"Back to the Enemy, Towards the Homeland"; Innovations in Recent Protests in Iran

A video of farmers from Isfahan turning their backs on Mojtaba Mir Damadi, the Friday prayer leader of the city, was published on social media yesterday, as the voices of protests from workers, teachers, students, retirees, and financial victims are heard almost daily from Iran. Observers believe that the new wave of protests in Iran is different from previous years in several ways, including the age and demographic composition of the protesters and the methods of demonstrations, which in some cases have been unprecedented. What happened during the Friday prayer on March 15 in Isfahan was the latest link in this chain of innovations. Below are examples of the innovations of protesters in recent months: 1) Back to the Enemy, Towards the Homeland: A group referred to on social media as Isfahan farmers stood with their backs to the Friday prayer leader and chanted: "Back to the enemy, towards the homeland," a slogan that had previously only been heard among military forces trained to defend the country’s soil "against invaders and enemies of the nation." The farmers protested against agricultural water issues, and this slogan, along with "God, King, Homeland," was one of the first slogans repeated by officer students during military training before the revolution, and after the revolution, it remained one of the few cultural commonalities. Now, Isfahan farmers, in a new move, stood with their backs to the Friday prayer leader - who is appointed by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic - and called him "the enemy." Previously, even standing in the opposite direction of the Qibla during Friday prayers was unimaginable, especially in a city like Isfahan, which has been a traditional stronghold of Shia clerics. 2) Death to the Worker, Hail to the Oppressor: A month before the Isfahan farmers, workers at the HEPKO factory in Arak staged a protest over the non-payment of eight months of overdue wages and benefits. The slogan of the HEPKO workers was "Death to the Worker, Hail to the Oppressor," a clear jab at the safe haven and privileges enjoyed by those accused of economic corruption in the ruling system. 3) Girls of Enghelab Street: Standing on a telecommunications junction box on Enghelab Street with a white scarf in hand and hair down became a symbolic image of the beginning of a movement that continues. This movement has also seen innovations alongside preventive measures from the government. A well-known example was when sloped surfaces were welded onto the junction boxes to prevent protesting women from standing on them, and protesters designed and installed flat surfaces that allowed them to stand on them. 4) Dancing in Public Places: Following strong protests from conservatives against the dancing of several young girls at the Women's Day ceremony at Milad Tower in the presence of the then-mayor, a number of citizens and Iranian users decided to express their support for them. Subsequently, videos emerged on social media of individuals dancing in public spaces.