Nationwide protests in Iran leave +200 dead. Total internet blackout.

[Gamevizier]

Internet's been out in Iran for 3 days. Reports of widespread riots and protests across the nation as people are storming government buildings and facilities. Regime plainclothes and militias have started firing at people. official estimates put the death toll at 100+ but everyone I talked to has told me for certain that it's way more than that.

Protests originally started after fuel prices increased by 55% or more. But now they have taken a serious anti-regime tone and most of them are calling for Khamenei's ouster and the fall of the current regime.

The earlier videos and photos showed cop cars and banks on fire, now it shows rioters and anti-riot forces chasing one another and retreating throughout alleys and streets.

Some of the videos:

https://twitter.com/HanifJazayeri/st...096509440?s=20
Leaked communication between regime forces. (unconfirmed)

https://twitter.com/viwall_D/status/...550693377?s=20

https://twitter.com/saraghavamian/st...602341376?s=20

Here's a post that shines some light into how the protests erupted.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a9208021.html

Location Unknown:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1196227515158802433

City of Mashad:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1195453558172377089

EDIT: In some towns and areas it's been reported that tanks and APCs are being brought in to support regime forces.

I'll update this post once I find more videos and once I'm able to date them correctly. Please raise awareness of this issue as internet in Iran is in a total state of blackout.

[Breccia]

Protests originally started after fuel prices increased by 55% or more.

Not that I'm going to defend Iran (HAHAHAHAHA no) but I suspect this is due to the sanctions. Unless Iran somehow had a major loss of oil and we somehow didn't hear about it, the cost is likely artificially spiked to keep the money coming in, because the demand has dropped.

If I'm right, and that is a big if, Iran will almost certainly ask its allies like Russia to help out, which will in turn involve Russian troops invited into Iran and murdering protesters while we can't watch.

This looks like big news. I'd say "let's keep an eye on it" but the very nature of the thread suggests we can't.

[Xarkan]

Do you know what's really really disgusting? Is that Europe prefers that Iran kills these protesters and get things back in order. They don't want a revolution in Iran ... too much chaos and unknowns. Just kill the people, more peace of mind for Macron and Merkel this way and much less stuff to do.

Revolutions are fine if the outcome is actually better (though what is better is a bit variable)

Blindly supporting revolutions without considering what comes instead however....

[october breeze]

Easy champ.

There have been weeks of protests in Iraq before that, with many more casualties. There were also protests in Lebanon, Chile which went almost silent. France got anniversary of yellow jackets. Bolivia and Hong Kong got more spot light.

None of these protests resemble an actual revolution. A revolution is way more complicate than this. That being said, I really wish well for those brave protesters against oppressive dictators or corruption with a successful outcome. It might look easy from behind a keyboard, but trust me, it takes way more balls to go peaceful vs anti-riot police, or in case of Iran and Iraq, armed militias.

[Pannonian]

Nope. Revolutions against a dictator are always good. A revolution against a democratic government is yeah something I would be questioning. But against a dictator, it's the right step. It's their country and it's their right to get it back from dictators. If they mess up after that, well they mess up; that's their right to mess up. Part of being free is being free to mess up otherwise you can just assume the worst and keep people oppressed. That's insane and criminal and disgusting.

Yeah, and exactly that is what happened.

The revolution that put the current Regime in Iran into power, was against an autocratic ruler. The last democratic government in Iran was toppled by the US to install said autocrat.

So... are you for or against the current iranian regime, seeing as it is the result of a revolution that ousted a dictator?

[Ihavewaffles]

There's total internet blackout but u know 200+ have died? Can you link a source for this? And no, not that cesspool twitter.

[The Butt Witch]

It's simple.

Iran: We're gonna have nukes.
USA and EU: No, you have an untrustworthy, Islamic theocratic regime, and you answer to no one. For the sake of world stability, we can't trust you with such power.
Iran: Fuck you. You don't get to decide who can have nukes and who can't.
USA and EU: Well actually we kinda do. We have a very heavy say in this.
Iran: Bring it on, bitches!
Iranian people: Wait a minute, don't we have a say in this?
Iran: No, you do as you're told.
......
A couple years later...this thread.

[Kiri]

It's simple.

Iran: We're gonna have nukes.
USA and EU: No, you have an untrustworthy, Islamic theocratic regime, and you answer to no one. For the sake of world stability, we can't trust you with such power.
Iran: Fuck you. You don't get to decide who can have nukes and who can't.
USA and EU: Well actually we kinda do. We have a very heavy say in this.
Iran: Bring it on, bitches!
Iranian people: Wait a minute, don't we have a say in this?
Iran: No, you do as you're told.
......
A couple years later...this thread.

At this point, those in power in Iran have no say in that either tbh. They got sanctioned despite complying with the deal that saw them not pursue nukes anyway. Sure, they can decide whether to pursue a nuclear program or not freely at the moment - but that doesn't change the situation for the Iranian people. Tbh, at this point nothing short of a regime change will change the situation for them, realistically.

[Ghostpanther]

It's simple.

Iran: We're gonna have nukes.
USA and EU: No, you have an untrustworthy, Islamic theocratic regime, and you answer to no one. For the sake of world stability, we can't trust you with such power.
Iran: Fuck you. You don't get to decide who can have nukes and who can't.
USA and EU: Well actually we kinda do. We have a very heavy say in this.
Iran: Bring it on, bitches!
Iranian people: Wait a minute, don't we have a say in this?
Iran: No, you do as you're told.
......
A couple years later...this thread.

So much this.

[Ashnazg]

Nope. Revolutions against a dictator are always good. A revolution against a democratic government is yeah something I would be questioning. But against a dictator, it's the right step. It's their country and it's their right to get it back from dictators. If they mess up after that, well they mess up; that's their right to mess up. Part of being free is being free to mess up otherwise you can just assume the worst and keep people oppressed. That's insane and criminal and disgusting.

In places where revolutions are likely to happen, democracy is just another way of saying "rape & pillage" on behalf of the West. The people who come to power in those "democracies" are corrupt as fuck and only come to power to steal enough money to flee to the west, and then hand off power to the next "democratically elected candidate" who does the same thing.

[Mihalik]

The problem with destabilizing Iran and pushing for regime change through external pressure is that there's a 50/50 chance for it to go either well or horribly badly. As we have already seen with the countless regime changes through the Middle East.

Iran has an extremely young population. The young urban population is really really sick and tired of the Islamic regime and wants jobs, internet, pizza, video games, music, alcohol, Instagram, bikinis, no veil and mixing genders in public spaces like stadiums, bars, clubs etc.

I actually know young Iranians living and working abroad. They are completely normal people, there isn't a single religious bone in them, not even lip service. They date, drink, party, are gay or OK with gays etc. Of course absolutely none of that flies whenever they are home.

In contrast all the rural youth has is Islam, which is actually fairly moderated by the regime who keeps a lid on fundamentalism, it exploits it, but doesn't want it to get completely out of hand, lose the urban populations and the ability to play the moderate card in international relations.

Get rid of the regime and you end up with chaos, which is a complete coin toss, it's likely that in the ensuing violence, the fundamentalists come out victorious, as they usually do in the absence of a strong state keeping them in check. The liberals are killed off, leave the country or go into hiding, and you end up with a proper fundamentalist regime, with public executions, stoning women for breathing, mass killings etc.

So even if you hate the regime in Iran, don't be too eager to see it fall, as you could seriously end up with something exponentially worse.

[Yadryonych]

The problem with destabilizing Iran and pushing for regime change through external pressure is that there's a 50/50 chance for it to go either well or horribly badly. Get rid of the regime and you end up with chaos, which is a complete coin toss.

It is not a coin toss at all since there are no examples of toppling a middle eastern regime resulting in prosperity and liberal improvements

[Dsonsion]

It's simple.

Iran: We're gonna have nukes.
USA and EU: No, you have an untrustworthy, Islamic theocratic regime, and you answer to no one. For the sake of world stability, we can't trust you with such power.
Iran: Fuck you. You don't get to decide who can have nukes and who can't.
USA and EU: Well actually we kinda do. We have a very heavy say in this.
Iran: Bring it on, bitches!
Iranian people: Wait a minute, don't we have a say in this?
Iran: No, you do as you're told.
......
A couple years later...this thread.

Iran was complying with the agreement and the USA pulled out of it anyway. I don't want to defend the horrible Iranian regime who is making the families of my friends suffer,but the sanctions don't hurt only the regime, you know...

[Thekri]

Iran was complying with the agreement and the USA pulled out of it anyway. I don't want to defend the horrible Iranian regime who is making the families of my friends suffer,but the sanctions don't hurt only the regime, you know...

War doesn't just hurt regimes either. I agree that pulling out of nuclear deal was a mistake, but it was a mistake born out of reactionary politics rather then a considered choice.

As far as sanctions being a valid way to enforce international norms on rogue states, I think they are perfectly valid and acceptable. While they do harm the civilian populace, they are the lesser of two evils to compel compliance. They obviously shouldn't be used lightly, or to prop up domestic political concerns to look tough.

[Breccia]

Amnesty International confirms the thread.

[Xeones]

Having governments fall apart in that region hasn't ended well up to this point. Had sunni terrorists with ISIS, not wanting to see Shia terrorists.

[Xeones]

Thank you for supporting the killing of innocent people. You're a great man.

We saved so many people by killing Sadam.

[Xeones]

Nope, you didn't and you never cared about saving anyone or building a proper country. I do.

Uh... what exactly are you accusing me of? I'm confused now.

[Pannonian]

Nope, you didn't and you never cared about saving anyone or building a proper country. I do.

If only these pesky locals would submit to your ideas of a "proper country". Sadly, as long as they don't, your attempts will be futile unless you want to occupy or brainwash the country.

[Gamevizier]

Update: its been 72 hours since Iran has been blanketed by a total internet blackout at the hands of the Iranian government. Amnesty international has reportedly confirmed the death of more than 100 with most being in Kermanshah and Khuzestan provinces. It is a nationwide protest and security forces are caught on video firing at people with live rounds from automatic rifles and pistols.

Not many videos are coming out of the country but most of the videos are circulating within the nations internal internet, although even that internet is severely slow.