Iranians have taken to the streets again in new protests against the clerical authorities overnight despite an internet shutdown, as rights groups warned on Sunday that authorities were committing a “massacre” to quell the demonstrations.
The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have now become a movement against the theocratic regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution and have already lasted two weeks.
The mass rallies are one of the biggest challenges to the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, coming in the wake of Israel’s 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June, which was backed by the US.
Videos posted to social media showed large crowds taking to the streets in new protests in several Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran and Mashhad in the east, where images showed vehicles set on fire.
Reports have it that the videos filtered out despite a total shutdown of the internet in Iran, which has affected normal communication with the outside world via messaging apps or even phone lines.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed the deaths of One hundred and sixteen people in connection with the protests, including thirty-seven members of the security forces or other officials.
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