The Iranian People Are Fighting for Their Freedom
The protests began small but have swept the nation.
By Hunter Hinson
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MEN, WOMEN, AND STUDENTS fill the streets of multiple Iranian cities to protest economic downturns and years of oppression. The recent protests symbolize a disconnect between the Iranian people and their government that has boiled over in previous protests. Over 20 civilians have been killed during the demonstrations that have swept the nation over the past week.
Since Iran’s 1979 Revolution, the nation has been split into two different political groups: reformists (moderates) and principalities (self-proclaimed conservatives who support the principles of the revolution). However, when Former President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed office in 2005, Iranian politics moved towards a neo-conservative majority which supported the fundamental views established by the 1979 Revolution. The political domination of principalities has led to many protests with the most significant being the Green Revolution in 2009. Powerful reformists, disillusioned by the conservative majority, led millions of Iranian students to protest the second-term election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The “revolution” occurred mostly in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and was supported by Iran’s middle class and university-educated, chanting for freedom of expression and women’s rights. Unfortunately, the 2009 protests died down after months of protests and vote recounts. In 2013, many of the Iranians who protested in the Green Revolution went to vote for Iran’s new President, Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani claims to be reformist yet his actions imply that he has conservative sympathies, proving himself unpopular with many mid-to-lower class Iranians.
But today, protests vastly differ from those in 2009. Instead of the educated middle class chanting for reform, it is the poor working class that is now protesting for economic relief. The economy in Iran has always been indignet but due to recent inflation causing food and fuel prices to increase, Iranians are angry. However, the main source of this anger is due to the Iranian Nuclear Deal. After the deal was signed in 2015, Iranians expected it to bring economic growth since sanctions were lifted but the economy only worsened along with the condition of many Iranians. The most recent estimate from CNN Money places Iran’s unemployment rate over 24% for those between 15 and 29 years of age, proving how the newest generation of Iranians are struggling economically.
The protests began in small, rural towns across the nation that then swept into larger cities like Tehran and Mashhad with students intensifying the outcries. The protests currently cover over 50 cities and towns. Support for the protests has increased through a messaging app named Telegram which is owned by Facebook. The protests have become extremely dangerous with over 20 civilians killed and over 450 arrested as riot police enter the streets to counter the protesters.
The protests continued to escalate when protesters began to chant against high-ranking officials with social media videos showing clashes between protesters and riot police where students chanted “Death to the dictator!” Iran’s state news website, iribnews.ir, stated that access to social media platforms including Instagram and Telegram would be limited, exposing how the Iranian government is trying to limit the ability to communicate within Iran and to prevent images and videos of what is occurring inside the nation from reaching foreign audiences.
Leaders across the world continue to condemn the Iranian government’s actions and support the plight of the Iranian people. President Trump has tweeted multiple times about the protests claiming that the “…Iranian citizens are 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”. Some have criticized President Trump for being too forceful with Iran and claim that his tweets are hypocritical due to his unpopularity in Iran as a result of the Muslim ban and not certifying the Iran Nuclear Deal. However one of his main promises during the 2016 Presidential Election was a hard-stance against Iran and he appears to be fulfilling that promise. Many Republicans and Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also voiced their support for the Iranian protesters, portraying bipartisan agreement on the issue.
Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei has blamed the “enemies of Iran” for the protests. And although Western interference plays a major role in the economic situations of Iran, the people there are not just protesting because foreign leaders are supporting them, it’s because of years of dealing with a government that does not listen to their opinions or problems.
As the Iranian government tries to suppress the voices of its own people, President Trump has several options to consider to continue support of the protesters. He can continue to speak out on Twitter but one person’s tweets is not enough to support the Iranian people. NBC News elaborates that President Trump’s best option would be unilateral action undertaken by the U.N. Security Council. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley stated, “The U.N. must speak out… In the days ahead, we will be calling for an emergency session, both here in New York and at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. We must not be silent. The people of Iran are crying out for freedom.”
As the entire international community watches, we must remember that the Iranian people have been defeated many times before. But if we truly want to see a victory for the Iranian people, we must lend them all the support we can as they fight for their rights, better opportunity, and freedom from a government that tries to control their lives.
