Protesters chant ‘death to dictator’ near Tehran following building collapse
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Hundreds of Iranian protesters chanted “death to dictator” as the days-long demonstrations arrived in Shahr-e-Rey city near Tehran on Saturday night following the collapse of a shopping center which quickly turned into a symbol of the incompetence of the authorities.
At least 29 people died and dozens were wounded in the collapse of a large section of the 10-story Metropol building that was under construction in the city of Abadan in Khuzestan province on Monday, angering many residents of the impoverished but oil-rich region with many taking to the streets to demand justice for the victims.
Ahmad Vahidi the minister of interior said that 29 dead bodies have been pulled out from under the debris of the building as of Saturday night, with more feared to be trapped under the sheer volume of the rubble. There are no official figures of those still caught under the collapsed building.
Protests also spread to other cities, including Isfahan and Khormashahr where people expressed support for the people of Abadan.
During the Cannes film festival ceremony on Saturday, Iranian actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, who won the best actress award, expressed support for the people of Abadan and said that “My heart is with Abadan.”
Iran Writers Association publicly supported the protesters in Abadan and accused the authorities of hiding the truth about the collapsed building. Instead of investigating the matter and holding those responsible for this tragedy, the Association wrote, the authorities deployed security forces to crack down on people.
Videos of hundreds of security forces in riot gear and on motorbikes circulated on Iranian social media with some officers attacking women for criticizing them.
On Friday, security forces "used tear gas and shot in the air" to disperse hundreds of protestors who had gathered up near the site of the incident, according to Fars News Agency.
While deploying thousands of troops to stifle any dissent and protest, the authorities announced Sunday as the national day of mourning and there have been calls from the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to hold the responsible parties to account.
Meanwhile, the people’s search for their loved ones stuck under the rubble continues. A video published on Twitter showed a man looking through the rubble, attempting to catch any signs of life.
At least 29 people died and dozens were wounded in the collapse of a large section of the 10-story Metropol building that was under construction in the city of Abadan in Khuzestan province on Monday, angering many residents of the impoverished but oil-rich region with many taking to the streets to demand justice for the victims.
Ahmad Vahidi the minister of interior said that 29 dead bodies have been pulled out from under the debris of the building as of Saturday night, with more feared to be trapped under the sheer volume of the rubble. There are no official figures of those still caught under the collapsed building.
Protests also spread to other cities, including Isfahan and Khormashahr where people expressed support for the people of Abadan.
During the Cannes film festival ceremony on Saturday, Iranian actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, who won the best actress award, expressed support for the people of Abadan and said that “My heart is with Abadan.”
Iran Writers Association publicly supported the protesters in Abadan and accused the authorities of hiding the truth about the collapsed building. Instead of investigating the matter and holding those responsible for this tragedy, the Association wrote, the authorities deployed security forces to crack down on people.
Videos of hundreds of security forces in riot gear and on motorbikes circulated on Iranian social media with some officers attacking women for criticizing them.
On Friday, security forces "used tear gas and shot in the air" to disperse hundreds of protestors who had gathered up near the site of the incident, according to Fars News Agency.
While deploying thousands of troops to stifle any dissent and protest, the authorities announced Sunday as the national day of mourning and there have been calls from the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to hold the responsible parties to account.
Meanwhile, the people’s search for their loved ones stuck under the rubble continues. A video published on Twitter showed a man looking through the rubble, attempting to catch any signs of life.