Opinion

The Iranian uprising

photo_camera protestas-iran-mahsa-amini

The 83rd day of the ongoing uprising in Iran began on Wednesday with a tug-of-war between regime loyalists, who are trying to control city streets and university campuses by issuing warnings and threats, and the determined youth, women and sympathetic public who are rising up to protest and demonstrate that they are serious about overthrowing the regime and achieving a free Iran.

The regime apprehensively mobilised more than 37,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij and state security forces in the capital, Tehran, and set up more than 100 checkpoints with dozens of armoured vehicles and numerous security forces at each early in the morning in an effort to thwart any protests.

Reports indicate that protesters in Karaj, Javanrud, Kermanshah, Marivan, Mahabad and many other cities are striking and closing their shops in solidarity with the ongoing revolution against the regime. Students at several universities in Tehran, Ahvaz, Rasht and others have boycotted classes in solidarity with the national uprising. The president of the Iranian regime, Ebrahim Raisi, visited Tehran University, where he faced protests during his speech when it became clear that only handpicked individuals were allowed into the auditorium.

Students at Tehran's Amir Kabir University celebrated Student's Day with protests and anti-regime slogans, including "Death to the dictator", despite heavy security measures.

The authorities did their best to prevent the students from spreading their demonstrations to the streets of the city, where the public could join their ranks and pose a serious threat to the regime's security. Similar protests have been reported at several universities in the capital, including Khajeh Nasir Toossi University, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran University, Ferdowsi University in the north-eastern city of Mashhad and others.

There are reports of attacks by the regime's Basij units and campus security at several universities against students holding anti-regime rallies on the occasion of National Students' Day. These included Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, Tehran University and Amir Kabir University in the capital.

Students from all over the country chanted various anti-regime slogans, including "Death to Khamenei!". "Death to the dictator!" "Students will never live in infamy" and "Neither monarchy nor theocracy, (yes to) democracy, equality". They were also seen chanting "With or without hijab, let's go to revolution!", another sign from the Iranian people themselves that this movement goes far beyond women's rights and aims at the overthrow of the entire regime.

Residents of the city of Eslamshahr in Tehran province set fire to a large digital billboard used to spread regime propaganda.

On Wednesday night, citizens in several areas of Tehran took to the streets chanting anti-regime slogans such as "Death to Khamenei!" and "Death to the dictator!"

The crowds headed to the capital's famous Azadi Square (Freedom Square) to continue their rallies. The authorities desperately sent security forces to the area to prevent any kind of anti-regime protest rally. Similar demonstrations have been reported in Najafabad in Isfahan province, Yazd and Ardakan in Yazd province, Yasuj, Arak, Qazvin and Kerman.

Third day of nationwide strike 

Wednesday 7 December, the 83rd day of the uprising in Iran, coincided with Student's Day, with widespread protests at universities and the third consecutive day of strikes by shopkeepers and bazaars in Tehran and provinces. Individuals and students held rallies in the streets of Tehran and several cities. They clashed with the regime's repressive agents.

More than 700 people have already been killed and more than 30,000 arrested, according to various estimates, following protests in 280 Iranian cities.