(Last update: 9:30 pm CET)
Wednesday marked the 34th day of Iran’s ongoing nationwide uprising as anti-regime protests continue. College students in different cities, especially the capital Tehran, voiced their opposition to the mullahs’ rule and the regime’s security forces.
Protests in Iran have to this day expanded to 193 cities.
Over 400 people have been killed and more than 20,000 are arrested by the regime’s forces, according to sources of Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The names of 241 killed protesters have been published by the PMOI/MEK.
On Wednesday, students resumed their protest rallies in campuses and in the streets. In Kermanshah, the students of Razi University held a rally and called on other students to join them in their protests.
In Zahedan, the students of University of Medical Sciences held a protest rally and reflected the solidarity that has taken shape across the country by chanting, “From Zahedan to Tehran, my life for Iran!” They also reiterated the need for regime change, shouting, “Until we get rid of the mullahs, we will not have a country!”
At the same time, high school students in different cities held protest rallies. In Sanandaj, high school students were chanting anti-regime slogans including “Death to the dictator!” “State police is a disgrace!” and “We will fight and take back Iran!” expressing their desire to overthrow the regime.
In Tehran, high school students held a protest rally in Narmak district in defiance of security measures taken by the regime.
In Bukan, high school students marched in the streets and chanted anti-regime slogans.
At the same time, strikes were held in Kurdish cities in protest to the regime’s crackdown on protests across the country. Strikes were reported from Mahabad, Bukan, and Divandarreh.
Protests spread to several cities on Wednesday night. In Sanandaj, the people held a protest rally and chanted, “Death to the dictator!” In Kamyaran, Kurdistan province, protesters installed roadblocks and lit fire to prevent the movement of security forces.
In Saveh, protesters set roadblocks and held demonstrations. In Tehran, protesters at Shariati Street were shouting, “Death to the dictator!”
Protests also took place in Kermanshah, where the people of Javanshir district marched in the streets at night and chanted anti-regime slogans, including “Death to Khamenei!”
And in Ilam, protesters chanted slogans against the mullahs’ regime despite being attacked by security forces.
October 19 – Kermanshah, western #Iran
Javanshir district
Protesters chanting: "Death to Khamenei!" referring to regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.#IranRevolution2022#مهسا_امینی #آزادی_آزادی_آزادی pic.twitter.com/pgc0EpYjHL— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 19, 2022
Tuesday night saw protesters in some cities and towns establishing control over certain areas by setting up roadblocks.
The district of Ekbatan in Tehran was the scene of locals in large numbers launching a rally and march while chanting slogans against the regime. Activists in the cities of Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province and Saqqez in Kurdistan Province also reported locals taking to the streets and holding anti-regime rallies.
Tuesday’s protest rallies began with student protests in several cities. A spokesperson for the government visited Tehran’s Allame Tabataba’i University but was met with a protest rally by the students. The students chanted “Shame on you!” in presence of the government official and went on to protest his presence by chanting, “We don’t want a murderer as our guest!” The students continued their protest rally, defying the regime’s oppression of the nationwide protests by chanting, “Canons, tanks and guns are no longer effective!” They also made it clear that they want to overthrow the mullahs’ regime and don’t want to return to the Shah dictatorship. “Death to the oppressor! Be it the Shah or [Khamenei]!” the students chanted.
Protest rallies were also held in the cities of Rasht and Tabriz. Also in Tehran, students at the Arts College gathered for a meaningful performance of Iran’s ancient national anthem. This was in defiance of the national anthem of the mullahs’ regime.
Meanwhile, schoolchildren in the cities of Sanandaj and Tehran held protest rallies in the streets and chanted anti-regime slogans.
In similar reports of protests, workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company in the city of Shush, Khuzestan Province, and petrochemical employees in the city of Asaluyeh, Hormorzgan Province, went on strike. Other reports showed the drivers of fuel trucks associated to the Abadan Refinery went on strike on Monday.
October 18 – Khuzestan Province, southwestn #Iran
Drivers of the Abadan are on strike, according to reports, continuing the nationwide protests against the regime on the 33rd day of the uprising.#IranRevolution2022#مهسا_امینی #آزادی_آزادی_آزادی pic.twitter.com/CUPfyXDWfM— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 18, 2022
Iranian opposition NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi praised the workers of different sectors in Iran who are launching strikes in solidarity with the ongoing nationwide uprising.
“With their strikes oil and petrochemical workers in Mahshahr, Asaluyeh, Abadan, Kangan, Bandar Abbas and Haft Tapeh Sugarcane factory joined the nationwide Iran protests, showing the legitimate demands of the Iranian people will only be realized via the overthrow of the clerical regime,” she tweeted.
With their strikes oil & petrochemical workers in Mahshahr, Asaluyeh, Abadan,Kangan, Bandar Abbas & Haft Tapeh Sugarcane factory joined the nationwide #Iranprotests,showing the legitimate demands of the Iranian people will only be realized via the overthrow of the clerical regime pic.twitter.com/TijCjwQqE4
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 18, 2022
These protests 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.
In her press conference on Monday, Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, referred to the Iranian regime’s crackdown against protesters with grave concern.
“A month after demonstrations erupted across Iran, the unabated violent response by security forces against protesters, and reports of arbitrary arrests and the killing and detention of children are deeply worrying,” she emphasized.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed Monday night that Norway will adopt new EU sanctions against Iran, calling it “a clear signal of protest from Europe.”
Støre said Norway has been in “close contact” with the EU on the sanctions. “We have protested markedly against Iran’s violations of human rights,” Støre told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). “There’s been violent reaction from the police against those who protest, so we stand together with the EU on these recent sanctions.”
The president of the Norwegian Parliament, whose family came to Norway when he was a child, has also spoken out against the Iranian government in a personal appeal on social media.
Furthermore, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday he was submitting a proposal to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to formally cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after a wave of Russian attacks using what Kyiv says are Iranian-made drones, adding Kyiv was certain they were Iranian and would be ready to share a “bag of evidence” to European powers in doubt.
Russia launched dozens of “kamikaze” drones on targets in Ukraine on Monday, striking energy infrastructure and killing several civilians. Ukraine says the attacks were carried out with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.
“Tehran bears full responsibility for the destruction of relations with Ukraine”, Kuleba told a news conference. Kuleba said he had urged the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran “for helping Russia to kill Ukrainians.”
“Severe sanctions against Iran are especially relevant right now, as we are witnessing reports on Iranian intentions to give Russia ballistic missiles to be used against Ukrainians,” he said.
