A tense confrontation erupted in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on Friday when a man who tried to tear down a poster of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the vigil was attacked by several people, prompting police intervention and multiple arrests.A video circulating online showed the man shouting, “Drop this!” as he pulled out a large poster of Khamenei on display at the rally.
Within moments, several individuals lunged at him, pinning him to the ground, punching and kicking him before NYPD officers intervened.Video from the scene showed officers moving quickly to separate the two groups while the man, who was bleeding from his nose, was taken into custody along with others involved in the brawl.
Why was the protest organized?
The vigil, attended by about two dozen people, was organized to mourn the death of Khamenei, who was reportedly killed last week during Israeli air strikes targeting Iran’s leadership.According to witnesses, tensions escalated when the man, identified as Rami Evin-Esh, confronted participants and removed a poster of the Iranian leader from the memorial display, which included candles, flowers and keffiyeh scarves.
“He is a terrorist who killed American soldiers and I thought it was crazy that I was there and there was a protest, so I took down the banner,” Evin Esh told reporters as police escorted him away. “I felt like this was the right thing to do. I feel like someone should show up for the Iranian people.”Police said several people were arrested after the altercation.The rally also attracted a group of counter-protesters, some waving American, Israeli and pre-1979 Iranian flags while chanting slogans including “USA” and “Death to terrorist,” according to video from the scene.Witnesses said the confrontation began after the man tried to remove pictures of Khamenei displayed on a makeshift memorial table.A video of the incident shows the fight quickly escalating, with one person punching the man before others join in as the crowd screams and charges forward.An Iranian immigrant who opposed the protest criticized the demonstration and the show of support for the Iranian leadership.“They don’t get the message,” she said. My family is in Iran and the people there are fighting against the regime.”Organizers of the vigil described Khamenei’s death as an “assassination,” saying he defended Iran and opposed Western influence.The chaotic scene emerged amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following a series of strikes targeting Iranian leadership and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks, which escalated conflict in the region over the past week.
