Transcript [00:00] There are protests beginning in the [00:02] streets of Iran and not exactly what we [00:05] expected in terms of what we saw in [00:07] December and January [00:09] which was so widespread. It was the [00:11] largest we had ever seen, but there's [00:13] something happening in Iran and we're [00:15] also going to check in on how the people [00:18] in Iran are doing with information that [00:20] is coming out. And this speaks to the [00:23] whole question of whether or not the the [00:27] regime is stable domestically internally [00:30] and this is this is a huge piece of the [00:32] story. Let's get right to the news on [00:34] this front. So student protests erupt in [00:37] Iran over education policies as as [00:40] regime resumes crackdowns. Demonstrators [00:43] are reportedly demanding that the regime [00:45] cancel the fixed impact of 11th grade [00:48] GPA scores on the national university [00:51] entrance exams according to Iran [00:53] International. Now I want to point out [00:54] to you that in this picture of a protest [00:56] and this is a picture from a protest [00:59] that was taken [01:00] uh two days ago. [01:02] And you'll see here there's a girl with [01:04] her hair uncovered. And there are more [01:06] like her in some of the other pictures [01:08] that we're going to see of these [01:09] protests. Students have once again begin [01:11] begun protesting across Iran. This time [01:14] in response to the country's education [01:16] policies and changes to the university [01:18] entrance requirements [01:21] according to reports published by [01:22] Iranian media, social media videos and [01:25] statements from human rights groups over [01:27] the past few days. Demonstrations which [01:29] began in May [01:30] but have grown significantly over the [01:33] past week have reportedly taken place in [01:36] West Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Tehran [01:39] Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Razavi [01:43] Khorasan, North Khorasan, Khuzestan, [01:45] Zanjan, Sistan Baluchestan, Fars, [01:48] Qazvin, Qom [01:50] Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, [01:53] Lorestan, Mazandaran, Markazi and Yazd [01:55] provinces. Meaning all over the country. [01:57] That's the point here. They have some [01:59] video footage of one of the protests. [02:01] Here you see another girl with her hair [02:03] uncovered. And that's I'm I think that's [02:06] significant because it's showing a [02:07] defiance of the regime in [02:09] in other ways. [02:12] The student protesters have been [02:14] critical of the Islamic regime's [02:15] handling of domestic duties amid the [02:17] war, with many reportedly feeling that [02:19] the war's impact and the closure of [02:21] academic facilities has not been taken [02:23] into account when it comes to final [02:25] assessments or university university [02:28] entrance exams. [02:29] Demonstrators are reportedly demanding [02:31] that the regime cancel the mandatory [02:33] waiting of 11th grade GPA scores on the [02:36] national university entrance exam, [02:38] according to Iran International. [02:40] Students of the Shahid Sadoughi [02:42] University of Medical Sciences have [02:44] taken particular issue with the quality [02:46] of food and resources being given to [02:48] students. [02:49] As reported by BBC Persian, 75 students [02:52] were hospitalized after eating at a [02:54] university last week. [02:56] A student told the site that the [02:57] university's president told students to [02:59] eat at restaurants if they're unhappy [03:01] about the government subsidized meals. [03:05] Additionally, Iran's Shargh newspaper [03:07] has reported that tens of students have [03:09] been suspended or expelled. [03:16] I'm sorry. I just [03:18] I just jumped here. [03:24] have been suspended or expelled from [03:27] from the university over their student [03:29] activity in cyberspace, including [03:32] profile content, messages in private [03:34] groups, or reposting content on social [03:36] networks. [03:38] So, that's not about the exam issue. [03:40] Between five and seven students at [03:41] Tehran's Sharif University of Technology [03:43] have been expelled, while more than 20 [03:45] students have been suspended from their [03:47] studies for being one [03:49] for between one and three semesters, [03:51] according to the reformist newspaper. An [03:54] additional four students from the [03:55] Kermanshah University of Medical [03:57] Sciences were barred from entering their [03:59] campus after authorities accused them of [04:01] spreading lies, publishing images [04:04] related to the university sit-in, and [04:06] protesting and inviting students to [04:08] protest gatherings according to [04:10] information received by the Hengaw [04:12] Organization for Human Rights. [04:14] The university's actions came amid a a [04:17] broader regime crackdown on online [04:20] freedom of expression and the right to [04:22] protest. [04:24] And then it talks about how there was an [04:26] internet crackdown after the January [04:27] protests. [04:29] And individuals who use circumvention [04:31] tools to access blocked websites told [04:34] Amnesty International that authorities [04:35] threatened to charge them with [04:37] espionage, an offense that can carry the [04:40] death penalty. [04:42] And here we have some more footage of [04:45] protests. [04:46] Dr. Arman Mahmoudian, a research [04:49] associate at the University of South [04:50] Florida's Center for Strategic and [04:52] Diplomatic Studies, who completed his [04:54] undergraduate degree in Tehran, [04:57] explained to the Jerusalem Post that the [04:58] authorities often identify students as [05:00] political troublemakers. [05:04] And that this designation can lead to [05:06] expulsion, denial of degrees. [05:10] While the protests have yet to see the [05:11] same violent suppression as seen in [05:13] January, Iran International reported [05:15] that there have been several violent [05:17] clashes. An unknown number of students [05:20] were also reportedly injured during [05:21] clashes at a protest in the Yazd [05:23] province. [05:25] At least one person was arrested at a [05:26] demonstration in Qom. [05:31] While when demonstrations are limited to [05:33] university-related issues such as campus [05:35] or other apolitical issues, the [05:37] government often tries not to overreact. [05:39] The authorities are aware that excessive [05:41] violence can sometimes escalate tension [05:44] tensions and spread unrest further. [05:46] However, the moment a student movement [05:48] is perceived as capable of creating a [05:50] snowball effect, meaning it could [05:52] trigger wider protests across [05:54] universities or society at large, the [05:57] government tends to respond much more [05:59] harshly. We saw this during the student [06:01] protests of the late '90s when the state [06:04] relied heavily on blunt force and they [06:06] killed a lot of students. [06:10] So, that's what's going on there. We [06:11] have these students that are that are [06:12] protesting. Here's another piece of [06:13] footage from this protest that I want to [06:15] show you. [06:17] Um [06:18] just so you see [06:20] I'm pointing it out again cuz I really [06:21] do think it is somewhat significant [06:24] that there are girls, there are young [06:26] women in the crowd who have their heads [06:29] completely uncovered. It really shows an [06:32] open willingness to defy There's another [06:33] one right there. An open willingness to [06:35] defy [06:37] the regime rules. And here you see a [06:39] whole group of young ladies with their [06:41] heads uncovered. [06:42] Um this girl right here, this girl, this [06:45] girl, this girl. [06:47] And uh I think that that's actually [06:48] significant. It really shows that they a [06:50] disregard [06:52] by these young women [06:54] for the regime's rules. [06:56] Okay, you see uh you see a number of [06:58] them [06:59] in this footage here. [07:01] Now, [07:02] to get to a little bit more underneath [07:04] what's actually happening with these [07:06] student protests. [07:07] So, Iran student students lead [07:09] nationwide protest against educational [07:11] injustice and repression. [07:14] And it talks about uh the the [07:16] controversial educational policies, [07:18] particularly the mandatory impact of [07:19] high school grades. [07:22] And look what it says down here. I'm [07:23] going to jump down. [07:26] According to reports from across the [07:28] country, demonstrations took place in 23 [07:30] cities, in at least 23 cities. [07:34] And what [07:36] they're complaining [07:38] Take a look at this. [07:39] The nationwide scale of demonstrations [07:41] illustrates how educational policies, [07:44] particularly those related to university [07:46] admissions and academic evaluation, have [07:48] become a major unresolved issue for many [07:50] Iranian families. For years, critics [07:52] have argued that the existing system [07:54] disproportionately benefits privileged [07:57] groups [07:58] while limiting opportunities for [07:59] students from less advantaged [08:01] backgrounds. [08:03] The latest protests indicate that [08:04] dissatisfaction has reached a level [08:06] where students themselves are [08:07] increasingly willing to organize and [08:10] publicly challenge government decisions. [08:11] So, it's not just about weighting the [08:15] entrance exam with the 11th grade GPA, [08:18] which is the way it was reported, but [08:20] there's something deeper going on here. [08:22] That the entrance to academic [08:24] institutions [08:26] is the deck is stacked in favor of [08:29] privileged families. What does [08:30] privileged families means? It means [08:32] families that are connected to the IRGC, [08:34] connected to the regime. [08:35] So, there is an anti-regime element [08:38] and an anti- the IRGC, the elites [08:42] element going on in these protests as [08:44] well. [08:47] Um [08:48] as the protest continued, Iranian [08:50] opposition leader Maryam Rajavi called [08:52] on students, teachers, and university [08:54] communities [08:56] across the country to support the [08:58] demonstrators. [09:00] She emphasized the importance of [09:01] solidarity and argued that only through [09:03] sustained and expanding collective [09:05] action can protesters achieve their [09:07] demands. So, let's watch to see if these [09:10] expand. Now, in addition to these [09:11] protests going on, there's some other [09:13] things happening to the Iranian public. [09:15] Look at this. Exclusive. Iranians fear [09:18] state seizures as missing bank funds [09:21] deepen distress. What a fascinating [09:23] story. For more than a month, Rasoul [09:25] Shahsavari has been making repeated [09:28] visits to a branch to a branch of Bank [09:30] Melli in his hometown of Javanrud in [09:32] western Iran searching for money that [09:35] disappeared from his account. [09:38] Each time, he says, he received the same [09:40] answer. The account was hacked and the [09:42] money is gone. Shahsavari, an Iranian [09:44] farmer, has deposit had deposited 180 [09:47] million tomans, which is about $1,000 [09:49] total, [09:50] into the account weeks before the funds [09:52] vanished. [09:53] He told Alhurra, that's this news site, [09:56] that the money represented his only [09:57] income this year from exporting winter [10:00] and spring agricultural products to [10:02] Iraq. [10:03] He did not learn what had happened until [10:05] May 3rd, when a routine attempt to [10:07] purchase household necessities failed. [10:10] After contacting the bank, he was [10:11] initially told there was a technical [10:13] issue with the accounts. When he later [10:15] visited the branch, officials told him [10:17] that the account had been emptied and [10:19] that he was not alone. [10:21] According to bank employees, many [10:24] customers have been affected in a [10:25] country where electronic payment cards [10:27] are used for most daily transactions. [10:32] About 2 weeks earlier, on April 20th, [10:34] Iran's state news agency, IRNA, quoted [10:37] Masoud Bahramji, deputy head of payment [10:40] systems and new technologies at the [10:42] Central Bank of Iran, as saying that the [10:44] banks [10:45] that Bank Sepah and Bank Melli have been [10:47] subjected to cyber and physical attacks [10:49] by hostile actors. [10:52] And that officials had resolved the [10:53] problem as quickly as possible. [10:56] For Shahsavari [10:58] and others affected, the explanation [11:00] offered little reassurance. The [11:02] disappearance of relatively small sums [11:04] from the accounts of workers and farmers [11:06] in a country battered by war, sanctions [11:09] and inflation, has fueled broader [11:11] concerns that a security crisis could be [11:13] used either to financially punish [11:16] ordinary Iranians or to conceal the [11:18] confiscation of their funds under the [11:21] guise of cyber attacks and collaboration [11:24] with hostile powers. And it tells [11:26] another story of another person about [11:29] their money suddenly disappearing. [11:32] According to activists and opposition [11:34] figures who spoke to Alhurra, Iranian [11:36] authorities have increasingly classified [11:38] citizens according to political and [11:39] security loyalties [11:42] since the recent conflict. Those [11:43] considered close to the government [11:45] include members of the IRGC, the Basij [11:48] militia, and individuals who [11:49] participated in campaigns donating gold [11:52] or money to state security institutions. [11:55] At the same time, critics say [11:56] authorities have broadened the category [11:58] of those labeled enemies of the Islamic [12:01] Revolution to include protesters, [12:03] activists, journalists, opposition [12:05] figures, and even environmental [12:07] advocates [12:08] often without publicly disclosed [12:11] accusations. [12:14] And apparently uh [12:16] they have authorities have confiscated [12:18] funds and property from Iranians in [12:20] recent weeks on allegations of [12:22] cooperation with Israel and the United [12:24] States [12:25] or of receiving financial transfers from [12:27] them. [12:29] He said the measures have affected [12:30] university professors, athletes, [12:31] journalists, reformists, members of [12:33] ethnic minorities, and prisoners. [12:39] Look at that. [12:42] So, you have this [12:44] What's going on here [12:46] is that people's money is just [12:48] disappearing when they put it in the [12:49] bank. [12:50] And then we have this piece from DW. [12:52] This is a German news outlet. [12:55] Iran's war over stability masks [12:57] deepening crises. [12:59] And it starts off with the usual [13:01] uh you know, talking about how, you [13:03] know, what happened with the you know, [13:05] with the closing of the Strait of Hormuz [13:06] and that there's a blockade. [13:09] And then look what it says down here. [13:14] Tens of thousands of jobs have already [13:16] been lost. It's talking about the [13:17] economic state inside Iran, leaving [13:20] hundreds of thousands of other workers [13:22] to fear for their livelihoods. Inflation [13:24] has surged over 50% severely eroding [13:27] people's purchasing power with a legal [13:29] minimum wage of the equivalent of just [13:32] under $87 a month. [13:35] Many Iranians can barely afford even [13:37] basic services. According to Amnesty [13:39] International, quote, Iranian [13:41] authorities have arbitrarily arrested [13:44] more than 6,000 people including [13:46] protesters, journalists, lawyers, human [13:49] rights defenders, dissidents, and [13:50] members of ethnic and religious [13:52] minorities since the start of the US and [13:55] Israeli air strikes. During the same [13:57] period, authorities have imposed [13:59] decades-long prison sentences against [14:02] individuals and carried out at least 39 [14:05] political executions. [14:07] That was That was uh [14:09] reported by Amnesty International on May [14:11] 28th, just about a week ago. [14:14] Many Iranians said they must also [14:16] contend with frequent, often arbitrary [14:18] police checks and roadblocks [14:21] during which cell phones and cars are [14:23] searched. At these checkpoints, many [14:24] people have been arrested simply because [14:26] of their social media posts. [14:29] As a member of the Committee on Human [14:30] Rights Reporters, a grassroots activist [14:32] organization, [14:34] Shiva Nazar Ahari has documented [14:37] violations in Iran. Because of her work, [14:39] she was repeatedly arrested and served [14:41] several prison sentences according to [14:43] Amnesty International. She now fled the [14:45] country and lives in Slovenia. [14:50] Following an 88-nationwide internet [14:52] shutdown, access was partially restored [14:54] at the end of May, but many services [14:56] remain restricted making communication [14:58] with the outside world difficult. In [15:00] recent days, we've learned that most of [15:02] those arrested in connection with the [15:03] nationwide protests in January are still [15:06] in prison. [15:07] Public attention is focused on the [15:09] executions, which is which is of course [15:11] extremely important, but the available [15:13] information shows that even people with [15:15] no prior criminal record are being given [15:17] prison sentences of at least four to [15:19] five years and in many cases more than [15:22] 10. [15:23] Now, you put this whole picture [15:25] together, everything I'm showing you [15:26] with the student protests that are going [15:28] on [15:29] that are growing and spreading all over [15:31] the country. [15:33] And you have uh [15:36] underneath the student protests, it's [15:37] not just about the way entrance exams [15:39] are structured, but really they're [15:41] really pushing back against the debt [15:43] being stacked against regular Iranians. [15:46] Uh they're also being surveilled and and [15:48] and uh their social media posts are [15:50] being watched and people are getting [15:51] arrested left and right. And meanwhile, [15:54] people's money is disappearing from [15:55] banks. [15:56] And the and the inflation is is crazy. [15:59] There's There's no money. There's no [16:01] resources. [16:02] All of this points to a lot of [16:05] instability. Let's just say that. Which [16:07] means that even as we say, "Hey, look, [16:09] the regime is still in power and Trump [16:11] is negotiating with them and that might [16:13] leave them in power." [16:14] The Iranian people are going to have a [16:15] say here. And the more that this type of [16:18] thing continues, the more we might see. [16:20] We might be on the verge of seeing the [16:22] dam breaking and the people flooding out [16:24] into the streets again and then it'll be [16:25] interesting to see [16:27] what the regime does. [16:29] It's hard to imagine that considering [16:31] everything that's happened that uh [16:34] that the West [16:36] and in particular President Trump will [16:37] allow there to be a brutal crackdown of [16:39] protests in this current environment. [16:42] So, [16:43] things are uh [16:44] there's more stirring in the streets of [16:46] Iran than we thought uh before the [16:49] internet was restored, we didn't have as [16:51] much awareness of what was going on [16:52] there, but now we're seeing that there's [16:53] a lot actually happening. [16:55] More information is getting out and it [16:57] looks like the people are are getting [17:00] active and it often starts with the [17:01] university campuses. Many of the protest [17:03] movements in the past over the last few [17:05] decades in Iran started on the [17:06] university campuses. So, we have to [17:08] watch this very closely and see what [17:10] type of reports come out on this in the [17:12] next few days. Should be interesting.
