{"id":229956,"date":"2020-11-19T14:56:39","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T14:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=229956"},"modified":"2023-01-26T20:57:49","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T19:57:49","slug":"editorial-iran-the-november-2019-uprising-one-year-after","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/uncategorized\/editorial-iran-the-november-2019-uprising-one-year-after\/","title":{"rendered":"EDITORIAL: Iran, the November 2019 Uprising, One Year After"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maryam<\/a>The announcement on the tripling of gasoline prices on Friday, evening, November 15, 2019, initiated a nationwide uprising<\/a> that continued for several days. The lightening spread of the protests, and with the young generation, especially the deprived, previously believed to be the regime’s power base, leading the way, shook the clerical regime’s foundation.<\/p>\n

The regime reacted with the utmost brutality to preserve its rule by turning the protests into a bloodbath. The IRGC, the paramilitary Bassij, the State Security Force (SSF) and plainclothes officers used live fire to target the unarmed protests with orders to shoot and kill. In some areas, such as Mahshahr, they also used armored vehicles, helicopters, and high caliber machine guns. At least 1,500 people were killed, 4,000 wounded, and 12,000 arrested during the crackdown.<\/p>\n

Despite such barbarity, and while the gasoline price hike acted as the spark, the uprising engulfed nearly 200 cities, with the protesters calling for the overthrow of the regime in its entirety.<\/p>\n

What made the uprising different from previous upheavals was its organized nature, as the resistance units affiliated with the main Iranian opposition the Mujahedin-e Khalq<\/a> (MEK<\/a>) were actively involved. The regime\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted this fact a few weeks later. Another distinctive feature of the uprising was the widespread and leading role played by women, who showed extraordinary courage and competence in guiding the protests.<\/p>\n

Now, the fundamental and very important question is whether the November 2019 uprising belongs to the past, or is it a continuous movement?<\/p>\n

“This uprising is continuing, expanding, and deepening. It is linked to and supported by organized resistance. The regime has no way out and lacks any winning cards.” The Iranian Resistance\u2019s Leader Massoud Rajavi<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

The November 2019 uprising and the January 2019 unrest proved the correctness of those remarks. There are many other signs and reasons as well. Most importantly, the regime’s reactions clearly show the fact that the spirit of the November 2019 uprising is present in Iranian society as “embers beneath the ashes” and will explode sooner or later. The following underlying reasons explain why the spirit of resistance and rebellion is alive and well in Iran.<\/p>\n