An anti-regime protester who wanted to “show up for the Iranian people” was thrown to the ground and beaten Friday at a sparsely attended Manhattan vigil for Iran’s dead Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
While NYPD cops attempted to keep the two small groups separate, tension boiled over when Rami Even-Esh ripped down a picture of Khamenei at the demonstration in Washington Square Park.
“Take this down!” he shouted, as a swarm of the dictator’s sympathizers — some donning keffiyehs — knocked him down and kicked him, according to footage from FreedomNTV.
Cops quickly jumped in and placed him in handcuffs as blood gushed from the top of his nose.
“He’s a terrorist who’s killed American soldiers and I think it was insane that I was right there and there was a vigil so I just took the sign down. I felt that was the right thing to do,” the victim told The Post as cops led him away.
“I feel like someone should show up for the Iranian people.”
Police said multiple people were taken into custody during the demonstration.
About two dozen counter-protesters, some of Iranian descent or pro-Israel, also chanted “USA” and “death to the terrorist,” drowning out the roughly 25 mourners on hand for the detestable display of respect for the top cleric.
The group commemorating the leader of the murderous regime claimed he defended the Iranian people — and they credited him for his bloodthirsty opposition to Israel.
They also boasted his support for progressive causes, according to a vigil handout.
Flowers lay on a table covered in a black and red keffiyeh. An Iranian flag and one with the depraved despot’s face on it were also flying.
Khamenei was killed last Saturday in the US-Israeli attack dubbed “Operation Fury” when Israeli missiles rained down from the edge of space, striking his compound.
The joint airstrikes have killed a series of Iranian leaders with Tehran firing back over the past week.
Six US service members have been killed in the conflict.
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