Under the title "Protests in Ahvaz: Broad Support from Activists, Journalists, and Artists," the Al Arabiya website reported that while protests over water shortages in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, continue for the eighth consecutive day—resulting in at least five deaths last week—a wide range of committees and unions in Iran have expressed their support for these protests.
The Iranian Writers Association issued a statement yesterday demanding an end to the shooting and the use of tear gas against protesters by security forces, urging not to distort the image of the protests. The association criticized the media blackout in Iranian press and called on all independent writers, journalists, social activists, and freedom lovers to resist, as reported by "Iran International."
In addition, teachers, university students, retirees, and labor unions have expressed solidarity with the protests in Ahvaz. The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions released a statement supporting the protests, stating that "the authorities always try to attribute these protests to foreign influence." The council emphasized that "the demand for support for the oppressed people's protests in Ahvaz has risen across the country, reflecting that the demand for rights and protests for their fulfillment is a matter that cannot be erased or suppressed by repression."
The Coordinating Council also called for an end to "this blatant violence" and urged Iranian officials to "put an end to these crimes once and for all."
Meanwhile, the union of workers from the public transport company in Tehran and its suburbs issued a statement condemning the use of tear gas and gunfire against the "unarmed people" in Ahvaz, reaffirming the peaceful nature of the protests there. The Iranian teachers' union, the retirees' union, and several civil activists also issued separate statements regarding the protests.
In response to the crackdown on the protests, dozens of Iranian political and civil activists released a statement. Journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad tweeted her gratitude to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a phone call regarding her attempted abduction, adding that the Iranian regime is killing innocents in Khuzestan now. Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh sent a message from inside Gharchak prison, stating that people in Ahvaz and many Iranian cities "have been deprived of water and have been living with this crisis for many years." She expressed solidarity with the families of victims of the Ahvaz protests and called on "security forces and police to refrain from attacking their own people."
In this context, hundreds of filmmakers expressed their solidarity, with prominent Iranian musician and composer Hossein Alizadeh writing a brief message to the protesters in Khuzestan: "Water or blood? The proud people of Khuzestan want water, not blood! Listen, it's the heartbeat of Iran." More than 330 filmmakers and cultural and artistic activists expressed their solidarity with the people of Khuzestan, who are "tired of oppression, violence, and discrimination."
It is noteworthy that Ahvaz has been witnessing protests over water shortages since last Thursday night, resulting in at least one protester being killed. Videos from various areas of the protests showed security forces dealing harshly with demonstrators. Ahvaz, overlooking the Gulf, is one of Iran's major oil-producing regions and one of the wealthiest of Iran's 31 provinces. It is home to a large Arab minority, who have previously complained of being marginalized by the authorities. In 2019, Ahvaz experienced government-opposing protests that also affected other regions of the country.
