A protester in Shiraz, November 2019Middle East Images / Redux
Repression Won’t Solve the Deeper Problems Bringing Iranians to the Streets
December 5, 2019 -Foreign Affairs -By Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Saber Khani, and Abolfazl Sotoudeh
A wave of protest swept across Iran last week. The government had abruptly hiked gas prices in order to offset its budget deficit at a time of high inflation and negative economic growth. Angry protesters clashed with security forces, set government buildings and banks on fire, and blocked roads. The government responded with an iron fist, killing more than 200 protesters, arresting thousands, and shutting down the Internet across the country for about a week.
