One protest condemns strikes on Iran, the other celebrates

WINNIPEG — The courtyard outside the U.S. consulate in downtown Winnipeg hosted contrasting demonstrations Sunday as Manitobans reacted to U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran’s regime and the latter’s retaliatory attacks.

Peace Alliance Winnipeg condemned the joint strikes, with supporters holding signs reading “No war on Iran” and “Ceasefire,” shortly before members of Winnipeg’s Iranian diaspora danced and waved flags while celebrating the death of Iran’s supreme leader and expressing hopes of “liberation.”

“All of us hope that soon the Islamic Republic of Iran will be overthrown, and we hope for the return of Pahlavi monarchy to Iran,” said Iranian Monarchists of Manitoba manager Shahla Shojaei, who moved to Canada from Iran in 2017.

“The reason that I came here (to Canada) was because there is no freedom in Iran. Human rights were suppressed.”

Shojaei was among a few dozen people who gathered in the courtyard at 201 Portage Ave., a skyscraper at Main Street where the U.S. consulate is located, shortly after some 50 people attended Peace Alliance Winnipeg’s hour-long protest in -15 C weather.

Candice Bodnaruk, a member of Peace Alliance Winnipeg’s executive, said the attacks on Iran were a violation of international law. She pointed to reports of children being killed in some strikes.

“They are showing no sign of backing down,” she said of the U.S. and Israel. “Even though Iran was in (nuclear) negotiations with the U.S., they decided to pull this now. The concern is a regime change under the U.S. and Israel turning Iran into some kind of puppet of the West.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the bombardment was intended to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He urged Iranians to overthrow the country’s clerical regime.

Iran responded to the U.S.-Israeli strikes with ballistic missile and drone attacks against U.S. assets and allies. Three U.S. troops were killed, American officials said, without providing details about where the deaths occurred.

Peace Alliance Winnipeg condemned Prime Minister Mark Carney’s support for the strikes. The group believes there were hidden motives for the military action.

“They want to go after Iran’s oil. They want to control the people,” Bodnaruk said. “(Trump) is trying to stifle and destroy, or absorb states that also support Palestine.”

Shojaei became emotional when she recounted the moment she learned Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, alongside other high-ranking officials, in Saturday’s strikes.

She was already concerned about the safety of loved ones in Iran, after thousands of people were killed in a recent government crackdown on widespread protests.

Shojaei struggled to communicate with family and friends in Iran over the weekend due to internet outages.

“I don’t have any connection with them right now to know what’s going on,” she said.

The gathering was a jubilant one, with Iranian diaspora members singing to music and displaying the Lion and Sun flag that was Iran’s state flag until the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the monarchy. The flag is a symbol of anti-regime protest.

“We want our historic emblem back as our national flag,” Shojaei said.

A similar scene played out at a demonstration in CF Polo Park’s parking lot Saturday, where Iranian diaspora members, some with tears in their eyes, danced and displayed flags.

“My dream and my hope is that this regime finally can be gone from our country and the people can get over to the government and rule themselves, and then we, all from the diaspora, can go back and live peacefully,” said Iranian-born Shervin Shahidian, who lives in Winnipeg.

Zhaleh Parsaei, who moved to Canada permanently in 2015, after spending 30 years in Iran, said she fears for the safety of her family, but she hopes the people of Iran heed Trump’s call and overthrow the regime.

She said she does not see the military attack as an act of war, but rather one of liberation.

“We are grateful for leaders like President Trump. I know many people maybe don’t like him, but he’s the only leader who stands with Iranian people, and he knows that this regime is not just a threat for Iranian people, but a threat for the whole world,” Parsaei said.

In a statement, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said there was no indication of any imminent threat to Canadians, based on current intelligence.

The organization encouraged Canadians to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity that is “grounded in observable behaviours,” such as unattended packages in sensitive or unusual locations, or people attempting to access restricted areas without authorization.

“Experience shows that periods of geopolitical tension can sometimes inspire extremist networks, hate-motivated individuals or proxy-related threat actors to exploit these situations to incite hate-fuelled violence,” the association said in a news release.

“While there is no specific threat at this time, awareness and early reporting are essential components of prevention.”

» Winnipeg Free Press