In recent days, Iran has tried to flood the city of Sanandaj in western Iran with security forces on motorcycles in an attempt to regain control over the area, and yet the willingness of protestors to confront security forces is apparent in videos that have been circulating online.
A series of videos obtained by the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis capture several minutes of footage of protesters confronting Iranian regime forces in at least two different locations. One video shows dozens of regime members arriving on motorcycles, some of whom appear to carry weapons. Throughout the video, explosions can be heard in the background, although it is unclear if the noise is the sound of live gunfire or not.
Exclusive videos from our source shows clashes in Sanandaj;#مهسا_امینی #سنندج#MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/pjZDGdIJ9s
— Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis (@MidEast_Center) October 11, 2022
The security forces in the footage may be members of the IRGC Basij forces, or they may be other security forces and regime anti-riot police, as it is not uncommon for the regime to send plainclothes agents to attack protestors.
In the video of the clashes at one intersection, dozens of Iranians, both men and women, can be seen coming out to throw stones at the security forces. These clashes come after several nights of fear that Iran is trying to cut Sanandaj and other Kurdish cities off from the rest of the country and the outside world. Some sources say that Iranian regime forces have been firing on crowds and into homes, smashing up cars and cutting off social media and phone connections. It is hard to verify the death toll from these incidents. ]
A second portion from the same area pic.twitter.com/Yy9bVQLCl9
— Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis (@MidEast_Center) October 11, 2022
Iran has also carried out drone and missile attacks against Kurdish dissident groups in neighboring Iraq, subjecting them to over ten days of artillery bombardment.
Iran’s regime appears to be trying to destroy Kurdish resistance, both through force in the cities and towns of western and northwest Iran, and also via brute force using precision missile strikes, drones and artillery. There are a number of Kurdish resistance groups that historically oppose the Iranian regime, many of which have been targeted over the last two weeks.
The videos from Sanandaj show that average people are not afraid of Iran’s crackdown. In the second series of videos, security forces can be seen advancing slowly down a side street on motorcycles. They don’t appear willing to charge the protesters and one of the regime troops uses what looks like a paintball gun. Later in the video, a lone man with a stone in his hand advances against the dozens of security forces. He throws the stone and is joined by dozens of other men.
This video is from the capital city of Kurdistan province Sinê ( #Sanandaj ) which has been the focal point of the mass protests. People chase the state security forces #سنندج #JinaAmini #JinaMahsaAmini #MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/P7a7VEVkzo
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) October 11, 2022
In another video, posted on October 11 women can be seen in the streets at night chanting “death to the dictator.”
In all these videos, it is clear that large numbers of people are willing to confront Iran’s crackdown on the streets of their city, armed with nothing more than stones. Tear gas, explosions, and what appears to be live fire can be heard on other videos; and at night the streets are strewn with fires and clashing sides.