Who Helped Organize The Protests in Iran

Very often, fundamental changes in a society arise from a wide variety of causes. Such causes include dictatorship, corruption, inflation, incompetence of the authorities, and dissatisfaction of the people.

In Iran, recent protests and strikes by the people challenged the authorities. Finally people from walks of life in the society refuse obedience or order of the theocratic rule. As the protests grow the resistance units will be gradually formed and help the angry people. At the beginning they are small groups but they expand very fast.

protestor erects banner - organized protests in Iran.
Protestor erects a banner.

Resistance Units

After the nationwide uprising in Dec 2017, protests and strikes expanded in Iran. According to social media reports Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK), have a significant role in creating “resistance units” that lead, organize and sustain protests. The people slowly started to get organized, both locally and on a larger scale, the resistance units formed gradually and conducted daily protests.

During the past year hardly a single day has passed without an anti government protest. 2018 was a very important year because the uprising continued and resistance units expanded, despite the regime trying everything they could to stop it.

behesht e zahra cemetery south of tehran death to dictator
Behesht E Zahra cemetery south of Tehran – death to dictator grafiti.

State Afraid of Organized Protests

Tehran’s is afraid of any activities led by Iranian Resistance Units. This can be clearly seen in official regime newspapers. Ten days ago, on Jan. 11, 2019, Shohadaye Iran, a state-run news website, ran an article with the headline “[PMOI/MEK] write graffiti in Behesht-e Zahra.” That official story betrayed the Iranian regime’s fear of the activities led by Iranian resistance units. A photo of the grafiti is shown below.

The resistance units are multiple small groups of organized activists who support the PMOI/MEK.

The Shohada article said “Writing slogans [on walls and floors] by [PMOI/MEK] is not an uncommon sight.However, the fact that the writing hasn’t been erased after several days might indicate that [officials] have become negligent in preserving the values of the Revolution.”

Shohada is a state-run website. Here is how they describey resistance unit activities: “In the past several days, when families of those killed in the Iran-Iraq war visit the graves, they report that [PMOI/MEK] have written slogans near the location of the graves of war victims and they are unsatisfied that officials are not tending to the situation.”

tehran death to dictator grafiti.
Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, south of Tehran Death to dictator grafiti.

Grafiti

The picture above is what the Shohada photographer found at the Behesht E Zahra cemetery. They said, “Pictures obtained from the scene show that [PMOI/MEK] and opponents of the regime have extended their influence to this region.”

They expressed fear of Iranian resistance unit activities, especially those call out the Iranian regime and its local officials. Shohada said regime officials should remove the slogans and graffiti written by PMOI/MEK supporters.

As the protest movement reaches its on-year anniversary, the regime is becoming more vulnerable.

More Sanctions Wanted

The people inside Iran are asking for international attention, not to lift the sanctions, to to continue to add more sanctions on the regime. Further sanctions will have no effect of the people who are already suffering from the actions of the regime.

The people of Iran want more economic sanctions and increasing diplomatic isolation aimed at limiting the regime’s ability to project force beyond its borders and to crack down on dissent from within.

Just as important, the people say, is the fact that the ongoing efforts of Iranian activists, including PMOI, represent a virtually unparalleled opportunity for foreign adversaries of the Regime. The people do not want a war, and nobody in the reset of the world is suggesting war. What the people want is external economic pressure.

Hassan Mahmoudi is a human rights advocate and Social Media journalist seeking democracy for Iran and peace for the region.