Clashes as Iranian President Returns to Tehran
By THOMAS ERDBRINK
Related Coverage
Protesters hurled eggs and a shoe at President Hassan Rouhani of Iran as
he returned to Tehran after supporters cheered him for reaching out to
President Obama.
Atta Kenare/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
President Hassan Rouhani of
Iran was surrounded by bodyguards after a shoe was thrown towards his
car on Saturday as his motorcade left Tehran's Mehrabad Airport.
By THOMAS ERDBRINK
Published: September 28, 2013
TEHRAN — Hard-line protesters hurled eggs and a shoe at President Hassan
Rouhani of Iran as he returned to Tehran on Saturday after supporters
cheered him for reaching out to President Obama.
Mr. Rouhani was standing in his car, waving through the sunroof as he
passed supporters at the airport. But moments later, security guards
tried to shield the president with an umbrella as protesters threw eggs
and a shoe at his car while others blocked the road by praying on the
pavement.
“Long live Rouhani, man of change” the president’s supporters shouted,
as a small contingent of police struggled to control the crowd.
The hard-liners responded by shouting “our people are awake and hate America.”
Security guards eventually pulled Mr. Rouhani back inside his car as it
sped off, leaving supporters and opponents behind, some fighting with
each other. One protester was almost run over after he threw himself in
front of Mr. Rouhani’s car.
The incident illustrates the tensions in Iran as Mr. Rouhani returned
from a historic trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
His foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with Secretary of State
John Kerry on Thursday, and Mr. Rouhani received a phone call from
President Obama on Friday as he was on his way to Kennedy Airport, the
first contact between an American and Iranian president since before the
hostage crisis 30 years ago.
In comments after his arrival in Tehran, Mr. Rouhani elaborated on the call with Mr. Obama.
“Yesterday as we were getting ready to head to the airport, the White
House called and expressed willingness to set up a phone call between
the American president and me,” the semiofficial Fars News agency quoted
Mr. Rouhani as saying.
“A call was made to our ambassador’s cellphone,” Mr. Rouhani said. “The
conversation mostly focused on the nuclear issue.”
The Iranian president also explained why a much-anticipated meeting between him and President Obama did not take place.
“A meeting between the two presidents needs some preparation, and since
the ground was not prepared, this meeting did not take place,” Fars
quoted Mr. Rouhani as saying.
On Saturday morning, tensions spilled over outside the gates of the capital’s inner city airport.
Dozens of Iranian families and youths had gathered to welcome the president back to Tehran.
“Welcome, Lord of peace,’ read a placard held by a woman in a colorful
scarf. A man holding a baby smiled as supporters chanted slogans in
support of the president.
“I am here to show my support for Mr. Rouhani,” said Vida, 50, a fashion
designer who declined to give her family name. Her daughter, wearing
purple lipstick — Mr. Rouhani’s campaign color during the June elections
— stood behind her, yelling “Long live reforms.”
Her mother smiled. “This time our country will really change,” she said, “I am sure of it.”
Down the road, about 50 protesters held placards saying, “we will never
be humiliated,” and “talks to U.S. will not solve any problem.” All
Iranian presidents have to deal with mysterious pressure groups that are
supported by hard-line elements in Iran’s political establishment.
“We are here because we hate America and Iran will never have relations
with America,” said a man who refused to be identified. “Rouhani must
listen to us.”
Both groups clashed as Mr. Rouhani’s convoy came through the gates of the airport.
As the president’s car drove off one man shook his head in despair. “Why
must everything always be destroyed?” he asked. “The whole world is
looking at us, and now people are throwing eggs at our president.”
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