[ad_1]
[ad_2]Source link
Tag: Protest
-
Minnesota community members handing out free, 3D-printed ICE alert whistles
[ad_1]
At a small toy shop on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, customers aren’t just buying board games and plushies. They’re grabbing handfuls of tiny plastic whistles and walking out without paying a cent.
Mischief Toys has become one of the most visible hubs in a growing Twin Cities effort to hand out free 3D printed whistles that activists say can alert neighbors when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are nearby.
“We’ve been giving away thousands of 3D printed whistles,” said co-owner Abigail Adelsheim-Marshall. “We started doing it after Thanksgiving when ICE really started cracking down in Chicago and the whistle strategy first started showing signs of success and we were kind of giving away a trickle. Then ever since ICE has been hitting the Twin Cities and Minnesota really hard, we’ve been giving away upwards of a thousand a week.”
The whistles are small, often brightly colored and come in all kinds of shapes. Some are double-barreled. Some are barely bigger than a paper clip. Others are printed with a phone number that connects callers to volunteers tracking enforcement activity.
“One of our employees owns a 3D printer and she used to make all of them for us. She’s still making many, but she is at capacity, so we are now crowdsourcing them from around the Twin Cities,” Adelsheim-Marshall said. “So many 3D printers are donating, which is why we have a million different designs on the whistles right now.”
Adelsheim-Marshall said the store is currently limiting people to 20 whistles per person so they can stretch their supply as far as possible. She would like to be able to equip community organizations with larger batches or reach a day when they’re no longer needed.
“Hopefully someday we won’t need them anymore, which would be great,” she said.
For now, demand is outpacing supply. At the other end of the effort is Kaleb Lutterman, a self-described “maker” who has turned his hobby into a kind of production line in his Minneapolis home.
“For a little over a month now, I’ve been 3D printing emergency whistles,” he said. “So these are really small loud whistles specifically to help with you know alerting locals to ICE presence. You probably heard them in any sort of coverage videos of what’s happening here in the cities, people blowing them. So that’s really what it is just to just something to say, you know, ‘Hey there’s some activity over here.’ You know, let the neighbors come out of their houses and see what’s going on.”
Lutterman prints on a Bambu Labs P1S and says he can fit 100 whistles on a single plate. Each run takes about seven and a half hours. He estimates he can make roughly 800 whistles for around $15 worth of filament, depending on what he buys and in what quantity.
“It’s hard to keep up with demand,” he said. “There’s a group of us in the cities. We’re all kind of in a group chat together, and anytime we find somebody that’s printing more themselves, we try to add them to this group chat.”
That informal network is how Mischief Toys gets restocked.
“They reached out to me and said I need 1,000 and this is after I just went through 800 of them this last weekend,” Lutterman said. “So I said, you know, I don’t have 1,000, but I have 300 and then I reached out to the group, and they were all able to pitch in about 100 each or so, so we got Mischief restocked.”
Lutterman says he isn’t accepting money for the whistles at this point.
“This is something I can pocket and do for the community with my own money,” he said, adding that it could change if requests for large orders keep coming in.
Organizers and volunteers say the whistles are meant to be an attention grabber and a way to quickly draw witnesses and cameras when enforcement activity happens in neighborhoods.
“I think people are feeling helpless and this is something you can do,” Adelsheim-Marshall said. “It helps alert neighbors and get a crowd going, which helps document the illegal activity that ICE is doing and gives anyone who’s in danger from ICE a chance to hide or shelter in place. So, it is, I wish we could be doing more, but it is the best strategy that we have found so far.”
Critics of the tactic, including federal officials, argue the whistles won’t stop ICE from making arrests and say the agency is targeting people they describe as threats.
Lutterman recently saw that criticism firsthand in a social media post he says came from the Department of Homeland Security.
“It says your whistles won’t stop or hinder ICE from arresting criminal, illegal alien sex abusers, murderers, gang members and more off the Minneapolis street,” he read aloud.
Lutterman says he doesn’t see himself as someone trying to interfere with law enforcement.
“I feel like they want me to be intimidated, but you know a whistle is not going to do anything to them, just like they can’t do much to me,” he said. “It’s not going to stop me from supporting my community. They’re not from here, I am, so they can be as mad as they want about it.”
He says his concern is about how immigration enforcement is playing out on the ground.
“Even if you’re someone that thinks that there should be immigration enforcement, I can agree to tha,t but what they’re doing here is harmful to the community,” Lutterman said. “If they’re supposed to be making this city safe, I don’t feel safe. My neighbors don’t feel safe. So if a whistle can help with that, that’s the least I can do.”
Back at Mischief Toys, the whistles sit in small bins near the counter, free for anyone who walks in and asks. Adelsheim-Marshall says they’re not interested in how loud the debate gets online, just in getting a simple tool into people’s hands.
“Whether or not you think it is legitimate for ICE to track people down and deport them, what they are doing now is blatantly illegal,” she said, describing her view of current enforcement tactics. “Immigrants, documented or otherwise, are people and we should treat them like people.”
For the people printing and passing them out, a piece of plastic that costs pennies has become a way to feel a little less helpless and a little more connected when the sound of a whistle cuts through a Twin Cities street.
[ad_2]
Nick Lunemann
Source link -
Despite Trump warning, Iran shopkeeper Erfan Soltani among many facing possible hanging
[ad_1]
A 26-year-old Iranian man, Erfan Soltani, was set to be executed Wednesday, accused by the Islamic Republic’s government of participating in the protests that swept across the country for two weeks, according to a human rights group in contact with his family.
Hengaw, an organization that monitors unrest in Iran and has spoken with his family, told CBS News on Wednesday that it was unable to confirm whether Soltani had already been executed. The uncertainty over his fate came as Iran appeared to ignore a new warning from President Trump of “strong action” in response to reports of the regime hanging people detained during the protests.
The Iranian government “said that he was arrested because of the protest, but we don’t know if actually he participated in the protest, because there is absolutely no information about that or evidence,” Hengaw representative Awyar Shekhi told CBS News on Tuesday.
Soltani is a clothing seller whose family lives near Iran’s capital, Tehran, according to Shekhi, who added that “his family has said he was not a political activist, but he was a dissident of the government.”
Facebook/Erfan Soltani
An ongoing internet blackout has made it difficult for journalists and rights groups to monitor the protests in Iran or the government’s brutal crackdown on them, which sources inside the country say may have resulted in the deaths of some 12,000 people, and potentially many more. More than 2,600 people were detained amid the unrest that began on December 28, according to rights groups.
Now, there are fears that many of those in detention could be executed, despite President Trump’s warning on Tuesday to the Iranian regime that if it hangs protesters, the U.S. will “take very strong action.”
Soltani was arrested on January 9, Shekhi told CBS News, adding that he had been “deprived from all of his basic rights to contact his family, to have a lawyer.”
Four days later, “the family got information that their son has received [a death] sentence, and without declaring what was the charges [or] when the trial took place.”
Soltani’s family was not told how his planned execution would be carried out, but the most common method in Iran is hanging, Hengaw told CBS News.
Soltani’s sister is a lawyer and has been pursuing all available legal avenues to defend her brother, “but the authorities have told [her] there’s no case to review and we are not allowing that,” Shekhi said.
The activist told CBS News the family was informed they’d be allowed to have a final meeting with Soltani — a procedure normally reserved for the families of those being executed. Hengaw said it had no confirmation that the meeting had taken place, but a source close to the family told the group that some of Soltani’s relatives had been heading to the massive Ghezel Hesar Prison, near Tehran, late Tuesday night. It received no further updates.
“If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said Wednesday in a video aired on state television, of a discussion he had with other judiciary officials about the handling of detained protesters’ cases. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast.”
Mr. Trump told CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil on Tuesday that the U.S. would act if the Iranian regime begins hanging protesters.
When asked to clarify what that action could be, Mr. Trump said: “Well — let’s define it in Venezuela. Let’s define it with [ISIS leader] al-Baghdadi. He was wiped out. Let’s define it with [Iranian military commander] Soleimani. And let’s define it in Iran, where — wiped out their Iran nuclear threat in a period of about 15 minutes once the B-2s got there. And that was a complete obliteration as it turns out, which is what I said initially. Then some questioned it, and they said, ‘You know, Trump was right.’ So we’ve been right about everything. We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen. And, you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing. When they start killing thousands of people and now you’re telling me about hanging – we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not gonna work out good.”
[ad_2]
-
Iranians able to make some calls abroad while internet access is still out after protests
[ad_1]
Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the countryIranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people“I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.
DUBAI, Dubai —Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.
Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.
Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the country
Iranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.
Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.
Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people
“I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”
Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.
[ad_2]
-
Iranians able to make some calls abroad while internet access is still out after protests
[ad_1]
Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the countryIranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people“I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.
DUBAI, Dubai —Mobile phones in Iran were able to call abroad Tuesday after a crackdown on nationwide protests in which the internet and international calls were cut.
Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back.
Video above: Donald Trump says Iran wants to negotiate with the U.S. after his threat to strike the country
Iranians said text messaging appeared to remain down, and witnesses said the internet remained cut off from the outside world.
Iran cut off the internet and calls on Thursday as protests intensified.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The communication “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said. However, “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.
Video below: Scenes from the Los Angeles protest in support of the Iranian people
“I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”
Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.
[ad_2]
-
Ex-Navy SEAL planned to fire explosives at police at San Diego ‘No Kings’ rally
[ad_1]
A former Navy SEAL with neo-Nazi beliefs faces up to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of transporting fireworks across state lines with the intent to injure law enforcement at a “No Kings” protest in San Diego, authorities said.
FBI agents found messages on Gregory Vandenberg’s phone indicating he was upset with President Trump because he believed the U.S. government is controlled by Israel and the Jewish people, according to the Department of Justice.
Vandenberg, 49, was planning on traveling from El Paso to San Diego to unleash harmful fireworks at a June 14 protest, prosecutors said.
Inside his car agents found T-shirts with a neo-Nazi symbol printed on them, a flag for the militant group the Caucasian Front, an Al Qaeda flag and a Latin message saying “Judea must be destroyed,” among other paraphernalia displaying anti-Israel and extremist beliefs, prosecutors said.
FBI agents said they found clothing in Gregory Vandenberg’s vehicle with anti-Israel slogans and neo-Nazi symbols.
(Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico)
On June 12, Vandenberg stopped at a travel center near Lordsburg, N.M., and purchased six large mortar fireworks as well as 72 M-150 firecrackers, which are designed to sound like gunfire. He repeatedly expressed his desire to use the fireworks to harm law enforcement at upcoming protests in California and urged the store clerk to join him, prosecutors said.
Vandenberg, who had no stable employment and lived in his car, told the clerk he had significant knowledge of explosives and prior special operations forces experience. He said he was not interested in the color or display of the fireworks, only in their explosive impact and ability to harm others. He even talked about the possibility of increasing their explosive impact by taping fireworks together.
He wore a T-shirt with the word “Amalek” on the front, which he said he designed specifically to mean “destroyer of Jews.” In the Torah, Amalek refers to descendants of Esau who are known as the Israelites’ sworn enemy. His home screen on his phone displayed a picture of the Taliban flag, prosecutors said.
A hat with the calligraphy of the Al Qaeda flag was among evidence.
(Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico)
He declined to provide his ID and then became paranoid, asking whether the store intended to track him and falsely saying that he was not from America, authorities said. Employees, shaken by the encounter, wrote down his license plate and contacted the police.
Federal agents tracked Vandenberg to Tucson, Ariz., where he was arrested on June 13 while sleeping in his car at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He told agents he was traveling for work and visiting friends in Phoenix, despite being unemployed, prosecutors said.
After a five-day jury trial and around three hours of deliberation, a jury convicted him of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing.
Acting U.S. Atty. Ryan Ellison said in a statement that the verdict sends a message that attempts to use violence to express one’s political beliefs will be met with federal consequences.
“People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully,” Ellison said. “What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others. Vandenberg intended to turn explosives into a tool of intimidation.”
[ad_2]
Clara Harter
Source link -
Trump announces potential meeting with Iran amid ongoing protests
[ad_1]
President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that Iranian leaders have reached out to negotiate as protests challenging Iran’s theocracy continue.On Sunday, Trump told reporters that a meeting with Iran is being arranged after the country called to negotiate. “We may meet with them. I mean, a meeting is being set up. But we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump said.Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday the situation is now under total control following a crackdown on nationwide protests. He also alleged that the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for Trump to intervene, though he provided no evidence for this claim.At least two major outlets reported that Trump has been presented with military options for a strike on Iran but has not made a final decision. Iran’s parliament speaker stated that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America launches a strike.The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 572 people have been killed in Iran, including at least 496 protesters.Around the world, people have been rallying in support of protests in Iran. In Los Angeles, a driver of a U-Haul truck sped through an anti-Iran demonstration on Sunday. Police say one person was hit by the truck, but nobody was seriously injured. The driver of the truck has not been identified, but officials said they were being detained “pending further investigation.”Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that Iranian leaders have reached out to negotiate as protests challenging Iran’s theocracy continue.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters that a meeting with Iran is being arranged after the country called to negotiate.
“We may meet with them. I mean, a meeting is being set up. But we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump said.
Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday the situation is now under total control following a crackdown on nationwide protests. He also alleged that the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for Trump to intervene, though he provided no evidence for this claim.
At least two major outlets reported that Trump has been presented with military options for a strike on Iran but has not made a final decision. Iran’s parliament speaker stated that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America launches a strike.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 572 people have been killed in Iran, including at least 496 protesters.
Around the world, people have been rallying in support of protests in Iran.
In Los Angeles, a driver of a U-Haul truck sped through an anti-Iran demonstration on Sunday. Police say one person was hit by the truck, but nobody was seriously injured.
The driver of the truck has not been identified, but officials said they were being detained “pending further investigation.”
Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
[ad_2]
-
U-Haul truck drives through crowd of anti-Iranian regime protesters in Los Angeles
[ad_1]
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with marchers demonstrating in support of the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver.The U-Haul truck, with a window and side mirrors shattered, was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars. ABC7 news helicopter footage showed officers keeping the crowd at bay as demonstrators swarmed the truck, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver’s side window.Watch video from the scene aboveThe driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.The police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt. Two people were evaluated by paramedics and both declined treatment, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.A banner attached on the truck said ““No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,” an apparent reference to a U.S.-backed coup that year that toppled then Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.The August 1953 coup stemmed from U.S. fears over the Soviet Union increasingly wanting a piece of Iran as Communists agitated within the country. The ground had been laid partially by the British, who wanted to wrest back access to the Iranian oil industry, which had been nationalized earlier by Mossadegh.The coup toppled Mossadegh and cemented the power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It also lit the fuse for the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which saw the fatally ill shah flee Iran and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini usher in the theocracy that still governs the country.A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran before the Islamic Revolution,, had gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian theocracy. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by 5 p.m. only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.Activists say a crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed more than 530 people. Protesters flooded the streets in Iran’s capital of Tehran and its second-largest city again Sunday.Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
LOS ANGELES —Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with marchers demonstrating in support of the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver.
The U-Haul truck, with a window and side mirrors shattered, was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars. ABC7 news helicopter footage showed officers keeping the crowd at bay as demonstrators swarmed the truck, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver’s side window.
Watch video from the scene above
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
The police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt. Two people were evaluated by paramedics and both declined treatment, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
A banner attached on the truck said ““No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,” an apparent reference to a U.S.-backed coup that year that toppled then Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
The August 1953 coup stemmed from U.S. fears over the Soviet Union increasingly wanting a piece of Iran as Communists agitated within the country. The ground had been laid partially by the British, who wanted to wrest back access to the Iranian oil industry, which had been nationalized earlier by Mossadegh.
The coup toppled Mossadegh and cemented the power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It also lit the fuse for the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which saw the fatally ill shah flee Iran and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini usher in the theocracy that still governs the country.
A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran before the Islamic Revolution,, had gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian theocracy. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by 5 p.m. only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.
Activists say a crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed more than 530 people. Protesters flooded the streets in Iran’s capital of Tehran and its second-largest city again Sunday.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
[ad_2]
-
Iran rachets up warnings against protesters, threatens U.S. troops in region as unrest enters its second week
[ad_1]
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Nationwide unrest challenging Iran’s theocracy saw protesters flood the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city Saturday night and into Sunday morning, crossing the two-week mark as an outside monitoring group said at least 116 people had been killed.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on a network of contacts inside the country, the death toll from clashes between protests and Iran’s security forces has climbed steadily, and more than 2,600 others have been detained over the last two weeks.
Faced with its most significant challenge in years, Iran’s theocratic rulers have issued increasingly stern threats to what it claims are agitators being influenced by the U.S. and Israel — and answered threats of a U.S. intervention by President Trump with corresponding threats of their own.
Iran’s parliament speaker warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by President Trump. Qalibaf made the threat as lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting: “Death to America!”
Those abroad fear the information blackout will embolden hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown, despite warnings from Mr. Trump that he’s willing to strike the Islamic Republic if demonstrators are killed.
MAHSA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
“I’m sure that has really scared many Iranian officials and may have affected their actions in terms of how to confront the protestors, but at the same time, it has inspired many protesters to come out because they know that the leader of the world’s main superpower is supporting their cause,” Maziar Bahari, the editor of the IranWire news website told CBS News.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous U.S. officials, said on Saturday night that Mr. Trump had been given military options for a strike on Iran, but hadn’t made a final decision.
Iran lawmaker says “signs of a threat” could trigger attacks on U.S. troops
Iranian state television broadcast the Sunday parliament session live. Qalibaf, a hard-liner who has run for the presidency in the past, gave a speech applauding police and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, particularly its all-volunteer Basij, for having “stood firm” during the protests.
“The people of Iran should know that we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested,” Qalibaf said.
He went on to directly threaten Israel, “the occupied territory” as he referred to it, and the U.S. military, possibly with a preemptive strike.
“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”
It remains unclear just how serious Iran is about launching a strike, particularly after seeing its air defenses destroyed during the 12-day war in June with Israel, which also saw the U.S. carry out strikes against its nuclear facilities. Any decision to go to war would rest with Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.S. military has said in the Mideast it is “postured with forces that span the full range of combat capability to defend our forces, our partners and allies and U.S. interests.”
Iran targeted U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar back in June, while the U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet is stationed in the island kingdom of Bahrain.
Iran threatens protesters with death sentences
Online videos sent out of Iran, likely using Starlink satellite transmitters, purportedly showed gathering in northern Tehran’s Punak neighborhood. There, it appeared authorities shut off streets, with protesters waving their lit mobile phones. Others banged metal while fireworks went off.
Other video purportedly showed demonstrators peacefully marching down a street and others honking their car horns on the street.
“The pattern of protests in the capital has largely taken the form of scattered, short-lived, and fluid gatherings, an approach shaped in response to the heavy presence of security forces and increased field pressure,” the Human Rights Activists News Agency said. “At the same time, reports were received of surveillance drones flying overhead and movements by security forces around protest locations, indicating ongoing monitoring and security control.”
Reuters/Social media
In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, some 450 miles northeast of Tehran, video purported to show protesters confronting security forces. Flaming debris and dumpsters could be seen in the street, blocking the road. Mashhad is home to the Imam Reza shrine, the holiest in Shiite Islam, making the protests there carry heavy significance for the country’s theocracy.
Protests also appeared to happen in Kerman, 500 miles southeast of Tehran.
Iranian state television on Sunday morning took a page from demonstrators, having their correspondents appear on streets in several cities to show calm areas with a date stamp shown on screen. Tehran and Mashhad were not included. They also showed pro-government demonstrations in Qom and Qazvin.
Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who “helped rioters” would face the charge.
Iran’s theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatar’s state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work.
Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked in his latest message for demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday. He urged protesters to carry Iran’s old lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols used during the time of the shah to “claim public spaces as your own.”
Pahlavi’s support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past – particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isn’t clear whether that’s support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.
[ad_2]
-
‘Silence is complicity’: Protesters continue to rally for justice, understanding
[ad_1]
Nearly 1,000 protests across the country formed on Saturday following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis and the shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon, by federal officers enforcing a Trump administration immigration crackdown.Protests, vigils and other “ICE Out For Good” events have taken place the past few days. Some protesters were criticizing members of the Trump administration, like U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller.Video above: Candlelight vigil held to honor Renee GoodIn Savannah, Georgia, Kendra Clark said the protest is less about political parties and more about understanding each other.”When you start talking to people, what you realize is we all want the same things. And so that’s what we’re here to do today, is to bring people together and show that we’re all working together,” Clark said.Nearly 100 people joined the protest in Savannah Saturday.”Well, silence is complicity. And if I stay silent and sit still at home, then I’m asking for whatever’s going to happen,” protester Margie Standard said. “And with the way things are going, things aren’t happening very good.”Two were arrested in Savannah during the two-hour protest.Some people in Frankfurt, Kentucky, turned a different page for their protest. Nearly 160 protesters held a silent gathering to get their message across. Organizer Tona Barkley said the gathering was meant to give people a place to process and to show solidarity.“This, I think, is kind of a turning point and it’s very, very important for us to get out and to give people in our community a place in a way to express their grief and their outrage,” Barkley said.For some in attendance, the protest was also about what comes next for younger generations. Susan Goddard said her grandson has already noticed the impact in his classroom.“I asked him, when all that went down, you know, are there people at your school that not showing up? And he said, yes. And he doesn’t understand and it’s upsetting. He wanted to know why,” Goddard said.Things were a bit more rowdy in Florida as a 65-year-old Boca Raton man is facing two battery charges after an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs protest became heated at an intersection west of Boca Raton on Saturday morning.Video below: Protesters physically confronted in FloridaThomas Landry was arrested Saturday morning, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.Louis Garcia, of Boynton Beach, who was wearing a “Firefighters for Biden/Harris” shirt, said there were about 200 protesters at the intersection, but he chose to go to another corner where there weren’t other people.”I had my back turned facing the eastbound traffic,” said Garcia, noting he was with two female protesters. “I was holding a large American flag and an impeach Trump sign.”All of a sudden, I heard a scream. He knocked the impeach Trump sign, knocked down a young woman.”This guy was coming up behind me, very cowardly. Punched me in the chest with closed fist. I was startled and told to back up. He kept moving forward. Went to swing at head and knocked off my helmet,” Garcia said.PBSO, which was nearby, was contacted and Landry was arrested on suspicion of battery of Garcia and a woman.Garcia said he didn’t sustain any injuries.Video below: Boston protesters rally for second day as new details surface in deadly Minnesota ICE shootingTwo rallies were held in Boston Saturday.Demonstrators demanded that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and other lawmakers sever all ties between state and local law enforcement and ICE, end the alleged immigration-to-incarceration pipeline, and help families impacted by ICE detentions.”An attack on a community member is an attack on all of us,” An Immigrant Justice Network statement read. “We keep each other safe — and we will continue to show up together until ICE is out of our communities.”The group said they were there to mourn those killed by immigration enforcement and to demand an end to ICE operations and local collaboration across the state.Boston police did not report any arrests at either protest.Things turned violent in Minnesota Friday night.A protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as demonstrators threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. He faulted “agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds.””This is what Donald Trump wants,” Frey said of the president who has demanded massive immigration enforcement efforts in several U.S. cities. “He wants us to take the bait.”Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz echoed the call for peace.”Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone,” Walz posted on social media. “Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Don’t give him what he wants.”
Nearly 1,000 protests across the country formed on Saturday following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis and the shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon, by federal officers enforcing a Trump administration immigration crackdown.
Protests, vigils and other “ICE Out For Good” events have taken place the past few days.
Some protesters were criticizing members of the Trump administration, like U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller.
Video above: Candlelight vigil held to honor Renee Good
In Savannah, Georgia, Kendra Clark said the protest is less about political parties and more about understanding each other.
“When you start talking to people, what you realize is we all want the same things. And so that’s what we’re here to do today, is to bring people together and show that we’re all working together,” Clark said.
Nearly 100 people joined the protest in Savannah Saturday.
“Well, silence is complicity. And if I stay silent and sit still at home, then I’m asking for whatever’s going to happen,” protester Margie Standard said. “And with the way things are going, things aren’t happening very good.”
Two were arrested in Savannah during the two-hour protest.
Some people in Frankfurt, Kentucky, turned a different page for their protest. Nearly 160 protesters held a silent gathering to get their message across.
Organizer Tona Barkley said the gathering was meant to give people a place to process and to show solidarity.
“This, I think, is kind of a turning point and it’s very, very important for us to get out and to give people in our community a place in a way to express their grief and their outrage,” Barkley said.
For some in attendance, the protest was also about what comes next for younger generations. Susan Goddard said her grandson has already noticed the impact in his classroom.
“I asked him, when all that went down, you know, are there people at your school that not showing up? And he said, yes. And he doesn’t understand and it’s upsetting. He wanted to know why,” Goddard said.
Things were a bit more rowdy in Florida as a 65-year-old Boca Raton man is facing two battery charges after an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs protest became heated at an intersection west of Boca Raton on Saturday morning.
Video below: Protesters physically confronted in Florida
Thomas Landry was arrested Saturday morning, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.
Louis Garcia, of Boynton Beach, who was wearing a “Firefighters for Biden/Harris” shirt, said there were about 200 protesters at the intersection, but he chose to go to another corner where there weren’t other people.
“I had my back turned facing the eastbound traffic,” said Garcia, noting he was with two female protesters. “I was holding a large American flag and an impeach Trump sign.
“All of a sudden, I heard a scream. He knocked the impeach Trump sign, knocked down a young woman.
“This guy was coming up behind me, very cowardly. Punched me in the chest with closed fist. I was startled and told to back up. He kept moving forward. Went to swing at head and knocked off my helmet,” Garcia said.
PBSO, which was nearby, was contacted and Landry was arrested on suspicion of battery of Garcia and a woman.
Garcia said he didn’t sustain any injuries.
Video below: Boston protesters rally for second day as new details surface in deadly Minnesota ICE shooting
Two rallies were held in Boston Saturday.
Demonstrators demanded that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and other lawmakers sever all ties between state and local law enforcement and ICE, end the alleged immigration-to-incarceration pipeline, and help families impacted by ICE detentions.
“An attack on a community member is an attack on all of us,” An Immigrant Justice Network statement read. “We keep each other safe — and we will continue to show up together until ICE is out of our communities.”
The group said they were there to mourn those killed by immigration enforcement and to demand an end to ICE operations and local collaboration across the state.
Boston police did not report any arrests at either protest.
Things turned violent in Minnesota Friday night.
A protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as demonstrators threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. He faulted “agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds.”
“This is what Donald Trump wants,” Frey said of the president who has demanded massive immigration enforcement efforts in several U.S. cities. “He wants us to take the bait.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz echoed the call for peace.
“Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone,” Walz posted on social media. “Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Don’t give him what he wants.”
[ad_2]
-
Protests against ICE taking place across U.S. after shootings in Minneapolis and Oregon
[ad_1]
Protests against immigration enforcement were planned for cities and towns across the country on Saturday after one federal officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.
The demonstrations come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers.
Joseph Prezioso /AFP via Getty Images
Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were taking place in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed “ICE Out for Good” using the acronym for the agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.
An Indivisible protest was underway in Philadelphia on Saturday morning, CBS Philadelphia reported. Protestors are set to march to the federal detention center in the city and join another group holding a rally there.
Chopper 3/CBS News Philadelphia
Thousands of people marched in Minneapolis on Saturday.
“We’re all living in fear right now,” said Meghan Moore, a mother of two from Minneapolis who joined the protest. “ICE is creating an environment where nobody feels safe and that’s unacceptable.”
Connor Maloney said he was attending the Minneapolis protest to support his community and because he’s frustrated with the immigration crackdown.
“Almost daily I see them harassing people,” he said. “It’s just sickening that it’s happening in our community around us.”
He was among thousands of protesters, including children, who braved sub-freezing temperatures and a light dusting of snow, carrying handmade signs saying declaring, “De-ICE Minnesota!” and “ICE melts in Minnesota.”
They marched down a street that is home to restaurants and stores where various nationalities and cultures are celebrated in colorful murals.
Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to attend a protest in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday because of the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis.
“We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.”
Protests held in the neighborhood so far have been peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and agents guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown.
Minneapolis police said at least 30 people were cited and released during Friday night protests in the city that drew hundreds of people. Police said protesters threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, police vehicles and other vehicles, but no serious injuries were reported.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. He faulted “agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds.”
“This is what Donald Trump wants,” Frey said of the president who has demanded massive immigration enforcement efforts in several U.S. cities. “He wants us to take the bait.”
The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part.
Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February.
[ad_2]
-
Protests against ICE are planned across Northern California on Saturday
[ad_1]
Protests against ICE are planned across Northern California on Saturday
Updated: 10:54 AM PST Jan 10, 2026
National protests against immigration enforcement on Saturday include many cities in Northern California.At least 1,000 demonstrations are planned under the banner “ICE Out for Good” across the country. Protests planned for cities in KCRA 3’s coverage area include:RosevilleVacavilleStocktonWoodlandFair Oaks/CarmichaelFairfieldModestoSacramentoSonora(LiveCopter 3 will have a view over the demonstrations. Watch in the video above.) The protests are being organized by groups that include Indivisible, MoveOn Civic Action, the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Citizen, Voto Latino, United We Dream and the 50501 movement.They come after the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis, where immigration agents have surged as part of a new crackdown tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. Good, a mother of three and a U.S. citizen, was shot when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot into her vehicle on Wednesday morning as she was driving forward in an area where agents were operating. Trump administration officials have alleged the shooting was done in self-defense, which state and local officials have disputed. At least four people have been killed and seven hurt in 16 shooting incidents by immigration officials during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to Hearst’s Get the Fact Data Team. In another 15 incidents, federal immigration agents held people at gunpoint but didn’t shoot. In the latest encounter, two people were shot and wounded by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in east Portland. This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel–The Associated Press contributed to this story. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —National protests against immigration enforcement on Saturday include many cities in Northern California.
At least 1,000 demonstrations are planned under the banner “ICE Out for Good” across the country. Protests planned for cities in KCRA 3’s coverage area include:
- Roseville
- Vacaville
- Stockton
- Woodland
- Fair Oaks/Carmichael
- Fairfield
- Modesto
- Sacramento
- Sonora
(LiveCopter 3 will have a view over the demonstrations. Watch in the video above.)
The protests are being organized by groups that include Indivisible, MoveOn Civic Action, the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Citizen, Voto Latino, United We Dream and the 50501 movement.
They come after the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis, where immigration agents have surged as part of a new crackdown tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.
Good, a mother of three and a U.S. citizen, was shot when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot into her vehicle on Wednesday morning as she was driving forward in an area where agents were operating. Trump administration officials have alleged the shooting was done in self-defense, which state and local officials have disputed.
At least four people have been killed and seven hurt in 16 shooting incidents by immigration officials during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to Hearst’s Get the Fact Data Team. In another 15 incidents, federal immigration agents held people at gunpoint but didn’t shoot.
In the latest encounter, two people were shot and wounded by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in east Portland.
This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
–The Associated Press contributed to this story.
[ad_2]
-
Protests against ICE planned across the US after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon
[ad_1]
Protesters against immigration enforcement actions took to the streets in cities and towns across the country on Saturday after a federal officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.Video above: Protesters and counterprotesters clash in Minneapolis day after ICE shootingThe demonstrations come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Donald Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers. Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a Saturday protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of what he called the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis.”We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.”Video below: Protests intensify after ICE shooting of Renee GoodIndivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed “ICE Out for Good” using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Good’s life and call for an “end to deadly terror on our streets.”Protests held in the neighborhood have so far been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown. On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as people threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested.The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part. Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February. Associated Press writer Allen Breed contributed to this report from Durham, North Carolina.
MINNEAPOLIS —Protesters against immigration enforcement actions took to the streets in cities and towns across the country on Saturday after a federal officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.
Video above: Protesters and counterprotesters clash in Minneapolis day after ICE shooting
The demonstrations come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Donald Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers.
Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a Saturday protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of what he called the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis.
“We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.”
Video below: Protests intensify after ICE shooting of Renee Good
Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed “ICE Out for Good” using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.
In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Good’s life and call for an “end to deadly terror on our streets.”
Protests held in the neighborhood have so far been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown.
On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as people threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested.
The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part.
Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February.
Associated Press writer Allen Breed contributed to this report from Durham, North Carolina.
[ad_2]
-
Iran protests rage for another night and deaths mount as Trump renews warning of possible U.S. intervention
[ad_1]
Protests in Iran raged Friday night in the Islamic Republic, online videos purported to show, despite a threats from the country’s theocracy to crack down on demonstrators after shutting down the internet and cutting telephone lines off to the world. The protesters appeared to be taking encouragement from repeated declarations of support by the Trump administration, and by the country’s exiled crown prince, who called on them Saturday to try and overwhelm security forces and seize towns and cities.
An external rights groups that relies on information from contacts inside Iran says at least 65 people have been killed in the protests, which began in Tehran in late December as anger over Iran’s ailing economy, but quickly spread and morphed into the most significant challenge to the government in years.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused President Trump of having hands “stained with the blood of Iranians” in remarks aired Friday on Iranian state TV, as supporters gathered before him shouted “Death to America!”
Protesters are “ruining their own streets … in order to please the president of the United States,” the 86-year-old Khamenei said to the crowd at his compound in Tehran. “Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead.”
IRIB/Handout/Anadolu/Getty
State media later called the demonstrators “terrorists,” setting the stage for a possible violent crackdown – how Iran has responded to other major protests in recent years, despite Mr. Trump’s pledge to back peaceful protesters, with force if necessary.
Trump’s issues fresh warnings to Iran’s leaders
Trump has repeatedly pledged to strike Iran if protesters are killed, a threat that has taken on greater significance after the U.S. military raid that seized Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro. The president suggested Friday any possible American strike wouldn’t “mean boots on the ground but that means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”
“Iran’s in big trouble,” Trump said. “It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago.”
He added: “I tell the Iranian leaders you better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”
In a brief social media post published in the very early hours of Saturday morning in Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “the United States supports the brave people of Iran.”
Iranian regime warns protesters will be punished “without any legal leniency”
Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei separately vowed that punishment for protesters “will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.”
According to the Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which was founded by anti-regime activists, as of Friday, the 13th day of unrest in Iran, at least 65 people had been killed, including at least 14 members of the security forces. More than 2,300 people had been arrested, and protests recorded in at least 180 cities.
Social media via REUTERS
Iranian authorities shut down the internet on Thursday night as protests escalated sharply, seemingly as people heeded a call by the exiled crown prince, a vocal opposition figure, for Iranians to raise their voices against the regime.
According to an update posted online Saturday morning by the monitoring organization NetBlocks, “metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours, severely limiting Iranians’ ability to check on the safety of friends and loved ones.”
That communications blackout has made it incredibly difficult to gain a clear picture of the scale of the protests overall – and the Iranian authorities’ response to it. Some other reports put the death toll from unrest much higher, with TIME citing a doctor in Tehran as saying at least 217 people had been killed, for instance.
Iranian authorities have acknowledged a few deaths, but usually only those of security forces.
Asked by CBS News how seriously he believes Iran’s autocratic rulers are taking the warnings from Mr. Trump not to kill protesters, Maziar Bahari, editor of the IranWire news website, said he was certain it had “really scared many Iranian officials, and may have affected their actions in terms of how to confront the protestors.”
“But at the same time … it has inspired many protesters to come out, because they know that the leader of the world’s main superpower is supporting their cause,” said Bahari, who spent months in Iranian prisons after being arrested during a previous round of massive unrest in 2009.
“Many people have called what is happening in Iran right now a revolution,” Bahari told CBS News’ Haley Ott. “And we can see different signs of revolution in Iran at the movement. But a revolution usually needs a leader for the revolution. But we don’t have that leader.”
But while decades of draconian control over the media and the deliberate sidelining of dissident voices in the country have deprived Iran of a clear opposition figurehead inside the country’s borders, many in the vast Iranian diaspora hope the nation’s ousted royal family could stage a comeback.
Head of Iran’s exiled royal family predicts his return is “very near”
Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has been seen by many analysts as a galvanizing force behind the momentum of this round of protests. On Saturday, he called on Iranians not only to continue coming out into the streets, but to try to seize control of towns and cities from the authorities by overwhelming them.
“Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centers,” Pahlavi said in his latest video message posted on social media, calling for more demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday.”
Striking an optimistic tone, Pahlavi declared that he was “preparing to return to my homeland,” suggesting the day on which he would be able to do so, “very near.”
Blanca CRUZ/AFP/Getty
But Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly 50 years, and while he has long sought to position himself as a leader-in-waiting, it’s far from clear how much real support he has inside the country.
His father, Iran’s Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was widely despised inside Iran when he fled into exile himself amid street protests in 1979, as the Islamic Revolution that brought the current regime to power took hold.
[ad_2]
-
Iran leader vows regime will
[ad_1]
Thousands of Iranians flooded the streets of Tehran and other cities Thursday night, heeding a call by the country’s exiled crown prince to make their voices heard in the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic’s hardline rulers in many years.
The protests had spread across the country for 13 days, leaving about 65 people dead and more than 2,300 detained by security forces, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, but despite the arrests and a nationwide internet and phone service blackout, the unrest escalated dramatically on Thursday night and into Friday.
The protests have now spread to 180 cities in all 31 of the nation’s provinces, according to the HRANA.
It was impossible to get a clear picture of the extent of the unrest, given the clamp down on the flow of information. But Iran’s ruler appeared in a brief television address on Friday morning, defiantly accusing President Trump of inspiring the protests, showing he remained in charge, and vowing that his regime would “not back down.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, called for unity and accused “a bunch of vandals” in Tehran, where a state TV building was set alight, of having “destroyed a building that belongs to them to please the U.S. president.”
IRIB/Handout/Anadolu/Getty
As he spoke, an audience in front of him shouted the familiar refrain of “Death to America!”
Given the communications blackout, which continued Friday morning according to the NetBlocks internet monitoring organization, short videos posted online, largely by anti-regime activists, provided the only real window into the chaos across the country.
It appeared to ramp up dramatically from 8 p.m. local time on Thursday, the moment at which exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi had urged Iranians to shout and chant from their windows against the regime.
“Iranians demanded their freedom tonight,” said Pahlavi, the son of the former head of state Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who fled the country just before the 1979 Islamic revolution that brought the current regime to power.
In statements posted online, he called for European leaders to join Mr. Trump to “hold the regime to account,” using “all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen. Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced.”
Speaking at the White House Friday, Mr. Trump reiterated, as he has in recent days, that he was open to some kind of U.S. intervention in Iran, although he said that would not involve a U.S. incursion.
“I’ve made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” Mr. Trump said. “We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts. So, we don’t want that to happen.”
On Friday, Pahlavi made a direct appeal to Mr. Trump.
“I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers. Last night they did that. Your threat to this criminal regime has also kept the regime’s thugs at bay. But time is of the essence. The people will be on the streets again in an hour. I am asking you to help,” Pahlavi said on social media. “You have proven and I know you are a man of peace and a man of your word. Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran.”
Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty
Pahlavi issued his initial call several days earlier for mass chanting against the regime at 8 p.m., which is noon on the East Coast of the United States, on both Thursday and Friday.
In the videos, which are difficult to independently verify, many people could be heard chanting “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to the Islamic Republic,” while others called for a return of the monarchy, declaring: “Pahlavi will return!”
As of Thursday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on a network of contacts inside the country, said at least 42 people had been killed and more than 2,270 others detained, but that was before a clear picture could be gained of the chaos on Thursday night and Friday morning.
“All of the huge crowds in my neighborhood are pro-Pahlavi and from several areas my sources report the same — pro-Pahlavi crowds are prevailing, undeniably,” one source in Tehran told CBS News on Thursday night, calling it “monarchists responding to Reza,” before his communications were cut off.
“For the first time, the government decided to shut the internet yesterday, and usually when they shut the Internet, it means that they’re going to use violence against people,” Maziar Bahari, editor of the independent IranWire news site, told CBS News on Friday.
Kamran / Middle East Images /AFP via Getty Images
Bahari said activists and journalists outside Iran had heard reports of security forces shooting at people in different parts of the country, but that the information was impossible to verify. Other CBS News sources, both people inside the country and those in contact with family in Iran, said there did not appear to have been massive, widespread violence on Thursday evening, but they stressed that it was difficult to get a clear picture amid the communications cuts.
“Even Starlink, which has been the main line of communication for some activists in different parts of the country, has been jammed,” Bahari said, referring to the satellite communication system run by Elon Musk.
CBS News has sought comment from SpaceX, which runs Starlink, but did not get any immediate response.
Bahari said this would likely result in the “incarceration of hundreds or even thousands of protesters. It’s gonna lead to torture and interrogation of thousands of protestors, into killing of the protestors. But it has not prevented protests in the past. People have continued to protest, and this time, because the middle classes – the traditional bazaar merchants – they have joined the young people, I think the protests, it will be very difficult for the regime to stop.”
How might Iran respond?
“Many people have called what is happening in Iran right now a revolution, and we can see different signs of revolution in Iran at the moment, but a revolution usually needs a leader for the revolution … We don’t have that leader,” said Bahari, who was working as a journalist in Iran in 2009 when a previous round of massive protests swept across the country. He was arrested and detained for over 100 days.
He said he expects the protests to continue, regardless of any steps the regime takes to crack down, which he said could vary significantly based on the whims of local and regional commanders.
“I think people are more desperate than before. In 2009, the economic situation was not as bad as it is now,” Bahari said. “In 2009 the protests were really about dignity and citizen rights. In 2022, the ‘woman life freedom’ [movement] was mainly about the rights of women to determine their own destinies. But I think these protests, they are about the economic situation, but also about dignity. It’s about the national pride. And because of that, these protests will be very, very difficult to contain.”
“I was very lucky that I was a journalist for a foreign publication at that time … and because of that, I wasn’t treated the same way that unknown prisoners were treated,” Bahari told CBS News.
But despite his status as “a VIP prisoner,” Bahari said he was “tortured physically. I was tortured psychologically. I was threatened with execution. And I know for a fact that many of the protesters in 2009 who were arrested with me and did not have my profile, they were treated much more harshly by the prison guards in different parts of the country.”
“Iranian people, they do not lack bravery. They lack leadership in terms of opposing the government,” Bahari said. “But at the same time, many of the protesters, they have nothing to lose. Their rate of suicide in the past couple of decades in Iran is really high. And when you’re suicidal, when you have nothing to lose, you don’t care about what may happen to you in a protest. So you just come out and ask for your rights.”
Echoing Khamenei, Iran’s state-controlled media on Friday accused “terrorist agents” of the U.S. and Israel of causing the violence. It acknowledged casualties, but gave no details.
The protests began on December 28 as merchants in Tehran closed their shops and took to the streets to vent anger over Iran’s long-ailing economy, which has been hobbled for years by global isolation and a raft of sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other nations over its nuclear program and backing of armed proxy groups across the region.
Iran’s autocratic regime has quashed several previous waves of unrest, violently, and the source in Tehran told CBS News there was significant fear among many people that the current protests would draw a similar draconian crackdown.
This time, however, the protests are playing out under the threat of a direct U.S. intervention by President Trump.
“I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots — they have lots of riots — if they do it, we are going to hit them very hard,” Mr. Trump said Thursday during a radio interview.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House that the U.S. stood by anyone engaged in peaceful protests in Iran. Asked if the U.S. would, as it did over the summer, join in any new Israeli strikes on Iran, Vance called on Tehran to negotiate with Washington over its nuclear program, but said he would “let the president speak to what we’re going to do in the future.”
Bahari said that Iranian officials had told him they were concerned about Mr. Trump potentially intervening in Iran even before these protests.
The recent U.S. attack on Venezuela, “has really scared many Iranian officials and may have affected their actions in terms of how to confront the protesters. But at the same time, it has inspired many protesters to come out, because they know that the leader of the world’s main superpower is supporting their cause.”
[ad_2]
-
Iran protests are the biggest in years to challenge the regime. Here’s what to know.
[ad_1]
Iran has faced intense nationwide protests for nearly two weeks, marking the largest challenge to the country’s ruling regime in years — and drawing vows from President Trump to intervene on the protesters’ behalf if they face a violent crackdown.
Initially sparked by Iran‘s economic freefall and severe inflation, the protests have boiled over, with about 180 cities facing demonstrations. One monitoring group has reported thousands of arrests and dozens of deaths since the protests began.
Here’s what you need to know:
How the Iran protests started, and what they’ve become
The current wave of protests began in the capital, Tehran, in late December as shopkeepers went on strike and marched into the streets. Small business owners in Iran have long been seen as supportive of the regime, but anger over spiraling inflation and the devaluation of the nation’s currency, which lost more than 40% of its value last year, making everyday goods impossible for many people to afford, sparked the demonstrations.
The protests quickly spread, with people joining marches across the country to denounce not only the economic woes, but to air wider discontent with the country’s hardline regime.
Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
As of Friday, protests were reported in at least 180 cities in all 31 of the country’s provinces, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA, a U.S.-based monitoring group founded by anti-regime activists.
Demonstrations have also been reported on dozens of university campuses since late December, and strikes and shop closures were reported in markets in over a dozen cities, HRANA said.
Videos posted on social media virtually every night have shown crowds of protesters marching through the streets of various Iranian cities, chanting anti-government slogans and clashing with the country’s security forces in some cases.
How Iranian authorities have responded
More than 2,300 people have been reported detained since the wave of protests began, including at least 167 under the age of 18, according to HRANA. Some 65 people have been killed, the group said, including 50 protesters, at least seven people under the age of 18 and 14 members of the security services.
The Islamic Republic’s semiofficial Fars news agency claimed Monday that about 250 police officers and 45 members of the feared Basij security force had been injured amid the unrest.
Iranian authorities cut off phone service and web access Thursday night across the country, according to the internet monitoring organization NetBlocks, which said a “nationwide internet blackout” continued on Friday.
“Even Starlink, which has been the main line of communication for some activists in different parts of the country, has been jammed,” Maziar Bahari, editor of the independent IranWire news site, told CBS News on Friday, referring to the satellite communication system run by Elon Musk.
CBS News has sought comment from SpaceX, which runs Starlink, but did not get any immediate response.
Trump warns he’ll hit Iran “very hard” if it kills protesters
Mr. Trump has threatened on several occasions since the protests began that he could order a U.S. intervention if Iranian authorities kill demonstrators.
Speaking at the White House on Jan. 9, Mr. Trump reiterated that he was open to some kind of U.S. action, although he said that would not involve a U.S. incursion.
“I’ve made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” Mr. Trump said. “We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts. So, we don’t want that to happen.”
In a Jan. 2 post on Truth Social, he said: “If Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” the president said.
Speaking on Fox News on Jan. 8, Mr. Trump said the U.S. was “ready” to hit Iran hard if protesters were killed, but added, “for the most part, they haven’t” been.
The president’s comments came just over six months after he ordered airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, amid a deadly days-long conflict between Iran and Israel.
The unrest in Iran also comes as Mr. Trump takes a more aggressive posture on the world stage.
U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an overnight military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3, and Mr. Trump has suggested he’s open to military action in Colombia to combat drug trafficking, and even to take control of Greenland.
Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who studies Iran, told CBS News last week that Mr. Trump’s gestures of support could embolden Iranian protesters, saying his comments may be the “one ingredient you need to keep … the street-level movement alive.”
Bahari, of IranWire, said Iranian officials had told him they were concerned about Mr. Trump potentially intervening in Iran even before the protests began.
The recent U.S. attack on Venezuela, “has really scared many Iranian officials and may have affected their actions in terms of how to confront the protesters. But at the same time, it has inspired many protesters to come out, because they know that the leader of the world’s main superpower is supporting their cause.”
Iranian leaders acknowledge problems, but blame U.S.
In an address on state television aired Friday, after an intense night of protests, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that his regime would “not back down,” called for unity and accused “a bunch of vandals” in Tehran of causing chaos in the capital “to please the U.S. president.”
In some cases, Iranian officials have attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, acknowledging people’s economic concerns and insisting that people have the right to protest peacefully. State media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian had directed security forces not to crack down on peaceful protesters.
The government has also offered some relief in the form of $7-a-month stipends that can be used in grocery stores to buy basic necessities.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Mr. Trump threats of a U.S. intervention, accusing the U.S. of “inciting violence and terrorism.”
Iranian army commander Major General Amir Hatami threatened Wednesday to “cut off the hand of any aggressor.”
Iran’s history of mass protests
Protests — and severe crackdowns — are a recurring theme in Iran.
The last major round of protests came in 2022, spurred by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the theocratic government’s forces for allegedly wearing her headscarf incorrectly. Hundreds of people were killed across months of demonstrations.
Other protest movements came in 2019 and 2017, and Iran was beset by a large-scale uprising in 2009 over the country’s contested presidential election.
“From what we saw on social media channels and also from conversations with different people in Iran, the number of protesters in different parts of the country is not as high as in 2022, but there are more protests — the protests are more widespread in different parts of the country,” Bahari told CBS News. “So, even some smaller cities where they never had a protest in those cities, they see protests these days, and I think people are more desperate than before.”
The current protests seem different compared to the previous rounds — and could be harder for the regime to quell by offering concessions — due to their roots in the country’s economic woes, according to Mona Yacoubian, Director and Senior Adviser of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
She noted that in 2022, the regime was able to appease protesters by “simply addressing their complaints about women’s veiling and so forth.”
But the protesters now are more focused on economic problems, and “there’s really nothing [the regime] can do” to get Iran’s moribund economy back on track, she said.
“These protests, they are about economic situation, but also about dignity,” Bahari told CBS News. “It’s about the national pride. And because of that, this protest will be very, very difficult to contain.”
Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi cheers on the protests
Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father the former shah, fled just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current clerical regime to power, has cheered the protests from exile, urging demonstrators this week to keep the movement “disciplined” and “as large as possible.”
JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images
The crown prince called for Iranians to chant together against the country’s leadership at 8 p.m. local time, or 12 p.m. Eastern, on Thursday and Friday, and many did seem to answer his call.
Pahlavi’s call to action “could be a turning point” in the protest movement, Yacoubian told CBS News on Thursday.
“This is a regime that is not afraid to use lethal force,” Yacoubian said. “But the question is, to what extent, if they become overwhelmed, if the protests become overwhelmingly large and if there are elements in security forces, police, and so forth, kind of at that local level, who themselves are suffering the effects of this economic crisis and who decide not to shoot at people: These are the kinds of questions I think that we need to watch.”
[ad_2]
-
Iran state TV breaks silence on protests, claims ‘terrorist agents’ of US and Israel set fires
[ad_1]
Iranian state media broke its silence Friday over the demonstrations that swept the country overnight, alleging “terrorist agents” of the U.S. and Israel set fires and sparked violence.The brief report buried in state TV’s 8 a.m. broadcast represented the first official word about the demonstrations.Video above: President Donald Trump warns Iran against killing protestersIt claimed the protests saw violence that caused casualties but did not elaborate.It also said the protests saw “people’s private cars, motorcycles, public places such as the metro, fire trucks and buses set on fire.”Iran’s government has shut down the internet and international phone calls, making it difficult to contact those inside the Islamic Republic. However, a call by Iran’s exiled crown prince apparently sparked a mass demonstration from 8 p.m. local time Thursday.
DUBAI, Dubai —Iranian state media broke its silence Friday over the demonstrations that swept the country overnight, alleging “terrorist agents” of the U.S. and Israel set fires and sparked violence.
The brief report buried in state TV’s 8 a.m. broadcast represented the first official word about the demonstrations.
Video above: President Donald Trump warns Iran against killing protesters
It claimed the protests saw violence that caused casualties but did not elaborate.
It also said the protests saw “people’s private cars, motorcycles, public places such as the metro, fire trucks and buses set on fire.”
Iran’s government has shut down the internet and international phone calls, making it difficult to contact those inside the Islamic Republic. However, a call by Iran’s exiled crown prince apparently sparked a mass demonstration from 8 p.m. local time Thursday.
[ad_2]
-
Internet service in Iran cut off or restricted as deadly protests reach a possible tipping point
[ad_1]
Iranian authorities cut off phone service and internet access Thursday in the capital and in several parts of the country as mass protests and chanting against the government continue, with dozens of people killed in the demonstrations and thousands arrested. Multiple sources in Tehran told CBS News the internet was down in the capital.
The NetBlocks monitoring organization said Thursday evening local time in Iran that its live data showed Iran was “now in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout; the incident follows a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hinders the public’s right to communicate at a critical moment.”
Attempts to dial landlines and mobile phones from Dubai to Iran could not be connected, the Associated Press reported.
Security forces confronted protesters in several cities and towns, firing tear gas. One CBS News source in the capital said there were “huge crowds out across Tehran. Unprecedented,” and confirmed that the internet was down for most people in the city. He said some people, with more robust, more reliable business accounts could still get online. Not long after, that source became unreachable, suggesting the blackout had widened even further.
There were reports on social media, largely by anti-regime activists, that web service was also down or severely restricted in the cities of Esfahan, Lodegan, Abdanan, and parts of Shiraz.
The web outages came as Iranians began chanting out of their windows against the regime, following a call by exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former U.S.-backed shah, to make their voices heard at 8 p.m. local time (noon Eastern). Analysts and insiders told CBS News the scale of the response to Pahalvi’s call could determine whether the deadly, 12-day-old protests fizzle out as previous rounds of unrest have, or grow into a major challenge to the government, and provoke a possible wider crackdown.
“All of the huge crowds in my neighborhood are pro-Pahlavi and from several areas my sources report the same — pro-Pahlavi crowds are prevailing, undeniably,” the source in Tehran told CBS News, calling it “monarchists responding to Reza.”
Reuters/Social media
So far, the unrest has left at least 42 people dead, including at least four members of the security services, and seen more than 2,260 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
President Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Thursday that his administration is monitoring the protests in Iran. He threatened to take severe action if authorities kill protesters.
“I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots — they have lots of riots — if they do it, we are going to hit them very hard,” Mr. Trump said.
Speaking to reporters Thursday at the White House, Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. stands by anybody in Iran engaged in peaceful protest. Asked if the U.S. would take part in any Israeli strikes on Iran, Vance called on Iran to have real negotiations with the U.S. over their nuclear program.
“I’ll let the president speak to what we’re going to do in the future,” Vance said.
NetBlocks said earlier that its “data show the loss of connectivity on #Iran internet backbone provider TCI in the restive city of Kermanshah as protests spread across the nation in their 12th day; the incident comes amid rising casualties with indications of disruptions in multiple regions.”
Iranian authorities regularly restrict or disable internet access when they expect significant protests or other potentially destabilizing events.
President Mahsoud Pezeshkian, seen as a reformer but subordinate to Iran’s longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, intimated ahead of his election in 2024 that he would free up the internet and make more websites accessible. It remains tightly restricted, however. Social media sites such as TikTok, Facebook and X are officially banned, as is access to U.S. and European news sites, including CBS News.
Many young, tech-savvy Iranians have become adept at getting around the restrictions, but it’s a cumbersome process, and when the regime slows down internet speeds at politically sensitive times, the whole system can become unusable.
[ad_2]
