Iranians Renew Protests After Mourning Period for Anti-Government Victims Ends

As the official mourning period for victims of Iran’s anti-government protests has ended, public anger toward the authorities is resurfacing, Financial News reported.
On the 19th (local time), Radio Free Europe (RFE) reported that as the 40-day mourning period for those killed in the authorities’ violent crackdown on last month’s nationwide protests in Iran draws to a close, anti-government demonstrations are re-emerging across the country.
After reviewing video footage, the outlet said protests had broken out at memorial services in major cities, including the capital Tehran, as well as Shiraz, Abdanan, Bushehr, Chalous and Najafabad.
According to RFE, in memorial ceremonies held across Iran in recent days, bereaved families and citizens have staged small gatherings, chanting slogans denouncing the clerical regime. Tensions have risen as Iranian security forces were deployed to disperse them, firing live ammunition in some cases.
Human rights groups estimate that at least 7,000 people have been killed during the nationwide protests that began in late December last year. The actual death toll is believed to be much higher, with most of the victims killed between January 8 and 10, when the crackdown was at its peak.
On the 17th, at Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in Tehran, mourners gathered at the victims’ graves and chanted the slogan, "Behind every victim stand a thousand more," in a show of solidarity. In the western city of Abdanan, participants at a memorial for 16-year-old Alireza Seyedi, who was killed during the Tehran protests, shouted, "Death to Khamenei," targeting Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
To prevent the protests from spreading, the authorities have blocked major roads, deployed large numbers of police and paramilitary forces, and intermittently shut down internet access. Families of the victims say they are facing mounting pressure, including being summoned for questioning and subjected to intimidation by officials.
As the situation has grown more serious, Iranian authorities have moved to shape public opinion over the bloody crackdown. In the early stages, officials downplayed the death toll to about 3,000 and claimed that most of those killed were security personnel allegedly murdered by "rioters" and "terrorists" backed by Israel and the United States.
However, in remarks on the 17th, Khamenei referred to the victims as "martyrs" and said, "Bullets could have come from anywhere," signaling a partial retreat from the earlier stance. He also said he was "mourning" the bloodshed, but RFE reported that these comments only further inflamed public anger.
jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter