A London woman who was protesting an event marking the recent death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash was attacked by several pro-Iranian men. Ellie Borhan, 43, was participating in a small, peaceful protest in London when a group of pro-Iranian men violently confronted her just minutes after she started.
“We were standing peacefully, and then the men came. They surrounded us. They threatened us,” Borhan explained in an interview with The Telegraph. “They slapped and punched my face, my body, my legs. One of the men said: ‘We are going to kill you.’”
Borhan noted that four of the five protesters were injured during the attack. "This was the hands of the IRGC on UK soil," she added, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The protest was held outside an event marking the death of Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash along with the Iranian foreign minister and several others last Sunday in the East Azerbaijan region. Raisi was notorious for his harsh regime and crackdown on protesters. He was referred to as the "butcher of Tehran."
“The true people of Iran are not upset about Raisi’s death – he was one of the head leaders ordering the execution of innocent people. That person was evil, evil, to us he was like Hitler, like Saddam Hussein,” Borhan explained.
The Metropolitan Police responded to the scene following reports of disorder. A police spokesperson commented on the incident, stating, “An event was taking place to mark the death of the president of Iran, attended by supporters of the Iranian government. Anti-government protesters had gathered outside the venue and clashes had broken out between the groups.”
One man was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, and four individuals sustained injuries. Borhan also mentioned that members of the pro-Iranian group followed her to the hospital but dispersed when police arrived.
“We only have one request, for the UK government to pay attention and designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization – not just for the safety of the people in Iran, but for the safety of the British people,” she said.
