As the Islamic leaders in Iran celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, videos from the country are doing rounds purportedly showing sporadic anti-government protests against ongoing power shortages and food price hikes.
Protestors took to the streets chanting "death to the dictator" at Dehdasht, a city in the Central District of Kohgiluyeh County, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, according to Iran International. The report added that protests have been brewing in the province for the past three nights and protestors chanted slogans aimed at the Supreme Leader, including "Death to the dictator" and "This year is year of blood, Khamenei falls with a thud."
Protests have also erupted in the capital Tehran where power outages are affecting life. Posts on X showed protestors urging neighbouring regions to join them, saying that "silence in the face of oppression is betrayal." Similar protests have also erupted in Shiraz, Yazd, Tehran, Parand, Shazand, Bukan, Hashtgerd, and Kamyaran against repeated power outages.
Some rallies were also taken out in Arak, where citizens are protesting air pollution. The region has been suffering from air pollution due to its proximity to power plants and industrial centres.
Power outages have become so common in Iran, according to Iran International which claims be receiving videos from people voicing grievances about power outages and accusing the government of waiting for the end of the ten-day revolution anniversary celebrations before resuming widespread cuts.
"Peaks of progress that Mr. Khamenei shamelessly claimed we have reached," one Iranian citizen was heard stating on the video.
However, Iranian state media was quick to portray the unrest in Dehdasht as a tribal conflict. The leadership has chosen to instead praise the "rallies", which they say showed the participation of people to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “This recent Bahman 22 (February 10) was one of the most outstanding celebrations of the [Islamic] Revolution – one of the most significant ones,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, describing the rallies as a “popular uprising” in the face of the enemy’s massive propaganda campaign against the Islamic Revolution.