DUBAI: Iranians kept up anti-government protests on Wednesday despite an increasingly deadly state crackdown, social media reports showed, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the demonstrations as "scattered riots" planned by Iran's enemies.
Protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran's morality police on Sept. 16 have turned into one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.
A crowd of at least 100 people blocked a road in central Tehran, shouting "by cannon, tank or firecracker, mullahs must get lost", one video showed. Another video showed dozens of riot police deployed in a Tehran street where a fire was burning.
Tear gas was fired during a protest outside the lawyers association in Tehran, where demonstrators who appeared to number in the dozens had chanted "women, life, freedom", videos posted on social media showed.
Reuters could not independently verify the videos.
In the northwestern city of Bukan, security forces fired on protesters, wounding 11 people, according to human rights group Hengaw which also reported shooting in the city of Kermanshah.
In Sanandaj, the main city in Amini's province of Kurdistan, a protester said shots were also fired. "Several demonstrators got injured. Riot police are everywhere," they told Reuters.
Iran's police chief Hossein Ashtari told state television that individuals linked to opposition groups abroad disguised themselves as police and fired into the crowds. He did not specify when or where, but said some of them had been arrested.
While observers do not believe the protests are close to toppling the government - authorities withstood six months of protests in 2009 over a disputed election - the nearly four weeks of unrest have underlined pent-up frustrations over freedoms and rights.
Amini's death has struck a nerve, bringing a broad sweep of Iranians onto the streets, with protesters expressing anger at the heavy handedness of morality police and saying the victim could have been anyone's mother, sister or daughter.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights organisation said the civilian death toll during the unrest had increased to at least 201, including 23 minors. Its previous report, on Oct. 8, put the death toll at 185 people.
The authorities have said around 20 members of the security forces have been killed. Iran has accused its enemies, including the United States, of fomenting the unrest.
'STAND UP TO ENEMIES'
The unrest comes at a time of hardship for ordinary people in Iran, where costly interventions in wars such as Syria have fuelled criticism in recent years. The economy continues to suffer from bad management and from Western sanctions tightened over Iran's nuclear programme, nudging Tehran ever closer to Russia and China.
Khamenei, a focus of protesters' anger, said the protests were designed by Iran's enemies, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. "These scattered riots are the passive and clumsy design of the enemy against the great and innovative developments and movements of the Iranian nation," he said.
"The cure against enemies is to stand up to them," he said.
In Iran's capital, a protester who asked not to be identified said dozens of riot police had arrested people leaving Tehran University.
"They are beating and pushing people," the protester said.
The protests have been especially intense in the northwest, where many of Iran's over 10 million Kurds live and where Iran's Revolutionary Guards have a track record of putting down unrest.
Hengaw reported strikes in Kurdish regions including Amini's hometown of Saqez and Bukan, sharing videos which appeared to show shops with their shutters down in both towns.
In Rasht, the capital of Gilan province in northern Iran, a dozen protesters were seen shouting in a video posted on social media, "from Kurdistan to Gilan, I sacrifice my life for Iran," echoing chants that have stressed national unity. Reuters could not verify the video.
Reuters
Thu Oct 13 2022
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran. - WANA/via REUTERS
Che'gubard direman dua hari
Che'gubard atau nama sebenarnya Badrul Hisham Shaharin ditahan reman dua hari bagi membantu siasatan berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City.
Buletin AWANI Khas: Mesyuarat khas WEF di Arab Saudi, PM Anwar & Pemimpin dunia
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan menyampaikan ucapan dalam Sidang Plenari Pembukaan Mesyuarat Khas World Economic Forum (WEF) di Arab Saudi. Ikuti analisis menyeluruh bersama Penganalisis Ekonomi, Fithra Faisal Hastiadi; Ketua Pengarang Astro AWANI, @AshwadIsmail; dan Pengarang Niaga AWANI, @NajibAroff #BuletinAWANIKhas
Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (Pindaan) 2022 berkuat kuasa 1 Jun
Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (Pindaan) 2022 akan berkuat kuasa pada 1 Jun ini.
AWANI Ringkas: BERSATU serah tujuh notis kosongkan kerusi
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
[KOLUMNIS] PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Pertandingan untuk tawan atau tahan
PRK DUN KKB menyaksikan pertembungan empat penjuru antara calon PH, PN, PRK, PRM dan calon Bebas.
Sultan Selangor ingatkan jemaah haji persiapkan diri sebaiknya
Sultan Selangor menasihatkan bakal jemaah haji untuk mempersiapkan diri sebaik-baiknya, bagi melaksanakan Rukun Islam kelima.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PN harap tiada lagi serangan peribadi
Khairul Azhari Saut berharap tiada lagi isu peribadi yang akan dijadikan 'peluru' untuk menyerangnya sepanjang kempen.
Kelantan: 70 peratus kemalangan maut babit penunggang, pembonceng motosikal
70 peratus kes kemalangan maut yang dicatat berlaku dari 1 hingga 26 April di Kelantan, membabitkan penunggang dan pembonceng motosikal.
[TERKINI] WEF | Pembangunan dunia yang tidak seimbang, Apa Solusi?
Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) di Arab Saudi merungkai masalah ekonomi dan ketidakseimbangan pembangunan yang sedang melanda dunia. Menteri MITI, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz dan Menteri Kewangan Arab Saudi, Mohammed Al-Jadaan berada sepentas merungkai masalah dunia yang memberi impak kepada semua negara.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PH, PN bertembung ketika kempen
Dua calon yang bersaing bagi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu hari ini bertembung buat kali pertama sejak hari penamaan calon semalam.
Presiden Iran, Pakistan adakan pertemuan luas kerjasama
Presiden Iran, Ebrahim Raisi mengadakan pertemuan dengan Presiden Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, di kediaman rasmi Presiden di Islamabad dalam lawatan tiga hari beliau ke negara tersebut pada Isnin.
EU setuju luaskan sekatan ke atas Iran
Menurut Ketua Dasar Luar EU, Josep Borrell, perkara itu dipersetujui mesyuarat Menteri Luar blok tersebut.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Pertembungan Iran-Israel lebih kepada persaingan ego pemimpin - Penganalisis
Konflik yang berlaku antara Iran dan Israel ketika ini merupakan pertembungan pemimpin utama semata-mata.
Konflik Asia Barat: Jemaah Haji jangan bimbang, tumpu perhatian kepada ibadat - TH
Jemaah haji dinasihatkan untuk tidak merasa bimbang dengan konflik di Asia Barat dan menumpukan perhatian sepenuhnya kepada ibadat haji mereka.
Kekacauan di Asia Barat perlukan pengendali lapangan terbang proaktif tangani perubahan penerbangan - Pakar
Penutupan ruang udara dilihat akan menjejaskan sebahagian trafik penumpang, terutamanya untuk destinasi yang terletak di Iran.
Konflik Iran-Israel: Kerajaan utamakan keselamatan jemaah haji - Mohd Na'im
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar menjelaskan, keselamatan dan kebajikan jemaah haji menjadi keutamaan kerajaan dan TH.
AS mungkin tidak kena sekatan terhadap Iran, bimbang harga minyak mentah naik mendadak
Iran tidak akan lakukan serangan besar yang boleh melumpuhkan Israel dan Israel juga tidak akan berbuat demikian terhadap Iran.
PM bincang dengan Kementerian Luar perkembangan semasa di Iran petang ini
Kerajaan akan mengadakan mesyuarat khas petang ini bagi membincangkan situasi semasa di Iran termasuk kemungkinan membawa pulang rakyat Malaysia di negara itu susulan serangan rejim Israel.
Iran nafi diserang Israel, anggap propaganda media Barat
Pegawai Kerajaan Iran mendakwa mendakwa, ia hanyalah sebahagian daripada propaganda media barat, untuk mengelirukan pandangan dunia.