Rouhani’s warning to protesting Iranians
Iranian president makes first address after arrest of hundreds of demonstrators in unprecedented unrest
Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, last night made his first public address since protests broke out across the country. In a televised speech, he said Iranians had the right to criticise the authorities, but warned that the government would show “no tolerance” for those who went out to “create unrest”. The protests, which have spread to 30 cities, are the biggest seen in Iran since 2009, when millions took to the streets after the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president.
IN THE streets of a north Tehran suburb, piles of ash lay smouldering – the remnants of bags of rubbish set alight by demonstrators.
After four days of protests ranging from the capital’s universities to the holy city of Qom, Iranians desperate for change were anxious about what might come next.
“This is not like anything I have seen before, there are people from everywhere, protesting against everything” said Layla, a young media professional. The Daily Telegraph has changed her first name for security reasons.
Last night, Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, made his first public address since protests broke out across the country on Thursday. In a televised speech, he said Iranians had the right to protest and criticise the authorities, but he warned: “The government will show no tolerance for those who damage public properties, violate public order and create unrest in the society.”
Mr Rouhani, who won a landslide victory in May on a reformist agenda, acknowledged concerns over corruption and government transparency.
The protests are the biggest seen in Iran since 2009, when millions took to the streets after the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The rallies started in Iran’s second largest city of Mashhad in the northwest as a simple demonstration against corruption and economic mismanagement, but quickly changed into a countrywide mosaic of complaint.
Marches took place in more than 30 cities, spreading to Qom, one of Iran’s holiest cities and a traditional bastion of support for the ruling religious es-
tablishment. Some protesters chanted that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, should step down. Others voiced anger at Iran’s expensive military campaigns in Syria and Iraq.
For Layla, a university graduate, the protests were prompted by social as well as economic grievances.
“Human rights, freedom of speech – when I was at university I saw my friends getting shot in the streets,” she said. “As a woman, I don’t have any rights, there is absolutely nothing good for women here. There are so many things, if only I could list them all.”
Yesterday, police in Tehran fired water cannon on demonstrators, according to images on social media, while videos showed clashes in the city of Khoramdareh in the north-west.
Layla said anxiety and paranoia was rife in the capital. “It’s a little bit weird. If we had done these things in the past, we would have been killed. We don’t know what we are protesting about, in the streets nobody knows what to shout, there are so many slogans.
“Some shout ‘Death to Khamenei’, some ‘Death to the dictator’ others call for the return of the Shah.”
Layla added: “Since the green revolution in 2009, demonstrations had specific demands – we were protesting the hijab, or for the release of a specific leader. But this time it has happened so fast, we don’t know what our demands are. We are still traumatised from the protests in 2009. The stakes are so high.”
The regime crushed the so-called 2009 Green Movement, with dozens of people killed and thousands arrested.
For now, many people are attempting to carry on with everyday life – but they are ready to mobilise. “Tomorrow, I will go to work as normal, but if I hear something is happening, I’ll be ready,” said Layla.
State news agency ILNA reported yesterday that 200 people had been arrested and two people had been killed in the western town of Dorud.
Early yesterday, Iranian authorities blocked the encrypted messaging apps Telegram and Instagram. Iran’s Telecoms minister claimed they were “encouraging the use of Molotov cocktails, armed uprising and social unrest”.
“These were our main ways of sharing information about demonstrations, especially outside of Tehran,” said Layla. “But don’t worry, we will find another way to communicate.”
Donald Trump, the US president, said the “big protests” showed people “were getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer.”