Protests in Iran amid New Year celebrations, many arrests and attacks on students on the third day, know what is the whole matter
tehranUniversity students joined the protests in Iran for the third day on Tuesday, amid economic crisis and a sharp decline in the national currency, even as the administration used force and made several arrests, Protests spread across Iran on Tuesday, with universities and business districts becoming the epicenter of a growing strike by shopkeepers in Tehran and other cities,
Human rights and student groups said at least 11 protesters were arrested near Tehran’s Shush Square. Five students were also detained in the capital’s university, four of whom were later released. The Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked protesters at Tehran’s Amirkabir University, seriously injuring one student, Iran International said in a report quoting students.
Videos going viral on social media showed students raising anti-government slogans, removing signs related to the office of the supreme leader’s representatives and confronting security forces at the campus gate. There were also some videos in which security personnel were seen retreating as the crowd advanced. In some, security forces were seen firing tear gas and at many places firing at the protesters. The protests coincided with the government’s announcement that government offices would be closed in about 25 provinces, including the capital, on Wednesday.
Officials said the move was necessary to save energy amid the severe cold, although official weather data showed no significant drop in temperatures. According to reports, nationwide demonstrations began on Sunday when shoppers in several malls in Tehran and later the Grand Bazaar began strikes in response to the rial hitting a record low against the US dollar.
According to Iran International, protests have been recorded in Tehran, Karaj, Qeshm Island, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Yazd, Kerman and several other cities. The report quoted government spokeswoman Fatima Mohajrani as saying the government acknowledged widespread frustration and that the protests reflected “intense economic pressures.”
President Massoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed the interior minister to hold talks with representatives of the protesters and listen to their ‘legitimate’ demands. He later attended a meeting with a select group of business executives on Tuesday. The demonstrations are likely to continue for a fourth day, as many Iranian businesses have announced on social media that they will remain closed in support of the movement.
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