Protesters in at least 164 cities throughout Iran’s 31 provinces have taken to the streets seeking to overthrow the mullahs’ regime. Over 300 have been killed by regime security forces and at least 15,000 arrested.
Protesters in at least 164 cities throughout Iran’s 31 provinces have taken to the streets seeking to overthrow the mullahs’ regime. Over 300 have been killed by regime security forces and at least 15,000 arrested.
Iran’s nationwide protests entered their 16th consecutive day on Saturday with reports of college students taking to the streets in anti-regime rallies and storeowners continuing a general strike, especially in the cities of Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan provinces. Authorities are escalating up their systematic and deadly crackdown parallel to disrupting internet connections.
According to information collected by the network of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), more than 170 cities across all 31 provinces have reported anti-regime protests in this month of September, and the regime’s security forces have to this day killed at least 400 protesters and arrested more than 20,000 throughout the country.
These protests began following the death of Mahsa Amini. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman from the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan Province, western Iran, who traveled to Tehran with her family, was arrested on Tuesday, September 13, at the entry of Haqqani Highway by the regime’s so-called “Guidance Patrol” and transferred to the “Moral Security” agency.
Amini was severely beaten by the security forces. She was taken to the capital’s Kasra Hospital due to the severity of her injuries afterwards. Amini died on Friday, September 16. Shortly after, protests broke out in several cities, including Tehran and Saqqez. The protests have continued and expanded since.
College students in Tehran and many other cities and towns continued their protest rallies, in solidarity with the nationwide protests that have rocked the regime to its very core. In addition to the Iranian capital, college students in the cities of Mashhad, Isfahan, Rasht, Shiraz, Gohardasht, Kerman, Yazd, Kermanshah, Zanjan, and others. The college students were chanting anti-regime slogans including:
“Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or [Khamenei]!” referring to regime dictator Ali Khamenei.
“Death to the dictator!”
“Release political prisoners!”
“We’ll fight and take back Iran!”
Storeowners in the Kurdish cities of Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan provinces continued their anti-regime protests by expanding their general strike. Footage posted online showed stores closed in the cities of Sanandaj, Urmia, Saqqez, Naqadeh, Piranshahr, Oshnavieh, Bukan, and Mahabad. This general strike is in protest of the ongoing crackdown of demonstrations across Iran, the apprehension and detention of protesters, and the killing of Mahsa Amini, and to voice solidarity with the Iranian people’s nationwide protests.
In Babol, northern Iran, the people held protest rallies and chanted anti-regime slogans in different streets. In the past week, the cities of northern Iran have witnessed intense anti-regime protests. The people continued their rallies despite the heavy presence of security forces and when faced with repression, they resisted and showed their hatred toward the regime by setting fire to posters of regime leaders and icons.
New videos obtained from Isfahan show security forces attacking the protest rallies of students. The regime’s response to student protests has been especially violent and harsh. Many students have been killed by security forces and more have been arrested. Yet, student continue to play a very prominent role in the protests and come back to the streets every day to demand the release of their jailed colleagues and voice their desire for regime change.
At Tehran’s Islamic Azad University, security forces fired teargas into the midst of protesting students. The presence of security forces is especially heavy in the capital as the regime is trying in vain to contain the restive society.
During the day, protests quickly spread to other parts of the city. In Tehran, a large crowd gathered in Keshavarz Blvd and started chanting anti-regime slogans despite the presence of anti-riot forces and plainclothes agents.
In another part of Tehran, protesters were chanting, “Death to the tyrant! We neither want the Shah nor the Supreme Leader!” This slogan is especially important as the regime has tried to frame a narrative around the return to the pre-Revolution monarchy as a means to discredit the democratic and secular opposition.
People continued to show their hatred toward the regime in different ways. In Dehgolan, western Iran, protesters set fire to a pro-regime statue at one of the city’s squares. Other videos obtained from the city show heavily armed security forces directly targeting civilians.
Protests also resumed in Rasht on Saturday, as people rallied to protest the regime’s brutality and demand their rights. Security forces responded by firing teargas at protesters. There are reports of heavy security presence and sounds of gunshots across the city.
Protests also resumed in Shiraz, south-central Iran, despite heavy internet blackouts and the presence of security forces. One video obtained from the city shows a motorbike belonging to security forces burning in the street at the Namazi Square.
Meanwhile, security forces continue to try to put down protests through brute force. In Isfahan, security forces were seen directly targeting civilians in streets. However, protests continue in different parts of the city.
In Tehran, protests continued in different locations despite measures to put them down. At the entrance of the Shariati Metro Station, a large crowd was chanting, “Death to the dictator!”
New videos show protests ongoing in many other cities. In Gohardasht, west of Tehran, a large group of protesters were chanting anti-regime slogans. According to activists, protesters are controlling many parts of the city despite the presence of security forces.
Protests continued in Tehran. In Shariati street, protesters were chanting, “Death to the dictator!”
In Lalehzar, storeowners closed down their shops and joined protesters. “This is the year [Khamenei] is overthrown!” and “Mullahs must get lost!” the protesters were chanting, reiterating their demand for regime change.
On Friday, security forces opened fire on protesters in the city of Zahedan in Sistan & Baluchestan Province, leaving dozens killed and injured in yet another unspeakable crime. The scope of this massacre is so utterly appalling that the regime’s official IRNA news agency reported: “over 19 people killed and 15 injured.” Local activists are reporting more than 100 people were killed and injured by the regime’s security forces as they opened fire on worshippers in the city’s Makki Grand Mosque.
Thousands of brave locals began demonstrating on Friday afternoon, chanting “Death to Khamenei!” and confronting the regime’s oppressive forces. The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) intelligence officer of Sistan & Baluchestan Province was killed in yesterday’s clashes, according to the Tasnim news agency, affiliated to the IRGC Quds Force. Protesters were reported to have stormed two police stations and one site of the IRGC paramilitary Basij. Authorities were seen flying a helicopter over the city and locals said regime snipers were targeting the protesters.
Protests and demonstrations were also reported in Tehran, Ahvaz, Abadan, Dezful, Mashhad, Ardabil, Dorud, Sanandaj, and Saqqez on Friday. In Ahvaz, a large number of demonstrators took to the streets and regime security forces were deployed to quell their rallies. The locals stood their ground and began defending themselves by throwing rocks in the face of gunfire and tear gas by the regime’s security forces.
Ardabil demonstrators also confronted the state police units deployed into the streets, forcing them to flee. In the cities of Dorud and Saqqez youths launched night rallies and chanted “Death to the dictator!” These demonstrations continued well into the night.
Iranian opposition NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi hailed the Iranian people’s escalating uprising while condemning the mullahs’ bloody crackdown, especially in the city of Zahedan. She urged the United Nations and its member states, “urgent action to stop the slaughter of protesters. People must be able to defend themselves against this savagery.”
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