Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, July 29, 2021—Fourteen days after protests began in Khuzestan and spread to other provinces, Iranians in different cities continue to come to the streets to make their voices heard and call for regime change.
The protests are happening against the backdrop of widespread internet blackouts caused by the regime. On Wednesday, protesters in Robat Karim, Tehran province, came to the streets and chanted anti-regime slogans such as “Down with the dictator.”
July 28—Robat Karim, west of Tehran, #Iran
Voice says people have begun their protests in this city, adding a number of people have been arrested.#IranProtests #خوزستان_تنها_نیست pic.twitter.com/KpOVZI0VEt— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 28, 2021
Protests continued until the late hours of the night despite efforts by security forces to disperse demonstrators. Several protesters have been arrested to reports by the locals.
The demonstrations began in Khuzestan over extreme water shortages in the severely hot summer weather of the province. In recent days, the protests have spread to 14 provinces and many major cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Mashhad.
Khuzestan is faced with a severe water crisis, mainly due to the regime’s destructive policies. In recent weeks, reports from Khuzestan show the Hur ol-Azim marsh drying up and livestock dying due to lack of water.
At the same time, the province’s inhabitants are facing additional problems due to electricity outages. The unjustified creation of dams on the Karun river in the region is the main reason the people are facing water shortages. Khuzestan is one of several provinces that are faced with water shortages due to government policies.
The regime’s brutal response to the protests, gunning down demonstrators and killing several people, has only added to the rage of the people of Khuzestan, who have seen regime authorities ignore their pleas for their most basic needs.
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has been able to obtain the names and particulars of 12 protesters killed by security forces. But the real number of civilian casualties is much higher.
On Wednesday, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), praised the martyrs of Khuzestan protests. “They have not died in vain. They are livelier than any other living human being by restoring life and the fighting spirit of the Iranian nation’s struggle for freedom,” she said.
Hail to the families of the martyrs of #Khuzestan in #Iran. They laid down their lives for people’s freedom. They have not died in vain. They are livelier than any other living human being by restoring life and the fighting spirit of the Iranian nation’s struggle for freedom. pic.twitter.com/apM1JbR20y
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 28, 2021
In a statement on Wednesday, Ned Price, the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, expressed concern about “disturbing reports that security forces fired on protesters, resulting in multiple deaths.”
“We condemn the use of violence against peaceful protestors. We support the rights of Iranians to peacefully assemble and express themselves, without fear of violence and detention by security forces,” Price said.
