Coverage Of Nationwide Protests In Iran On October 26
Scheduled nationwide protests in Iran on the 40th day of Mahsa Amini’s death started before noon Wednesday with a large gathering at her grave in her hometown.
Scheduled nationwide protests in Iran on the 40th day of Mahsa Amini’s death started before noon Wednesday with a large gathering at her grave in her hometown.
The 40th day of a loved one’s death has a special significance in Iran, and in case of an unjust killing, such as the 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody, the occasion turns into public mourning and fuels angry protests.
A large crowd of people gathered Wednesday morning in the cemetery of Saqqez, Mahsa Amini’s hometown, where the icon of Iran’s 2022 protests is buried, to commemorate the fortieth day of her death.
Videos received by Iran International show that people were chanting “Freedom, Freedom”, “Khamenei will be ousted this year” in the Saqqez cemetery, northwest Kordestan province.
Large attendance at the fortieth day ceremony of Mahsa Amini comes as security forces threatened her family not to hold any gathering at her grave.
All the roads to Saqqez were also blocked Tuesday night by police and the armed forces deployed to prevent people from other cities to come to Saqqez.
By 22:00 local time protests were reported in 30 cities across the country.
Protests in Tehran and many other cities gained momentum toward the afternoon and became more intense in the evening. Judging from videos posted on social media, Wednesday turned up to be perhaps the strongest day of demonstrations so far.
Although younger people continued protests in universities, a more mixed crowds of protesters could be seen in the streets.
Toward the evening, the government announced a "terror attack" on a shrine in Shiraz, although people's reactions on social media showed they were skeptical about who was behind the incident. Officials blamed extremist Sunnis.
Meanwhile, workers at Tehran’s refinery went on a strike on Wednesday to join the protest movement.
Students in Karaj and Shiraz universities also staged protests to mark the fortieth day of Mahsa Amini’s death. They chanted “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “We don’t want bystanders, join us!”
Shops and bazaars closed in many cities as a sign of respect for Mahsa Amini, or as a protest strike. Bazaar workers in Tehran were protesting in the streets surrounding the sprawling market place.
We provided live coverage of events in Iran on October 26, posting news flashes and videos received on social media.
Our coverage last 12 hours and ended at 00:30 on Thursday local time.
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We have received a video showing a citizen killed tonight by security forces in Zanjan. He was bleeding heavily from his head and neck. We are not posting the video here.
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A large crowd in Rasht, northern Iran chanting "Freedom, freedom", apparently without any intervention by security forces.
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People marching in Borujerd, Lorestan Province, apparently without security forces nearby.
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Protesters arm themselves with whatever they can find in the street. Unrest in Zanjan.
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There are also reports of protests in Qazvin, north, Orumiyeh (Urmia) northwest and in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf coast.
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This is the second video we have published of Rasht in northern Iran. There is no sign of security forces at this spot.
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A relatively small group of people in Abadan, near the Persian Gulf, are chanting "Death to the dictator".
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Protesters are shouting that they have conquered to streets in Andimeshk, southwestern Iran, as no security forces can be seen.
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Protesters in Kerman shout, "This year is the year of blood, Seyyed Ali will be gone", referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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The crowd in Dezful, Khuzestan Province chant "Reza Pahlavi", the exiled prince of Iran and son of the late Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
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Rasht, northern Iran. Protesters run as security forces fire weapons.
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This video from earlier Wednesday shows people overwhelming security forces in Tehran.
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Protesters in Lahijan, northern Iran chanting "Death to the dictator" Wednesday evening.
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Tabriz, the largest city in northwestern Iran joined the protests as evening began, with this video showing a large crowd in the streets.
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Earlier Wednesday, students at Najaf-Abad University marching and trampling on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's picture.
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People in the central city of Arak chant "Death to the dictator". We reported earlier that all shops were closed in the city as a sign of respect on the 40th day of Mahsah Amini's death.
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Protesters roaming the streets in Mashhad, an important religious city Wednesday evening.
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Protest in Sadeghiyeh district of Tehran in the evening. People chant, "This year is year of blood, Seyyed Ali will be gone", referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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A group of people on a rooftop in Tehran's Sepahsalar district throw anything they can find on the security forces below in the street.
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Protesters in Tehran early Wednesday evening. As night falls protests intensify in all cities.
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Students in Chamran University in Ahvaz chanting "Freedom, freedom" on Wednesday.
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People in Tehran midday Wednesday chanting "Death to the dictator.
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Protest in Shahriar, a suburb of Tehran, where people chant "Freedom, freedom, We are all together".
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A group of protesters bein marching in the district of the Tehran Bazaar Wednesday afternoon.
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DUBAI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency confirmed clashes took place on Wednesday between security forces and people taking part in a memorial ceremony for Mahsa Amini in her Kurdistan province hometown of Saqez.
"A limited number of those present at Mahsa Amini's memorial clashed with police forces on the outskirts of Saqez and were dispersed. Following the scattered clashes, internet in Saqez was cut off due to security considerations," the agency reported, adding about 10,000 people had gathered.
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People in a small group walking in the street and chanting, "This year is a year of blood, Seyyed Ali will be gone", in reference to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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Security forces on Wednesday fired tear gas into a school in Tehran, as students often chant slogans against the regime. Reports say some students fell ill and found refuge inside the building.
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Shops closed in the northern city of Rasht to honor the memory of Mahsa Amini on the 40th day of her death in police custody.
Shops are also closed in Tabriz, the largest city in northwest Iran.
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The video below shows the large crowd walking to the cemetery in Saqqez where a ceremony was held Wednesday morning on the 40th day of Mahsa Amini's death. She was killed in the custody of Iran's 'morality police', which triggered the uprising in Iran.
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A protest erupted in Tehran's electronic shopping center called the "computer bazaar".
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There’s are reports of Arak Aluminum factory also joining industrial and commercial strikes. Iranian Aluminum Company is a manufacturer located in Arak. It is the largest producer of aluminum in Iran.
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Protests started in the Tehran Bazaar vicinity Wednesday noon, where no security forces can be seen.
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The bazaar in the central city of Arak is closed to honor Mahsa Amini on the 40th day of her death in police custody.
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LONDON, Oct 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Protests engulfing Iran have reached a point of "no return" as demonstrators demand wide reforms beyond the end of mandatory hijab rules, said British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who spent six years detained in Tehran.
She said the Islamic government's crackdown on the popular revolt and shutdown of the internet showed it was scared of losing control.
"The anger has been building up for many, many years," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe as demonstrations raged for a sixth week, triggered by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was accused of wearing her headscarf improperly.
"We can see a coming together for one single goal, and that is freedom. The protests are really, really powerful this time. I don't think we've ever seen the unity we're seeing now," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe, describing Amini's death as the "spark for an explosion".
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Security forces in Tehran attacked people gathered outside the offices of Iran's Medical Council with tear gas and shotgun 'birdshots'. The Medical Council was preparing to publicly read a statement condemning the government for undue pressure on the medical community during the protests, including the use of ambulances to transport detained protesters caught in the streets.
The Medical Council of the Islamic Republic is a non-governmental trade association, although the government tries to control it activities.
In the video below protesters are chanting "Death to Khamenei" near the Medical Council building.
This video shows the heavy presence of security forces Wednesday morning around the Medical Council headquarters.
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Protests started in Shiraz, capital of Fars Province Wednesday morning after security forces entered two universities and attacked students who were demonstrating.
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Tehran oil refinery workers joined labor strikes that started two weeks ago in southern Iran's oil and gas installation.
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People walking to the cemetery where Mahsa Amini is buries in Saqqez, Wednesday morning.
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Protests engulfing Iran have reached a point of "no return" as demonstrators demand wide reforms beyond the end of mandatory hijab rules, said British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who spent six years detained in Tehran.
She said the Islamic government's crackdown on the popular revolt and shutdown of the internet showed it was scared of losing control.
"The anger has been building up for many, many years," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe as demonstrations raged for a sixth week, triggered by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was accused of wearing her headscarf improperly.
"We can see a coming together for one single goal, and that is freedom. The protests are really, really powerful this time. I don't think we've ever seen the unity we're seeing now," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe, describing Amini's death as the "spark for an explosion".
The protests have grown into one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution even if they do not appear close to toppling a government that has deployed its powerful security apparatus to quell the unrest.
"There is a generational shift which plays a massive role in the new movement," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation as a project manager and will address the charity's annual Trust Conference on Wednesday.
"This is the generation of social media and TikTok and the internet. They know more about the world and their rights than we did. They have a lot more courage than we did."
The uprising has seen women tear off and burn their veils, with crowds calling for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Thousands have been detained by security forces and more than 200 killed including children, according to rights groups.
Solitary confinement
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, was arrested at Tehran airport in 2016 after a trip to see her parents with her then 22-month-old daughter Gabriella.
She was separated from her daughter, whom she was still breastfeeding, and put in solitary confinement in a tiny windowless cell.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. She denied all the charges against her and the case was widely seen as political.
She was freed in March with another dual national, Anousheh Ashouri, after Britain repaid a historic debt to Tehran.
During her detention in Tehran's Evin prison, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she met many women who had received long jail terms for protesting against Iran's mandatory hijab rule, including one 19-year-old sentenced to 24 years.
She said the current protests were a greater threat to the regime than previous ones because they had attracted broader support, with labour unions now organising strikes which could potentially paralyse the economy.
"There's no return from here," she said. "This is not just about forced hijab any more. It's also about the repressive rules they've been imposing on people for a very, very long time. It's about unemployment, it's about lifestyle, it's about freedom to have access to information and the internet."
Internet shutdowns
Iran has shut down the internet and blocked access to platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp to stop people organising protests and sharing images with the outside world.
"Shutting down the internet is exactly what they are doing when they put people in solitary (confinement), only on a bigger scale," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
"They disconnect you from the outside world so the world doesn't know what is happening to you and you can't tell them. They want people to be scared and feel forgotten."
Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she would continue to speak up for other detainees, including UK-born environmentalist Morad Tahbaz who was expected to fly back to Britain with her in March but was kept behind at the last moment.
He was released on bail with an electronic tag in Tehran in July.
"My story is the story of many people in Iran who remain in prison. I've got the responsibility to be their voice," said Zaghari-Ratcliffe, adding that the protests made her proud to be an Iranian woman.
"It's a shame for those of us living in enforced exile that we cannot be with the women on the streets, but we are certainly very proud," she said.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe is settling back into London with her daughter and husband Richard, who ran a long campaign for her release including a three-week hunger strike while camped outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
But she said she could not feel entirely free while friends were still in jail.
"Freedom is a very relative concept. I'm free in terms of coming out of prison and coming back home to my family in London. But I have left a part of me in Iran," she said.
"I won't be completely free until my country is free."
(Interview by Reuters)
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