Pro-Palestinian Protesters Attack Iranian-British Citizen; Niak Ghorbani: Iranians Suffer from 'Terrorist Groups'

The British newspaper Daily Mail reported on Monday, February 19, about an attack on an Iranian-British citizen by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters during a demonstration in London on Saturday. According to the report, 37-year-old Niak Ghorbani held a placard in front of the protesters that asked, 'Do you agree that Hamas is a terrorist organization? Yes or yes?' The Daily Mail reported that in response to Mr. Ghorbani's 'brave' action, the protesters threw water bottles, sticks, stones, and other objects at him. This Iranian-British citizen told the Daily Mail that by allowing 'Hamas supporters' to attack lawful protesters, the police is putting Britain at 'serious risk.' He stated that his reason for protesting was that the people of Iran have suffered from Hamas and other 'similar terrorist groups' for years. Niak Ghorbani expressed concern that if no action is taken, fear of expressing opinions will dominate the future of the people of Britain. According to British law, Hamas is a terrorist organization. A spokesperson for the London police told the Daily Mail that although the content of Mr. Ghorbani's placard accurately reflects the official position of the British government regarding Hamas, the police's priority was de-escalation and keeping everyone safe, so after 10 minutes, they removed this Iranian-British citizen from the protest site using 'minimal force.' The Islamic Republic's extensive financial and military support for its proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, has faced criticism from millions of Iranians inside and outside the country for decades. Critics and opponents of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly reminded their opposition to the government's interventionist policies at protests over the years, chanting 'Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life is for Iran,' emphasizing that the wealth of the Iranian nation should be spent on solving serious economic and environmental crises rather than wasted on dangerous regional adventures. Some experts, sometimes close to a faction of the government, have repeatedly reminded the Islamic Republic's leaders of the numerous harms of hostility towards Israel, stating that such a 'mission' has not been given to the Islamic Republic by either the current constitution or the Iranian people, and the continuation of this policy will only result in further blows to national interests and the future of the country.