In 2022, ongoing protests caused by the murder of Mahsa Amini in Iran escalated into nationwide civil unrest as a result of government price hikes on

staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and ...

s including

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

and pasta. The protests were part of a countrywide wave of protests beginning in July 2021. Protests were initially concentrated in the water-stricken province of

Khuzestan Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...

, but rapidly spread nationwide. Authorities responded by declaring riot control action and blocking internet access. Prior to the start of the demonstrations, preceding and during

International Workers' Day International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May, ...

on 1 May, Iran preemptively detained 38 teachers in order to stymie planned nationwide protests during National Teachers' Day on 2 May. Workers' protests in Iran increased in Iran over the past year as the result of a deterioration in living conditions caused by the re-imposition of US sanctions against Iran during the Trump administration, and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the Iranian government ended subsidies for

import An import is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. In international trade, the importation and exportation of goods are limited ...

ed wheat, the price of

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

soared by around 500%, exacerbating current inflation, which hovered around 50%. The protests, starting on 6 May in Khuzestan, were initially associated with the rising cost of living. However, they rapidly escalated into anti-

Mullah Mullah (; ) is an honorific title for Shia and Sunni Muslim clergy or a Muslim mosque leader. The term is also sometimes used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and sharia law. The title has also been used in some Miz ...

demonstrations. Ranchers in at least 10 cities allegedly staged demonstrations at offices of the Iranian Agricultural Ministry, with pensioners participating in similar demonstrations. Large scale demonstrations reportedly broke out in the city of Dezful, and reportedly spread into the cities of Khafajia, Hawizeh, and Shiraz.

Background

In the summer of 2021, widespread demonstrations in Khuzestan and elsewhere in Southern Iran broke out as a result of government rationing of water. The suppression of the demonstrations was met with condemnation from international human rights organizations including

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

, who criticized the deployment of " unlawful force". The demonstrations were accompanied by an industrial strike composed of petrochemical workers in Bushehr province. Labor actions continued to increase over the following year and into 2022, exacerbated by increasing consumer prices and a weakening

rial Rial, riyal, or RIAL may refer to: * Rial (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, McGill University * Rial Racing, a former German Formula One team Various currencies named rial ...

Price hikes

On 1 May 2022, the Iranian government abruptly terminated subsidy support for several imported staple products. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi explained his decision to terminate the price stability measures of his predecessor,

Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani ( fa, حسن روحانی, Standard Persian pronunciation: ; born Hassan Fereydoun ( fa, حسن فریدون, links=no); 12 November 1948) is an Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. ...

, by arguing that such measures were inefficient and led to

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

. The

Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran The Central Bank of Iran (CBI), also known as ''Bank Markazi'', officially the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, بانک مرکزی جمهوری اسلامی ايران, Bank Markazi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān; SWIFT Code: ...

began direct payments in the form of cash subsidies to Iran's public instead, with the government deploying an electronic coupon system as a form of price control to prevent price gouging in place of the import subsidies. Despite Raisi promising that "prices on wheat, medicine, and petrol will not increase in any circumstances", the price of some food products rose by over 300%. Worsened by increasing prices of grain caused by the

2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

, the price of flour rose to Rls.160,000 from the pre-discontinuation Rls.27,000 average. From inflation going up in the last few years,this is causing the poverty line rate to increase.

Street protests

Khuzestan

The demonstrations were initially concentrated in the Khuzestan province, beginning on 6 May. Iranian security forces allegedly used live ammunition to disperse protestors in the

Abuzar Abuzar ( fa, ابوذر, also Romanized as Abūz̄ar) is a village in Veysian Rural District, Veysian District, Dowreh County, Lorestan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a c ...

area, and looting of grain stores occurred in the city of Izeh. State news agency IRNA claimed that demonstrators had looted several stores in the "past few days" in Izeh. In several videos posted to social media, riot police reportedly used tear gas and live ammunition on many occasions. As protests spread nationwide on the night of 12 May, Iranian forces arrested 15 demonstrators in the Khuzestani city of Dezful. Protestors in the cities of Ahwaz, and Dezful chanted slogans calling for the "death to the dictator". IRNA claimed that demonstrators threw stones at police and

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

s, causing the injury of a firefighter. The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran claimed that Iranian security forces used live ammunition against demonstrators in the city of Andimeshk. One person was killed during clashes on May 12.

Elsewhere in Iran

Demonstrations spread nationwide on the night of 12 May. Protests in the cities of Shahr-e Kord in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province grew to 200 persons on the night of 12 May, with social media reports indicating that unrest had spread further to the cities of Ardabil, Rasht, and Iranshahr. By 24 May, protests had spread to 40 cities and towns across Iran.

References