Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 30 Dec 2017, 07:09 am Print
Tehran, Dec 30 (JEN): Iranian forces have arrested several people after anti-government protests roiled the nation on Friday, reports said.
What started as a small scale dissent by a group of people in Mashhad, on Thursday, soon spread to other cities too and later swept the nation.
Demonstrators took to the streets in the national capital Tehran, in Rasht, in the north, and Kermanshah, in the west.
Hail to the heroic people of #Kermanshah who have risen up with chants of “death or freedom”, “death to Rouhani” and “death to the dictator” to protest against high prices, poverty and corruption. Yesterday in #Mashhad, today in Kermanshah, and tomorrow all over #Iran.
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) December 29, 2017
Cities like Isfahan, Hamadan also witnessed anti-government sloganeering.
Dissenters were not only protesting against Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his political failures, but also against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Slogans such as 'clerics act like God' were heard.
One of the iconic photos of yesterday's protest was a young woman with her compulsory hejab on a stick...
— Maryam Namazie (@MaryamNamazie) December 29, 2017
What a wondrous site. Viva the protesting people of Iran. Long Live! pic.twitter.com/146HPg4Sna
Protesters also blamed the government for Iran's economic woes and said that people have been 'forced to beg'.
Issues about Iran's constant meddling in other nation's interests were also brought up by demonstrators.
To curb the sting of the dissent, over 52 people were picked up by law enforcement officers, who accused the protesters of using harsh words against the country's President.
Two hours ago Iranian Police attacked peaceful protesters in Kermanshah who protest Islamic regime of Iran because of their poor living condition and financial corruptions committed by the regime's authorities. pic.twitter.com/f9B34bSf8e
— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) December 29, 2017
Meanwhile, First Vice-President of Iran, Eshaq Jahangiri said that the protests were of the opponent's making
According to state broadcaster IRIB, Jahangiri said, "Some incidents in the country these days are on the pretext of economic problems, but it seems there is something else behind them. They think by doing this they harm the government, but it will be others who ride the wave."
Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017
Reacting to the Iranian protests, US President Donald Trump tweeted, "Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests"
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