Iranians surround Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's car in poverty protest

[Surenas]

Dramatic footage has emerged of Iranians mobbing the car of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to complain about poverty and hunger.

The remarkable show of civil disobedience occurred during what was intended as a routine tour last week of the southern city Bandar Abbas.

As the president waves to crowds, standing in the car’s sunroof, an elderly man is shown holding on to the front hand side of the car shouting “I’m hungry, I’m hungry”.

Panicked bodyguards eventually manage to usher him away but as their backs are turned a young veiled woman leaps onto the bonnet and then sits on the car’s roof, gesticulating as she makes her point to Mr Ahmadinejad.

He appears to gesture to her to move on and she clambers off the back of the car.

The three-minute video, which was uploaded onto YouTube and was apparently shot on a mobile phone, offers a rare glimpse of the simmering dissent in Iran at rising prices and a worsening economic situation.

Dissent was ruthlessly crushed in 2009 after Mr Ahmadinejad won a disputed election and despite reports of continued despair little photographic evidence of opposition to his rule has emerged since.
It may provide some encouragement to Western leaders that tough sanctions designed to force Tehran to scale down its nuclear ambitions are beginning to work.

Talks between Iran and the so-called “P5 + 1” of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany were held last weekend. They were described as “positive” by both sides.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who is in his final term as president, has taken most of the blame for the country’s economic plight, losing ground in a power struggle with Ayatollah Ali Khameni, the Supreme Leader, and his allies.

Iranians surround Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's car in poverty protest - Telegraph

goshneham.mp4 - YouTube

 

[yyetttt]

Of course! When Iran's politicians act like a replica of North Korea this is what happens! Iran's stubborness to stop their nuclear program is hurting their own people with sanctions and inflation well over 20%.

 

[Surenas]

Of course! When Iran's politicians act like a replica of North Korea this is what happens! Iran's stubborness to stop their nuclear program is hurting their own people with sanctions and inflation well over 20%.

Couldn't agree more with you. You see the people even 'blame' Ahmadinejad and the regime for it, not the US.

 

[Pakistanisage]

I have to admit that Iran has shown tremendous capacity to withstand cripping sanctions and still survived. Another country would have long folded. The natural question is how long further can Iran realistically withstand this kind of pressure. Already suffering an inflation rate of 20% and increasingly facing difficulty in exports and foreign exchange problems, one has to ask what would be a sustainable strategy in this regards.

 

[bozorgmehr]

"Remarkable show of civil disobedience"?! What utter piece of sensationalistic bull excrement journalism is this? Did Mr Alex Spillius fall off the turnip truck yesterday? Is it the first time he's seen Ahmadinejad? For the past 7 years, this guy has made it a point to go around the country, especially the most impoverished areas, and personally talk to people and hear their problems up close. He takes their papers and listens to their appeals. Of course there are emotional people everywhere and some people get carried away sometimes, which is unfortunate. He doesn't have to do this. But he does it specifically for that purpose.

The rub is that Western leaders would never ever allow this level of close contact with the common people. But when Ahmadinejad does it, anything out of the ordinary becomes a "Remarkable show of civil disobedience".

 

[Serpentine]

Again ignorance.

Can you show me one single country that doesn't have a number of poor people?

 

[fd24]

Is this the best you could do today to have a go at Iran today? - Very poor show. If anybody had confronted Obama like this they would have been shot. The Americans have 1 out of 6 living off food stamps. Even supppa powwwa have people that have people that are on the poverty bread line - I think Iran and their leader must be commended at how approachable and civilized the confrontation was. Well done Mahmoud you handled the situation like a true leader!

 

[xdrive]

As The Iranian government pours all its money into funding its nuke program, while the Iranian people are starving. So desperate for food, they have to jump onto their presidents car begging for food vouchers as he waves and grins like an idiot.

The rub is that Western leaders would never ever allow this level of close contact with the common people.

I can walk up to my Prime Minister in the street, say whatever i like to her and criticize her. This is the same in all western countries except maybe the U.S where the president doesn't walk the street due to security concerns.

But when Ahmadinejad does it, anything out of the ordinary becomes a "Remarkable show of civil disobedience".

Are you trying to claim that people jumping on a the presidents car begging for food is "Him being close to the people" ? That's ridiculous.

It is considered civil disobedience especially in Iran where freedom is curtailed.

Again ignorance.

Can you show me one single country that doesn't have a number of poor people?

In most countries around the world, "Poor people" still have food to eat and they don't gather in huge groups on the street jumping on their leaders car demanding food.

 

[Barrack-Obummer]

Ha ha ha... But according to Ahmadinejad the sanctions are having no effect on his people and Iran is "as strong as ever"

 

[Luffy 500]

As The Iranian government pours all its money into funding its nuke program, while the Iranian people are starving. So desperate for food, they have to jump onto their presidents car begging for food vouchers as he waves and grins like an idiot.



I can walk up to my Prime Minister in the street, say whatever i like to her and criticize her. This is the same in all western countries except maybe the U.S where the president doesn't walk the street due to security concerns.


Are you trying to claim that people jumping on a the presidents car begging for food is "Him being close to the people" ? That's ridiculous.

It is considered civil disobedience especially in Iran where freedom is curtailed.



In most countries around the world, "Poor people" still have food to eat and they don't gather in huge groups on the street jumping on their leaders car demanding food.

Iranains are suffering because of homophilic western countries including AUS put up snactions on the iranian people for 3 decades. Ignorant and shameless fools don't have to cry
crocodile tears for iranians as they have done remarkably well and achieved a lot since
1979. If your racist dacoit country was in place of iran, you aussies would have gone
extinct.

 

[longbrained]

Again, here we go. Another propaganda news made by western journalists based on a video that is entirely a different thing. Go ahead and watch the video. It only shows Iran is not what west wants to portray it. The old man is given something by Ahamdinejad maybe money or maybe an official help out note or something. He gets it from him and moves away. The young lady runs and jumps on the vehicle and moves straight next to him and talks with him. He listens and is clearly seen instructing an aide at the back of the vehicle about it. The lady then moves down the vehicle. It only shows the humane character of Iranian president.

In other countries poor people live too. All people in all countries have problems and want to share it with their presidents, prime ministers and kings. In US the mighty super power in the world half of the children live on food stumps because their parents can not afford to feed them. This is as per US government statistics. There are poor people who are homeless and live on streets in horrible conditions and their numbers are in hundreds of thousands if not millions. But just imagine for a moment a guy runs towards the limousine of US president and jumps on its roof. Not only US president will never talk to him but Secret Service (SS) will probably shoot the guy before being able to reach the roof. Yes, security is needed specially for such political posts. Yes, MKO and Alqaida is there. But at least in Iran you can jump and reach the president. In other countries they will kill you for it.

At the end it only shows how open and tolerant Iranian society is. And by the way hunger exists every where but Iranians on average eat more than the world's average per capita. They eat even more than Japanese. Here is UN per capita calorie consumption: List of countries by dietary calorie intake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[longbrained]

Again, here we go. Another propaganda news made by western journalists based on a video that is entirely a different thing. Go ahead and watch the video. It only shows Iran is not what west wants to portray it. The old man is given something by Ahamdinejad maybe money or maybe an official help out note or something. He gets it from him and moves away. The young lady runs and jumps on the vehicle and moves straight next to him and talks with him. He listens and is clearly seen instructing an aide at the back of the vehicle about it. The lady then moves down the vehicle. It only shows the humane character of Iranian president.

In other countries poor people live too. All people in all countries have problems and want to share it with their presidents, prime ministers and kings. In US the mighty super power in the world half of the children live on food stumps because their parents can not afford to feed them. This is as per US government statistics. There are poor people who are homeless and live on streets in horrible conditions and their numbers are in hundreds of thousands if not millions. But just imagine for a moment a guy runs towards the limousine of US president and jumps on its roof. Not only US president will never talk to him but Secret Service (SS) will probably shoot the guy before being able to reach the roof. Yes, security is needed specially for such political posts. Yes, MKO and Alqaida is there. But at least in Iran you can jump and reach the president. In other countries they will kill you for it.

At the end it only shows how open and tolerant Iranian society is. And by the way hunger exists every where but Iranians on average eat more than the world's average per capita. They eat even more than Japanese. Here is UN per capita calorie consumption: List of countries by dietary calorie intake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[longbrained]

Now lets compare this Iranian video with what happens in western word when protesters want to talk with their leaders:

I can walk up to my Prime Minister in the street, say whatever i like to her and criticize her. This is the same in all western countries except maybe the U.S where the president doesn't walk the street due to security concerns.

You are a liar and a big one. This is what happens when protesters who are fighting for their basic human rights want to talk with their prime minister in Australia. Note that the bigoted western media deals with the situation like a bigot and condemns the protesters. In Iran atleast you can can walk up to president and talk to him without fearing bodyguard dogs to punch you in the face:

 

[fd24]

Ha ha ha... But according to Ahmadinejad the sanctions are having no effect on his people and Iran is "as strong as ever"

It would be foolish to say the sanctions are having NO effect. They naturally are. However one must note that ANY nation with the sanctions and enormous pressure put on them by the U.S. and their lap dogs would have been crushed into smithereens. Iran have been incredibly durable and brave to take the stance they have. Remarkable endurance and the word that comes to mind is "showing they have balls".
This propaganda will not wash and today is another example of how low some people will stoop to have a go - pathetic.
Long live Iran and their nuclear vision!

 

[Surenas]

Question for the regime-supporters here: on which side are you guys? We all know Ahmadinejad en Khamenei are in a power-struggle, but which person you morally support?