cross-posted from: mander.xyz/post/49260813
Iran is taking steps to prevent anti-establishment protests, with checkpoints appearing across the streets of the capital, internet access restricted, and mass text warnings sent to residents.
In Tehran, people have been telling … about new security checkpoints around the city, where they say residents are stopped and searched.
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Some checkpoints are positioned under footbridges and inside road tunnels, after reports that several checkpoints in the middle of roads had been targeted by drone strikes.
A number of Iranian security personnel were killed in Israeli strikes on four checkpoints across Tehran, the hardline Fars News Agency reported on 11 March.
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A man in his twenties explained his strategy for getting through a checkpoint, where he said he was once stopped and his car was searched.
“I started saying things like, ‘Thanks for your hard work,’ as if they were genuinely putting in a lot of effort and I appreciated it,” he said.
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“I always wear colourful clothes. But now I don’t,” said a woman, also in her twenties. “I’m scared of their patrols, worried that if I wear something too bright it might annoy them.”
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Another man, also in his twenties, sells secure internet connections to some people, allowing them to bypass the government-imposed nationwide blackout.
It is still very difficult to contact those inside Iran during the internet outage that has been in place since the start of the war, but tech-savvy residents have been using SpaceX’s Starlink devices and sharing their connection with others.
Restricting internet access not only restricts communication with the outside world, but also limits protesters’ ability to mobilise, plan and communicate among each other. Encrypted messaging apps and platforms often function as tools for organising rallies, sharing protest locations, and circulating calls to action.
When these platforms are unavailable, coordination becomes far more difficult.
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Since the conflict began on 28 February, the authorities have organised pro‑establishment rallies and urged supporters to take to the streets to prevent what they describe as attempts to destabilise the country from within.
BBC Persian has seen a text message sent by the Intelligence Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on 13 March warning against any upcoming protests.
“The evil enemy… is once again seeking to create fear and chaos in the streets. A blow harder than January 8 is awaiting the neo-ISIS [Islamic State].”
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The most deadly nights of the huge anti-establishment protests in Iran saw two deadly nights on 8 and 9 January.
Police Chief Brig Gen Ahmad Reza Radan said on 10 March that anyone attempting to “take action in the cities at the behest of the enemy” would no longer be treated as a protester but as an “enemy”.
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