Tehran Governor Proposes Designated Location for Holding Protest Gatherings

Eisa Farhadi, the governor of Tehran, proposed on Wednesday, December 13, that a specific location be designated in Tehran for holding any kind of protest gathering. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mr. Farhadi emphasized the necessity of such a location during a meeting of governors and mayors in Tehran, stating, "Anyone who wants to protest should go there." He added, "It would be good to designate a place for public gatherings so that anyone who wants to protest can go there, and officials can also be present among the people." The Tehran governor deemed the establishment of a location for protests as essential for "venting public grievances." Although the Islamic Republic's constitution allows for peaceful demonstrations without weapons and "as long as they do not disrupt the foundations of Islam," holding protests, especially those of a dissenting nature, requires a permit from the Ministry of Interior in Iran. Nevertheless, there is hardly a week that goes by without Tehran witnessing some form of protest, ranging from gatherings of retirees and teachers to protests by workers and depositors of financial institutions. Some of these protests occur under the watchful eyes of security and police forces and conclude peacefully, while others are dispersed from the outset by these forces. In this context, last month, Mohammad Hossein Maqimi, the governor of Tehran, stated that during Hassan Rouhani's presidency, there was "no confrontation" with "legal" electoral, political, and protest gatherings. According to Mr. Maqimi, during this period, "all those who obtained permits from the Ministry of Interior to hold their gatherings were able to do so, and there was no confrontation with them." The governor's claim about the lack of confrontation with protest gatherings during Rouhani's first term comes despite the fact that the police's anti-riot unit attacked protesting workers at the 'Hepco' and 'Azarab' factories in Arak at least on two consecutive days in late September of this year, injuring them. In this regard, students at oil universities continued their protests and sit-ins, students of the oil industry went on a hunger strike in protest of employment conditions, hundreds of workers at the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company went on strike for unpaid wages, and retirees gathered in front of the parliament to protest the "broken promises" of officials.