“Our enemy is right here. They’re lying when they say it’s America.”

The Iranian protests have not died down, but one would think otherwise since the protests have received little Western attention.

I mentioned in a blog post last month that those who support the Iranian nuclear deal and the regime want people to think the Iranian citizens hate America. I’ve seen a few places try to pin the blame on the renewed American sanctions.

Videos that have emerged show citizens angry and outraged at the brutal and oppressive regime, not America.

Iranians Mad at Regime, Not America

My friend M. Hanif Jazayeri continues to do a fantastic job on Twitter covering the protests and documenting videos that find a way out of Iran.

Chants in #IranProtests in Ahvaz today: “Our enemy is right here. They’re lying when they say it’s America”. Note to sanctions opponents: Iran’s ppl blame the regime & no one else for the economic failure (Film via MEK) #FreeIran2018 @GMarquis45 @nikkihaley @RichardGrenell @POTUS pic.twitter.com/KTFLcfWEwY — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) released this statement on Thursday morning:

Since this morning, Thursday, August 2, angry protesters in various cities across the country, including Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Najaf Abad and Shahin Shahr, demonstrated against the tyranny of the mullahs’ regime, chanting slogans such as: Death to the Dictator. It was at a time when the repressive forces were on full alert from the first hours of the morning to prevent the formation of these protests, but they failed. The Internet connections have slowed down in many parts of the country. Demonstration started at Shapur Jadid in Isfahan with the slogan: Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, we are all together. The people burned rubber tires to counteract the tear gas and prevent the attack of repressive forces. Anti-riot guards and criminal plainclothes mercenaries attacked the protesters; however, the people clashed with and punished them with sticks, rocks and even bare hand. A number of protesters were arrested. In Shahin Shahr (Isfahan province), the people protested, chanting: Iranians, support us!. A large number of people in Shiraz started their protests from the Zand intersection and chanted: Death to the Dictator; Cannon, tank, firecracker, the mullahs must be killed; Rouhani, shame on you, let go of the country. Courageous young people are struggling with repressive forces, and by burning tires, they have blocked IRGC forces and anti-riot guard mercenaries. Thousands of people from Mashhad rallied from Shohada Square to Tohid Square and chanted the slogans: “Death to the Dictator; Down with high prices; Shame on you who live in palaces, let go of the country. The repressive forces started shooting into the air and firing blank guns. The riot guard attacked the people and arrested some of them, but the people continued to confront and continue their protests. They also chanted: High prices, misery, down with Rouhani.

City of Isfahan

The city of Isfahan, located 268 miles south of Tehran, “turned into a war zone” on Thursday, day three of the protests. Voice of America reported that protestors took to the streets to express anger over “sharply higher prices for imported products due to the dollar’s recent surge to record highs against the rial in unofficial trading,” unemployment, and poverty.

From The Jerusalem Post:

Eyewitnesses reported protestors throwing stones and fires burning at the sites of the demonstrations, and security forces using tear gas and water cannons against the demonstrators, according to the BBC. Truck drivers and shopkeepers in the central Iranian city also protested the day before. Security forces were also present at the earlier demonstration, but did not disrupt the event or attack the protesters. The protesters in Isfahan shouted “Reza Shah, may your soul be glad,” referring to the founder of the previous Pahlavi dynasty. Reza Shah’s son, Muhammad Reza Shah, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

I haven’t found footage of the chants to Reza Shah, but Jazayeri tweeted videos of protesters setting tires on fire to protect themselves from the regime’s troops.

Ppl in Isfahan’s Shahpur district set tires ablaze to prevent Iran regime’s storm troopers from attacking protesters. Situation in the city is extremely tense after 3 days of #IranProtests. Ppl no longer fear the rgm. (video via MEK network) #FreeIran2018 @GMarquis45 @seanhannity pic.twitter.com/CzsUHlwhGz — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

Update from Day 3 of #IranProtests: In Isfahan there are tires burning virtually every 100 meters on the main street. Watch & judge for yourself if things are normal as Iran’s regime claims (Video via MEK activists in city’s Shapur District) #FreeIran2018 @EricShawnTV @benshapiro pic.twitter.com/mfdXLe1157 — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

AUDIO: “August 2, 2018. This is not Syria, Palestine or Yemen. This is Isfahan.” Iran’s 3rd largest city has turned into a WAR-ZONE after 3 days of non-stop #IranProtests w/ chants for regime change (Video via MEK activists) #FreeIran2018 @realDonaldTrump @nikkihaley @EricShawnTV pic.twitter.com/binWlUV07Y — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

Tense atmosphere today in Isfahan, Iran’s third largest city, that has been engulfed in #IranProtests for the past 3 days. (Film via MEK activists) Other major cities inc Tehran, Mashhad, Arak, Shiraz & Ahvaz have been rocked by the protests #FreeIran2018 @EricShawnTV @benshapiro pic.twitter.com/017shyGJgz — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

“Don’t be afraid. We’re all together.” Brave protesters flock to the streets of Isfahan for a 3rd day of #IranProtests despite a crackdown by the regime. Iran’s ppl seek an end to mullahs’ rule (Film via MEK activists in Amir-Kabir Street) #FreeIran2018 @GMarquis45 @statedeptspox pic.twitter.com/NBACKhPkVl — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

While females in America dress as handmaids to protest Vice President Mike Pence, females in Iran who participate in the protests are the actual brave ones. That’s because Iran treats females like second class citizens.

Brave women lead chants at #IranProtests today in Najafabad denouncing Iran rgm’s wasteful support for Bashar Assad while ordinary Iranians live in poverty: “They’ve replenished Syria while our youths have grown decrepit” (via MEK activists) #FreeIran2018 @nikkihaley @IvankaTrump pic.twitter.com/nWM5xmyJRH — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

Protests Spread to Tehran

As Thursday faded in Iran, the protests began to leak into other cities, including Tehran. From NCRI:

The brave young people of Ahvaz demonstrated at Naderi intersection while chanting: “Our enemy is right here; they are lying that it is America”; “The nation is poor, while the mullahs live like a god. In Tehran, the people demonstrated at Vali-e Asr Square chanting: “Death to Khamenei; Death to the Dictator; Cannon, tank, firecracker, mullahs should be killed.” They clashed with the IRGC forces who attacked them. They also set fire to trash bins on the way from Vali-e Asr toward Hossein Square in order to block the path of mercenaries. In Arak, people chanted: The nation is poor, while the mullahs live like a god. High prices and inflation are the people’s calamity In Najaf Abad, the brave women chanted: They fed Syria, but made our youths old. The brave youths chanted against the suppressive forces: You rascals. In Shiraz, on Daryoush Street, the brave youths chanted slogans: Death to Khamenei; This month is the month of blood, the mullah is overthrown; Suppression doesn’t work; Cannon, tank, firecracker, the mullahs must get lost; Why you, the people, are sitting? Iran is like Palestine. The youth clashed with the mercenaries who had fired tear gas against them.

#IranProtests against Khamenei’s regime reach the capital Tehran tonight w/ chants of “The mullahs must get lost” (Video via MEK activists in Vali Asr Street) For 3 days protests have rocked Iran’s major cities #FreeIran2018 @realDonaldTrump @GMarquis45 @PressSec @mercedesschlapp pic.twitter.com/2YKYWyRnnE — M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) August 2, 2018

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