around 3,000 participants in the main demonstration in Tehran according to the Iranian Labour News Agency.[12] In online social media videos posted in the evening of a location near Azadi Square in Tehran, there were sounds of gunshots, pools of blood on the ground, wounded people being carried and security personnel with rifles. Hossein Rahimi of the Tehran police stated the following day that police had "been given orders to show restraint" and didn't shoot during the protests.[18] The Iranian daily Etemad wrote "Apologise and resign" in a banner headline.[12] The Iranian president described the missile attack as an unforgivable error.[19]

Protests continued in Tehran on 13 January, including 40 students at a Tehran university who chanted "They killed our elites and replaced them with clerics", in reference to the Iranian students who had died on flight UA752.[20]

In the video surfacing on the internet, many Tehran university students openly refused to walk over the American and Israeli flags which was the symbol of the country’s foreign policy of anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism since the inception of the Islamic Republic.[21][8] The flags had been painted on the road so that protesters would walk over them as they marched.[22]

On 14 January, demonstrations took place in Iran for the fourth consecutive day. Students at various universities in Tehran, and other Iranian cities continued protesting against the regime and Ali Khamenei. At Amirkabir University of Technology, protesters and the Basij clashed violently. Students at the University of Tehran chanted "We will die to reclaim Iran" and "Death to the concept of a [Supreme Leader]".[23]

On 15 January, students in Isfahan and other Iranian cities held their fifth day of protests, after the government of Ayatollah Khamenei admitted downing the Ukrainian passenger plane. Students held banners showing 1500+176 meaning 176 innocent passengers was added to the 1500 killed in November uprising.[24]

On 16 January, protesters planned to head to the IRIB headquarters, however, due to a high persistence of the anti-riot police in the entire Valiasr Street which protesters planned to use as their main way to the headquarters, the demonstrations didn't take place. There was also a high persistence of police in several key points of the capital city of Tehran, to prevent any gatherings to form due to the funerals that took place for those dead in the UA752 flight, nevertheless, lots of people showed up at their funerals mourning for their dead.[25]

Slogans and tactics

Protesters frequently chanted "The Supreme Leader is a murderer. His regime is obsolete", "Our enemy is right here; They lie to us [when they say] That it's America", "Death to the liars", "Clerics, get lost!", "Soleimani was a murderer, his Leader is also a murderer."[26][6]

Banners and posters of the recently killed General Soleimani were torn down, burned, and stepped on by protesters.[8]

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See also

References
  1. "Iran Says It Unintentionally Shot Down Ukrainian Airliner". The New York Times. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  2. "Ukrainian airplane with 180 aboard crashes in Iran: Fars". Reuters. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  3. "Ukrainian airliner crashes near Tehran: Iranian media". Al Jazeera. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  4. Oliphant, Roland; Mendick, Robert; Nicholls, Dominic (8 January 2020). "Iran plane crash: All 176 passengers killed as Ukraine Boeing 737 crashes near Tehran". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  5. "Demands for justice after Iran's plane admission". BBC. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  6. Wright, Robin (15 January 2020). THE ANGER AND ANGUISH FUELLING IRAN'S PROTESTS. The New Yorker.
  7. Holcombe, Madeline. "Iranian protesters take to streets after Tehran admits Ukrainian plane was unintentionally shot down". CNN.
  8. Smith, Alexander. "Iran protests: Crowds in Tehran refuse to walk on U.S. and Israeli flags". NBC.
  9. "Iran Opens Fire On Demonstrators. Protesters Chant: 'Our Enemy Is Right Here; They Lie To Us That It's America'". Daily Wire.
  10. Hafezi, Parisa. "Iranians bury dead from downed plane after days of rage on the street". Reuters.
  11. "Iranian protesters take to streets after Tehran admits Ukrainian plane was unintentionally shot down".
  12. Hafezi, Parisa (12 January 2020). "Protesters demand Iran's leaders quit after military admits it hit plane". Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  13. "Protests in Tehran after Iran admits shooting down plane".
  14. "Hundreds protest against regime in Tehran after Iran admits it shot down plane", Times of Israel, 11 January 2020.
  15. "Iranian protesters demand Khamenei quit over downing of plane". Al Jazeera English. 11 January 2020. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  16. "تجمع‌های اعتراضی در چند شهر ایران؛ شلیک تیر هوایی و گاز اشک‌آور در تهران". رادیو فردا.
  17. "ایران شلیک به هواپیمای اوکراینی را پذیرفت؛ برپایی تجمعات اعتراضی - BBC Persian". BBC News فارسی.
  18. Dehghanpisheh, Babak (13 January 2020). "Iran denies shooting at protesters amid fury over downing of plane". Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  19. "Iran plane crash: Britain condemns Tehran's arrest of UK ambassador".
  20. Dehghanpisheh, Babak (13 January 2020). "Iranians protest for third day after plane disaster: social media". Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  21. https://twitter.com/unwatch/status/1216350041193041921
  22. "Iran students refuse to walk over US and Israeli flags". BBC News.
  23. "چهارمین روز اعتراض‌ها؛ حمله بسیجیان به دانشجویان امیرکبیر" [Fourth day of protests; the Basij attack Amir Kabir students]. Iran International (in Persian). 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  24. Iran’s Students Stage Isfahan Sit-In on Day 5 of Protests, But Tehran Rallies Blocked
  25. https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/voa-news-iran/tehran-rallies-blocked-students-take-protests-2nd-key-iran-city
  26. Saavedra, Ryan. "Iran Opens Fire On Demonstrators. Protesters Chant: 'Our Enemy Is Right Here; They Lie To Us That It's America'". Daily Wire.
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