Protesters risk all in gamble to topple regime

Disaffected citizens say it's now or never, as the country's ailing economy sparks one of the biggest uprisings in years

- By Deepa Parent and William Christou

Mehnaz was too young to protest when Mahsa Amini died in police custody three years ago after she was arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab improperly.

Her mother did not let her join the throngs of crowds chanting “woman, life, freedom” in Tehran and across the country - so she could only watch at home as they were beaten back by batons and bullets.

Since then, the 19-year-old computer science student in Tehran has waited for the chance to join fellow Iranians in protest. At the end of last month, the moment finally came.

A sudden nosedive in the value of Iran’s currency was the final blow to a population tired of an ailing economy. Protests began in Tehran and spread, kicking off the country's biggest protests in years - some of which have turned deadly. At least 35 people have been killed by violence surrounding the protests, among them four children.

"Despite my mother’s fears, I joined in [on protests] on Wednesday [31 December]. They execute, and arrest us anyway. So people now think, if they continue to kill us when we are not even on the streets in protest, why the fuck are we waiting for the right moment?” said Mehnaz, speaking under a pseudonym for fear of repercussions.

The demonstrations started with merchants closing their shops in protest against deteriorating economic conditions and have spread from Tehran to about 78 cities across the country. What began as a movement to express economic grievances has widened in scope, with protesters chanting against the Iranian government. Students and activists have begun chanting “death to the dictator”, referring to the 86-year-old supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and “woman, life, freedom”, echoing the 2022 protests that paralysed Iran.