Iran: Security forces besiege memorial for those killed in protests.. and general strikes continue
A number of Iranian cities witnessed commemoration ceremonies and fortieth day of a number of young people who were shot dead by the Iranian security forces during their uprising against the regime.
Among the cities that witnessed the ceremony were Mahabad, Baneh, Amol, and Bandar Anzali. Residents in those cities raised slogans against the Iranian regime and turned the ceremony into protest areas, Iran International reported.
Attacks, harassment of Iranian security forces and their presence at memorial ceremonies did not prevent residents from participating.
Video footage circulated on social media of security forces attacking mourners who were paying their respects to a man killed as he celebrated Iran’s defeat to the US in the Qatar World Cup, and in which gunfire was heard.
Families participating in the ceremony carried the slogan, “This is the Year of Blood… Khamenei will fall”, “We swear by the blood of the martyrs we will stand to the end”, and “If one person is killed, 1,000 people will come after him.”
According to the latest statistics from the Iranian Human Rights Organization, since the beginning of the popular uprising, Iranian security forces have killed 448 people, including 60 children and 29 women.
Merchants in dozens of Iranian cities have kept their shops closed since the morning of Tuesday, December 6th, and continued the nationwide strike in response to coordinated calls for a 3-day strike.
On the second day of the strike by thousands of Iranians, several reports and videos were released from across Iran, showing cities empty, shops and markets still closed.
A number of shop owners joined the strike at Amin Haddad market. Merchants at Shariati Street closed their shops following the strike, in addition to merchants at the jewelry market in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar.
According to videos posted on social media, merchants have gone on strike in large parts of Ardabil. In Kerman, shopkeepers and vendors in large parts of the city have also continued to strike. In Zanjan and Hormozgan provinces, Jaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, and in Brujan, shops and shops remained closed.
Traders in Markazi, Fars, Shiraz and Sadra also took part in the strike.
Traders also went on strike in the cities of Abadeh and Morodasht for the second day in a row, Isfahan and Shahin Shahr provinces, and Kizbarkhawar. The Kurdish region joined the general strike, along with Ilam, Kilan, Lahijan, and northern Khorasan provinces.
It is worth mentioning that the business owners started their strike the day before yesterday in cities including Tehran, Eslam Shahr, Arak, Garmar (Semnan Province), Sabzvar, Lahijan (Kelan Province), Behbahan (Khuzestan Province), Kerman, Shiraz, Zorqan, Kazaron (Fars Province), Ilam, Kermanshah, Baoh (Kermanshah Province), Isfahan Wizdanshahr (Isfahan Province), Dashtiari (Balochistan Province), Sunandaj, Saqz, Kamiran and Qura (Kurdistan Province), Ourmia, Bukan (West Azerbaijan Province) and Bojnourd (Khord (Khorsan Province).
Yesterday, Iranian workers joined the strikes, and nearly 500 workers from the Mahshahr petrochemical company have stopped working.
