The prince's first official call to join the Iranian protests
Amid calls for Iranian protests to chant slogans and strike, the prince issued an official call, urging people to join the protests even from their homes.
In recent days, the protest movement in Iran has entered a new phase, accompanied by coordinated calls for popular rallies, chants, and strikes. Prince Reza Pahlavi, the leader of the opposition abroad, issued his first official call, urging citizens to start chanting slogans in the streets or even from their homes on Thursday and Friday (January 8 and 9), simultaneously at 8 p.m.
He said in the video message: "I am sharing my first call with you today and I invite you to start chanting slogans this Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9, simultaneously at 8 pm, all of you, whether in the streets or even from your own homes. As a result of the feedback from this movement, I will announce the next calls to you."
At the same time, seven parties in Iranian Kurdistan issued a call for a general strike on Thursday, January 8, in support of the nationwide protests and in condemnation of the repression. Independent reports also indicate that protests and calls are spreading in various cities in Iran, and it can be said that these scattered social movements have come closer to a general consensus.
To this day, reports indicate a severe crackdown on protesters, an increasing number of deaths and arrests, but protesters continue to protest with slogans and nightly rallies.
This new wave of calls comes at a time when, according to international and human rights reports, protests are continuing in more than several provinces and urban centers in Iran, and slogans have turned from economic demands to broader political demands, and people in many cities have gathered against economic conditions, corruption, and the government's lack of accountability.
In some areas, it has been reported that security forces have dealt with protesters with severe repression, and in some cases, direct shooting into the crowd has resulted in the deaths and injuries of citizens. However, in some areas, security forces have united with the people and come to their defense, which is an indication of the division in the system and the collapse from within the system.
The recent calls for protests, including calls for coordinated nighttime rallies and general strikes, are a sign of the dynamism and organization of the Iranian civil movement, which is moving from fragmented efforts to a more unified discourse among different segments of society. The prince’s message, which announced his call in the same framework, is seen as part of this wave of calls, emphasizing broader public participation in urban spaces and even from homes.
