Shirin Ebadi: Recent Protests Mark the Beginning of a Massive Movement

As protests against the domestic and foreign policies of the Islamic Republic continue in various cities across Iran, foreign media have extensively covered and analyzed these protests. At the same time, Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, stated that these protests will be "more widespread than the Green Movement." Ms. Ebadi told the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica" that the recent protests are just the "beginning of a massive movement" that could be more extensive than the protests of 2009. According to Agence France-Presse, she added: "I don’t think these protests will end soon. It seems we are witnessing the start of a massive protest movement that could be broader than the Green Movement in 2009. I wouldn’t be surprised if these protests turn into a larger movement." This Nobel Peace Prize winner pointed out that the protests in Iran have economic and social roots, saying: "There is a very serious economic crisis in Iran. Corruption has engulfed the entire country, and the end of sanctions as a result of the nuclear agreement between Iran, Europe, and the United States in 2015 has not brought real benefits to the people, contrary to what everyone expected." Ms. Ebadi emphasized that "Iran is one of the countries with high military spending" and that "people do not want a lot of money to be spent on this." According to this Iranian lawyer residing in London, young people are "very frustrated" due to high unemployment, corruption, and censorship. The head of the Center for Human Rights Defenders reminded that "the economic situation and the catastrophic gap between the rich and the poor, between those who enjoy welfare and those who do not, are the roots of the recent protests." Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Sunday, January 1, that the unrest in Iran is one of the "largest" protests against the government and the leadership of the clerics since the victory of the February 1979 Revolution, stating that protesters have been demonstrating against the unelected clerical ruling class and the policies of the Islamic Republic in the region since last Thursday. The news agency noted that protesters chanted slogans such as "Political prisoners must be freed," and added that the initial direction of the demonstrations was a protest against the poor economic situation and corruption, but later they called for the resignation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Another slogan from the protesters was "Clerics, have some shame, leave the country," as well as "Reza Shah, may your soul rest in peace," which, according to Reuters, showcases a new boundary of anger and taboo-breaking in Iran. The agency also noted that the protesters chanted against Iran's interference in Iraq and Syria, reporting that protesters in Shiraz burned images of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, who leads Iran's activities in these countries and others. The American newspaper "The Washington Post" also covered the protests over the past three days in detail, citing Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who stated: "Since Rouhani came to power, he has raised many expectations, but in practice, he has done little to change the people's livelihoods." He added that these protests "proved that dissatisfaction in Iran has become widespread, which can ignite at any moment." Mr. Taleblu stated that "these protests also showed that... Iranians see the regime and its mismanagement as an obstacle in their daily lives."