Deadly Iran protests

This item appears on page 18 of the January 2020 issue.

Ongoing protests against rising fuel costs and purchasing limits began in Iran on Nov. 15, quickly becoming violent. Protests had mostly subsided by the 21st.

According to Amnesty International, at least 100 people were killed during the protests, a number that the Iranian government denies. Iran shut down access to the internet and phone service nationwide from Nov. 16 to 21 to limit protesters’ ability to communicate and plan protests.

One government-approved news source, Fars News, reported that protests occurred in 100 cities and that at least 1,000 people had been arrested, with more than 150 businesses set on fire.