Hassan Rouhani: Some are jamming the frequency of people's protests

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated that the 'frequency' of people's protests 'goes towards everyone,' but 'some' want to 'jam' it. At the end of the last cabinet meeting of the year 96, referring to the nationwide protests in December of this year, he told reporters that 'we accept demonstrations and protests, but families should not be afraid and work and markets should not be shut down. We must be attentive to the people.' He added that in December, 'the government also recognized the right to protest and acknowledged the people's protests faster than ever.' Rouhani further stated: 'Our ears must be open to the people's voices, but the people's voices do not have a specific frequency that only goes towards the executive branch. Everyone must hear the people's words, although some do not want to listen, while we must listen carefully to the frequencies, and now is not the time for jamming.' The highest executive authority in Iran did not refer to any specific individual or group but added that the time for jamming is over. During the December protests in dozens of cities in Iran, criticisms initially began with the economic situation, specifically 'inflation,' and quickly expanded into political and cultural areas. The slogans during these protests included calls to move beyond the two main political currents in Iran, namely the conservatives and reformists, and in several instances, even in Qom, the most religious city in Iran, slogans expressing regret over the 1979 revolution and praising the Pahlavi dynasty were chanted. Thousands were arrested during these protests, and at least 25 people were killed in the streets. Judicial officials also confirmed the deaths of three individuals in prisons due to what has been termed 'suicide.' Although initially, many officials of the Islamic Republic, including Hassan Rouhani and several other government officials, attributed these protests to 'enemies,' later analyses, even from some official figures, pointed to the factors behind these protests in Iran. Among them, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior of Iran, stated that the factors of dissatisfaction from December have not yet disappeared and warned that 'a spark is enough to ignite.' According to him, 'close factors' such as economic, social, and political dissatisfaction, and 'distant factors' including 'generational change, lifestyle changes, and technological changes' have been effective in the emergence of these unrests. Rahmani Fazli warned that the government must learn from these protests and show 'respect' to the people. However, hardline figures and media within the Islamic Republic continue to emphasize the connection of the December protests to foreign influences, and the Iranian judiciary has issued indictments or prison sentences for hundreds of protesters. The President of Iran also called for the recognition of the 'joy' of the Iranian people in his remarks. His statements come at a time when the Iranian police have been attacking family gatherings and celebrations for years, arresting participants. Judicial authorities also label these types of gatherings as 'vulgar' under the pretext of 'mixing' men and women and file cases against participants. In the latest national occasion in Iran, Chaharshanbe Suri, reports have emerged of police confrontations with peaceful gatherings without dangerous fireworks. According to reports from ISNA, ILNA, Khabar Online, and Radio Farda's website.