Thousands of people once again took to the streets in Iran against the authoritarian policies of the Islamic Republic. There were reports of protests in dozens of cities on Thursday evening, some of which were violently suppressed. In many places the internet was restricted. There are also said to have been several deaths. Eyewitnesses in Tehran described the street protests in the capital as increasingly fearless. In the provinces, according to residents, “civil war-like” scenes took place.
Activists had called for nationwide protests and strikes for Tuesday through Thursday this week. The occasion was the commemoration of the “bloody November” of 2019, when the security apparatus violently suppressed protests. Several hundred people are said to have been killed at the time.
The latest wave of protests against the Islamic Republic’s authoritarian policies was triggered by the death of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. She died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for breaking Islamic dress codes.
Controversy over the death of a little boy
The death of a young boy in the southwestern city of Iseh this week also caused anger and horror. At least nine other people were also killed in the incident. The state spoke of an “act of terrorism” by unknown attackers. Residents and families of the victims in the city strongly denied this account. They blamed the Basij militias and Revolutionary Guards. New protests were expected for the boy’s funeral on Friday. The well-known Canadian-based activist Hamed Esmaelion also called for international demonstrations on Saturday.
Meanwhile, well-known Iranian actress Mahtab Keramati announced on Instagram that she was stepping down as ambassador for UNICEF. The 52-year-old had come under criticism in recent weeks after saying little about the protests in Iran.
Instagram-Post Mahtab Keramati
