Protests erupt in southern Iran amid public rage

A gathering to mourn victims who died in the collapse of a new building in Abadan, south-western Iran, turned into anti-government protests Wednesday evening.

Disruption of the Internet in Abadan Wednesday night, to prevent uploading images of protests to social media, has continued but several videos have found their way to social media. 

The videos show hundreds of residents who had gathered to mourn the victims of the collapse a part of the ten-story Metropol twin towers Monday chanting against officials and clerical rule.

Protesters chanted some of the slogans popular at other anti-government protests including “Clerics Must Get Lost”, “Our enemy Is Here, It’s a Lie To Say It’s America”, “Neither Gaza, Nor Lebanon, I’ll Sacrifice My Life To Iran” as well as “Rise the People of Abadan, Your Brothers Were Killed” and “Shame on Our Shameless Authorities”.

Another slogan heard at the protest was “God Bless Your Soul Reza Shah”, a slogan often chanted at anti-government protests by those who venerate the 20th century founder of the deposed Pahlavi Dynasty as Iran’s savior and modernizer.

Iran witnessed days of protests in May when the government raised food prices, with the overall political situation remaining tense.

Abadan protesters also demanded the resignation of local government officials who they hold responsible for the tragedy, mismanagement of the situation after the building’s collapse, and alleged cover ups.

Protesters are angry about the mismanagement of the country and deep corruption which allowed the owner of the building to evade building safety regulations through his alleged close relations with powerful officials. They also accuse the authorities of mismanaging rescue operations and allegedly helping the owner, Hossein Abdolbaghi, to escape.

Many are also angry that in his meeting with lawmakers Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei did not condole the families of the victims or mention the tragedy.

Earlier in the month, the government stopped a key import subsidy, effectively raising bread and other food prices and triggering protests in numerous small towns and cities across the country. But the unrest quickly turned into anti-Islamic Republic protests with people chanting slogans against top government leaders.

Iranian authorities cut off the Internet and considered the protests a result of incitement by internal traitors, dissidents and foreign media and urged the security apparatus to target key elements and behind-the-scenes leaders as well as field agents, organizers, and people participating in the rallies.