Iran’s security forces have shot dead at least eight protesters and wounded over a dozen more as protests erupted across the country over a hike in gasoline prices.

On Friday evening, the state security forces opened fire on a demonstration in Sirjan (south-central Iran), killing at least one protester and wounding many protesters. Ruhollah Nazari Fath abad was shot in the head at the Naft (Oil) Square, outside the city’s oil depot and instantly died, reports indicate.

The governor of the city of Sirjan, 800 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran, said on November 16 that the demonstrator was killed under unclear circumstances and that several others were injured.

Local hospitals could not accommodate so many wounded, and several them were hospitalized in the city of Kerman’s Seyyed Ol-Shohada hospital.

Three other protesters were shot dead by the state security forces in Behbahan in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

Three other protesters were also shot and killed in the cities of Shahriyar, Esfahan and Khoramshahr.

Several videos shared on social media appeared to show the state-security forces opening fire using live ammunition.

There were unconfirmed reports today that riot police had also opened fire in the southern city of Shiraz, killing a further eight people.

Riot police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters in numerous cities. There were several videos of security forces brutally beating peaceful protesters in the northwestern city of Tabriz and other areas.

Numerous cities across Iran are witnessing escalating protests over a hike in gasoline prices for the second day on November 16.

People in Tehran and other major cities throughout the country are blocking roads and highways in their sign of protests.

Dozens of videos published on social media channels and from sources inside Iran showed large protests in the capital Tehran, northeastern city of Mashhad, various cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, and northwestern city of Tabriz. Iranians in the western province of Lorestan, Kermanshah and Sanandaj also took to the streets. In Kermanshah and Sanandaj, locals clashed with security forces.