Many Iranian cities witnessed mass demonstrations today, Sunday, despite the Revolutionary Guards’ threats to stop the demonstrations, which entered their seventh week after the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, while the Iranian president said that the country’s security is a red line and we will not allow enemies to undermine it.

On Saturday, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, called on the demonstrators not to take to the streets, saying, "The demonstrators should not test the patience of the regime."

He added that the unrest since mid-September was a conspiracy by the United States, Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia, adding, "Do not be pawns of the country's enemies."

And the "Islamic Azad University" in Tehran witnessed a student demonstration, during which slogans calling for freedom and against the Iranian regime were raised.

Units of the "Basij" mobilization forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

A video clip showed a member of the Basij forces firing a weapon from close range at students protesting at the branch of Azad University in Tehran.

Students also demonstrated in several universities in protest against the continued detention of students participating in the recent protests.

On the other hand, a number of students and employees of "Imam Khomeini University" in Qazvin and the universities of Shiraz and Tehran organized a rally in support of the Iranian government.

Security forces fired live bullets and tear gas bombs today, Sunday, during a student gathering in the city of Sanandaj (west), where videos showed clouds of smoke rising amid chants of "freedom", according to the "Henkao" organization, which is based in Norway.

In Saqqez, Amini's hometown, security forces in civilian clothes dispersed a demonstration at a vocational institute, where "the elements attacked the students and kidnapped a number of them," according to Henkau.


press petition

Today, Sunday, more than 300 Iranian journalists and photojournalists signed a statement condemning the authorities' arrest of their colleagues and depriving them of their civil rights after their arrest.

The reformist newspaper "Sazand" reported on Sunday that more than 20 journalists are still in detention, while the Journalists' Syndicate in Tehran rejected the "security approach", describing it as illegal and incompatible with freedom of the press.

The statement demanded the release of the two journalists, Nilofar Hamidi and Ilha Mohammadi, who have been detained for 6 weeks.


Red line

In a related context, official media quoted Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi as saying that security in Iran is a red line.

Raisi said: We will not allow the enemy to carry out its plans in any way to undermine this valuable national wealth.

In turn, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that those he described as Iran's enemies are looking for opportunities to target the country's security and ignite wars in it.

Qalibaf added that the riots will end soon, and that the government should solve problems in the economic, cultural, social and political fields, as he put it.

The Iranian parliament had decided earlier today, Sunday, to increase the salaries of the Iranian security forces by 20%, according to the Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency, "IRNA."

The justification given for that step was to better align their salaries with those of state employees in civil positions.


Iranians of all backgrounds and affiliations have been demonstrating since the death of the 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, on September 16, 3 days after she was detained by the morality police for not wearing modest clothes.

The Hrana news agency, which deals with human rights in Iran, said that 283 demonstrators had been killed in the protests as of Saturday, including 44 minors.

Some 34 members of the security forces were also killed.

The agency added that more than 14,000 people, including 253 students, were arrested in protests in 132 cities and towns and 122 universities.