The Iranian protests are increasing rather than slowing down as they enter their sixth day. Reports are coming in of people all over the countryside attacking police stations whilst the regime appears to be shooting at its own citizens.
The latest official reports indicate that so far 13 people have died but social media outlets warn that the actual number is probably much higher.
An unverified video is circulating on Twitter that seems to show Iran’s revolutionary guards shooting directly at protesters whilst victims are lying dead on the ground.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IranProtests?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IranProtests</a>: Direct shots at protesters by regime's repressive forces in the city of Tuyserkan Western <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a>. Monday January 1, 2017. People courageously and under fire are trying to evacuate the injured and killed, this is Tuyserkan in the Western province of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hamedan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hamedan</a>. <a href="https://t.co/vDonDPtK4N">pic.twitter.com/vDonDPtK4N</a></p>— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href="https://twitter.com/iran_policy/status/947932000681328640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to local news outlets in the region (Al Jazeera) so far some 20 people have died whilst 450 have already been arrested by authorities in the past few days. 200 on Saturday; 150 on Sunday; and 100 on Monday.
The protests are causing alarm to the Iranian regime who are now, officially, only using tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters so far.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nine people, including one police officer, killed in overnight anti-government protests in Iran, bringing the death toll to 21 as nationwide unrest enters sixth day <a href="https://t.co/RiiNm9JsyX">https://t.co/RiiNm9JsyX</a> <a href="https://t.co/etcvIPrkQa">pic.twitter.com/etcvIPrkQa</a></p>— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/CGTNOfficial/status/948104560068894720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Mr Sadegh Zibakalam, an academic at Tehran University commented: "We cannot predict a time when the protests will come to an end."
"But the protests will shake the people in power who must give priority to the people's demands and needs."
The protests started in response to a great number of price hikes announced just before the end of the new year. President Rouhani’s government seems to have not delivered what the voting public expected of him.
Mr. Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group who has studied the country over the past decade, said: "The government inflated public expectations a lot."
"The reality is, however, that President Rouhani failed to pave the ground for the potential the nuclear deal created, and that has led to a lot of frustration in Iran."
"President Rouhani over-promised and under-delivered."
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> First video from the wounded <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Protesters?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Protesters</a> in Shahin Shahr of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Isfahan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Isfahan</a>. Repressive forces opened fire leaving at least 2 dead, 10 wounded.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%81%D9%8A_%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#___</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%AA%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%89?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HumanRights?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HumanRights</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IranProtestsForFreedom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IranProtestsForFreedom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IranProtests?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IranProtests</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8_%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1%DB%8C?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%AE%D8%B4%D9%85_%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Asma_Jahangir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Asma_Jahangir</a> <a href="https://t.co/lNL9rbFHGc">pic.twitter.com/lNL9rbFHGc</a></p>— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) <a href="https://twitter.com/IranHrm/status/948121700385873925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Filthy traitors! Hail Khamenei!