Protests in Iran against low living standards: arson of a military base and three deaths
Mass protests over low living standards have intensified in Iran.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported in materials published by Bild and Reuters.
More people came out onto the streets
Journalists report that protesters set fire to a Basij militia military base in the town of Chenar near Asadabad in the province of Hamedan on New Year's Eve.
This facility is subordinate to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has been used for decades to suppress mass protests.
Criticism of the political regime
People take to the streets despite closed shops, barricades, and tear gas, chanting anti-government slogans. Initially, the protests were triggered by the economic crisis and the collapse of the national currency, but they quickly escalated into criticism of the entire political regime.
Security forces are using tear gas, mass arrests, and a heavy police presence. At least three people have been killed, including a member of the security forces.
"This is the final battle—Pahlavi will return," say protesters in public spaces, expressing their support for the former monarch.
In turn, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called on the security forces not to oppose their own people and called the current situation a historic opportunity for change.
Why did people come out to protest?
The causes of unrest in Iran over the years have been economic problems, sanctions, water shortages, and issues of women's rights and political freedoms.
Against this backdrop, the local currency, the rial, recently fell to a record low of around 1.4 million to the US dollar. This is what caused discontent among the people. Following this, the head of the country's central bank resigned.
