Iranian police dispersed students on Saturday who chanted "destructive" and "radical" slogans in Tehran at a rally in memory of the victims on board the Ukrainian Boeing that was shot down "accidentally" by Iran on Wednesday, according to the report. Iranian news agency Fars. Later in the evening, American Donald Trump said he was "closely following" these repressions of rallies while speaking of "massacre of peaceful demonstrators" in reference to the protest movements last November.
Several hundred students gathered in the early evening in response to an invitation to honor the victims of the disaster that left 176 dead, mostly Iranians and Canadians, including binationals.
The rally at the prestigious Amir Kabir University in Tehran turned into anger. The crowd launched slogans denouncing "the liars" and demanding prosecution of those responsible for the drama and those who, according to the demonstrators, tried to cover it up.
According to Reuters, demonstrators even demanded the departure of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Revolution. This is what appeared in a video posted on Twitter. But the agency could not verify the authenticity.
Trump's warning
Extremely rare, state television made mention of this demonstration on the air, and noted that the students had chanted "anti-diet slogans".
A video that could not be authenticated circulated on Saturday evening on social networks of what could be the police firing tear gas at the demonstrators. The video notably shows a man getting up after being apparently hit by a projectile in the leg.
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VIDEO. Iranian Boeing crash: Iran admits responsibility
President Donald Trump commented on the situation, assuring the Iranian people that he stood "by his side" and that the United States was "following" the protests that had broken out. "To the brave Iranian people, who have suffered for a long time: I have been by your side since the beginning of my presidency, and my administration will continue to be by your side," he first tweeted.
"We are closely following your demonstrations, and your courage inspires us," he added. Then to drop, in reference to the protest movement that had taken place in the country last November: “There can not be another massacre of peaceful demonstrators, nor a cut in the internet. The world is watching. "
The protests that broke out in mid-November in Iran left more than 300 people dead, according to the NGO Amnesty International.
