President calls for talks with leaders of demonstrations caused by decline in currency and living standards
Iran’s government has called for dialogue with protest leaders after the country’s largest demonstrations in three years over a plunging currency and declining living conditions.
Protests started on Sunday after Iran’s currency fell to a record low against the US dollar, causing traders and shopkeepers to close their stores in downtown Tehran. This was accompanied by mass protests in the capital as well as in major cities, including Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.
Protesters chanted anti-government slogans, and video on social media showed demonstrators chanting “Don’t be afraid, we are together” and “Azadi”, the Farsi word for freedom. Footage also showed Iranian police in riot gear shooting teargas at protesters.
The protests were the largest since a wave of demonstrations rocked the country after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody following her arrest for not wearing the hijab correctly. At the time, Iranian police responded with force, imposing an internet shutdown and violently cracking down on demonstrations with teargas and gunfire.
