Last updated:

November 6, 2024

A collage of slogans from nationwide protests of January/ Behdad Bardbar

This is a caption.[/caption]

این یک عنوان است.

This is a caption.
Bahdad Bordbar

In the widespread protests of December 2017, new slogans were raised for the first time. These slogans are not a written or organized manifesto, but they represent the demands of the people participating in these protests.

The February 1979 Revolution, known as the struggle against tyranny and in the name of the oppressed, poor, and marginalized, was victorious. Part of the slogans raised during this revolution were born out of these desires. However, 39 years after the victory of the revolution, some of these oppressed individuals are now at the forefront of protests against the two main political factions in the country, declaring: “Reformists, fundamentalists, it’s all over.” This slogan was raised in a situation where the voices of protests from women, workers, farmers, teachers, students, retirees, and victims of financial institutions are heard every day from Iran, and it seems that the protesters have no hope for reform.

In December 2017, protests in around 100 cities in the country led to the death of at least 25 protesters on the streets. However, this number was announced by the spokesperson of the Iranian Judiciary and unofficial reports suggest a higher number.

Fighting against dictatorship

One of the very serious and new points in the slogans that have been raised, which shows the difference between these protests and the Green Movement, is that the slogans are against the first person of the government. Slogans such as “Death to the dictator”, “The nation is begging, the leader is acting like God”, “Oh leader, your grave is ready” and “Death to Khamenei”.

These slogans were transformed into a part of the main slogans of the protesters in less than 24 hours, while in the protests of 2009, it took months for the slogans to shift from the issue of vote fraud in the elections to directly targeting the country’s leader. The goal of targeting the country’s leader through these slogans can be the result of the full involvement of the leadership of the Islamic Republic in all affairs and matters, leading people in both small and large cities to hold him responsible for the country’s economic, political, and social problems. During the 2009 protests, the reformists, who considered themselves as the leaders of the Green Movement, attempted to control the slogans and demands. This confrontation between them and the overthrowers’ demands was so serious that after the protests known as Ashura – which resulted in intense clashes between the protesters and the police and plainclothes forces – the reformists immediately condemned “violence” and “destructive slogans” in the role of

Against interventionism

Some of these slogans were in criticism of Iran’s interventionist policies in the region. It should be noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been involved in regional wars in the past, and the slogan against Iran’s behavior in the region also has a history in the Green Movement. Slogans such as “Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My Life for Iran” at that time provoked the intense anger of the hardline ruling establishment, and this time too, protesters target Iran’s warmongering policies in the region and its interference, and once again say “Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My Life for Iran” or chant slogans such as “Abandon Syria, Think of Our Situation” or “Death to Russia”.

These slogans also reflect the public awareness of the impact of the Islamic Republic’s international behavior on domestic issues in Iran. The billions of dollars in budget that could be used for development projects and improving the lives of Iranians, is being wasted on regional and extra-regional adventures by the Islamic Republic, which is the target of these slogans. It is important to also consider the influence of Russia on the behavior of the Islamic Republic. This influence has been recognized by the masses and is being protested through these slogans.

In the protests of 1388, the slogans raised against the regional interventions of the Islamic Republic had a nationalist or political tone, but in the protests of December 2017, the slogans raised against these interventions were mostly rooted in economic issues. The protesters, in the midst of Iran’s poor economic conditions, were protesting against astronomical and unknown expenses that were being spent on war-mongering activities in Middle Eastern countries, instead of being used to create employment opportunities in Iran or to develop the country.

Enemy identification; from leadership to people.

In the literature of leadership in the Islamic Republic, “enemy” has a special role and position. In these slogans, it seems that the people have also interpreted their own version of the enemy. From chanting “death to” the president “Rouhani” to the first person in power, both by name and by calling them dictators, to the main countries supporting the Iranian regime such as Russia, China, and even Hezbollah in Lebanon. And also slogans like “All these armies have come, against the leader they have come” and the humorous slogan of the people of Isfahan with the message “Seyed Ali, forgive us! We have to stand up!” all show the people’s enmity towards the leader and the ruling elite on one hand, and the regional and non-regional supporters of the Islamic Republic on the other hand. Protesters who (as mentioned before) do not consider both main currents of power legitimate and do not accept them (at least based on what

Positive slogans:

In addition to these slogans, positive slogans were also raised. From “Independence, Freedom, Iranian Republic” which was a slogan that was raised again and is a reminder of the Green Movement slogans that also sparked many discussions during that time, such as “We fight, we die, we take back Iran”, “This is the people’s slogan, referendum, referendum”, “Bread, work, and freedom”, and “You climbed on Islam, you humiliated the people” which in a way reflects the protesters’ desire for politics to become more customary in Iran and for the rulers of Iran to come down from their mental heavens to the earthly realities of people’s daily lives, which should be fulfilled in an Iran with a republican government without any prefixes or suffixes, according to these slogans.

This means that in fact, the protesters have taken a serious stance against the two main currents of the country, identifying the main cause of problems with their enmity, and then demanding a political solution (such as a referendum) in their slogans.

Important Note in the Slogans of this Round of Protests: The rapid rotation of slogans from the issue of people’s livelihood (economy) to the issue of politics is noteworthy. It is as if people have realized that in Iran, where the rulers have expanded their interference in all areas of human life, the solution to economic problems lies in solving the main problem in the political sphere of this country. Politics and economy in Iran today are two sides of the same coin. In a democratic and transparent government, corruption becomes evident and by solving the problem of corruption or reducing it, a significant portion of the people’s economic problems can also be solved. The collection of slogans raised in the protests of December was a cry for the fact that the protesters do not see reformist solutions as effective in solving economic and livelihood problems, and believe that solving economic problems is possible by making fundamental changes in the political and power structure in Iran.

A memory from the past against the present.

Among the slogans of nationwide protests in December 2017, there were also slogans in support or remembrance of the previous political regime in Iran. “May your soul rest in peace, Reza Shah” or “May your soul rest in peace, Shahanshah” and “Oh Shah of Iran, return to Iran” were chanted, particularly in religious cities such as Qom. Interestingly, based on videos shared from protests in various cities of Iran, it can be concluded that these slogans were most widely used in Qom, which is considered the ideological capital of the Islamic Republic and home to many Shia clerics.

According to Mehr News Agency, on February 1, 2018, Nasratollah Lotfi, the deputy of the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council, stated that 85% of the country’s population were either not born or were 5 years old during the revolution in February 1979. This means that 85% of the population have no personal experience of the previous government in Iran and only rely on comparing the performance of the two governments and the influence of media outlets such as “Manoto” TV, which are trying to present a white and problem-free image of that era (and incidentally, it has been one of the most watched Persian-language TV channels in recent years), they chant slogans in favor of the previous government of Iran after passing through the current government’s rule.

Let’s not forget that the official system of the Islamic Republic has been waving its hand at the absolute blackness of the Pahlavi era for four decades (its latest attempt being the series “The Mystery of the Shah”) and in fact, mentioning the good aspects of the Pahlavi regime is interpreted as a confrontation with the current rule. This means that the lack of historical honesty, very bad attacks, one-sided and unscientific and illogical actions of the official system of the Islamic Republic on one hand, and the media and advertising activities of popular television channels mentioned on the other hand, have caused a generation that has no personal experience or existence in that era and only receives information from these main sources on both sides, to see mentioning the good aspects of the past rulers or the desire to revive the past as a way to confront the current structure. In fact, these memories are more negative than positive. Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah are symbols of a secular, modern, and

The economic policies of the Iranian government in the three decades after the war have led to widespread deprivation in society, while at the same time the same government that claims to have no budget and is unable to create employment presents itself as a regional military power and participates in regional competitions. These economic policies, along with four decades of comprehensive repression and systematic corruption in the structure of the Islamic Republic, have actually resulted in the inefficiency of the current governing structure, and the protesters of nationwide protests have risen up against this structural inefficiency.

The level of humiliation that the people of Iran, especially the youth, endure from the political isolation of the Iranian government is far greater than has been acknowledged. From the invalidity of Iranian passports to the constant association of Iran and Iranians with terrorism and assassination, it is unbearable for the people and youth of Iran. The stigma of being Iranian is even stamped on the foreheads of political refugees fleeing the country, and the world is faced with negative news every day regarding the non-diplomatic and terrorist actions of the Islamic Republic, unconsciously creating a negative sentiment towards Iran and Iranians. Furthermore, the weakness of Iran’s international relations, demonstrated even in the failure of Iranian sports federations to pay the salaries of national and club teams, has become a psychological pressure on all Iranian people and youth. From the deprivation of Iranian football teams from hosting Arab countries after the occupation of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, to the latest example of the exclusion of a coach and wrestler from the Iranian national team due to their

The nationwide protests of December 2017 have subsided; however, they have not completely ended and are currently smoldering under the surface. It seems as though the living body of Iranian society wants to see the government’s reaction to these protests. The reaction, which in the following months has been accompanied by widespread suppression – from environmental activists and women to dervishes – and it seems that the government has chosen to listen to the people’s voices and increase suppression. We must wait and see how these slogans will be pursued in the next phases of protests in Iran.

Created By: Behdad Bordbar
March 20, 2018

Tags

Bahad Bardbar Nationwide protests in December peace line Slogan