As the country calls for a three-day general strike, dozens of traders have closed shops in several Iranian cities since Monday, December 5.
An unprecedented mobilization in the country, which is part of a wave of mass protests that is shaking the foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And this after the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini on September 13, who set fire to the dust in a country where the veil has been compulsory since 1979.
Merchants are closing up shop
Calls for a general strike have been circulating on social media since last week, particularly through the Twitter account @1500tasvir, which has more than 385,000 subscribers and broadcasts the protests.
This unprecedented strike began on Monday, December 6 and is scheduled to continue until Wednesday evening, affecting more than fifty cities. Videos published on social networks show iron shutters being removed from shops in major cities across the country. Tehran market, one of the largest covered markets in the world, is also closed. A strike that aims to be multi-sectoral. many schoolchildren would also not go to school, and Iranian industrial workers across the country are also being called to revolt. Simple, “the call for a general strike is working– analyzes Iranian sociologist, political scientist Mahnaz Shirali.
This call for rebellion does not seem to have a specific origin, because the leaders who think of this new type of strike do not show up. “It’s a mass movement– explains the researcher, –an uprising based on a common will that emerges, a collectivity that imposes itself“. Under the question mark. “social networks“, which ally the protesters, and which allow demonstrations of this scale.
What to expect from the continuation of this general strike? “Economically, not much“sighs the researcher. “The economic fabric in Iran is anemic and operating at 5% of its capacity“. The regime survived for years.”in offshore markets, forgeries. the spearhead of its activities is based on the underground economy“, he explains. In the factsthe workers’ strike is obviously more than remarkable, but it cannot bring the already crippled Iranian economy to its knees;“.
On the other hand, the symbolic dimension of such a strike plays a significant role. Close his business and give up the working day.it shows how much Iranians no longer want this regime– recalls Mahnaz Shirali. It is another stone that rests on the building of the revolutionary movement in Iran.”who wants nothing less than the overthrow of the regime“.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.