Protest Movement in Iran in 2022: A Test for Political Stability

Abstract

The article analyzes protest activity in Iran in the autumn of 2022. The 2022 protests turned out to be unprecedented in the entire post-revolutionary history of Iran, both in scale and in the radicalism of demands and probably by the number of victims. The active phase of the protests lasted about two months, and the most active group of protesters were secular-minded women who demanded the abolition of Islamic restrictions on clothing. The protests brought together representatives of a variety of social groups, from students and the middle class to urban workers and national and religious minorities, especially Sunni Muslims (Kurds and Baluchis). The authorities were able to take control of the situation through various measures (forceful actions and, subsequently, a broad amnesty in honor of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution) and flatly refused to make concessions to the protesters. Currently, the situation in Iran is relatively calm due to improving economic dynamics, but protests in the coming years are quite possible.