(Video) Protests spread in Iran as anger over rising prices targets senior regime officials
May 19, 2022Multinationals - Social Gov originally published at Multinationals - Social Gov
protests sparked by skyrocketing prices of food staples across Iran expanded to several different cities and provinces on Thursday evening, as protesters elevated their movement into anti-regime slogans specifically targeting senior regime officials.
Initial reports from activists and various video footage indicate regime security forces responded by force in various cities in an attempt to quell the peaceful demonstrators that were marching in city streets while chanting slogans against regime offici
Protesters in the city of Jooneghan stormed a base belonging to the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) paramilitary Basij force, taking over the site, and setting protesters in different cities were seen chanting: “Death to Khamenei!” “Mullahs get lost!”.
In the cities of Andimeshk, Dorud, Izeh, and elsewhere protesters were chanting slogans strongly criticizing the regime of Ali Khamenei and other officials.
— MEK
PARIS, FRANCE, May 14, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK) reported that protests sparked by skyrocketing prices of food staples across Iran expanded to several different cities and provinces on Thursday evening, as protesters elevated their movement into anti-regime slogans specifically targeting senior regime officials.
Following the regime’s recent decision to halt a subsidy on a vital import that is resulting in the rising price of bread and other food staples, protesters have been taking to the streets mainly in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan in southwest Iran.
On Thursday, however, the rallies and protests began to spread into neighboring Lorestan province to the north, and Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari and Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad provinces to the east.
Initial reports from activists and various video footage indicate regime security forces responded by resorting to force in various cities in an attempt to quell the peaceful demonstrators that were marching in city streets while chanting slogans against rising prices and criticizing senior regime officials.
Various videos showed tear gas being deployed by the regime’s security forces and sporadic gunfire in some cities.
Protesters in the city of Jooneghan stormed a base belonging to the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) paramilitary Basij force, taking over the site, and setting it on fire.
Protesters in different cities were seen chanting:
“Death to Khamenei!” specifically targeting regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei=“Death to Raisi!” in reference to regime President Ebrahim Raisi“Raisi, you liar! What happened to your promises?!” “Raisi, shame on you! Let go of the country!” “Mullahs get lost!” “We will fight! We may die! We’ll take back Iran!” “We will fight and die but not bow down to injustice!” “Iranians may die but won’t live in shame!”
In the cities of Andimeshk, Dorud, Izeh, and elsewhere protesters were seen chanting slogans strongly criticizing the regime of Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.
Protesters in Shahrekord, the capital of Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari province, chanted slogans against the regime of President Ebrahim Raisi and voiced their solidarity with the people and protesters of Khuzestan province.
The protests in Khuzestan province began last week. On April 26 state TV in Iran announced a five-to-seven-fold increase in the prices of various types of bread.
The regime’s official IRNA news agency wired a report on May 4 emphasizing that “the only solution left is canceling all bread subsidies,” signaling an unbridled skyrocketing of bread prices across the board.
As a result, prices of various types of bread began to increase throughout Iran in an unprecedented manner. The price of sandwich buns jumped by 1,300 percent.
People on social media were reporting the different price hikes, forcing the regime’s state media, such as the “Eslahat News” website on May 3, to acknowledge the fact that people can’t even purchase simple sandwiches as the bread has become far too expensive.
Ebrahim Sayami, a senior official of the regime’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, announced on May 5 that bread will be rationed, meaning each loaf of bread will be sold at 100,000 rials (around 35 cents).
In fear of the resulting social backlash, there are reports claiming regime officials have denied any intentions to ration bread.
In a letter to the regime’s president, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Basij paramilitary warned of possible protests over the prices of basic goods. “The society is not ready for sudden price hikes,” the text reads, adding such decisions can lead to social unrest.
This is the latest of such warnings by different regime officials and institutions. In November 2019, a sudden increase in the price of gasoline triggered a nationwide protest. The IRGC Basij played a key role in suppressing the uprising and murdering more than 1,500 protesters.
A senior member of the mullahs sanctuary in the city of Qom said on May 5 that if “skyrocketing prices are not brought under control, there won’t be a revolution. We should expect a revolt by the hungry; a revolt is far more dangerous than a revolution!”
Shahin Gobadi
NCRI
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In fear of the resulting social backlash, there are reports claiming regime officials have denied any intentions to ration bread.
Multinationals - Social Gov originally published at Multinationals - Social Gov