Iran protest against soaring prices- No. 5
A regime parliament deputy: The MEK once again portrayed its enmity by attacking the offices of the Friday prayer leaders of seminaries and Basij bases … They attacked the Basij with weapons.
On Sunday evening, May 16th, on the fifth day of the uprising against the unbridled price hikes, the enraged people of Shahrekord continued their protests, despite repressive measures and widespread arrests. They chanted, “Death to Khamenei – Raisi,” “Death to the Dictator,” and “Death to the principle of Velayat-e-Faqih (absolute rule of the clergy).” The repressive forces opened fire at the demonstrators and fired tear gas. However, people continued to protest chanting, “Have no fear, we are all together.” The regime has cut off the Internet in the city.
Ahmad Rastineh, a regime parliament deputy from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, terrified of the continuation of the popular uprising, said in Sunday’s session of the parliament: The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI) “showed their enmity by attacking the offices of the Friday prayer leaders, seminaries, and Basij bases.” Expressing his concern over the seizure of an anti-people Basij base in Hafshejan, Rastineh added, “Last night, they were armed when attacking the Basij base … during which a number of Basijis were wounded and one was targeted by direct fire from the hypocrites (regime’s pejorative term to demonize the MEK),” reported state-run Radio Farhang on May 15, 2022.
The State TV, main news channel – Shabakeh Khabar, quoting the IRGC Brig. Gen Ahmad Vahidi, the current regime’s Interior Minister, said, on May 13, 2022, “The MEK will not give up, they will continue their desperate efforts, and it is natural for them to, for example, try to bring in some of these people (to protest) who are, however, mercenaries and affiliated with the same terrorist groups.”
On the same day, cleric, Ahmadreza Shahrokhi, Khamenei’s representative in Khorramabad told the state TV: “Using the social media extensively, the MEK seeks to provoke the public opinion by publicizing the shortage of goods in cyberspace.”
In another development, on Sunday morning, May 15, 2022, the social security retirees and pensioners protested against the soaring prices and their low salaries. The protesters in Tehran gathered outside the regime parliament and in various other cities including Isfahan, Mashhad, Arak, Ilam, Karaj, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Qazvin outside the city social security offices. In Tehran, repressive SSF and plainclothes forces prevented the retirees’ gathering. Referring to the regime’s president, Raisi, the retirees, chanted “You, sixth-grader, what happened to your promises.” “High prices and inflation are killing people.”
Simultaneously, supporters of the Iranian Resistance demonstrated in Berlin, Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Gothenburg, Ottawa, and Bucharest, as well as in Washington D. C. (in front of the White House) in support of the nationwide uprisings against the soaring prices. They chanted: “Laborers and the poor, MEK stands with you, and supports your struggle,” “We will fight, we will take back Iran.”
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
May 16, 2022
