““Death to the Shah, Death to the Religious Leader”: Captures a consistent repudiation of autocratic rule
BE IT A KING OR A CLERIC: “The binary canceling one system in favor of another one no longer represents the ideals of the protesters,” (Washington Post , October 21, 2022)
Iran Protest Slogans:
“Independence, Freedom, Optional Hijab” , “Woman, Life, Freedom” , “Islamic Republic, We Don’t Want” , “Don’t Call it a Protest, Call it a Revolution.”, “Don’t call it a protest,” university students shout in videos shared online. “Call it a revolution.”
The Count:
- Days: 41stday
- Protests: 199 cities
- Fatalities: 400+ estimated deaths, 260 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 20,000+
Latest
The uprising expanded significantly yesterday, with protests reported in over 100 locations in the capital, and over 33 cities nationwide, the most extensive and geographically expansive protest activity since the beginning of this uprising on September 16. Today is the 40th day since the death of young Iranian Nika Shakarami and protesters, particularlyin Khorramabad, have already begun to commemorate her martyrdom. The mourners and protesters directed their chants at the regime and said, “This is the last message, the entire regime is the target,” and “Fight us and we will fight you back.”
As of this morning, it is reported that regime security forces have lost control over the Kurdish city of Mahabad. Demonstrators have taken over the city’s main seat of government (Farmandary or Governate), the police station, banks and stores associated with the IRGC, and other regime centers, including the local treasury department. The mother of Ismail Moloudi, a protester killed last night, was met by demonstrators who chanted, “Don’t weep for your child! We promise to avenge him!”
Universities across Iran are against kicking off the day with protests.
A Telegram channel (tv1irib_sima) reportedly affiliated to the regime’s IRIB (state broadcasting network) complained that half of the Basij called to duty in Tehran had not showed up yesterday and that the remaining lot had to bear the brunt of the protests. The channel claimed that numerous Basij, IRGC, and SSF forces had been killed in clashes with protesters whom it called “rioters” on Wednesday in ferocious clashes. One video clip of a protester infiltrating into a regime Basij base shows the grenades, tear gas, and other materials they possess and use to brutalize the protesters.
The global solidarity of Iranians abroad has boosted the demonstrators in Iran as the uprising continues to surprise analysts and shock regime insiders whose plans to reign in and pacify the uprising has failed.
Protesters are calling on an everyday presence and turnout to exhaust the regime’s security forces.
The regime’s threadbare attempt to exploit and abuse an attack on a religious shrine in Shiraz to blame protesters and deflate the uprising has backfired, with Iranians calling it a suspect act probably instigated by the regime. Serious questions have been raised about the ability of the attacker to carry a big gun into the shrine, his lack of the hallmark explosive belt of ISIS, the almost immediate security response of a regime SWAT team just a few minutes into the killing, and a statement attributed to ISIS that was erroneously dated 30 Rabi al-Aval, a lunar month of only 29 days. The regime characteristically blamed the “rioters” as having set the stage for the attack. The Iranian public, however, is not buying the regime’s claims and sees it as an excuse to further brutally crackdown on the uprising.
A newly obtained directive dated October 20, 2022, by the IRGC’s top brass, Brig. Gen. Hossein Nejat, deputy commander of Sarallah HQ in Tehran, entrusted with the protection of Tehran, recalled the earlier directive of IRGC’s CIC Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, to IRGC commanders of Greater Tehran Protection Corps, Tehran Province Corps, Alborz Province Corps, stressed, “Considering the increasing trend of diversionary activities by elements of the Resistance Units affiliated to the Hypocrites (pejorative term to describe the Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK) terrorist group against classified locations, especially IRGC bases, and mindful of the directive by the Honorable Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, concerning the wide-ranging organization and the use of targeted intelligence patrols and setting up ambushes around potential targeted centers, to confront and neutralize these elements, it is necessary to identify all classified locations including military, government, and judicial locations, which are prone to diversionary actions. Launching coherent, targeted, and planned intelligence patrols, both covert and overt, as well as setting up ambushes in the security and protection perimeter of these locations, must be undertaken.”
Uprising Updates
- Khorramabad– Locals marking the 40th day of #Nika_Shakarami’s murder chanting: “Death to Khamenei!”
- Khorramabad– Protesters chanting: “This is the final message: the entire regime is the target!”
- Khorramabad– Protesters chanting: “We will fight to the end!”
- They’re marking the 40th day of #Nika_Shakarami’s murder by the regime’s security forces.
- Tehran– Students of the Islamic Azad University West Tehran Branch chanting: “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” and “Death to dictator”.
- Tehran– Students of Tehran University chanting: “For each person killed, another 1,000 will rise!”
- Isfahan– Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences holding a protest rally marking the 40th day of #Nika_Shakarami‘s murder by the regime’s security forces.
- Baneh– Protesters establishing roadblocks and taking control of their streets.
- Dehgolan, western Iran – Protesters clashed with the regime’s security forces.
