The Stream

Iran protests: What happened while the internet was turned off?

As internet connections return to Iran, government blames fuel price protests on foreign meddling.

On Wednesday, November 27 at 19:30 GMT:
This month, a sharp increase in the price of petrol sent Iranians to the streets in anti-government demonstrations that have turned deadly and destructive. Protesters burned banks, government buildings and clashed with police. According to Amnesty International, more than 140 people have been killed in various protests around the country since November 15. That death toll has been disputed by the Iranian government, who responded by shutting down internet access for several days, creating even more challenges in verifying the extent of the unrest.

Last week, President Hassan Rouhani blamed the protests on foreign meddling and said his government had successfully pacified demonstrators – although video on social media appeared to show a different picture. So what happened while the internet was turned off? We’ll speak to people inside the country for an update. 

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:

Dorsa Jabbari, @DorsaJabbari
Correspondent, Al Jazeera
aljazeera.com

Negar Mortazavi, @NegarMortazavi
Diplomatic Correspondent, The Independent
independent.co.uk

Seyed Mostafa Khoshcheshm 
Political Analyst
en.farsnews.com
 

Read more:
Iran vows to punish ‘mercenaries’ behind deadly demonstrations – Al Jazeera
As internet restored, online Iran protest videos show chaos – AP