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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Deepa Parent and William Christou

‘He hoped Trump’s help would arrive’: why protesters in Iran feel betrayed

Graffiti in Milan in a main road at night depicts Donald Trump sitting on a tombstone with the inscription 'Rip Khamenei'.
Graffiti in Milan, Italy, near the US consulate general, entitled Miga – Make Iran Great Again. A work by the contemporary artist aleXsandro Palombo. Photograph: Nicola Marfisi/Agf/Shutterstock

When Donald Trump, said he would “rescue” protesters if Iranian authorities started shooting, Siavash Shirzad believed the US president.

The 38-year-old father had seen protests rise up before, only to be brutally crushed by authorities.

But this was the first time in his life that the president of the United States had promised to help demonstrators. Reassured, Shirzad took to the streets, ignoring his family’s warnings and joining the growing crowds.

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