Iran protesters try to break into government building as unrest continues

In Iran, protesters tried to enter the local government building in the southern province of Fars on the fourth day of demonstrations sparked by the collapse of the currency.

Three police officers were injured and four people were arrested in the city of Fasa, authorities said.

Clashes were also reported in the western provinces of Hamedan and Lorestan.

Authorities in the capital Tehran declared a bank holiday on Wednesday in order to suppress the unrest.

In the video that appeared on social media and was confirmed by the BBC, a crowd is seen breaking the door of the governor’s office in Morocco.

Then, another post shows security guards firing in response. Clouds of tear gas rise in front of closed shops.

Schools, universities and public institutions were closed across the country due to a last-minute public holiday announced by the Iranian government.

Although it was seen by many Iranians as an attempt to control the protests, it was ostensibly done to save energy due to the cold weather.

It started in Tehran on Sunday among shopkeepers angered by the sharp decline in the value of the Iranian currency against the US dollar on the open market.

On Tuesday, university students also got involved and spread to many cities; people chanted slogans against the country’s religious rulers.

The protests have been the most widespread since the 2022 uprising sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman accused by morality police of not wearing her veil properly. But they are not on the same scale.

It is reported that strict security measures have been taken in the areas where the demonstrations started in Tehran to prevent any escalation.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government would listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters.

But attorney general Mohammad Movahedi-Azad also warned that any attempt to create instability would be met with what he called a “firm response.”