Videos show violence in Tehran
New protests are forming in Iran
03/14/2023, 7:24 p.m
Thousands of cases of poisoning among school girls stir up Iranians. Anger against the mullah regime leads to new protests ahead of the Persian New Year celebrations. Videos are already circulating from Tehran showing clashes between young Iranians and security forces.
In view of new calls for protests in Iran, the security forces have massively increased their presence in the major cities. As eyewitnesses reported, units were stationed in many central locations in the capital, Tehran. On the occasion of traditional celebrations around a week before the Persian New Year, activists had called for new protests.
In the early evening, videos were circulated on social media showing the first clashes between young people and security forces. Among other things, firecrackers and smoke bombs were detonated. A car exploded in the south of the capital Tehran. In other parts of the country, too, people set fire to barricades on the streets. According to Iranian media reports, at least seven people died in accidents involving fireworks.
The security apparatus had already prepared itself against new protests in the past few days. On the last Wednesday night (Chaharshanbe Suri) before the New Year, friends and families gather and jump over fire pits in an age-old custom. After the calls for protest, leading police commanders threatened decisive action by the security forces.
Around six months after the start of the latest wave of protests in Iran, the political and spiritual leadership is under massive pressure. The autumn uprisings plunged the Islamic Republic into one of the worst crises in decades. The trigger was the death of the Iranian Kurd Jina Mahsa Amini in mid-September. She died in police custody after being arrested for breaking Islamic dress codes.
Poisoning: 100 children still in hospitals
Recently, a wave of poisoning among schoolgirls caused new displeasure among the population. As of Monday, 100 children were still being treated in hospitals. The authorities recorded a total of 13,000 suspected cases, as reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim. The mysterious wave of poisoning also stirred up the country and triggered new protests last week. The first cases were reported back in November. Iran’s government assumes targeted attacks. Parents and relatives are outraged and angry. They accuse the authorities of failure and blame them. Doctors speak of gas poisoning. Schools for girls are almost exclusively affected.