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2011–2012 Iranian protests

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2011 Iranian protests
DateStarted 14 February 2011 - ongoing
Casualties
Death(s)2[1]
InjuriesDozens hospitalised[2]

The 2011 Iranian protests are a series of demonstrations across Iran which began on 14 February 2011 and are at least partly a continuation of the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, and are influenced by other protests in the region.[3] The protests have resulted in two deaths with dozens being hospitalised.

Background

In December of 2010, less than a year after the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, the 2010–2011 Arab world protests spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Beginning with the ousting of President Ben Ali in Tunisia on 14 January 2011, millions of people began demonstrating in a broad movement aimed at toppling authoritarian governments or influencing significant reforms, with varying degrees of success. During 18 days of protests beginning on 25 January 2011, the Egyptian people called for Hosni Mubarak's resignation,[4] and on 11 February, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak had resigned as president of Egypt and transferred authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.[5][6]

In Iran on 27 January, the opposition Green Movement announced a series of protests against the Iranian government scheduled to take place prior to the Revolution-day march on 11 February.[7]

On 9 February 2011, various opposition groups of Iran sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior to request a protest under the control of the Iranian police, but the government officials denied it.[8] Despite these setbacks and crackdowns on activists and members of opposition parties, opposition leaders, such as Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, called for protests.[9][10]

Protests

The date of 14 February was chosen for protests to coincide with the 25th day of Bahman,[11] the 11th month of the Persian calendar.[12] The day before the protests were due to begin, opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi were placed under house arrest and denied access to telephones and the Internet. Their homes were blockaded and they were not allowed visitors.[13][14] On 14 February 2011, thousands of protesters began to gather in a solidarity rally with Egypt and Tunisia. There was a large number of police on the streets to keep an eye on the protesters, but thousands were still able to gather together in Tehran's Azadi Square.[15] The number of protesters is unknown and different sources give wide range of assessments, from "thousands" to "hundreds of thousands".[16]

The solidarity protests became an anti-government demonstration during which the police fired tear gas and shot paintballs at protesters.[17][18] Protesters responded by setting fires in garbage bins to protect themselves. [19] Video footage shows one civilian being violently beaten by a group of protesters.[20]

Protests were also reported in the cities of Isfahan and Shiraz, which police forcibly dispersed,[19] as well as in Rasht, Mashhad and Kermanshah.[21]

The protests that occurred on this day marks a setback for the propaganda and influence of the ruling regime of Iran, as the regime have campaigned that Mousavi's Green Movement lost momentum, but the revived uprisings help prove otherwise.[22]

Protests on the 15th were not as intense, with anticipation for larger protests on the following day.[23]

Protesters had sporadic clashes with pro government forces on the 16th. Karroubi and Mousavi responded to calls for their execution yesterday by saying they are willing to die for change.[24]

Arrests

Ignacio Perez Cambra, the Consul of Spain in Iran, was arrested for a period of four hours during the early part of the day on 14 February. He was accused by Iranian police of going to one of the demonstrations.[25] Spain later demanded an explanation or apology from the Iranian government about the arrest of Cambra that included a "satisfactory response", threatening to call him home from Iran if one was not received. The foreign ministry already announced that it had "suspended an upcoming visit to Madrid by a senior Iranian diplomat."[26]

The official number of protesters arrested is relayed as 150 by the government, though the opposition claims that the numbers are far higher, around 1,500.[27]

Deaths

The human rights organization HRANA's website reported one person had died after riot police opened fire at protesters near Tohid Square in Tehran.[28] According to Kazem Jalali, one of the injured protesters also died later in the day on February 14th.[29]

Both people killed were students, though from different universities. The Iranian government has stated that one of the students killed, Sanee Zhaleh (aka Sane Jaleh), was actually a member of the Basij militia and was killed by the government oppositions. The protesters have responded to this with an image of Zhaleh visiting Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who had been one of the main critics of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, in order to show that Zhaleh was truly with the opposition. According to International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, a member of the Tahkim-e Vahdat student organization (Office for Strengthening Unity) told the campaign that Jaleh was "not a Basiji", but a member of the Tehran Arts University’s Islamic Association, and that "he had attended previous demonstrations as well".[30] However, other reports state protesters did not disagree with the fact that Zhaleh was a Basij member, but that he had "attended Monday's rally as an active opposition supporter."[31][32][33]

During the funeral service held for Zhaleh that was conducted by the protesters, pro-government loyalists arrived and began fighting with the protesters, forcing them to leave and abandon the funeral service.[31]

Response

Domestic

All forms of Iranian media were banned from covering the protests, though the demonstrators were still able to release information by utilizing social media like Facebook and Twitter.[17] In addition, foreign media was banned from covering the events.[19] Beginning February 10th, in anticipation of protests in Iran, the Iranian government began censoring "pro-opposition websites and other electronic media". The keyword "Bahman", which is the current month in the Persian calender, was also "added to the list of blocked keywords for messages on mobile phones in an attempt to reduce calls for protests on a specific day." This censorship has resulted in slowed internet connection speed in many major cities of Iran.[34][35]

The Mourning Mothers gave their support to the protests and stated that they would be joining the protesters in their marches. They called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, abolition of the death penalty, and a public trial for all those who had permitted massacres of citizens in the past 35 years.[36]

Commander of the Basij, Mohammad Reza Naghdi, stated to an Iranian news agency that he believed the protests had been started by "western spies" and that "Western intelligence agencies are searching for a mentally challenged person who can set himself on fire in Tehran to trigger developments like those in Egypt and Tunisia."[28]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad released a statement saying, "It is clear the Iranian nation has enemies because it is a nation that wants to shine, conquer peaks and change [its international] relations...Of course, there is a lot of hostility against the government. But they knew that they would get nowhere....[the organizers of the protests] just wanted to tarnish the Iranian nation's brilliance...It is a shining sun. They threw some dust towards the sun... but the dust will return to their eyes."[29]

Calls for executions

On 15 February Iran's state-run Press TV reported that members of the Iranian parliament had called for the execution of two opposition leaders for inciting demonstrations on the previous day.[37][38] 221 of the MPs present at the Iranian parliament signed a statement that said, "Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi are corrupts on earth and should be tried. We believe the people have lost their patience and demand capital punishment." The term "corrupts on earth" is a specific Iranian charge also known as moharebeh that carries the death penalty. After signing the statement, the signatories gathered in the center of the chamber [39] chanting, "Death to Mousavi, death to Karroubi".[29][33]

The two opposition leaders released statements in response, with Mousavi saying that "the demonstrations [are] a 'great achievement'" and Karroubi responding directly to the Parliament members, claiming that he "is willing to 'pay any price' for his country."[31][33]

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, Prosecutor General of Iran, voiced his support for the actions of Parliament and that he thought the opposition leaders should be "punished".[31]

Pro government clerics began calling for the execution of ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on February 16, as he had become increasingly aligned with the Green Movement since the 2009 election protests[40]

Clerics Call for "Anger" Rally

The Islamic Propagation Coordination Council called for a rally on February 18, 2011, in order to "show anger at what it calls the 'crimes' of 'seditionist' leaders and their rebel allies."[31]

International

Non-governmental organizations

The police crackdown on protesters led Amnesty International to denounce Iranian authorities. They released a statement saying, "Iranians have a right to gather to peacefully express their support for the people of Egypt and Tunisia."[41]

Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner, released a joint statement with six human rights organizations on February 16 about the events in Iran. During a conference about the statement, she stated, "The Iranian authorities have shown they are no longer content to repress those contesting the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by arresting and convicting them. They have shown they will now resort to execution." This was in regards to the protesters that have been executed by the government since the 2009 Iranian election protests. The statement itself went on to say that "to put an end to this killing spree, other nations should demand that Iran immediately end these executions and respect its obligations under international law."[42]

Canada

Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Foreign Minister, released a statement saying, "Canada is deeply concerned by the violence perpetrated by Iranian authorities against peaceful protestors in Tehran. The hypocrisy of Iranian authorities' calls for democracy in Egypt and suppression of the same demands in Iran is deeply disturbing."[43]

United Kingdom

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary for the U.K., commented, "I have seen reports today of peaceful demonstrators being assaulted by Iranian security forces. President Ahmadinejad last Friday told the Egyptian people that they had the right to express their own views about their country. I call on the Iranian authorities to allow their own people the same right and to ensure that the security authorities exercise restraint."[44]

Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, stated "I think it's very important that we stand up now for those people who want to protest for freedom and proper democratic elections in Iran." He added, "I think [a change in Iran's government] would be possibly the single most dramatic change in the whole of the region because you would then have Iran playing a constructive part. You would have Iran not trying to destabilize other countries in the region, and arming militia-type groups."[44]

United States

In an advance response, the US State Department set up a Persian language Twitter feed the day before, in order to allow easier communication by Iran's internet users with the outside world.[13] The Department's first tweet on the feed announced, "US State Dept recognizes historic role of social media among Iranians. We want to join in your conversations".[12]

During a press conference, United States President Barack Obama spoke out about Iran and its protesters, saying, "My hope and expectation is that we’re going to continue to see the people of Iran have the courage to be able to express their yearning for greater freedoms and a more representative government, understanding that America cannot ultimately dictate what happens inside of Iran any more than it could inside of Egypt."[45]

Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State for the United States, said that the White House "very clearly and directly support[s] the aspirations [of the protesters]". She also noted the hypocrisy of the Iranian government for supporting the protests and revolution in Egypt but not allowing peaceful protests within Iran. She added, "We think that there needs to be a commitment to open up the political system in Iran to hear the voices of the opposition and civil society."[46]

United States Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen commented, "The regime’s oppression of the Iranian people has only grown since the rigged elections and suppressed demonstrations of 2009. The US made a mistake then by not voicing full and vigorous support for Iranians demanding freedom and democracy. We cannot make that mistake again."[45]

Financial markets

Global markets

The violence from the street protests caused fear in the global stock market that oil supplies would be interrupted from Iran, which is one of the world's leading exporters of oil. These fears caused the price of WTI crude oil to rise above $85 a barrel[47] and Brent crude to exceed $103 per barrel.[48]

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Clashes reported in Iran protests". Al Jazeera. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  3. ^ Hatem, Mohammed (16 February 201). "Bahrain, Yemen, Libya Face Protests as Region's Unrest Spreads". businessweek.com.
  4. ^ "Egypt Calls In Army as Protesters Rage". New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  5. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D.; Shadid, Anthony; Cowell, Alan (11 February 2011). "Mubarak Steps Down, Ceding Power to Military". New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  6. ^ "Egypt crisis: President Hosni Mubarak resigns as leader". BBC News. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  7. ^ Athanasiadis, Iason (27 January 2011). "Iran Green Movement promising big February protests". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  8. ^ "Protests wash over Iran, Bahrain and Yemen, inspired by Arab world unrest". Haaretz. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  9. ^ english.aljazeera.net. "Iran opposition planning protests". aljazeera. Retrieved 14 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  10. ^ "Iran's 'Day of Rage'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  11. ^ Cyrus Parsa (12 February 2011). "ما با همه توان خود از جنبش سبز، جنبش دموکراسی و مردمی ایران، پشتیبانی می کنیم". Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  12. ^ a b "U.S. State Department starts Farsi Twitter feed". CNN. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Report: Thousands protest in Iran". United Press International. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  14. ^ BBC News. "Iran police fire tear gas at opposition rally in Tehran". BBC News. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  15. ^ Ali Akbar Dareini (14 February 2011). "Iran Protests: Tens Of Thousands March, Security Fires Tear Gas". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  16. ^ "Hot Air In Iran Protest Numbers". 15 February 2011.
  17. ^ a b "US sends Twitter messages to Iranians". AFP. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  18. ^ Ladane Nasseri (14 February 2011). "Iran Cheers Revolts as Ahmadinejad Foes See Parallel". Bloomberg. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  19. ^ a b c Ali Akbar Dareini (14 February 2011). "Police disperse Iranian protesters with tear gas". Forbes. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  20. ^ "Iran 25 bahman 14 feb. 2011 protest p12".
  21. ^ Angeles Espinosa (14 February 2011). "Enfrentamientos entre la oposición y la policía en una manifestación en Teherán". El Pais. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  22. ^ "Tehran Bureau: 25 Bahman and the Green Revival". PBS Frontline. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  23. ^ "Iran confirms deaths in protest". Al Jazeera English. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  24. ^ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/02/clashes-at-demonstrators-tehran-funeral.html
  25. ^ Angeles Espinosa (14 February 2011). "Detenido durante cuatro horas el cónsul de España en Irán". El Pais. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  26. ^ "Madrid demands Iran apologize for Spanish diplomat's arrest". Fox News. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  27. ^ Neil MacFarquhar (15 February 2011). "Iran's Leader Derides Protests; Lawmakers Urge Death for Opposition Leaders". New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  28. ^ a b Saeed Kamali Dehghan. "Iran protests see reinvigorated activists take to the streets in thousands". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2011. {{cite news}}: Text "date14 February 2011" ignored (help)
  29. ^ a b c "Iran protests 'going nowhere', says Mahmoud Ahmadinejad". BBC News. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  30. ^ The Truth About Sane Jaleh’s Murder — Student Protester Was Killed By Direct Shot, ICHRI, 15 February 2011
  31. ^ a b c d e "Iranian Govt. Calls for Friday Rally to Show 'Hatred' for Opposition". Voice of America. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  32. ^ "Supporters, opponents of Iran govt clash at funeral". Reuters. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  33. ^ a b c Ali Akbar Dareini (16 February 2011). "Iran opposition leader ready to 'pay any price'". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  34. ^ "Faced with protests, Iran strengthens censorship". WFXT. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  35. ^ Nitasha Tiku (15 February 2011). "Iran Tries Internet Censorship, Execution As Protesters Demand Democracy". New York Magazine. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  36. ^ "اعلام حمایت و شرکت مادران عزادار در تظاهرات ٢۵ بهمن". Rahesabz. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
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  38. ^ "Iranian Lawmakers Call for Death of Opposition Leaders". New York Times. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  39. ^ Sohraab Arjang (16 February 2011). "نمایندگان مجلس، بسیجی، پاسدار، نوکران ولی وقیح، و مزدور و خیانتکار به ملت ایران". Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  40. ^ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/02/clashes-at-demonstrators-tehran-funeral.html
  41. ^ "Iran Protest Crackdown Condemned". Amnesty International. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  42. ^ "Nobel laureate, rights groups urge end to Iran executions". AFP. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  43. ^ "Canada accuses Iran of 'hypocrisy'". AFP. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  44. ^ a b Amy Kellogg (14 February 2011). "Mideast Revolution Sparks Pro-Democracy Protest in Iran". Fox News. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  45. ^ a b Peter Grier (15 February 2011). "Is Obama's tough talk enough to help Iran's protesters?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  46. ^ Thomas Erdbrink and Liz Sly (14 February 2011). "As Egypt uprising inspires Middle East, Iran sees biggest protests in a year". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  47. ^ Jessica Stanley (15 February 2011). "Unrest in Iran hitting the oil tanks". WWLP. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  48. ^ oil-price.net
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