Eye on Iran's Protests - October 12, 2022  

A protest movement is sweeping Iran in the aftermath of the killing of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the so-called “morality police.” UANI’s Eye on Iran's Protests is a daily news and events round-up to increase awareness of this movement and the regime’s brutal response. Now is the time to support the Iranian people.

Iranians Keep Up Protests Over Mahsa Amini Death Despite Mounting Fatalities | Reuters
Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights reported that the civilian death toll during the protests increased to 201, including 23 minors. Its last report on October 8 counted 185 civilian deaths. Approximately 90 of those deaths occurred in the eastern Iranian city of Zahedan last week, when security forces opened fire on protesters that were demonstrating against a police officer accused of raping a young girl. 

Protests In Iran Spread, Including To Oil Sector, Despite Violent Crackdown | New York Times
It has nearly been a month since anti-government protests began in Iran, and they show no signs of abating. To the contrary, worker strikes have spread to the country’s vital oil industry. On Monday, workers from the Abadan and Kangan oil refineries and the Bushehr Petrochemical Project in Asaluyeh went on strike. The Kurdistan province has been the site of escalating violence against protesters over the past few days.

Protests Reach 19 Cities In Iran Despite Internet Disruption | Associated Press
Protests hit at least 19 cities in Iran today. In one of the protests, over 30 women gathered and removed their hijabs, chanting “Death to the Dictator.” They risk being tried in a close-door trial by a Revolutionary Court and receiving a death sentence. As protests grew in intensity, the government of Iran implemented drastic measures to reduce internet traffic in Iran. Riot police and plainclothes officers deployed in large numbers in Tehran and other cities. And Iran’s police chief, Hossein Ashtari, claimed on state television that “counterrevolutionary groups,” dressed up as Iranian officers, were responsible for shooting protesters.

Huge crowds descended on “Palestine Street” in Tehran, chanting “Mullahs get lost.”

Large demonstrations took place on the streets of Naziabad, Tehran.

Spontaneous protests cropped up in cities across Iran today. This footage shows a protest in Tehran.

Security forces fired teargas at protesters in Kashani Mall in Tehran.

Hundreds of Iranian lawyers gathered in protest today in Tehran before being dispersed by security forces.

Schoolgirls tore pictures of former Supreme Leader of Iran Khomeini from their textbooks and threw them across the highway from a bridge.

Iran Protester: 'You Know That You Might Never Come Back' | BBC
One protester told the BBC he was ready to die for this protest movement. He said: “When you take to the streets you should expect anything. Deep down, you know that you might never come back. You might get arrested, detained for days, months or even years...”

Plainclothes police officers violently arrested a protester in Arak.

Plainclothes officers arrested two women in Rasht for not wearing their hijab. Cars driving by honked in support of the women.

A large contingent of security forces in riot gear deployed on the streets in Tehran.

The “Morality Police” are reportedly on the streets harassing and arresting women for hijab violations.

Iranian Official Admits That Student Protesters Are Being Taken To Psychiatric Institutions | CNN
Some school students that have been arrested and detained for participating in street protests are being taken to mental health institutions, Iran’s Minister of Education Yousef Nouri confirmed. He said that the “psychological institutions” holding them were meant to reeducate and reform their behavior.

Iran's Khamenei Calls Anti-Government Protests "Scattered Riots" Designed By The Enemy - Tasnim | Reuters
The Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei called the anti-government protests “scattered riots” designed by the enemy. 

Cracks Appear Among Iran Elite As Senior Figure Calls For Hijab Policing Rethink | The Guardian
Former Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani struck a different tone than the supreme leader and most other regime officials, who have taken a hard line against protesters. He suggested that the regime’s enforcement of the hijab mandate be reexamined, arguing that “[the] burden of encouraging the hijab should not be assigned to [the police force and the Basij].” 

It’s Going To Take All Of Iran’s Oppressed Groups To Win Change | Jason Rezaian For The Washington Post
This opinion piece in the Washington Post points out that “while the imposed hijab makes women the most visibly suppressed group in the Islamic Republic, Kurds, Baluchis, Azeris and Arabs have also long struggled for equality.” Support from the international community for each of these groups is critical for bringing the Islamic Republic to an end. 

Is Iran’s Regime Teetering On The Brink Of Collapse? | Jewish News Syndicate
This article raises the question: “will this latest wave of protests sweep the [Iranian] regime into oblivion?” Some analysts believe that the scale of anger with the regime is “unprecedented.” Strikes in the oil sector represent a notable expansion of labor unrest. Alireza Nader, an expert on Iran, said that the U.S. and other western nations should set up a “strike fund to help workers and their families.” 

No Hope For The Future: Economic Struggles Add Fuel To Iran’s Protests | CNBC
The flagging Iranian economy – devastated by U.S. sanctions – is one among many grievances held by the youth leaders of the current protest movement. They blame the economic problems – which include high youth unemployment rates – on the regime’s economic mismanagement and their policies, which result in sanctions. One professor of economics notes that the youth’s level of education makes it even harder for them to bear the economic conditions.  

Iran’s Protests Pose A Challenge For Washington And Silicon Valley | Washington Post
Mahsa Alimardani, a researcher on internet freedom, argued that “years of sanctions cutting off Iranians from fast-changing technologies have inadvertently boosted Tehran’s efforts to build its own national internet and centralize online control.” Critics assert that Washington could be doing more to help Iranians circumvent the internet, mobile network, and messaging app restrictions inside Iran. Furthermore, Silicon Valley could be doing more to support Iranian protesters’ digital communications. Critics note that Twitter and Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) seem to have developed different policies for activity on their platforms in Ukraine compared to Iran. Anti-regime slogans, such as “Death to the Dictator,” are reportedly flagged and taken down on Facebook and Instagram.  

EU Agreement To Sanction Iran Over Protest Crackdown | Agence France-Presse
The EU agreed to levy sanctions against Iran following its brutal crackdown against protests. Foreign ministers will adopt the sanctions – which were not described in detail – next Monday, diplomats said. 

This piece of anti-regime propaganda underscores the excessive force being used against protesters engaged in acts of civil disobedience. These acts, such as taking off the hijab in public, are peaceful in nature, but they are a direct threat to the Islamic Republic.