At least 185 people, including children, were murdered in protests, according to a human rights organization, as rallies sparked by the death of a young lady in police detention continued throughout Iran on Sunday despite a government crackdown.
Anti-government demonstrations that started on September 17 at the burial of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in her Kurdish village of Saqez have become the most significant threat to Iran’s religious authorities in years, with protestors asking for the ouster of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“At least 185 individuals, including 19 children, have been slain in Iran’s national demonstrations. The provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan had the largest homicides, accounting for half the total, “Iran Human Rights, headquartered in Norway, said on Saturday.
Authorities have characterized the demonstrations as a plan by Iran’s adversaries, particularly the United States. They have accused armed dissidents, among others, of killing at least 20 members of the security forces through violence.
Social media videos captured rallies in dozens of Iranian cities early on Sunday morning, with hundreds of high school girls and college students wielding tear gas clubs. According to rights organizations, in several instances, live fire was used by security personnel.
The Iranian government has denied the use of live ammunition.
A video shared on Twitter by the well-followed activist 1500tasvir showed security officers armed with clubs assaulting high school students in Tehran.
