Huge anti-government protests in Tehran and other Iranian cities

A lot of poor language being used in the media with words like 'crackdown" being used instead of what it is.....a massacre.

God knows how many have actually died recently.

BBC TV news yesterday were still framing uprising as " cost of living protests". Editors are either completely dense or liars.

Wow, but not surprised in the slightest.

Completely agree, and anyone who else who propped up that barbarous regime.

It is really terrifying that the Iranian state are trying to keep the whole country dark so they can commit their atrocities out of sight.
I certainly hope that no European country allows any of the Mullahs who are running away any kind of asylum. They should all be treated as the war criminals they are.

The last time I saw a picture of that balcony it had an SAS soldier on it.

Its bloody terrifying but there are no braver people on the planet.

I got out of the habit of listening to the World Service quite a few years ago but you're right,its much better.

My daughter’s best friend is Iranian. She still goes to Iran as her Bibi and uncle are still there. She messaged me and said, “We haven’t been able to get in touch with my uncle, who usually finds a way of getting round an internet ban somehow….”

So I think access to information has been difficult. If I was Iranian I think I would find this quite frightening.

The World Service is much, much better than other BBC platforms in dealing with this with depth and proper attention to the history and the current circumstances etc. Especially the programme 'Weekend' from 6-9 on Sats and Suns and broken into chunks of just under an hour on Sounds. They get a wide variety of guests and look at big stories with good, informed discussion rather than just reporting. Just FYI.
It's heartbreaking and the Iranians are immensely brave and I hope with every fibre of my being that this results in huge change this time, and good change not power-vacuum lurching from frying pan to fire. And I hope they do it without Trump's help just because I don't think Trump's help ever comes without poisoned strings attached.
@SharonEllis and @HepzibahGreen I really appreciate your posts (on this thread and elsewhere too). 💞

Bloody hell.

Its bs anyway. I have an Iranian friend in exile who, until a day or two ago had plenty of access to information.

Lindsay Hilsum on Xtwitter said that the reason MSM were not covering Iran was because the BBC and C4 and CNN and the like
do not have reporter access to Iran.

When asked why that did not stop wall to wall coverage of what was happening inside Gaza
she sescribed the Hamas sources as "colleagues"
and then blocked everybody who called out her hypocricy.

Iranians wanting rid of Islamists does not fit the chosen narrative.

This from the BBC yesterday actually, not the whole article but the bits about the murdered and maimed :

Staff at several hospitals in Iran have told the BBC their facilities are overwhelmed with dead or injured patients, as major anti-government protests continue.
A medic at one Tehran hospital said there were "direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well", while a doctor said an eye hospital in the capital had gone into crisis mode.
Two of the medical workers who spoke to the BBC said they treated gunshot wounds from both live ammunition and pellets.
Hundreds of protesters are believed to have been killed or injured, and many more detained. BBC Persian has confirmed the identities of 26, including six children.
Members of the security forces have also been killed, with one human rights group putting the number at 14.
BBC Persian has verified that 70 bodies were brought to Poursina Hospital in Rasht city on Friday night. The morgue there was at full capacity, so the bodies were taken away. The authorities asked the relatives of the dead for 7 billion rials (£5,222; $7,000) to release them for burial, a hospital source said.

So theres some detail now, and theres now a mention in the lead article that, yes actually, the people are also protesting the regime, not just the price of eggs!
This story needs to be front and centre, it’s the most important thing happening right now.

Completely agree.

Exactly Sharon. And the way the overflowing hospitals are being mentioned as almost coincidental. It feels like the German Press reporting that Jewish families are suddenly taking trains to the countryside in the 1930s…

Where is the analysis, the interviews, and damnit the excitement that this could be the toppling of a brutal regime?? I remember the Berlin wall coming down when I was a kid. This is as big imo.

Aside from the press, the government’s of all democratic countries should be wholeheartedly supporting the Persian people. After all, we believe in freedom from religious oppression, right??

I agree, the BBC always reporting this in in terms of cost of living has been jarring. The economics is of course critical and has been a trigger for a certain demographic but ultimately its the repression and suffocating religion that people are resisting.

Agreed. If the reports above are accurate about the mullah's escape plans, when the army or security services switch sides, it's game over.

I support the Iranians fight for freedom. If (a big if), they manage to get a moderate government in place, sanctions will lift and they will have a chance to dig their way out of this economic mess.

Lalgarh · Today 11:57
It has to be the Iranians who do it. But even if it is it will still be seen as a "tainted" overthrow BC
Trump likes it
they seem in favour of the deposed Shah

I agree but the problem is the protesters are fighting unarmed against very well armed security forces. The best thing that could happen is for the police and army to side with the protesters.

I’ve been following the Iranian revolution for 2 weeks (mainly on X as yes it’s a cesspit but actual Iranians are managing to post there).
They are reporting deaths of the people in their thousands during state mandated blackouts.
I logged into MN today expecting this massive world event to be trending… couldn’t find a thing! The BBC are saying “protests due to cost of living”.. not that the people have also had enough of living under an oppressive Islamic regime that murders and abuses them. And all a lot of Western commentators have seemed bothered about is that they are not helped by America??
Well I hope somebody helps them!
The Iranian Islamic Republic have systematically abused and murdered it’s own people for decades. Women have had their human rights taken away for decades. This revolution looks to be largely driven by women. The Iranian(Persian) people have not thrown bombs at civilians or kidnapped people or murdered babies. They have taken to the streets, thrown off their head coverings, lit a cigarette and said “ No more”.
As far as I am concerned if they want the son of the Shah to lead them following the (I hope) successful revolution then that’s what should happen. It’s their country. Spain brought back the royal family after Franco, England after Cromwell. There must be a leadership they can get behind, and some structures put in place and they will need help.
These people are so brave and need our support and the vocal support of our government.

It would be telling of Zarah and Jeremy don't come up with a inadequate statement about the repression of protestors in Iran and the mass death there. The Iranian regime are trying to blame the protests on Israel (???) so for Zarah to express solidarity with the mass protests may go down badly with some of her hard core supporters. Both she and Jeremy are in a bit of a pickle.

It has to be the Iranians who do it. But even if it is it will still be seen as a "tainted" overthrow BC

• Trump likes it
• they seem in favour of the deposed Shah

Who can do it? If the US do they’ll be vilified. Is there anyone else who will?