Reports and video footage on Saturday show a group of Iranians assembled outside of Ukraine’s embassy in Tehran urging the collapse of Vladimir Putin’s government in an audacious protest against the Islamic Republic’s full-throttled support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the Iranian regime’s ban of demonstrations against Putin, the group of Iranians declared “Death to Putin” in what might be an unprecedented move by anti-Putin Iranians.
“Bravo to Iranian compatriots who gathered in front of Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran to show solidarity with victims of Putin's aggression. They reminded the world that Islamic President [Ebrahim] Raisi, a Putin protege, doesn't represent the views of our people. Protesters behaved with dignity,“ wrote Amir Taheri, a prominent Iranian journalist on Twitter.
Bravo to Iranian compatriots who gathered in front of Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran to show solidarity with victims of Putin' aggression.They reminded the world that Islamic President Raisi, a Putin protege, doesn't represent views of our people.Protesters behaved with dignity.
— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) February 26, 2022
Taheri added “Khomeinist trolls say Iranians who demonstrated in front of Ukraine & Russian embassies in Tehran to condemn Putin's invasion & show solidarity with victims of aggression,were ‘few’. Yes. But better fewer but better. Not like rent-a-mob Hezbollah crowds of boot-lickers.”
Ali Khamenei is the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranian journalists on Twitter noted that protesters said “Down with the supporters of Putin, down with the warmonger.”
The US government news organization Voice of America Farsi showed footage of the anti-Putin protest in Tehran:
ویدیو ارسالی به صدای آمریکا- تجمع مردم تهران مقابل سفارت #اوکراین در #تهران و شعار علیه ولادیمیر #پوتین pic.twitter.com/QzAF9pWf1M
— VOA Farsi صدای آمریکا (@VOAIran) February 26, 2022
The London-based Iran International news organization reported that the protest was launched on social media and some of the chants were "Russian embassy is a den of spies," "Putin murders, the stupid ones support," "Long live Ukraine," and "Long live peace.”
According to Iran International, "Police began dispersing protesters a short while after they began to gather. A woman is seen in one of the videos telling the police, 'We hate you.'"
In a telephone call with Putin on Thursday, Iran’s president Raisi delivered support to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Raisi said NATO has created "a source of tension" by encroaching on Russia, according to Iranian regime-controlled media.
The Iranian state-controlled Mehr News Agency reported that Raisi told Putin: “The continued expansion of NATO is a serious threat against the stability and security of independent countries in various regions of the world.” Russia and Iran’s regime are allies in Syria where they united behind Syrian President Bashar Assad to stop a revolt against Assad’s regime.