Protests erupted on Friday morning following the execution of three prisoners in Tehran and Isfahan. The demonstrations, fueled by public anger, continued throughout the afternoon and evening in various cities.
In Tehran, citizens and rebellious youth took to the streets in several areas, including Tehran Pars, Ekbatan, Sattar Khan, Sadeghieh, Takhti Street, and Naziabad. They expressed their dissent through demonstrations and chanting slogans against Khamenei. Some of the slogans included “Death to the bloodthirsty Khamenei,” “We anticipate the day we get armed,” “Death to the dictator,” “Isfahan, Isfahan, condolences, condolences,” “From Isfahan to Tehran, my life is sacrificed for Iran,” “This year is the year of sacrifice, Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown,” “Rootless Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) is rootless, uprising forever!” “Poverty, corruption and high prices, we will go until the regime is overthrown,” “If we do not stand together, we will be killed one by one,” “So many years of crimes, death to this theocracy,” “Death to the murderous government,” and “Death to the execution republic.”
In Quds City of Tehran, youths set a government banner on fire, and in Ekbatan town, the night echoed with chants of “Death to the dictator” and “This year is the year of sacrifice, Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown.” The youth also blocked the street in Sadeghieh.
May 19 – Tehran, #Iran
Protesters torched a large poster of regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/QRZl5wv20A— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 19, 2023
The people of Isfahan gathered outside the house of Saeed Yaqoubi to express their condolences to his family and chanted the slogans “Death to Khamenei” and “This perished flower, gift to the country.” In other areas of Isfahan, young people protested with slogans such as “Death to the dictator,” “Death to the execution regime,” and “We swear to our heroes that we will stand until the very end.”
In Vakil Abad in Mashhad, Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, Gohardasht, Gulshahr, Karaj, and Dehgolan in Kurdistan, youths chanted slogans like “Rootless Khamenei, we will bury you!,” “Death to Khamenei,” “Death to the execution republic,” “We don’t want the execution government, we don’t want it,” “So many years of crime, death to this theocracy,” and “So long as the dictator is in power, the uprising continues.” They initiated demonstrations and protests against criminal executions.
Brave young people in Mahabad protested by setting fires in the streets, and the public showed support by honking their car horns. In Rasht, people demonstrated in Shahrdari Square.
May 19 – Mahabad, western #Iran
Locals are protesting this morning's execution in Isfahan's Dastgerd Prison by establishing roadblocks.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام pic.twitter.com/EeWF3OX72o— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 19, 2023
On Friday night, a significant number of families and relatives of prisoners sentenced to death protested in front of Qezelhassar prison in Karaj, shouting “Don’t execute.” However, Khamenei’s repressive agents responded with tear gas and bullets, injuring several individuals and attempting to prevent the gathering.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
May 20, 2023
May 19 – Karaj, west of Tehran, #Iran
Regime security forces used tear gas on families of death row inmates in Qezel Hesar Prison.#StopExecutionsInIran #قیام_جواب_اعدام https://t.co/rJtUtTxKY1— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 19, 2023