Opinion

The Iranian uprising in brief: day 192

Iran's national uprising entered its 192nd day on Sunday. People took to the streets in several cities across the country to protest their poor living conditions, as the national currency, the rial, began to fall again against the US dollar. The regime's disastrous economic policies have ruined the lives of ordinary Iranians: 80 % of the country's 85 million people live in poverty, according to the most conservative figures. 

Hassan Karami, commander of the Special Security Forces, one of the Iranian regime's most repressive units, expressed the Iranian regime's fear of the prospect of an uprising in 1402 (the Iranian New Year, which began on 21 March): "Our goal is to cover at least 400 cities and regions of the country to deal with unrest and possible enemy movements. In 1402, we have to double our capacity compared to the current situation". 

On Saturday 25 March, following yesterday's massive demonstration in Zahedan, capital of the southeastern province of Sistan and Balochistan, thousands of brave Baloch residents took to the streets chanting slogans against the regime and its security forces, calling for an end to theocracy and denouncing the former dictatorial regime, the Shah's monarchy. 

Across the country, angry youths launched a massive campaign of 12 protest actions on the night of Friday 24-25 March, targeting various regime sites implicated in the repression, as well as regime posters and banners. These actions included: 

  • The burning of a centre in Shahrekord, south-west Iran, used by the mullahs to spread their ideology of hate, misogyny and fundamentalism. 
  • Molotov cocktail attacks on the office of the regime's local Friday prayer imam, who is also Khamenei's representative in Khomeinishahr in central Iran. 
  • Molotov cocktail attacks on IRGC Basij paramilitary bases in Tehran, Shiraz, Kermanshah and Zahedan. 
  • Posters and banners of Khamenei and regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini were set on fire in Tehran and Isfahan. 
  • Late in the evening, in Bandar Anzali in the northern province of Mazandaran, youths attacked with Molotov cocktails a branch of the regime's National Bank, which, along with other regime financial institutions, plunders the nation's wealth and engages in money laundering to evade international sanctions. 

Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian opposition coalition, said: "I salute the people of Zahedan, who began the New Year chanting 'Death to Khamenei'. Thousands of our Baloch compatriots took to the streets on the first Friday of the Persian New Year 1402, chanting "Freedom for Iran" and "Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader (of the mullahs)". Once again they demonstrated their firm commitment to a free Iran. " 

On 25 March, workers at the Haft Tappeh sugar cane company in the city of Shush, Khuzestan province, in south-west Iran, held a rally to protest against the very low wages set by the regime's Supreme Labour Council. These oppressed workers have long held rallies, including one on 11 March, to protest against the refusal of company officials to meet their demands. 

Meanwhile, in Saqqez, taxi drivers went on strike on Saturday 26 March to protest against the high prices of spare parts and their low incomes.  

As well as many other strikes and demonstrations across Iran.