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| 2022 Iran Regime Protests | |||
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| Part of2021–2022 Iranian protests | |||
| Date | 6 May 2022 – 15 September 2022 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by |
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| Goals |
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| Methods | Demonstrations,food riot | ||
| Resulted in | Protests spilled over into the largerMahsa Amini protests | ||
| Parties | |||
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| Lead figures | |||
Non-centralized leadership
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In May 2022, ongoing protests inIran escalated into nationwidecivil unrest[5] as a result of government price hikes onstaple foods includingbread andpasta.[6][7] The protests were part of acountrywide wave of protests beginning in July 2021. Protests were initially concentrated in the drought-stricken province ofKhuzestan,[8] but rapidly spread nationwide. Authorities responded by declaringriot control action[9] andblocking internet access.[10]
Prior to the start of the demonstrations, preceding and duringInternational Workers' Day on 1 May, Iran preemptivelydetained 38 teachers[11] in order to stymie planned nationwide protests duringNational Teachers' Day on 2 May. Workers' protests had increased over the past year as the result of a deterioration in living conditions caused by the re-imposition ofUS sanctions against Iran during theadministration of Donald Trump and the economic effects of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[12] After the Iranian government endedsubsidies forimported wheat, the price offlour soared by around 500%,[13] exacerbating currentinflation, which hovered around 50%.[14]
The protests, beginning on 6 May in Khuzestan,[15] were initially associated with the risingcost of living. However, they rapidly escalated into anti-Mullah demonstrations.Ranchers in at least 10 cities allegedly staged demonstrations at offices of theIranian Agricultural Ministry, withpensioners participating in similar demonstrations.[8] Large scale demonstrations reportedly broke out in the city ofDezful,[8] and reportedly spread into the cities ofKhafajia,Hawizeh, andShiraz.[16]
In the summer of 2021,widespread demonstrations inKhuzestan and elsewhere inSouthern Iran broke out as a result of government rationing ofwater. The suppression of the demonstrations was met with condemnation from internationalhuman rights organizations includingAmnesty International, who criticized the deployment of "unlawful force".[17] The demonstrations were accompanied by an industrialstrike composed of petrochemical workers inBushehr province. Labor actions continued to increase over the following year and into 2022,[12] exacerbated by increasingconsumer prices and a weakeningrial.[18][19] Demonstrations across Khuzestan and various cities occurred in the week following abuilding collapse in Abadan, which had combined with several weeks of the ongoing food protests.[20][21][22]
On 1 May 2022, the Iranian government abruptly terminated subsidy support for several imported staple products.[23]Iranian presidentEbrahim Raisi explained his decision to terminate theprice stability measures of his predecessor,Hassan Rouhani, by arguing that such measures were inefficient and led tocorruption.[24] TheCentral Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran began direct payments in the form of cash subsidies to Iran's public instead, with the government deploying an electroniccoupon system as a form of price control to preventprice gouging in place of the import subsidies.[24]
Despite Raisi promising that "prices on wheat, medicine, and petrol will not increase in any circumstances",[24] the price of some food products rose by over 300%.[25][26] Worsened by increasing prices of grain caused by the2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine,[27] the price of flour rose to Rls.160,000 from the pre-discontinuation Rls.27,000 average.[28] From inflation going up in the last few years,this is causing the poverty line rate to increase.[29]
The demonstrations were initially concentrated in the Khuzestan province, beginning on 6 May. Iranian security forces allegedly used live ammunition to disperse protestors in theAbuzar area, and looting of grain stores occurred in the city of Izeh.[30] State news agencyIRNA claimed that demonstrators had looted several stores in the "past few days" in Izeh. In several videos posted to social media, riot police reportedly usedtear gas and live ammunition on many occasions.[31] As protests spread nationwide on the night of 12 May, Iranian forces arrested 15 demonstrators in the Khuzestani city of Dezful.[32] Protestors in the cities of Ahwaz, and Dezful chanted slogans calling for the "death to the dictator".[33] IRNA claimed that demonstratorsthrew stones at police andfirefighters, causing the injury of a firefighter. ThePeople's Mojahedin Organization of Iran claimed that Iranian security forces used live ammunition against demonstrators in the city of Andimeshk.[34] One person was killed during clashes on May 12.[35][36]
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Demonstrations spread nationwide on the night of 12 May.[37] Protests in the cities of Shahr-e Kord inChaharmahal 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 ofArdabil,Rasht, andIranshahr.[38] By 24 May, protests had spread to 40 cities and towns across Iran.[39]