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Iran’s nationwide uprising marked its 96th day on Tuesday after a night of intense protests in several cities. This is the second day of a new three-day initiative of major strikes and protests spanning across the country.
Protests in Iran have to this day expanded to at least 280 cities. Over 750 people have been killed and more than 30,000 are arrested by the regime’s forces, according to sources of Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The names of 596 killed protesters have been published by the PMOI/MEK.
Tuesday’s protests began with strikes in several cities. In Sanandaj, all shop’s in Shahrak-e Sanati (industrial village) were closed. In Tehran, the resident students and physicians of Rasul-e Akram hospital were on strike and held protest rallies.
December 20 – Tehran, #Iran
Residents and physicians of Tehran’s Rasul Akram Hospital on strike for second day
"Students will die but won't give in to disgrace!" protesters are chanting#IranRevolution2022#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبرpic.twitter.com/IQ2PCbgvRN— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 20, 2022
Students also held strikes in Saqqez and Rasht, where they refused to attend classes in solidarity with nationwide strikes and protests.
In Gorgan, a large rally was held in memory of Ayda Rostami, a civilian murdered by security forces seven days ago. Rostami was a physician who was abducted by security forces and killed. The attendants chanted slogans against the regime as they commemorated Rostami. The regime dispatched plainclothes agents to the site to control the situation, but the people continued their rally.
December 20 – Gorgan, northeast #Iran
Locals gathered to mark the 7th day of Dr. Ayda Rostami's murder by the regime's oppressive security forces. Many plainclothes agents have been dispatched to the site.#IranRevolution2022#آیدا_رستمی pic.twitter.com/0PLlfKna3z— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 20, 2022
On Tuesday night, people held protest rallies in several cities. In Tehran, there were demonstrations at Revolution Square, Ekbatan district, Sadeghiyeh district, Parkway, and Tehranpars. Protesters chanted slogans against the regime. In Salsabil, protesters blocked a road and chanted, “This is the year Khamenei will be overthrown!” In Sadeghiyeh, protesters were chanting, “Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is illegitimate!”
In Karaj, people held protest rallies in Golshahr and chanted, “Death to Khamenei!” and “Death to the dictator!” Protesters also chanted slogans against the regime’s execution of political prisoners and declared that they will continue their uprising even if the regime continues to hang prisoners.
Protests were reported in several other cities, though due to internet outages caused by the regime, locals are having difficulties sending their reports. In Sanandaj, protesters blocked roads and chanted, “Death to the dictator!”
People held nightly protests rallies in several cities on Monday. In Tehran, a group of people gathered in Jamalzadeh district and chanted anti-regime slogans, including “Death to the dictator!” and “We don’t want a child-killing regime!” The protesters also called for the release of political prisoners and expressed their resolve to continue their uprising by chanting, “For each person killed another one thousand will rise!” Another demonstration took place in Enghelab metro station, where protesters chanted, “Death to Khamenei!” Protests were also reported in Tohid metro station and Punak district, where protesters blocked roads with fire and chanted anti-regime slogans.
In Karaj, west of Tehran, people gathered in Gohardasht district and chanted, “Death to the dictator!” In Golshahr, protesters held a large rally and chanted anti-regime slogans. They also commemorated Majid Reza Rahnavard, a protester executed by the regime earlier this month.
A mass protest was held in Rasht. People filled the streets and chanted slogans against the regime and in expression of their resolve to continue their revolution. “We swear on the blood of our compatriots, we are standing to the end!” the protesters chanted.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), hailed the “Courageous women and youths in Iran rose up” to continue their protest rallies on Monday and called for the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime and the release of political prisoners.
Young people in #Rasht took to the streets tonight, chanting “freedom,” & “Death to Khamenei.” People also rose up in Bukan, Sanandaj, Mahabad, Saqqez, Baneh, Ilam, Kamyaran, Ravansar, Ivan-e Gharb, Karaj, Islamshahr, Rudsar… calling for the mullahs’ overthrow. #IranRevolution
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) December 19, 2022
On Monday, activists in the cities of Tehran, Kerman, Kamyaran, Saqqez, Sanandaj, Eyvan, Ravansar, Javanrud, Bukan, Kuzaran, Shanin Shahr, and others reported strikes by merchants and storeowners across these cities.
Workers of the oil terminal in Qeshm Islamd and workers and personnel of the Parand Industrial City Transformers Company also joined this new campaign on Monday. Residents of Tehran’s Rasul Akram Hospital and students at the Iran University of Medical Sciences, along with Economics School of Isfahan University went on strike and boycotted their classes in response to the regime’s escalating crackdown measures.
The protests in Iran began following the death of Mahsa Amini. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman from the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan Province, western Iran, who traveled to Tehran with her family, was arrested on Tuesday, September 13, at the entry of Haqqani Highway by the regime’s so-called “Guidance Patrol” and transferred to the “Moral Security” agency.
She was brutally beaten by the morality police and died of her wounds in a Tehran hospital on September 16. The event triggered protests that quickly spread across Iran and rekindled the people’s desire to overthrow the regime.