Recent news about the current uprising in Iran

01/10/2022

The anti-government protests in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody on 16 September, have spread to  more than 80 cities and towns. 

The government expands its crackdown against the protesters and those who express solidarity with them.

More than 100 protesters have been killed and hundreds arrested. This is the biggest mass protests since November 2019 protests that led to 1,500 deaths.  

In Zahedan, a city in the southeast with an ethnic Baluch population, tensions erupted on Friday 30 September, with security forces firing at a crowd gathered at the Maki mosque, and protesters attacking a police station with rocks and setting fire to shops.  Many were killed, 19 killed and many injured. The tension is still high between the protesters and the police forces that use helicopters to regain the control.

Protesters have burned pictures of Iranian state’s religious leaders, calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic, women shopping without hijab, and anti-government graffiti’s written on the walls, and chanting “death to the dictator”, carrying banners of “woman, life, freedom”.   

There is a widespread of disobedience and displays of solidarity with the protesters by general public. 

In attempt to crack down on the protests, the government has cut the internet communications. The only available option is the satellite internet by a US company. 

Therefore, the communication with anarchist comrades is via telephone networks, as during the demonstrations in Tunisia, Egypt, etc. in 2011 – 2012.

– Control of some cities, towns and areas by the protesters and the expulsion of government forces from the Kurdish region. The government repression has been particularly brutal in the Kurdish area the southeast and the north region. The Iranian government has attacked the position of some Kurdish opposition parties that are based in The Kurdistan region of Iraq and killed a dozen and injured more than 50 people including women and children. The government is trying to divert the aim of the protest from a general discontent of the majority of the population against the state by accusing the Kurdish parties of instigating the protests.

Boycotting universities and colleges by most of students and teachers and the call to all the teachers in other cities to participate in the boycott.

Despite lack of a clear leadership, the protesters successfully use Tactics to confuse and distract Iranian government forces by demonstrating in various cities and assaulting government’s centers every day in a different place.

– Call for a general and nationwide strike by many sectors, including by the representatives of oil workers.

– The absence of the Iranian tricolor flag in the demonstrations, but the attempt to raise the tricolor flag of the Shahs and the Mujahedeen in the demonstrations abroad.

– In response to the tactics of the protesters, the Iranian government is trying to turn the protesters war against itself into a military war against some opposition armed groups to legitimate and justify its repression.

Instead of the slogan of “woman-life-freedom”, the conservative forces have raised the slogan of “brave-nation-prosperity”

The slogan of the movement, “women, life and freedom”, has had a great impact on all freedom fighters in Iran and has managed to rally all sectors of the society, young people, workers and teachers etc.

 This protest bring about fundamental changes in Iranian society and even influence neighboring countries Like Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey and the gulf region, especially the symbols and customs imposed by religion on women and society.

This movement of protests can create a possible condition for a self-organized anti all political parties and the state. 

On the other hand, Iran has not been able to suppress the movement as easily as before, killing, arresting, intimidating and creating conflict among other Iranian nations, claiming that Baluchistan is an insecure place and armed groups threaten the country’s security Iran’s policy has failed.

The consequences of this movement can make a significant difference, and even if the protests end by police and state repression, they can have a positive impact on Iranian society and the world as a whole.