Arrest the imposters
Arrest the imposters: The release of a video showing a violent encounter with a citizen in Nazi Abad has taken the issue of what is referred to as ‘imposters’ to a new phase. Although many believe that plainclothes officers or imposters are not a phenomenon outside the framework of power acting against the people, to the extent that a Twitter user wrote, ‘From self-willed forces of Allah Karam, we have reached imposters. There is no difference; both beat the people.’
The attacks, insults, and intimidation by plainclothes officers or so-called imposters, those among them wearing uniforms and hats, have raised questions among the public. With the release of videos from Ekbatan, Chitgar, and universities, while also carrying weapons, it has left people wondering who they are and which power institution backs their attacks on people. This question remains unanswered, and no one has taken responsibility for them.
However, the police have issued a statement announcing an investigation and action against the offenders, asking people to provide images of the officers’ actions to the national police command. Although they haven’t specified the method or how the safety of a citizen who takes such action will be guaranteed. If a citizen films an officer’s misconduct and then faces retaliation from the same officer, what will their fate be, and how can they defend themselves? Similar to the incident that happened to Shirin Alizadeh during filming.
Hamshahri and the imposter game
The issue became more serious when Hamshahri newspaper published a report and images of two suppression forces, whose videos were also released, under the title ‘The Story of Imposters in the City.’ They started measuring and comparing them with the police force and concluded that they are not members of the police. They then labeled them as imposters but didn’t mention where the police are to confront them. The newspaper, in its view, intended to exonerate the special unit and the police but has raised new issues with this distinction, such as who is responsible for these imposters.
The disbelief of the people in the claim of imposters is so strong that a Twitter user asked where the uniforms, batons, hats, and weapons of these imposters are sold so that they can buy them too. Another user sarcastically wrote about where imposters receive their salaries and bonuses. Another user mentioned that the power structure, when needed, even sacrifices its own suppression forces and avoids taking responsibility for them.
Imposter or double standard
Now, many more questions have been raised, such as how protesters on the streets are easily arrested, but the attackers on people, who claim not to be affiliated with the police, are not. Some have even raised the issue that in this case, the conditional right to self-defense for the people on the streets is preserved, allowing them to retaliate against these individuals. A Twitter user wrote that with the police statement, it means ‘Dear people, wherever you see an imposter, it is your duty to take them down to cleanse the reputation of real police officers from their disgrace.’
Another user wrote that they say the police had previously warned that imposter thugs would come out, so be careful because their violence knows no bounds. Who should be careful about the destruction and killings? Me, the people? What knows no bounds is their audacity. Another user wrote that when the police beat and kill people, they call them imposters, but when people take revenge on imposters, they suddenly become police.
A Twitter user wrote how the street cameras that report a girl’s hair inside a car are blind when it comes to seeing imposters with their three-and-a-half-meter height and six hundred kilos weight, or why when a special police unit can be fake, the Shahcheragh terrorist can’t be counterfeit. Why can a ruthless plainclothes officer be an infiltrator, but a foul-mouthed protester cannot, or a journalist can be a spy, but a cleric cannot be a tool of division and a threat to national security?
Narratives from insiders
It seems that the issue of plainclothes officers and imposters is entering a new phase with narratives recently published by some figures close to or within the principlist power. The first narrative was from Javad Mogouyi, a principlist documentary filmmaker, who went among the people to understand what was happening on the streets and returned with a battered and broken head, and he published his own account.
The second narrative, recently published and widely received, is from Shahram Gilabadi, former head of public relations for Tehran Municipality and a close associate of Ghalibaf, who faced insults and beatings by plainclothes officers in Enghelab Square. The notable part of his account is when he says he called the police at 110 and even complained to a police officer who was observing and witnessing, but not only did he not receive a supportive response, he was told there was nothing they could do.
Lastly, in the released videos, fortunately, the faces of individuals wearing the uniform of the emergency unit are completely clear. Now that it has been announced that these individuals have committed criminal acts by wearing police uniforms and, according to the military judicial organization, have staged scenes, it is expected that they will be quickly arrested and prosecuted. It is also expected that those who have severely beaten a citizen in a new distressing video will be identified and punished, and more importantly, that the presence of plainclothes officers and imposters across the country will be dismantled. Will such an event happen?