BEHIND THE IRAN HEADLINES Series, July 23, 2021
Alireza Jafarzadeh, NCRI-US Deputy Director: The uprising in Khuzestan is now in the second week. Despite killing several peaceful protesters, injuring dozens more and arresting many civilians, the protests continue into the 9th Day.
In fact, other cities and provinces have risen up in support. On July 22nd, the people and youth of Aligudarz, in the neighboring Lorestan Province, gathered after setting fire in the city center, after the regime’s repressive forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, to no avail. They then opened fire on the crowd, killing and wounding several protesters. However, the defiant youths pushed back the State Security Force and the special units while chanting “Death to Khamenei.”
The people of Shahinshahr, in Isfahan province also held a protest rally in support of the Khuzestan uprising on Thursday. They chanted, “We will not accept humiliation” and “Khuzestan, we support you.” The people also in the neighboring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province gathered in support of the people of Khuzestan. They chanted, “I sacrifice my life for every part of Iran.”
In Khuzestan, the protests expanded to more areas in the province as far north to the city of Horr in Dezful, to various districts of the provincial capital city of Ahvaz.
Supreme Leader Khamenei spoke today, and as always, put the blame on others only to be confronted with more chants of Down with Khamenei as the protests continued in various cities in Khuzestan today.
These protests are part and parcel of the nationwide movement for freedom, democracy, economic and social welfare of all Iranians.
The massive boycott of the recent presidential election sham was just the flip side of the uprisings since 2017 and what we see today in Khuzestan and all other provinces. They will continue until we see freedom and sovereignty in Iran.
