Iran demonstrators resist suppression as footage reveals fierce confrontations

Demonstrators in Iran stood against a fatal government crackdown on Saturday evening, taking to the streets amid reports of hundreds of fatalities and injuries due to the security forces’ actions in the last three days.

Authentic videos and testimonies shared with the BBC seemed to indicate that the government was intensifying its measures, while maintaining a widespread internet blackout.

The nation’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, declared on Saturday that anyone engaging in protests would be labeled as an “enemy of God,” a crime punishable by death.

Since protests erupted over two weeks ago, it’s believed that hundreds of demonstrators have been killed or injured, with many others apprehended.

The unrest was ignited by rampant inflation, expanding across more than 100 urban areas in all Iranian provinces. Protesters are now demanding an end to the clerical leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei has referred to the demonstrators as a “group of vandals” whose actions aim to “satisfy” US President Donald Trump.

To curtail the protests, the Iranian government has enacted an internet blackout. The data infrastructure is strictly controlled by the government and security bodies. Internet service is mainly confined to a local intranet, limiting connections with the outside world.

In recent years, the state has increasingly restricted access to global internet services. However, during this round of protests, authorities have, for the first time, not only terminated worldwide internet access but also significantly curtailed domestic intranet services.

An expert informed BBC Persian that the current internet shutdown is harsher than what was enforced during the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising three years prior. Internet researcher Alireza Manafi stated that any form of internet access in Iran is now “almost completely down.”

He mentioned that the only probable method to connect to the outside world is via Starlink, but cautioned users to be careful, as these connections might be traceable by the authorities.

The BBC and most other global news outlets are also unable to provide reports from within Iran, complicating the process of gathering and authenticating information.

Regardless, some video evidence has surfaced, and the BBC has communicated with individuals on the ground.

Confirmed footage from Saturday evening displayed protesters occupying the streets in Tehran’s Gisha area. Various verified videos show confrontations between demonstrators and security forces along Vakil Abad Boulevard in Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran.

Masked demonstrators are spotted seeking shelter behind recycling bins and bonfires, while a line of security personnel is observed in the backdrop. A vehicle resembling a bus is seen engulfed in flames.

Numerous gunshots, combined with the sounds of banging pots and pans, resonate as a green laser beam illuminates the chaos.

A figure on a nearby footbridge can be seen in the footage, reportedly firing multiple shots in various directions while several individuals seek refuge behind a fence along the boulevard.

Additional clips from the capital Tehran have also come to light. One verified video depicts a sizable crowd of protesters accompanied by the noise of banging pots in Punak Square, which has emerged as one of the significant protest sites this week.

Another recording, taken in the Heravi district of northeastern Tehran and confirmed by BBC Persian and BBC Verify, showcases a group of demonstrators marching and demanding the end of the clerical regime.

On Saturday, Trump posted on social media: “Iran is on the brink of FREEDOM, possibly like never seen before. The USA is prepared to assist!!!”

While he did not elaborate, US media outlets reported that Trump had received briefings on potential military actions in the nation. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal (WSJ) confirmed that such briefings occurred, with the Journal labeling them as “initial discussions.” An unnamed official informed the WSJ that there was no “imminent threat” to Iran, as noted by the publication.

Last year, the US executed airstrikes on Iranian nuclear installations.

US Senator Lindsey Graham publicly endorsed the protests multiple times on social media, stating: “To the Iranian citizens: your prolonged nightmare is nearing its end.”

Their “courage and resolve to cease your oppression” has been registered by the US president, he claimed. “Help is on its way,” he asserted in the same message.

Earlier, he warned: “To the regime’s leaders: your cruelty towards the noble people of Iran will not go unanswered.”

As dawn arrived on Sunday in Iran, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah (king), whose return protesters have been calling for, posted a video on X.

In its caption, he stated: “Understand that you are not alone. Your fellow countrymen worldwide are proudly echoing your voice… Particularly, President Trump, as the leader of the free world, has been keenly observing your unparalleled bravery and has conveyed that he is willing to support you.”

He added: “I anticipate being by your side soon.”

Based in the US, Pahlavi has been urging the public to take to the streets and has expressed his preparations to return to Iran.

He claimed that the Islamic Republic is experiencing a “critical shortage of mercenaries” and that “numerous armed forces and security personnel have either abandoned their posts or disobeyed orders to suppress the populace.” The BBC could not validate these claims.

Pahlavi encouraged people to keep protesting on Sunday night, but advised them to remain in groups or with crowds to not “put your lives at risk.”

Amnesty International stated that it was examining “disturbing reports indicating that security forces had escalated their illegal use of deadly force against demonstrators” since Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned that those voicing opposition to Khamenei’s government ought not to face “the threat of violence or retaliation.”

Since Friday night, personnel at three hospitals have reported to the BBC being overwhelmed with casualties. The BBC Persian service confirmed that 70 bodies were received at a single hospital in Rasht city on Friday night.

BBC Persian verified the identities of 26 deceased individuals, including six children. Members of the security forces have also lost their lives, with one human rights organization estimating the fatalities at 14.

A medical worker in Tehran described “extremely horrific scenes,” reporting that the number of injured was so high that staff could not perform CPR, and that morgues lacked sufficient space to accommodate the deceased’s bodies.

“About 38 individuals passed away. Many did so before reaching the emergency beds… gunshot wounds to the heads and hearts of young individuals. Several of them didn’t even arrive at the hospital.”

The hospital employee noted that the deceased or injured were predominantly young people. “It was difficult to look at many of them; they were between 20 and 25 years old.”

The protests are the broadest seen since the uprising in 2022 triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman apprehended by morality police for allegedly not adhering to hijab regulations.

According to human rights organizations, more than 550 individuals were killed and 20,000 detained by security forces during that period.

Additional reporting by Soroush Pakzad and Roja Assadi