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The demonstrations [in Iran] started with merchants closing their shops in protest against deteriorating economic conditions and have spread from Tehran to about 32 cities across the country. What began as a movement to express economic grievances has widened in scope, with protesters chanting against the Iranian government.
Students and activists have begun chanting “death to the dictator”, referring to the 86-year-old supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and “woman, life, freedom”, echoing the 2022 protests that paralysed Iran.
As the protests have grown, so has the government’s concern. Iran’s president, the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, initially announced he had instructed authorities to listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters and said he was seeking dialogue with protest leaders.
At the same time, Iranian human rights groups allege security forces have used deadly force against protesters. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said on Friday that eight protesters have been killed by state security forces and dozens more injured. At least 119 people have been arrested for their involvement in protests, according to the human rights activists news agency.
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[Edit typo.]
There’s nothing particularly shocking about this. It will probably eventually happen in China, Russia, USA and most major countries as their economies collapse from a century of unsustainable hyper-growth + climate catastrophes. They’ll cry foul but a foreign adversary can’t spark a fire without dry tinder, and all of these governments have leveraged their populist legitimacy against a quick buck for decades.
Some people are so blinded by ideology and political theory that this basic cause and effect has to be tinted to their chosen world view. Go ahead and call whatever you like a color revolution or illegitimate or reactionary, but if half a country can be mobilized in resistance to their government then that government deserves to be toppled. People have a right to reorganize their society however they want and whenever they want. A social contract is drafted by the people for the people and prior consent to governance can’t be eternal.
Why should we fight Israel’s wars for it? They’ve never done anything for us, and they have interfered in our internal politics far too often. We have no national interest in doing anything with Iran but containing its nuclear program (a treaty which Trump fucked up).
May they win their freedom
Be careful what you wish for
Noooo, this can’t be true, .ml promised me they love Khamenei :(((((
When your capital city of 10,000,000 souls runs out of water…
