Huge anti-government protests in Tehran and other Iranian cities

[Twiglets1]

Huge crowds of protesters have been marching through Iran's capital and other cities, videos show, in what is said to be the largest show of force by opponents of the clerical establishment in years.

The peaceful demonstrations in Tehran and the second city of Mashhad on Thursday evening, which were not dispersed by security forces, can be seen in footage verified by BBC Persian.

Later, a monitoring group reported a nationwide internet blackout.

Protesters can be heard in the footage calling for the overthrow of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late former shah, who had urged his supporters to take to the streets.

It was the 12th consecutive day of unrest that has been sparked by anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency and has spread to more than 100 cities and towns across all 31 of Iran's provinces, according to human rights groups.

The US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) has said at least 34 protesters - five of them children - and eight security personnel have been killed, and that 2,270 other protesters have been arrested.

Norway-based monitor Iran Human Rights (IHR) has said at least 45 protesters, including eight children, have been killed by security forces.

BBC Persian has confirmed the deaths and identities of 22 people, while Iranian authorities have reported the deaths of six security personnel.

Iranian state media downplayed the scale of Thursday's unrest. In some cases, they denied protests had taken place altogether, posting videos of empty streets.

Meanwhile, internet watchdog NetBlocks said its metrics showed that Iran was "in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout".

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg7y0579lp8o

Totally agree. The BBC especially has dragged it's feet. I used to get my news from BBC but now it's X.

Indeed

Another irony is that a lot of Iranians are frustrated with money diverted to Gaza giving the country's economy. We were given the narrative that their was universal support for Hamas amongst many in the ME but now see the true complexities of the politics of this region......maybe it's a wake up call for those that think there is only one 'bad guy' in the region (clue where Jews live) and some can reflect on their persepective. Sadly I am not expecting many woke uni students to suddenly start camps in support of the oppressed in Iran and we have to question how we got there in that front.

https://www.iranintl.com/en

More on this site....

https://www.timesofisrael.com/death-toll-in-iran-protest-crackdown-said-to-pass-115-trump-reportedly-considering-strike/

It does look like Trump is mulling his options.....

Thanks for this @mids2019

Thank you mids2019

I have to say I was very impressed with the ease the protester climbed up the front of the Iranian Embassy and onto the balcony.

https://news.sky.com/video/protester-tears-down-flag-outside-iranian-embassy-13492903

"Staff at three hospitals told the BBC they have been overwhelmed with the injured and dead, with BBC Persian verifying 70 bodies brought to one hospital in Rasht city on Friday night and a health worker reporting around 38 people dying at a Tehran hospital."

Three hospitals overwhelmed. These brave protesters need assistance.

Scary stuff being reported on that site like the mass killings reported as security forces use live fire on Iran protesters.

Two eyewitnesses who visited Kahrizak in search of their loved ones told Iran International that they saw more than 400 bodies there.

Videos earlier sent to Iran International from Fardis, Karaj, and Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran showed similar scenes of dead bodies falling on the ground, pointing to an unfolding mass killing that is not confined to a limited number of cities.

The internet shutdown that started on January 8 have made it impossible to obtain a full picture of events on the ground. However, the volume and consistency of incoming accounts suggest that lethal force is being widely used to disperse protesters.

The most conservative estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people have been killed over the past 48 hours.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202601109477

America to help.protestors?

I mean help from the Americans is a poisoned chalice.

Quick check of the usual Solidarity Pledgers and anti imperialist People Who Tweet (usually about Other Causes). Especially as the BBC is now covering

Owen Jones is pre emptively condemning the hated Iranian dictator, checks Reza Pahlavi

https://nitter.net/owenjonesjourno/status/2009594373865136487#m,
At which point Palestine activists and assorted left identified users accuse him of being a Zionist shill

Minority Reply actually on Iran

https://nitter.net/NshShulman/status/2010293982925058394#m

Zarah Sultana: Cuba solidarity, Gaza hunger strikers, Renew Good. Nothing on Iran yet. Maybe waiting for the SWP to come to a position

https://nitter.net/zarahsultana

Zack Polanski: leasehold. Beefing with Farage.hinger strikers. He rts the same reporter Owen Jones cited on another topic to Iran. Not Iran as yet. Waiting to think the right thing presumably.

https://nitter.net/ZackPolanski

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

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

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.

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.

Well said.

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.

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.

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.

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??

Completely agree.

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.