Protests in Iran over downing of Ukrainian plane

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian protesters vent their anger for a fourth consecutive day over Iran’s accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet, as authorities announced the first arrests over the disaster.

AFP correspondents say around 200 mainly masked students have gathered at Tehran University and are locked in a tense standoff with youths from the Basij militia loyal to the establishment.

“Death to Britain,” women clad in black chadors chant as Basij members burn a cardboard cutout of the British ambassador to Tehran, Rob Macaire, after his brief arrest for allegedly attending a demonstration Saturday.

Kept apart by security forces, the groups eventually part ways.

The protests have been much smaller than nationwide demonstrations against fuel price hikes that turned deadly in November.

But one commentator said the latest rallies showed there was a “real rift between the people and the authorities.”

Tehran had for days denied Western claims based on US intelligence that the Boeing 737 had been downed by a missile.

It came clean on Saturday when Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh acknowledged a missile operator had mistaken the plane for a cruise missile and opened fire independently.

— AFP