Reflections on Iran’s protests: Perils and potentiality
Jina Mahsa Amini. Source: wikimedia commons by Paola Rivetti The anti-patriarchal protests in Iran that started after the death of young Jina/Mahsa Amini on September 16 are now entering the third week. After initial surprise and enthusiasm, this phase of the ongoing protests seems more complex and generates questions in those who observe and support them. In Iran and the diaspora, observers and supporters reflect on the direction of the protests and their leadership. In the diaspora, old and new political conflicts erupt between factions, with some factions promising purges after the Islamic Republic is overthrown and a new, post-protests, regime is established. At the same time, in Iran, signs of fatigue and class division appear. After watching videos of demonstrators attacking police cars, a friend confided that she was afraid to drive around the city, as riots erupted in her middle-class neighbourhood in north Tehran too in recent days. While during the weekend we have seen...