Time for Western Democracies to Stand with Iranian People
Townhall,June 10, 2023 by Homeira Hesami
Iran has been rocked by anti-government protests for years but the uprising that began in September 2022 is fundamentally different. With citizens taking to the streets, they are now demanding not only specific political and economic changes, but rather a complete overhaul of the ruling regime itself. These protests have been met with violent crackdowns by authorities, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. The executions of detainees have come in waves, with at least 130 beautiful young lives taken in since April 21 alone, including three young protesters on May 18.
The protests in Iran have been driven by a variety of factors, including economic hardship, political repression, and widespread corruption. The Iranian people have been struggling with high unemployment rates, inflation, systemic corruption as well as social and political freedoms. People are fed up with the regime’s authoritarian policies, which limit basic freedoms and restrict access to information. Finally, corruption is rampant in Iran, with many officials engaged in not-so-subtle embezzlement of public funds and other financial crimes.
In response, Iranians have taken to the streets in large numbers, in waves of consecutive nationwide protests that first erupted in December 2017 and have continued every year since then, with the exception of a brief lull as a result of the global pandemic.
During the recent uprising, security forces used tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition to disperse crowds. Over 750 protesters were killed and 30,000 arrested and imprisoned. More recently, regime affiliates have intentionally attacked schoolgirls with poison gas, terrorizing thousands.
If you could tell people 1 thing about Iran…
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