Where will the protests go?

The path that the protests are taking today is the path that our fathers took four decades ago. The revolution four decades ago deviated precisely from the path of the threefold slogan of women, life, and freedom. They imprisoned women, their gaze, and their world, sacrificed life to ideology, and took away freedom from the people. Persistence in bringing about change in these three principles came at a great cost, which unfortunately was not successful until we reached today.

The question is, how long will these protests last, when will they come to fruition, or when will they end?

These questions arise when it has specific and limited symbols or specific or definite figures. In 2009, the Islamic Republic thought that if it confined the leader of the movement and imprisoned its figures, and if some time passed after the elections, the protests would end. In those days, Seyyed Hossein Mousavi announced that the issue was not the elections, but the regime did not believe this and continued its work.

Today, the system has reached this situation. The issue is who does the system want to arrest and imprison to end the incident? In these protests, the number of arrests has increased greatly, and even shots are being fired at random people. The reason is that the system has become confused and does not know who to shoot or who to arrest to end the protests.

Most importantly, the issue of women with compulsory hijab is a never-ending one. Every day a woman removes her headscarf is a new day in the movement, and it is safe to say that these protests will not end until they reach their destination.

But what is the responsibility of some citizens who are inside and outside the country but have remained silent today? What responsibility do they have for the violence and the way of governing society, which has affected a large part of people's lives?

Taking responsibility for the current situation, even a small step, means that this movement continues. The continuation of the movement is not measured by the number of people in the streets or the slogans; it is measured by each and every small step taken inside and outside the country.

Everyone has a stake in this path, and we are witnessing a wave of responsibility both inside and outside the country.

Solidarity and mutual assistance in Iran have become much greater than before. People's concern for each other to stay safe and protect each other from the brutality of this regime has also increased. Universities have been connected and schools have also taken on a new identity.

On the other hand, the media abroad have also fulfilled their duty by bringing the voice of the people to the whole world. What is important is that the general public has defined this struggle and resistance in their lives. Life should not be shut down, the more this resistance is mixed with the lives of the people, the more sustainable it will be.

According to Keyvan Samimi, who is in prison, everyone should step out from wherever they are; and this is what is happening these days.