What’s behind the protests in Iran?

What’s behind the protests in Iran?

Washington Post.Sept 23rd 2022

The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police, detained for a supposed violation of the country’s ultraconservative dress code, has sparked days of anti-government demonstrations — and a violent crackdown that has left more than 30 people dead or seriously injured, according to rights groups and various news reports.

The protests have come to encompass a range of issues, including economic grievances, censorship and government impunity.

Iran’s leaders have responded with force — as they did after the previous wave of mass protests, in 2019. Instagram and WhatsApp are now blocked and access to the internet and cellular service is down or slowed in much of the country.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) appeared to signal it would step up its response Thursday, calling on the judiciary to prosecute protesters. Some demonstrators have targeted police stations and IRGC forces.

Here’s what to know about what’s happening in Iran.

Anger against Iran’s ‘morality police’ erupts after death of Mahsa Amini