Third Day of Protests in Various Cities of Iran; Students Chanted: 'Death to Khamenei'

Protests that sparked on Sunday intensified on Tuesday, January 9, marking their third day. According to reports from various markets in Tehran, from the Grand Bazaar to the iron market, widespread protests occurred, with many shopkeepers joining the strikers by closing their shops in protest of the current situation in the country. In Hamedan, reports indicate that government forces shot at protesters during the night. Protests continued in various cities and provinces, including Kermanshah. In Qeshm, shopkeepers united to close their stores. Streets in multiple cities in Iran witnessed large crowds chanting against the government, with slogans targeting all branches of the Islamic Republic rather than being economically focused. One of the most notable features of the third day of protests was the participation of university students across the country. Students made a serious entry into the protests with anti-government slogans. At the University of Tehran, students chanted against the Supreme Leader, saying 'Death to Khamenei' and 'Death to the principle of Velayat-e Faqih.' Although many civil activists had previously warned that protests in closed university environments could give the government more leeway to respond, nearly all student protests took place within university grounds, and a few students were arrested. According to Amir Kabir News, there is no information available about the status of 'Shayan Dehkordi Adamy,' a student at the University of Tehran who was arrested on Tuesday, January 9. Meanwhile, five other students named 'Mobin Aminian,' 'Mani Eidi,' 'Aref Hadi Nejad,' 'Shahin Shakouhi,' and 'Abolfazl Marouti' were also arrested but were reportedly released in the late hours of Tuesday. At the same time, Hossein Shariatmadari, appointed by Ali Khamenei as the editor-in-chief of Kayhan, acknowledged in an article against the anti-government protesters that 'economic problems are not visible in the protesters' slogans.' This contrasts with other government officials who have tried to portray the protests as limited to livelihood issues.