NY protests, popular rejection to Erdogan, Mullah’s repressive practices

Nora Bendary

In an attempt that might pose a threat to both Turkey and Iran, protests coincided with the 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which is taking place with the attendance of world leaders, to reject the ruling of both regimes, demanding them to resign.

Activists in New York on Sept. 24, 2019 have expressed their refusal to the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan to the United States to attend the 74th session of the UNGA.

Promotional trucks roamed the streets of New York in protest of Erdogan with statements like “Erdogan, the Godfather of Jihadist Terrorists, Is Not Welcome in the United States.”

A number of international reports have proven Turkey’s involvement in supporting terrorism, especially Daesh, not to mention converting the lands and borders of Turkey into a safe passage for extremists to Syria and Europe as well.

Moreover, hundreds of Iranian protesters gathered in front of the UN demanding the ouster of the Iranian regime, while chanting, “We don’t want a nuclear Iran”, “Down with Ayatollah Khomeini, Down with Rouhani.”

On September 24, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told a crowd of several hundred protesters outside the United Nations that he supports regime change in Iran.

“I am speaking in my individual capacity. I am for regime change. Down with the tyrants in Iran. Down with the ayatollah and the mullahs and all the crooks,” he told the crowd, referring to Iran’s clerical leadership.

Former United States Senator Joseph Lieberman who was also at the rally told Radio Farda’s correspondent that the American-Iranian community has gathered “for Iran’s freedom”. He added that the Islamic Republic supports terrorist organizations across the Middle East, which is a matter of serious concern for the world community.

Ramesh Sepahzad, one of the organizers of the rally and a member of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization told our correspondent protesters want to express their view that Rouhani does not represent the Iranian nation and he should not be speaking at the U.N. on behalf of Iran.

The rally on Tuesday, organized by opposition groups in exile and The International Convention for the Future of Iran, took place a day before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is set to deliver his remarks before the U.N. General Assembly.

It’s one of several high-profile anti-Iranian government events taking place on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering this week.

Journalist Osama al-Hitaimi, an expert on Iranian affairs, told The Reference in an interview that these protests send a message to Iran that the sons of Tehran abroad are rejecting the repressive Iranian policies.

While Hisham Al-Naggar, an expert on Islamists movements, has pointed out that the protests against Erdogan indicate how the West is aware of the danger of his practices and maneuvers to achieve his own interests.

He added in an interview with The Reference that that public pressures are considered a reflection of a miserable reality that Erdogan’s practices are affecting the stability and security of many countries.