Blackout Fails to Hide Widespread Protests and Violent Crackdown in Iran
Despite internet blackout, reports reveal mass civilian casualties, paramilitary violence, and widespread unrest across more than 400 cities.
Kolkata / Tehran, Jan 24 : The scale of Iran’s protests and the government’s violent response is emerging despite a nationwide internet shutdown, highlighting unprecedented repression across the country. Activists warn that the regime has employed decades old tactics including rooftop shootings, birdshot fired into crowds, and Basij paramilitary beatings on an extraordinary scale.
“The vast majority of protesters were peaceful. Families, children, and ordinary citizens filled the streets, chanting and marching,” said Raha Bahreini of Amnesty International. “Authorities responded with unlawful lethal force.”
The unrest began on December 28, 2025, in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over the collapse of the rial and spread rapidly across the country. Demonstrations intensified on January 8, following calls from Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, drawing tens of thousands to the streets before authorities cut communications.
Iranian officials acknowledge that violence erupted in earnest on January 8, involving more than 400 cities. State media and Basij volunteers, who are closely linked with neighborhood mosques, have played a central role in suppressing protesters. Videos show anti-riot police firing shotguns and using batons and assault rifles, leaving hundreds with gunshot injuries, including blinding pellet wounds.
Casualty estimates vary widely. Iranian authorities reported 3,117 deaths, while activist groups put the toll at over 5,100, including 4,834 protesters, 54 children, and dozens of non-participant civilians. Mass arrests continue amid the internet blackout, with dozens to hundreds detained daily.
“Security forces have relentlessly fired at protesters, chasing them even as they fled,” said Bahreini. “The aim appears to be widespread terror and suppression of dissent.”
The crackdown comes as U.S. military presence increases in the region, raising concerns of further escalation. Meanwhile, Iranians are expected to hold memorials 40 days after the killings, potentially sparking renewed demonstrations. Satellite imagery shows large gatherings at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, underscoring the scale of public mourning and anger.
Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist at Tehran’s pro-reform Ham Mihan, described the atmosphere: “Hard days have passed, and everyone is stunned; a whole country is in mourning. The city smells of death.”
