After decades of oppression under the Islamic Regime, Iranians took to the streets in widespread protests in late December fighting against recent inflation and harsh living standards, ultimately leading to a global effort towards democracy within the nation.
The people of Iran have faced severe water shortages and electricity cuts that have, in turn, closed schools and businesses. Authorities, refusing to address these problems, ignored the systemic issues, leaving individuals with minimal access to their basic human needs.
Demonstrations and strikes against the lack of action struck bazaars in Tehran, Iran. Soon it spread to all 31 provinces in the country, consisting of everyday individuals, including workers, students and society as a whole. The Iranian people have begun an anti-regime movement, fighting for basic human rights and freedom while putting themselves in jeopardy of falling victim to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and police.
Security forces began massacring tens of thousands of protestors, arresting and imprisoning others and setting harsh curfews on major cities, with heavily armed forces patrolling the streets. Forces have gone as far as utilizing live ammunition, shotguns and tear gas, as well as brutal beatings and torture tactics.
As of Jan. 8, Iran imposed internet shutdowns across the nation, with complete telecom blackouts and censored news coverage for citizens. This has left outside individuals and nations with little to no interaction with those in the country, leaving the death toll as simply a rough number that may be many times higher than the original counts.
Several Western countries have imposed sanctions, including the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union as a whole, targeting human-rights violators and setting travel bans and restrictions towards Iran’s abuse. The United States (U.S.) has discussed additional sanctions, including tariffs on Iran’s trading partners and deploying naval assets near the country. With external powers potentially planning an intervention, Islamic Regime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of region-wide consequences.
With regional conflicts and the rising unrest and lack of human rights in Iran, everyday individuals around the globe have gathered together to fight for systemic change. In hopes of exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of Mohammad Rez Shah Pahlavi who was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian Revolution by the regime, mass protests have taken place around the world. Pahalvi, living abroad, has released statements of encouragement for these protests and strikes. He has framed himself as a leadership figure who could potentially gain rule if Khamenei was overthrown, reshaping the nation back into its original Western-style culture with freedom of religion, which remains the sole fight of this new revolution.
Individuals around the world continue to gather today, specifically in the Southern California region. Rallies have occurred in Los Angeles, specifically Westwood and Downtown, as well as Orange County, showcasing a myriad of pre-revolutionary Iranian flags that many people hope will not only represent history, but also decades to come.
