Protests in Iran reach universities and cities on fifth day of unrest

1. Universities and academic closure
2. Escalation of clashes and repression
3. Information battle and developments as of 2 January

What began on 28 and 29 December with a strike by merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, protesting the collapse of the currency and rising inflation, has turned into a sustained challenge at the national level against the ruling theocracy.

By the third day, the protests had spread far beyond the bazaar and had taken on a clearly political character. Demonstrations were reported throughout Tehran province and in cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Arak, Rasht, Qeshm, Khorramabad, Fasa and Kuhdasht. Night-time rallies became a defining feature, with protesters engaging in rapid street rallies and clashes with security forces.

Slogans such as ‘Death to the dictator’, ‘Death to Khamenei’ and ‘This is the year of blood: Seyed Ali will be overthrown’ were widely chanted, marking a decisive break with purely economic demands.

Universities and academic closure

Universities became important hotbeds of tension. Students at several campuses in Tehran joined the uprising, chanting slogans rejecting humiliation and repression. On the night of 31 December, plainclothes officers and intelligence operatives stormed a women's residence at a major Tehran university and kidnapped several students.

This sparked immediate protests on campus and further fuelled tensions. Shortly afterwards, the authorities announced the closure of universities, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to cut off a key engine of mobilisation and prevent coordination between students and striking merchants.

The raid provoked strong reactions from opposition figures. In a statement on 1 January, Ms Maryam Rajavi said the attack on the women's dormitory highlighted the regime's fear of student mobilisation, particularly the role of young women. She argued that the use of force, arrests and intimidation reflected the collapse of an authority attempting to maintain control through fear, and called on students and citizens to act collectively to resist repression and prevent further arrests.

Escalation of clashes and repression

The clashes intensified on the fourth and fifth days. In Fasa, protesters stormed the governor's office, prompting the Revolutionary Guard to open fire and deploy helicopters in an attempt to intimidate the population.

In Kuhdasht, local authorities acknowledged that a member of the Basij had been killed and several security personnel had been injured during the clashes. In Lordegan, security forces fired directly at protesters, killing at least two and injuring others, while government buildings and banks suffered significant damage.

Information battle and developments as of 2 January

Alongside the physical repression, an organised information battle has become evident. Numerous reports and comparisons of verified videos reveal attempts by actors linked to the regime to insert pro-monarchy slogans into images of the protests and videos posted on the internet. These efforts sought to portray the uprising as favourable to a return to the Shah's system.

Protesters on the ground repeatedly rejected these provocations, responding with chants that explicitly opposed both the former monarchy and the current clerical regime, including ‘Death to the oppressor, whether the Shah or the Leader’. Evidence of audio manipulation and recycled images highlights a deliberate strategy of disinformation aimed at dividing the movement.

As Iran approaches its sixth day of unrest on 2 January, the persistence of protests during the holiday period, their spread to universities and provincial cities, and the clear rejection of both past and present dictatorships suggest a movement that remains resilient, politically defined, and difficult for authorities to contain.