Azeri protests in Iran (2015)
| 2015 Azerbaijanis protests in Iran | |
|---|---|
| Date | 9 November 2015 – 11 November 2015 |
| Location | |
| Caused by | The children's program Fitilehha aired an episode on November 6 depicting an ethnic Azeri of Iran brushing his teeth with a toilet brush. |
| Methods | demonstrations, riots, strike actions |
| Resulted in | Fitilehha has been cancelled, the head of the country’s state broadcaster apologized for the episode |
| Parties to the civil conflict | |
| Lead figures | |
| Units involved | |
| Number | |
| Casualties and losses | |
| Casualties | |
| Death(s) | 1 protester[1] |
Azerbaijani protests in Iran started on 9 November 2015 after children's television programme Fitileh aired on 6 November on local state TV that ridiculed the accent and language of Azeris and included offensive jokes.
As a result hundreds[2] of ethnic Azeris have protested a program on state television that contained what they considered an ethnic slur. Demonstrations were held in Tabriz, Urmia, Ardabil, and Zanjan, as well as in Tehran and Karaj.[3] Protesters chanted "We are Turks," "Death to Persian racism", "Long live Azerbaijan", "Stop racism against Azeri Turks".[4] Police in Iran have clashed with protesting people, fired tear gas to disperse crowds in several cities and towns in Iranian Azerbaijan, many protesters were arrested.[5] One of the protesters, Ali Akbar Murtaza, reportedly "died of injuries" in Urmia.[1] There were also protests held in front of Iranian embassies in Istanbul and Baku.[6]
The head of the country’s state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Mohammad Sarafraz apologized for airing the program. The broadcast of Fitilehha was cancelled.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Civil protests erupt in Iranian Azerbaijan // Eurasia Daily. — 2015. — 10 November.
- ↑ Iran’s ethnic Azeris protest slur on TV program // The Washington Post. — 2015. — 9 November.
- ↑ Azerbaijanis hold mass protests in Iran // APA. — 2015. — 9 November.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Frud Bezhan. Azeris Hold Protests In Iran Over Racial Slur // Radio Free Europe. — 2015. — 9 November.
- ↑ Iran's Azeris protest over offensive TV show // BBC. — 2015. — 9 November.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Sources
- Frud Bezhan. Azeris Hold Protests In Iran Over Racial Slur // Radio Free Europe. — 2015. — 9 November.
- Iran’s ethnic Azeris protest slur on TV program // The Washington Post. — 2015. — 9 November.
- Iran's Azeris protest over offensive TV show // BBC. — 2015. — 9 November.
