Demonstrations in Iran: the Internet shutdown, "revealing the panic of power"

Since last Friday, Iran is the scene of a protest movement provoked by the announcement of a measure to significantly increase the price of gasoline and violently repressed, as the country faces a serious economic crisis . Since Saturday, power has drastically limited access to the Internet.

However, Monday, November 18, the Iranian authorities announced that the mobilization would be losing momentum throughout the territory. "Compared with yesterday (Sunday), the situation is 80% quieter, there are (still) some minor problems, and tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will not have any problem riots," said the press the government spokesman, Ali Rabii.

Despite this announcement, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, warned in a statement Monday that they were ready "to react decisively [...] in the face of continuing insecurity and actions that disrupt social peace ".

After announcing, at a press conference, the arrest of 1,000 people involved in the protests, the General of the Guardians of the Golamreza Soleimani Revolution accused Washington of causing the disturbances, welcoming that "This time, the Americans did not succeed and one more loss was added to their record." On Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet that the United States was with the "Iranian people".

Violence "never known"

The power has locked Internet access, still largely inaccessible Monday night, it is very difficult to access images and all information from the entire territory of Iran. According to the NGO Netblocks, which monitors the freedom of Internet access worldwide, "the level of connection to the outside world is just 5% of what it is normally."

"The Internet shutdown is a clear sign of the authorities' concern, as they know that social networks can help stir up contestation and escalate," said Rezah Sayah, France 24 correspondent in Iran.

"This decision is indicative of the panic of power in the face of this new movement of revolt carried by a grumbling, based on economic and social demands, already expressed in 2017 and 2018," agrees Delphine Minoui, journalist at Le Figaro specialist in Iran and former correspondent in Tehran.

Before the blackout imposed on Iranians, very active users of social networks, photos and videos published online showed people abandoning their cars on major roads and demonstrations in the centers of several major cities, including Tehran and Shiraz . In recent days, protesters have blocked several roads, burned banks and public buildings.

At the root of the anger, an increase that can go up to 300% of the price of gasoline. Our Observers are formal: they have never seen such a level of violence in their country. https://t.co/qScmoFIIjZ #Iran

Slogans against power and the Islamic Republic were also chanted by the protesters. Demonstrations escalated and several banks, police stations, administrative buildings and service stations were set on fire or degraded. Observers from France 24 described an apocalyptic situation, even "war zones", and reported a repression of violence that they had never experienced before.

On social networks, several videos published by Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist based in the United States, show the scale of the demonstrations and the brutality of the repression. According to her, the protesters, who "face real live fire", are not only mobilized against the rising price of gas, they took to the streets to demand more freedom, better living conditions and the end of the religious system in Iran.

Uncertain human balance

Two people have lost their lives since the beginning of the demonstrations, specifically a civilian and a police officer, according to Iranian agencies. Based on the information and testimonials that reach him, Masih Alinejad estimates the number of victims at forty.

IMPORTANT:

1) The death toll from #IranProtests is much higher than what's reported.

Dozens of people have been killed.

I've received 20 videos of protesters being shot on their heads or hearts

I have talked to many families who can not get enough of their loved ones https://t.co/ls5sOhL4M5

"We do not have internet to share what's going on here, they kill anyone on the street, and people defend themselves as best they can: they burn garbage cans, banks and ATMs. , all that could symbolize the government, "said his side Sima (pseudonym), one of the Observateurs de France 24, who lives in the suburbs of Tehran.

"It is certain that there have been several deaths in the provincial cities, but we do not know the exact number of victims because there is no official overall report," reports Siavosh Ghazi, France 24 correspondent in Iran.

A French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnès Von Der Mühll said on Monday that Paris is "closely following the demonstrations currently taking place in several cities in Iran," while "regretting the death of several protesters during last days ".

Supporting rising gas prices, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called protesters who burned property and public buildings "hooligans" and implied that they were being manipulated by foreigners. "Demonizing the protesters, the Iranian guide has paved the way for the most fierce repression of the movement," said Antoine Basbous, political scientist and director of the Observatory of Arab Countries, interviewed by France 24.

Lack of confidence

Announced on November 15, the measure behind the mobilization provides that the price of gasoline, one of the most subsidized and cheapest in the world, increases by 50% and thus increases from 10,000 to 15,000 rials (11 cents) for the first 60 liters bought each month. Beyond this limit, the price of the liter must triple to 30,000 rials. The authorities claim that the proceeds from this measure will be donated to the 60 million least favored Iranians, out of a total population of 83 million, "suffering from the economic situation created by the American sanctions".

"Except that there is a lack of confidence on the part of the Iranians with regard to the power, and the population thinks that this money will not be redistributed, even if this measure is, rationally defensible considering the state of the 'economy of the country leaded by the US sanctions,' says Thierry Coville, researcher at Iris and specialist Iran, guest of the debate of France 24.

Questioned by France 24, Borzou Daragahi, correspondent for the British daily The Independent in the Middle East, said the Iranian authorities underestimated the reaction of the population, heavily impacted by the economic crisis. "In a normal and transparent system, the increase in the price of gasoline would have been explained and discussed, step by step, but instead, the power has inflicted on the population, one evening weekend, he said, as if the government did not trust the people, as if it expected a reaction, but obviously not of such a level ".

And to conclude: "the repression has been going on for several months in Iran, because instead of explaining to the population the situation related to the economic crisis, the authorities have repressed and arrested many individuals, activists, lawyers and people from minorities, creating many enemies and creating a climate of tension.The increase in the price of gasoline is actually the spark that ignited the powder.