2017–2018 Iranian protests facts for kids

The protests seen in Tehran

The 2017–2018 Iranian protests were a series of public demonstrations. These protests happened in many cities across Iran. They started on December 28, 2017, and continued into 2018.

The first protest began in Mashhad. This is Iran's second-largest city. At first, people were upset about the country's economic rules. But as the protests grew and spread, people also started to speak out against the government, led by Ali Khamenei.

News reports, like from The Washington Post, said that protesters shouted slogans. They also attacked some government buildings. One common chant was "Death to the dictator!" This showed their strong feelings against the government leader.

In response to these protests, many people who supported the government also held their own rallies. Thousands of government supporters gathered in more than a dozen cities across Iran.

Why Did People Protest?

The protests started because of problems with the economy. Many people in Iran were facing difficulties. They were worried about things like:

• High prices for everyday goods
• Not enough jobs for everyone
• Concerns about corruption in the government

As the protests continued, they grew to include wider complaints. People also expressed their unhappiness with the overall way the country was being run. They wanted changes in how the government worked.

How Did the Government Respond?

The Iranian government reacted to the protests in several ways.

• Ali Khamenei, the country's leader, spoke about the protests. He called them "Fitna", which means a kind of chaos or rebellion. He compared them to earlier protests in 2009.
• The government also organized its own rallies. Thousands of people who supported the government came out to show their loyalty.
• There were also reports of the government limiting access to the internet and social media. This made it harder for protesters to organize and share information.

Images for kids

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  President Hassan Rouhani speaking with Yurt coal mine workers. These workers had protested about the government's management.

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  Damage to a Tehran Bus Rapid Transit station. This happened during the January 2018 protests in Tehran.

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  A person protesting about the economic situation.

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  Khamenei said the protests were like "Fitna". He compared them to the 2009 protests.

See also

In Spanish: Protestas en Irán de 2017-2018 para niños