Thousands rally in downtown L.A. for regime change in Iran
Thousands of Iranians rallied in downtown Los Angeles, as part of a campaign called “Not in my name,” to urge their government to stop supporting the Islamic State.
They held up posters with the message “Not in my name.” They heard speeches in both Persian and English as well as songs and chants. They carried signs with support for Iran’s oppressed people and with the slogans “Freedom for Iran” and “No to war, no to the nuclear deal.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry urged Western countries to stop supporting the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), who have been backing the Syrian government against ISIL. It said that the PMF had been engaged in atrocities in Iraq, and was a “deviant group” that should not be supported.
The protests come one week after the Iran nuclear deal came into force. It was signed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers, aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. It remains the most comprehensive agreement on the program.
The anti-Iran campaign, called “Not in my name,” was organized with support from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which sent an image to its reporters in Iran, showing an image of the sign held by the protesters.
The group also held several news conferences to discuss the protests and to raise funds to support the demonstrators.
A similar protest was organized over the weekend in New York. At least four people were arrested at the protest and a judge ordered $16 million in damages against the organizers. A police spokesman said that the protesters were “a terrorist group” and that they “were armed and wearing body armor and had assault-style rifles.”
