Protests Continue In Iran With Truckers’ Strikes Leading The Way
Antigovernment protests in Iran continued Sunday mainly through nationwide strikes by truckers and protest rallies at universities during the day and street rallies through the night.
Antigovernment protests in Iran continued Sunday mainly through nationwide strikes by truckers and protest rallies at universities during the day and street rallies through the night.
Antigovernment protests in Iran continued Sunday mainly through nationwide strikes by truckers and protest rallies at universities during the day and street rallies through the night.
Truck drivers and owners in many cities across the country did not move their vehicles on Sunday in one of the biggest strikes taking place in more than two months since the current wave of protests began following the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
Truckers in several cities such as Esfahan, Bandar Abbas, Qazvin, and Kermanshah refrained from moving goods in support of the protests, sit-ins and strikes by industrial workers. Many people on social media describe the strike by the truckers as a significant blow to the Islamic Republic since it has the potential to cripple the economy. Some people say, “the truckers are leading the revolutionary uprising.”
The strike is so costly for the regime that it has already started giving the drivers extra fuel subsidies to lure them back into work.
In a video that became viral on Sunday, a driver is heard saying that if the government was able to give them subsidies before, why did they refuse to do so earlier in the year when they held another round of nationwide strikes.
This round of strikes started Saturday after a call for a 10-day work stoppage by the Truck Drivers’ Union, while numerous workers at steel and automobile factories also stopped work on Saturday. Workers at Esfahan Steel Company, Alvand SarmaAfarin Incorporation, Morattab Car Manufacturing, Safe Khodro Car Manufacturing Company, Qazvin’s Pars Appliances Company, and some others joined many other factories already on strikes.
In recent weeks workers at dozens of industrial units, including automobile manufacturing, household appliances, heavy industries, petrochemicals, oil, gas, sugarcane, etc., went on strike. Shopkeepers and business owners in dozens of Iranian cities also closed their shops and went on strike many times for consecutive days in support of the uprising against the clerical regime.
The streets of many Iranian cities as well as the capital Tehran were also scenes of rallies after the sun set on Sunday, while calls for nationwide protests has been issued by different groups for the coming week.
People in several neighborhoods of Tehran held rallies and set trash cans on fire while chanting slogans against the regime’s crackdown on protesters.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), from September 16 until Friday, November 25, at least 448 protestors have been killed, of which 63 were minors. While the Islamic Republic has not provided accurate figures of those detained in the protests, the watchdog went on to say that at least 18,170 protesters have been arrested including 565 students.HRANA added that 156 cities and more than 140 universities across Iran have also been the scenes of anti-government protests.
However, the Islamic Republic has also released several people detained during protests or in support of the protesters. Among the prominent dissident figures who have been freed on bail are human rights activist and journalist Hossein Ronaghi and actress Hengameh Ghaziani. Ronaghi, who was transferred to hospital directly from Evin prison, had been on a hunger strike that lasted over 60 days.
Many people call their release a new propaganda trick by the Islamic Republic to divert attention from the bloody crackdown in Kurdish and Baloch cities while some believe the new moves are the consequence of the international measures against the Islamic Republic. The United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday adopted a resolution based on which an international panel will be formed to investigate the violence against protesters in Iran.
Tweet unavailable
Black Reward, a hactivist group that found access to Fars News Agency files this week provided an audio tape of a meeting between a Revolutionary Guard general and a group of media managers or representatives from outfits affiliated with the IRGC about plans to use the sporting event to the benefit of the regime in Tehran.
A six-minute audio segment of a tape features General Ghasem Ghoreyshi (Qasem Qoreyshi), deputy commander of the paramilitary Basij and a group of reporters including the one from Fars News who met with him possible in the presence of other trusted reporters to discuss the latest developments including plans for the World Cup.
The meeting took place on Tuesday 15th of November.
Ghoreyshi starts by saying that “anti-revolutionaries” have bought “5,330 tickets” to the tournament and adds that “our boys have checked the list of the ticket holders and at least 500 people” are known opponents of the Iranian regime.
This is the first piece of evidence of collaboration with Qatar, showing that Iran obtained the list of ticket buyers most probably from Qatari authorities.
The Fars representative then asks the General if it is true that Iran’s intelligence ministry had asked Qatar to cancel these tickets. Ghoreyshi says that “Qatar has two different conducts with us – one is a positive response, and it has promised to do that [cancel tickets], but usually they don’t fully deliver. They told us give us the names [of unwanted people], and we will solve the issue.”
Ghoreyshi goes on to say that Qatar also sometimes does not cooperate. At this point he mentions the example of Iran International, saying Qatar asked Iran to provide documents if it wanted the television network to be banned from the World Cup. He then complains that the host country has not still done so. The reporter interrupts telling the General that just the day before, Iran International announced that its reporters have been denied permission to cover the games. Ghoreyshi, who was apparently not aware, shows his surprise and says that Iran discussed the issue with Qatar “the day before”.
In mid-November Iran International announced that Qatar revoked permission for its reporters and TV crew to travel to the country and cover the World Cup. The denial of permission after initial agreement came without an explanation.
Ghoreyshi admits that Iran provided Qatar with “films” related to protests, as documents needed to ban Iran International. These presumably were user-generated videos from the protests that Iran International aired, as did other foreign-based Persian broadcasters.
He goes on to say that Qatar has even promised to control spectators inside the stadiums, not allowing Iranian flags other than the Islamic Republic flag to be displayed.
This is exactly what happened once the games started. During Iran’s second match against Wales on November 25, Iranian fans, who wanted to take flags other than the official one approved by the Islamic Republic to the Al Rayyan’s Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, were stopped by security officers. Many people were barred from carrying or waving Iran’s ancient flag with the Lion and Sun emblem or a simple three-color flag with the main motto of the current wave of protests – Woman, Life, Liberty. Some were even detained for hours by Qatari police.
All this was because of the regime’s concern over dissident Iranians manifesting antigovernment signs and actions that people back in Iran could see on television. Nevertheless, many did chant and boo when the Islamic Republic anthem was played in the stadiums.
This fits into the rest of the conversation in the tape obtained by hackers. The conversation between the IRGC general and reporter(s) reveals an elaborate plan by the Islamic Republic to use the World Cup event in Qatar to win political points amid popular protests.
Ghoreyshi then explains that the government is paying the expenses of its supporters to go to Qatar to attend Iran’s games and show that the Islamic Republic enjoys support.
In fact, images from the stadiums show hundreds of government officials, influential people from the regime’s inner circle, including journalists working for hardliner media in attendance.