Anti-government protests in Iran continued Friday in its second month with people in different parts of the country venting anger at the clerical regime.
Friday coincided with the fortieth day ceremony after the death of several victims killed by security forces in September.
People in Zahedan and Saravan in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province once again staged antigovernment protests after Friday prayers and chanted slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. One was killed and several injured after security forces opened fire on demonstrators.
During the Bloody Friday in Zahedan on September 30 security forces killed at least 93 people, and injured hundreds more. Zahedan is one of the few Sunni-majority cities in predominantly Shiite Iran.
Several Kurdish cities also witnessed anti-regime protests on Friday, with people mostly observing the funeral and commemoration ceremonies of their comrades who were killed in earlier demonstrations.
In Kermanshah, Saqqez, Qasr-e-Shirin, Mahabad, Babol and Arak people mourned for the losses and chanted anti-government slogans vowing to take revenge on the clerical rulers.
According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization, at least 253 people including 34 children have been killed by government forces during the nationwide protests so far.
Demonstrations started in mid-September, when a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini was killed in custody of hijab or morality police.
The protests first erupted in Mahsa Amini’s hometown Saqqez and capital Tehran and soon spread to almost 150 other cities and towns and garnered support from Iranian expatriate communities around the world as well as foreign governments and officials.
Iran Human Rights Organization says on Thursday and Friday alone, at least 16 people, including 4 women, were killed by security forces in different cities, particularly in Kurdish regions.
Reports also say a great number of protesters have been arrested and subjected to physical and mental torture and ill-treatment.
“Many were under duress to force them to make false televised confessions, with some already aired. Protesters are also being held in unofficial buildings without any monitoring and supervision. Prisons and detention centers are filled over capacity, without access to sanitary facilities. Children under 18 are amongst those detained,” says Iran Human Rights Organization.
Videos received by Iran International shows people in Bukan, Mahabad, Sanandaj and several neighborhoods in Tehran continued their protests into the night and early hours of Saturday.
Two students were also abducted Friday night in a dormitory at Ahvaz Jundishapur University, southwest of Iran and in other universities, with details emerging on Saturday.
However, the Islamic Republic continues its customary policy of trying to link the protests to foreign countries and pretend the majority still supports the clerical regime.
On Friday, regime’s intelligence ministry and the IRGC released a joint statement blaming the CIA and Israel for creating chaos in Iran. The statement also accused the journalists who first covered the death of Mahsa Amini as “trained agents”.
Commander of Revolutionary Guard Hussein Salami threatened the protesters on Saturday saying that “This is the last day of protests. Don’t take to streets anymore!”
Salami also addressed the youths saying that they are deceived by the United States, asking them “to take off the uniforms of US soldiers,” thus accusing them of doing “the enemy’s” work.
It seems that the Islamic Republic is now scared by the huge turnout during protests and the total rejection of the regime by demonstrators. In the past two days hardliners in the government issue threatening statements; a tactic that might not work on determined protesters under social and economic pressure.