Simin Rouzgar

Nationwide Protests in December – Especially in comparison to the closest similar example in terms of timing, namely the protests of 2009 – were neglected; meaning that not only did these protests not receive significant media coverage, but even those who were killed during these protests did not attract much attention. Although the faces of many victims of the 2009 protests are still fresh in people’s minds, at the same time, few remember the images of the victims of the December protests; it remains that for most of them, their names and photos were never published.

In this issue of Khat-e-Solh, we have talked with joy with the lawyer and founder of the Justice Organization for Iran about the reasons behind this issue and the nature of the nationwide protests in December. Mrs. Sadar says that those who came to the streets in December had three characteristics that made their voices not heard as they deserved; they were from small towns, chanted radical slogans, and belonged to the upper classes. She also believes that the way many journalists and members of civil society dealt with the December protests was shameful and even embarrassing: “Not only did they not support and accompany them, but they also colluded in their suppression.”

Mrs. Sadar, what was the characteristic of the killed protesters in the nationwide protests of January that their image was not highlighted in the media and their names were not deeply engraved in people’s memories?

There are three characteristics that stand out in relation to those who participated in these protests. Firstly, these protests did not start in Tehran, unlike many of the protests we have seen before. They began in Mashhad and then spread to other cities. Tehran joined the protests much later and even then, the gatherings were smaller compared to other cities, which is not what we would expect from a big city like Tehran. Therefore, we can say that being from a smaller city was one of the characteristics of these protests.

The second aspect was related to the radical slogans and demands that were raised in these protests, which set them apart from previous protests. Of course, I do not mean to say that all protests were the same and had unified slogans, but in general, the slogans were very radical. The protesters connected their issues, such as economic problems, corruption, and class divide, to the overall government and expressed their opposition to the system. In this sense, questioning and criticizing the overall Islamic Republic

These three characteristics, namely being from a rural area, shouting radical slogans, and belonging to the lower classes, caused their voices to not be heard as they should have been. Both domestic and international media did not cover their news. Even those who may not be considered media, such as intellectuals and opinion leaders, did not give enough importance to these protests and their demands. Either the slogans were too radical for them, or they did not have a proper understanding of this class, which was neither middle class nor elite, to analyze the issue. Many gatherings were held in cities that were not even well-known.

Where was the Iranian civil society during these protests? Why did no movement or civil organization organize itself to participate in these protests?

In summary, it can be said that organized groups and institutions, or what is known as civil society, were standing still and in the best and most optimistic case, they were just observers. We also witnessed that many journalists or individuals who are members of civil society, opposed these protests and even some of them agreed and joined with the oppressive and violent actions of security forces. Overall, in my opinion, the forces that were supposed to be progressive and bring about change and move society forward, had a very weak track record and unfortunately, in some cases, even showed shame in their approach towards these protests. Not only did they not support or stand in solidarity, but as I mentioned, they were complicit in the oppression.

Based on this, can it be said that Iranian society is generally centralized and does not pay attention to peripheral and marginalized areas of the country?

See, it’s not just about neglecting the border areas of the country. The issue is neglecting those who are generally on the margins; whether it’s in a big city like Tehran or in smaller towns. Of course, in smaller towns, due to the geographical distance and being far away, there is no attention given at all.

As we distance ourselves from the December protests in terms of time, I see this issue more as one of the main reasons for the lack of joining of many groups of people or activists to these protests was that they thought these protests were very radical and would probably have to pay a high cost. Those who participated in these gatherings, on the contrary to the beliefs that were tried to be portrayed in their minds, paid higher costs compared to other gatherings (such as post-88 election gatherings). The number of deaths in prison is a very important sign. Also, the number of detainees (which according to official statistics is at least 4,000 people), compared to the total number of people who participated in these gatherings, has a much higher number than the detentions of post-88 events. But the main issue is that we should not forget the class aspect of the December protests. This aspect is very prominent. The reality is that in Iranian society, it is true that due to organized corruption,

Who can be the voice of these protesters, who now, after suppressing the protests, wants to express their demands? Can this shortage be addressed, or can civil society be expanded in the upper classes?

As you mentioned, these protests were suppressed. In my opinion, the Islamic Republic, if it lacks skill in anything, it has a lot of skill in suppressing. Therefore, this severe suppression always results in driving people from the streets to their homes. Of course, when we talk about suppression, we should not use the past tense; suppression has not ended. But in any case, this does not mean that the demands that the protesters took to the streets for will disappear. As I mentioned, their demands are basic needs that humans cannot live without. The issue is the issue of bread and hunger. Those people ask themselves why they are hungry, and the answer to this question is that because wealth and power are divided among a limited group and widespread corruption prevents anything from reaching our table. That is why they see the government as a symbol. Although there is a stereotypical image in our minds that the upper classes are illiterate and have no analytical power, in fact, their analysis of political economy

In any case, I think because these demands are not going away and it’s not a matter that can be forgotten – especially since we don’t see any will from government authorities to respond to these demands – these people will find their own organization and their own leaders. We may not know about their methods of organization, but they certainly had ways of knowing where to gather in a small town, at a certain time, at a certain place. Even if we look at the slogans, we can see that they were not just randomly formed on the streets. In any case, there are people in these gatherings who take on the responsibility of leadership, or there will be leaders in the future who can gather these individuals around these demands again. Therefore, I don’t think we can create a civil society among these classes with mechanical methods. Our very inefficient and backward civil society cannot teach anything to the people. A civil society that is behind the people has nothing to say. In fact, on the contrary,

What were the nationwide protests in December a result of? Can it be said that these protests were primarily based on economic demands?

In my opinion, it is a mistake to say that the main focus of these protests was economic demands. I do not see economic and political demands as separate issues. Because there is a strong relationship between economy and politics, drawing a line between these two demands is not accurate. Especially in a society like Iran, where people’s livelihood issues are deeply intertwined with lack of democracy, transparency, and rule of law. The people who took to the streets clearly saw this and expressed their demands. They see that their deprivation of basic and fundamental rights and necessities of life is directly linked to the political situation in Iran, and that is why they are burning images of the leader of the Islamic Republic. They know that it is this overall situation that has caused bread to be absent from their tables. Therefore, what the protesters were thinking was that all factions of this government are deeply corrupt economically. Economic corruption that is rooted in the absence of democracy, freedom of expression, and free media. The absence of these civil

This is an image caption.

این یک عنوان تصویر است.
“Armin Sadeghi”, a 13-year-old teenager from Khomeini city, who lost his life during the nationwide protests in December.

Can it be said that the nationwide protests in December have also had achievements?

Of course, we should not forget these achievements. Even though these protests did not result in a street uprising, with their presence for two to three weeks and by paying a high cost, the protesters had a significant impact on all political equations and the perspectives of all analysts, media outlets, human rights organizations, and anyone observing the developments in Iran. We can now divide everything in the realm of politics and theoretical analysis into before and after the December protests. Before the December protests, there were certain discussions that were taken for granted, such as the belief that if we want to bring about change in Iran, the only way is through reforms, and the only force we can rely on – even if it takes gradual and peaceful steps – are the reformists. Now, this dual equation of “bad” and “worse” that had no escape has completely changed. The December protesters showed us that this duality does not exist and that they are all part of one movement, which, in my opinion

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us.