User:زياد العصار/Livelihood protests in Iran

The 2022 Iran Livelihood Protests began following the implementation of the new policies of the government of the Iranian President Ebrahim Ra'isi, based on the official announcement of the liberalization of the price of flour used by the guild and industry, along with the elimination of the preferred currency of 4,200 Tomans for one dollar. Following this decision, the price of some foodstuffs in Iran increased and caused dissatisfaction among the people. The protests were sometimes met with violent repression by security officials. Protests over the high price of foodstuffs have been going on in Iran since the evening of Thursday, May 12, which was already taking place in Khuzestan province. During the protests, the Iranian government turned off the Internet and replaced the national information network in some areas, but denied that the Internet was cut off and that there were protests.

Background
4200 Tomans for one US dollar was one of the decisions of the twelfth government headed by Hassan Rouhani in the spring of 2018. The plan was aimed at supporting the vulnerable to control the prices of basic goods, livestock inputs, medicine and medical equipment. In the following years, due to the limited foreign exchange resources of Iran, the list of items eligible to receive this currency gradually became smaller.

In March 2022, the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran approved the elimination of the preferred currency in the Persian year 1401 (2022-2023) budget. The 13th government, headed by Ibrahim Ra'isi, began eliminating the preferred currency in May 2022; Increasing subsidies and providing worksheets to receive basic goods at government-approved rates are among the mainstream government's strategies to offset inflation caused by the removal of this currency. Ebrahim Raisi stressed on a TV program on Monday, May 10, that bread, medicine, and gasoline will not become more expensive.

Prior to the removal of the preferred currency, six commodities, including wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, crude oil and oilseeds, along with some medicine and medical equipment, received 4,200. The determination of the main government to eliminate this currency caused the price of flour and bread in Iran. At the same time, the price of the dollar increased in the Iranian open market and reached more than 29,000 tomans.

On May 12, the Market Regulation Headquarters officially changed the prices of four basic commodities in Iran: chicken, eggs, liquid oil and dairy products. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi called the increase in the prices of the four basic goods an economic big step and stressed that the price of transportation will not go up and no other goods have the right to increase the price.

Khuzestan protests
Before the spread of protests against the rise in food prices in Iran, the people of Khuzestan province staged protests on Thursday night, May 5, due to rising prices of products such as bread, oil, eggs and pasta, which were met with violence and shootings by police and riot police. Simultaneously with the call for rallies, the internet in Khuzestan province faced problems and was cut off or very slow in some places.

Nationwide protests
The nationwide street protests began on May 12, when the Iranian government officially raised the prices of four basic commodities following the elimination of the preferred currency. From the early morning of Thursday, May 12, long queues formed in front of poultry shops and stores. In most cities, poultry shops were empty before 12 noon, and no new oil was sold. Several department stores were attacked in Qazvin, Karaj and Tehran. In the following days, the shortage of basic goods continued in some cities, and videos on social networks reported long queues to buy chicken in the city of Mashhad. Simultaneously with the elimination of 4200 Tomans for one Dollar, the dollar exchange rate in Iran exceeded 30,000 Tomans.

Popular protests against the high price of food that had been going on for several days in Khuzestan province spread throughout Iran from Thursday, May 12, and reached the cities of Dorud, Lorestan, Izeh, Andimeshk and Dezful in Khuzestan, Yasuj in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Shahrekord and Junqan in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari and Fashafoyeh were carried out in Tehran province. The protests spread to Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, Ardabil, the capital of Ardabil province, Boroujerd located in Lorestan province and Farsan in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province on 13 May, and continued on 14 May in Neishabour.

Junqan protesters set fire to the sign of Imam Hassan Mojtaba's Basij base after breaking it. There are reports that two citizens may have been killed in Friday night protests in Iran. Dezful MP ​​Ahmad Avaei has confirmed that one person was killed during a protest rally in Andimeshk.

Protesters chanted slogans against Iranian President Ebrahim Ra'isi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling for the resignation of government leaders. Protesters chanted slogans such as "Liar boss! What are the results of your promises? ”The policies of the head of state of the thirteenth president have been criticized. "Reza Shah Your soul is happy" and "Shame on your boss, leave your country", "O Shah of Iran, return to Iran", "Death to Khamenei", "Cannons, tanks, fireworks, mullahs must be lost", "Khamenei the murderer, his rule is void", "Shame on your leader, leave your country" and "Chaharmahal, Khuzestan, unity, unity!" It is another slogan chanted by protesters.

Reactions
In its first reaction, IRNA reported sporadic protests in some Iranian cities and the end of rallies and the return of calm. IRNA cited the implementation of the law on reforming the subsidy system as the reason for the protests.

In a message to the protesters, The prince Reza Pahlavi advised the military, police and security forces to lay down their weapons and not to make their case more serious.

Most Iranian newspapers were published on Saturday after the protests began, with no news of popular protests on their front pages. Most newspapers, especially those close to the Iranian government, tried to support the government's economic program. The newspapers of the Joumhori Islami and Etemad were among the few newspapers that made headlines about the protests of the people.

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, called the protests limited to some concerned compatriots and called the government's recent actions the unchangeable will of the entire system. Addressing the people protesting against the high prices, President Ibrahim Reisi said, "Wait a few days and I will not allow people to be affected by the high prices as long as I live." Qudratullah Hamza Shalamzari, Junqan's representative in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and former governor of Izeh, dismissed the protests as insignificant. Category:Protests in Iran