Protests by Iranians in Several Countries; Condemnation of Government's 'Election Circus'

As voting took place for candidates approved by the Islamic Republic to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi on Friday, July 8, Iranians in various countries held protest gatherings. According to numerous images shared on social media, a group of Iranians residing in London, the capital of the UK, gathered in front of the Islamic Republic's embassy to condemn the voting for Raisi's successor and harshly criticized the regime's supporters. In one instance, a supporter of the Islamic Republic filmed the protesters and threatened them, while the protesters called him 'shameless' and a 'mercenary' for filming for his 'masters' and 'selling out' his compatriots. Reports indicate that at least two supporters of the Islamic Republic were arrested by police while leaving the Iranian embassy in London. The Persian section of Voice of America could not confirm field reports regarding the reasons for the arrests. Another supporter of the Islamic Republic present at the polling station in London, who covered his face with his coat, faced severe criticism from the regime's opponents, who labeled him a 'coward' and attempted to expose his identity through filming. Voting to determine Raisi's successor also took place in Newcastle, the largest city in North East England, where some Iranians held a protest outside the polling station, expressing opposition to the Islamic Republic as a whole and recalling the names of some victims of the regime's bloody crackdowns, including Nika Shakerami and Majid Reza Rahnavard, while severely criticizing the regime's supporters present. In New Zealand, opponents of the Islamic Republic also gathered outside one of the polling stations for the regime's preferred candidates, leading to intense criticism of the regime's supporters and, in some cases, verbal altercations. In one video from New Zealand, opponents of the Islamic Republic questioned a regime supporter about the reasons for participating in this government voting to determine Raisi's successor, to which he responded that he was proud of his actions. In Sydney, Australia, opponents of the Islamic Republic held a protest outside the polling station, labeling several regime supporters who were filming and threatening the protesters as 'mercenaries.' Gothenburg, Sweden, also witnessed a protest by Iranians who severely criticized the few supporters of the Islamic Republic while filming them. In Finland, a supporter of the Islamic Republic wearing sunglasses shouted 'Death to the anti-Velayat-e-Faqih' at the regime's opponents, who responded verbally. In Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, another supporter of the Islamic Republic filmed the opponents of the voting for Raisi's successor. In Graz, Austria, a group of Iranians held a protest outside the polling station, distributing images of protesters killed by the Islamic Republic and some activists imprisoned in the regime's jails. In Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, a group of Iranians, mainly monarchists, held a protest outside the Islamic Republic's embassy, chanting slogans such as 'Yes to Iran, no to the clerics, they are terrorists and must go' and 'Tank, cannon, firecracker, the cleric must disappear.' In this context, the National Solidarity Group of Iran reported that the 'staged elections of the Islamic Republic in one of the predetermined polling stations in Tysons Corner, Virginia, have been canceled.' The group added on its Instagram page that 'the confusion of the Islamic Republic's interests office and the election officials in America' was such that just hours before the voting began in the country, 'the exact address and location of the 28 announced polling stations were still unclear.' Meanwhile, a number of human rights and political activists, as well as opponents of the Islamic Republic residing in Germany, announced that on Friday, July 8, they would gather in front of the embassies and consulates of the Islamic Republic to condemn this election. In their statements, they distanced themselves from the Islamic Republic, urging their compatriots to 'stay home' on election day and not participate in the 'staged' ceremony of selecting Raisi's successor, and 'not to stain their fingers with the blood of the young martyrs of the path to freedom.' Opponents of the Islamic Republic stated that 'the path to the ballot box is blocked by the blood of our youth,' saying 'no' to the Islamic Republic. In recent days, many political and civil activists have described what the Islamic Republic calls elections with terms like 'circus' or 'show' and have called for a boycott. In recent days, the hashtag 'We stay home' has gone viral on social media, with many citizens stating that they will not participate in what they call the 'election circus.' The United States has also stated that elections in the style of the Islamic Republic are neither fair nor free. In recent days, a large number of political figures and organizations with different political orientations have boycotted the elections. Many social media users have also pointed to various human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, including the execution of several detained protesters, stating that 'we stay home and do not vote with bullets.'