“Mubarak, Ben Ali, now Seyed Ali”, “Down with Khamenei”, “Down with dictator”, “Free all political prisoners”, “Khamenei must know his days are over” .....
These are a selection of slogans chanted by demonstrators in many cities in Iran yesterday. Tehran was the main focus of protests against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The regime’s armed forces and plain cloths officers blocked many streets to prevent people from gathering. However, people defied them and managed to assemble in groups and clashed with the security forces. The protests continued till early hours of the morning.
The new slogan chanted by the protestors “Mubarak, Ben Ali, now Seyed Ali” referring to ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supremel Leader of the regime, is a direct reflection of the wave of protests in Tunisia and Egypt. Young people in many places tore and burned pictures of Khamenei.
These protests, contrary to what the reformist opposition within the government expects, are not about “implementing the constitution”. They are about the desire of people in Iran to change the whole of the regime. Some pro-reformist forces tried to stop people from chanting anti government slogans but to no avail.
People in Iran have shown that they use any split within the regime to demonstrate their hatred of the totality of the regime. The fundamental demand of the people in Iran is the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran and not its reform. Any protest will quickly lead to such desire.
The international solidarity of people of Iran with the protestors in Tunisia and Egypt is another aspect of the forward thinking of the recent events in the region. People have rid themselves from nationalistic sentiments and declared their solidarity with their human kind.
Another aspect of the current protests in Iran is the role that the radical, young and freedom loving youth are playing. They are fearless in combatting the security forces.
The complete demise and overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the prerequisite to consolidation of demands such as “freedom, equality and prosperity.” The overthrow of the regime can be done by the radical, progressive forces in the forefront of the revolutionary movement. We must unite. We must build mass organizations in living and working areas. Workers’ Councils and Peoples’ councils are the most suitable organizations.
