Price protests turn political in Iran as rallies spread

Price protests turn political in Iran as rallies spread

DUBAI (Reuters) - Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans in several cities across Iran on Friday, Iranian news agencies and social media reports said, as price protests turned into the largest wave of demonstrations since nationwide pro-reform unrest in 2009.

Police dispersed anti-government demonstrators in the western city of Kermanshah as protests spread to Tehran and several other cities a day after rallies in the northeast, the semi-official news agency Fars said.

The outbreak of unrest reflects growing discontent over rising prices and alleged corruption, as well as concern about the Islamic Republic’s costly involvement in regional conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq.

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So these protests, which started over the price off food and other items, have taken a shift into protesting the political situation, including rule by the clerics. Still a lot of sketchy info being reported but it looks like initial protests were somehow the result of the hardliners trying to undermine the President. Apparently that backfired, resulting in mass protests across several cities now that focused on the hardliners and the ruling clerics. Iranians are pissed that after the sanctions were removed the money being brought in was used instead in Syria, Lebanon, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Posts on twitter are "reporting" protestors are calling for an end to clerical rule and an end to the Islamic Republic.

Not a lot of reporting on this as of yet and most of what I am seeing is coming in through twitter so the sources are not verified.

As always with something like this take the info with a grain of sand until we can get confirmation on what exactly is going on.

a reply to: Xcathdra
I will just copy pasta this in here from the Mud-Pit thread.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: EvidenceNibbler

Oh yea, they are mad alright, it is definitely going down somewhere in Iran.

A popular gathering in protest of the high cost and the status of welfare, and the strange confrontation of law enforcement officers in places in Iran.(translated by google)
Key words:
Protest in Rasht
Protest in Mashad
P rotest in Kermanshah
Have fun.

a reply to: Xcathdra

I hope the people get what they want I hope we see an end to Theocratic rule.

originally posted by: testingtesting
a reply to: Xcathdra

I hope the people get what they want I hope we see an end to Theocratic rule.

Interestingly enough this comes just a day or so after the Iranian government said they were loosening the strict requirement for women on how they can dress. Saudi Arabia did the same thing this week by removing the requirement of women having to wear full face covers. In both countries women can wear just the head scarves now.

It makes me wonder if Iran might have seen what was coming and tried to head it off.

originally posted by: testingtesting
a reply to: Xcathdra

I hope the people get what they want I hope we see an end to Theocratic rule.

I remember some President calling IRAN the "epitome of evil", or something to that effect. From the video and article, the government seems to be relatively tolerant of protests. I think North Korea government would be much worse in a similar situation.

a reply to: Xcathdra
pfft... and people say the United States is losing influence . If only they really understood just how influential we are.

a reply to: carewemust

A member of the Iranian judicial ministry was asked about the protests. He stated in Iran it is the right of the people to protest.

With that said protests are only tolerated, imo, as a PR prop to give the appearance to the outside world.

The protests in 2009 over their elections (NOT the Arab spring protests) were also tolerated.. for a few days. Once it appears it threatens the status quo of the power structure the protests are shut down.. brutally.

a reply to: Xcathdra
Well to be fair though, protests in the US get shut down too when they take obstruct the safe flow of traffic and commerce. The videos searches I linked to showing the various gatherings from around the country uploaded in the last two days appear not much different to the ones here at home. Even with similar response by authorities. Other than those repeated beatings with batons by multiple officers we tend to see commonly from Asia.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: Xcathdra
pfft... and people say the United States is losing influence . If only they really understood just how influential we are.

Is it really the result of American influence or are the changes made in the 2 countries a result of the current governments seeing the writing on the wall? People in both countries have sought significant changes and, at least to me, there was always a disconnect between the people and those in power (just like here in the US).

If the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia want to keep power they have to make changes the people are demanding. I think the government in Iran is a lot more vulnerable than that in Riyadh.

With the proliferation of social media / twitter / youtube etc etc in these countries the government has lost control of the ability to control the narrative (again we are seeing that in the US and msm). I think this was only a matter of time before the peoples anger hit critical mass.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: Xcathdra
Well to be fair though, protests in the US get shut down too when they take obstruct the safe flow of traffic and commerce. The videos searches I linked to showing the various gatherings from around the country uploaded in the last two days appear not much different to the ones here at home. Even with similar response by authorities. Other than those repeated beatings with batons by multiple officers we tend to see commonly from Asia.

Fair points.. However the protests in the US arent based on overthrowing the government (at least not yet). Protests in Iran are tolerated until they enter the realm of challenging the current political situation.

The protests in 2009 were also initially tolerated.

Until they weren't.

There is a huge disconnect between the current generation in Iran and the leadership generation thats in power. We saw the same thing in Egypt where the average person has no problems with multiple religions peacefully coexisting in Egypt in addition to a non confrontational approach to Israel.

The people want peace and are tired of the older generation mindset being imposed on them. The same thing is occurring in Chins with regards to N. Korea. They dont view N. Korea in the same light as the older leadership thats in power.

The clerical leadership in Iran still thinks its the 1970's and the start of their rule.

Times change...

lmao, animals always ranting and raving about something. Same crowd was chanting Death to America 40 some odd years ago and now they are chanting something death to there government now too.

People.

a reply to: Xcathdra
not overthrow the government.... I am fairly certain you saw the same extremists protests from the first couple of months of the year as we all did right? Dump/Impeach Trump does not equate with down/remove Rouhani?

I am just here to bear witness though, so I am going to stop nitpicking

Oh, you mean protests and rallies that our CIA helped start?

a reply to: Xcathdra

originally posted by: EvidenceNibbler
a reply to: Xcathdra

The million dollar question is how many people believe that rubbish from the twatter in chief.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: EvidenceNibbler
a reply to: Xcathdra

The million dollar question is how many people believe that rubbish from the twatter in chief.

What part of that tweet do you consider to be rubbish?

a reply to: EvidenceNibbler

The whole statement, you know as in the people are not protesting the money being wasted to fund terrorism abroad....

After all the slaughter that went down in Syria, I cant support US starting this kind of BS ever again, if this is another CIA "Arab Spring".

If it involves partnership with Al Qaeda / ISIS (same thing) I will have to slaughter it and everyone involved.





If Trump is getting the CIA out of the international corruption / drug running / sponsoring of terrorism game he'll forever have my praise for it.

But hypocrisy I will call out no matter who it is, every time. As should anyone, especially a leaders supporters as its up to them to keep them honest.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I also think to the ones protesting it hasn't anything to do with terrorism.

a reply to: Peeple

I have no doubt they are pissed off with their dear leader, it just has very little to do with exporting terrorism.

This crap is how they maintain the narrative, they rely on people being so incredibly misinformed that they can literally pull a rabbit out of their ass, tell people it's a badger and viola.. people argue whether or not it's a rabbit or a badger all the while missing the point in the most spectacular way.