Report on Current Nationwide Protests: Hundreds Arrested; Dozens Killed and Injured

During the last two weeks, triggered by food price hikes, nationwide protests erupted in more than 31 cities across 10 provinces. HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, has recorded 53 demonstrations so far. 

According to HRANA, on Friday, May 6, 2022, following the government’s decision to cut subsidies on essential food items such as dairy products, flour, cooking oil, chicken, and eggs leading to soaring prices, the call for rallying against soaring prices went viral on social media. In the following days, several protests broke out in Khuzestan Province and soon swept through numerous cities across the country.

Prior to these protests, a series of protests and gatherings of teachers, labor workers and the retirees who had lost their pensions due to the government’s risky financial decisions had been sweeping across the country leading to dozens being arrested.

The new rounds of protests sparked initially in Susangerd City and other neighboring cities in Khuzestan Province. In the following days, at least 30 Arab-speaking citizens were arrested by security forces.

Soon after, the protests spread to other cities and provinces. The videos received from citizen journalists indicate that the protestors chanted slogans against inflation as well as the Iranian regime leaders, including President Ebrahim Raeisi and Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The map below shows the locations where the protests were.

As the map shows, the protests took place in the following cities: Izeh, Susangerd, Hamidieh, Ahvaz, Mahshahr, Masjed Soleiman, Shadegan, Jarahi Town Mahshahr, Dorud, Andimeshk, Dezful, Shahrekord, Junaqan, Fashafouyeh, Yasuj, Ardabil, Farsan, Khorramabad, Dehdasht, Borujerd, Suq, Yazd, Golpayegan, Cholicheh, Rasht, Neyshabur, Surshjan, Hafshejan, Babaheydar, Karevan Town and Pordanjan.

In total, 53 protests have been recorded. Moreover, 45 times, the attempts to start a protest were foiled due to the heavy presence of police and security forces in the streets. 

The map below shows the locations of 53 protests and the time periods.

During these protests, at least on 22 occasions in 14 cities, the police and security forces used tear gas, warning shots, pellet guns and in some cases heavy weapons against the protestors. In nine cities, tear gas and in 14 cities warning shots were used to scatter the crowds. In eight cities, security forces fired straight toward the crowds. Reportedly, security forces have used pellet guns, Kalashnikov assault rifles and paintball guns to disperse the protestors.

The map below shows the places where crackdowns and unrestrained shootings have been reported.

Since the beginning of the protests on Friday, May 6, the government disrupted the internet in several areas in Ahvaz in an attempt to prevent the protests. In the days that followed, Internet disruption was also reported in at least 10 cities.

In addition to intentional Internet disruption, the press was banned from covering the protests.

According to the reports obtained from local sources, at least 449 individuals were arrested during the protests.

So far, six people have been confirmed dead. These people have been identified as Pishali Ghalebi Hajivand (Dezful), Saadat Hadipour (Hafshejan), Jamshid Mokhtari Junaqani (Junaqan), Omid Soltani (Andimeshk), Hamid Ghasempour (Farsan City), and Behrooz Eslami (Babaheydar). HRANA can only confirm the reports on the death of the first two individuals mentioned above.

From all videos of protests which are circulating on social media, HRANA has verified the authenticity of 30 video reports which compilation you can watch below:

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place in different parts of the country this week. Below is a quick recap and footage from the demonstrations.

 

Saturday, June 12

On Saturday, June 12, a group of rice farmers in Khuzestan rallied in front of the governor’s office. In Tehran, retired drivers of the Tehran Bus Company gathered in front of the company’s headquarters. Contract workers of the maintenance unit for Tehran Metro Line 5 held a rally in front of Hashtgerd metro station, a group of shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange who lost money to the company rallied in front of the Economic Crimes Court building, and family members of SMA patients gathered in front of the Ministry of Health building.

Rice farmers in Khuzestan:

 

Retired bus drivers in Tehran:

Workers of the maintenance unit for Tehran Metro:

Shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange:

 

Sunday, June 13

On Sunday, June 13, a group of shopkeepers in Gachsaran in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province gathered in front of the governor’s office. A group of veterans who were injured during the Iran-Iraq war rallied in front of the Martyr Foundation building in Tehran, several drivers and workers of the Tehran Bus Company heled a rally in front of the city council building, and Cryptoland exchange shareholders gathered in front of the Economic Crimes court building again.

Shopkeepers in Gachsaran:

Injured Iraq-Iran war Veterans:

 

Bus drivers in Tehran:

Shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange:

 

Monday, June 14

On Monday, Several fishermen in Kharg city of Kharg Island gathered in front of the border checkpoint. A group of workers of Tehran Jonoob company protested in Mahshahr in Khuzestan Province.  Landowners in the new city of Pardis, rice farmers in Khuzestan Province, and fired workers of Khuzestan Pipe Industrial Company also held rallies.

Fishermen in Kharg island:

 

Workers of Tehran Jonoob company in Mahshahr:

 

Landowners in the new city of Pardis:

 

Tuesday, June 15

A group of delivery motorcyclists in Laleh Park in Tehran, and a group of families of Bafgh phosphate mine workers in the conference hall of Ahanshahr town held protest rallies.

Delivery motorcyclist in Laleh Park in Tehran:

Wednesday, June 16

The staff of Telecommunication Company of Khuzestan in the cities of Shushtar, Masjed Soleiman, and Ahvaz gathered in front of their cities’ Telecommunication Offices. Shareholders of the “Mashhad Mall” project rallied in front of the building of Ayandeh Bank in Mashhad. Workers of Tehran Jonoob Company held protest rallies for the third day in a row in Mahshahr.

 

Protest of staff of Telecommunication Company in Khuzestan:

Shareholders of Cryptoland Exchange:

 

Workers’ protest in Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry:

 

Protest of workers in Mashhad Mall project: