Iran was rocked by nationwide protests in November 2019. Following the unexpected increase in gas prices, crowds rushed into the streets. Within hours, their demands had transformed into political demands, with some calling for regime change. By ruthlessly killing over 1500 protesters and arresting thousands more, the Iranian leadership narrowly avoided overthrow.

 2019 protests sparked by a sudden increase in fuel price

On November 16, the state-run Sharq daily published an interview with Dr. Asef Bayat, an Iranian sociologist, titled “The protest by an unknown generation,” in which he explained how the November 2019 movement differs from prior uprisings in Iran. An occurrence that proved to be a turning point in the social confrontation between Iranians and the regime of the mullahs.

The article begins, “November 2019 protests sparked by a sudden increase in fuel prices and quickly spread across the country.” “While economic indicators had been warning for months, the scale of these demonstrations was unprecedented since the [1979] revolution.”

“According to Asef Bayat, the poor of the middle class and the poor of the city collided. [The middle-poor class] is a socioeconomic class that we are unfamiliar with. It is made up of educated but impoverished people who are aware of their plight,” Sharq stated.

 

 

People believe their voices are not heard

“The November 2019 protests began due to an increase in fuel prices,” according to Asef Bayat, “but in reality, it resulted from a series of different economic, social, and political dissatisfactions in the country that manifested themselves in this way.”

The ruling system, Sharq continues, “cannot meet the needs of society.”

“People believe that their wishes are not being reflected in the country’s management, and that the government is pursuing its own agenda, which has little to do with citizens’ demands and expectations.” Domestic as well as foreign policy and international relations, particularly in the region, are among the grievances.” Dr. Bayat was quoted by Sharq.

People protested the regime’s nefarious intentions, like regional adventurism, by singing chants like “let go of Syria, think of us” and “neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life only for Iran.”

According to Iran’s state media, the number of poor people in the country has tripled in recent years, while unemployment, inflation, and prices are all soaring on a daily basis. As a result, more people are becoming impoverished.

 

The regime strengthened its oppressive measures

“November 2019 protests could have been a warning to top officials to adjust the system of governance and socio-economic policies and find a solution to these economic and social problems,” Bayat advised regime officials.

The regime, on the other hand, strengthened its oppressive measures. “Rather, it appears that the authorities are approaching this social phenomenon from a political-security standpoint. It appears that their top objective is to deal with the demonstrators and neutralize them. “We saw how the government solved this problem,” Bayat continues, referring to the November 2019 protesters’ violent crackdown.

“Mass uprisings like the one in November [2019] are very likely to happen as long as these socio-economic problems, shortcomings, and public dissatisfaction remain unresolved,” Bayat told Sharq, adding, “What cannot be predicted is when [these protests happen] and what sparks them.”

 

MEK’s activities are spreading acrros countrey

Iranian youngsters are increasingly entering the ranks of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) opposition’s “Resistance Units,” an internal network that carries out dozens of anti-regime acts every day.

“This opportunist enemy is recruiting youth on a large scale,” the state-run Students News Network (SSN) said in June 2021. We would not be seeing groups of two to three adolescents acting under the MEK’s direction if the state had paid attention to these youths and they were not disappointed if the economic cycle was based on local capabilities. The efforts of security authorities around the clock, as well as a considerable number of arrests, have not been enough to halt the MEK’s activities from spreading. This is the most perilous situation.”

As a result, the regime’s fear of Iran’s restive population and defiant young is well-founded, and it grows on a regular basis.

 

 

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