Demonstrators Hold Overnight Protests Across Iran

Protests continued with more intensity Thursday in Tehran and 26 other cities. Security forces used tear gas and shot several protesters dead in various cities.

Despite the heavy presence of security forces on the streets and violence against protesters, thousands held nighttime gatherings and chanted slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic in the capital Tehran and many other cities, particularly in western provinces of Kordestan, East and West Azarbaijan, and Khuzestan.

Videos circulating on social media also show protests in Qazvin, Zanjan, Miandoab, Baneh, and Shahriyar.

According to Amnesty International, security forces killed eight protesters between Wednesday and Thursday night. Amnesty has called on the UN Human Rights Council to take decisive action and immediately convene a special session on Iran in order to prevent further loss of life in the country. “Failure to act decisively will only embolden the Iranian authorities to further crackdown against mourners and protesters,” an Amnesty statement said Thursday evening.

In Baqeri highway in eastern Tehran angry protesters set trash bins on fire and blocked streets.

Other videos show people protesting in Molavi neighborhood in the south of capital calling for the government’s downfall.

Videos posted on social media show a huge number of demonstrators gathered in Chitgar neighborhood in western Tehran chanting "This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali [Khamenei] will be gone” and “We’re all Nika, we’re ready to fight" referring to 16-year-old Nika Shakarami who was commemorated by protesters in many cities on the 40th-day of her death.

Protesters also chanted “Women, Life, Liberty” in Ahvaz, capital of the oil-rich Khuzestan Province.

In Shoush in southern Khuzestan Province regime forces attacked people and fired tear gas to disperse chanting protesters.

Special forces fired tear gas at apartment windows in the same neighborhood (Chitgar) to silence people chanting from their windows.

Similar protests were also staged in Ekabatan in the west of the capital and Tehranpars in the east and several other districts of Tehran.

People in Punak neighborhood in western Tehran lit fires and formed human circles around it, chanting “Death to the child-killing government.”

Thursday evening's protest was the first-time large scale demonstrations in the northern city of Astara, Gilan Province.

In the northern city of Rasht, capital of Gilan Province people chanted slogans against clerics and clerical rule.

In the eastern religious city of Mashhad, home to an important Shiite shrine, antigovernment demonstrations were staged with people chanting “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom,” and “Death to the Dictator”.

People took to the streets in the Kurdish city of Bukan in West Azarbaijan chanting the same slogan.

In Shiraz where there had been fewer protests people called for support from their fellow citizens asking them to join the protests.

Videos posted on social media show unrest in Boroujerd in Lorestan province with police forces trying to crack down on angry dissenters.

Security forces also opened fire on protesters in the Caspian Sea port city of Anzali.