Dispute Over Street Share in Nationwide Protests in Iran
The dispute over street share in nationwide protests in Iran revolves around a number, and it seems that this number determines the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the protesters. Therefore, conservative media, by publishing some videos of recent protests and counting the protesters present on the scene, have concluded that contrary to the exaggeration by foreign media, the number of people on the streets is few. Conversely, by publishing images of official marches, which are usually held in a safe environment and with the presence of a specific group in complete calm, they aim to show that they have the upper hand.
From 20 people to 100,000 people
Kamal Hosseinpour, a representative from Rasht, stated that most riots are exaggerated. For example, about 20 people are on the street, but opponents exaggerate, so these matters are not very important. Another representative also said that gathering 100 people once a week should not be considered nationwide protests. Nezamoddin Mousavi, the spokesperson for the Parliament’s Presidium, also said that according to the statistics provided by the Interior Minister, at the peak of clashes and riots on September 30, more than 45,000 people were not present in gatherings across all cities in the country.
Ultimately, the main view of the ruling conservative faction is that since we do not witness the unified ranks of protesters, possibly modeled or simulated from the marches of the 1979 revolution, this is not a widespread protest movement. We are merely facing scattered groups that do not necessarily represent the demands of the majority of the people.
However, Ahmad Naderi, a member of parliament, admitted in one of these television debates that according to estimates, the number of street protesters is 100,000. He clarified that even if their number is 50,000, what is happening is a movement and an action that needs to be investigated. He further admitted that there might be those who are sympathetic, but we have no tool to measure them.
Protesters at Home
But how can these protesters at home be counted? The CEO of the ISPA Center for Public Opinion Research stated that a significant number of people are angry, and the extent of dissatisfaction should not be limited to just the number of participants in protest gatherings. He said these are a very small percentage of all those who are angry.
Many do not consider nationwide protests effective for various reasons and do not participate, or another important variable that is also a significant factor in surveys affecting the potential for protest is the fear of the costs of participating in protests. Mohammad Rahbari, a social media researcher, citing the same parliament member, raises the question of whether the actual number of protesters is really this much.
His answer is no. He points out that if there are 50,000 actual protesters on the street, it can be estimated that millions of potential protesters are at home, meaning those who express their protest through social media. In his opinion, many signs can be presented for this claim, including low participation in the presidential elections and the number of invalid votes in the same elections. Online activism on social media by artists and athletes also indicates deep levels of protest in society.
Even 40 million views of a protest song by one of the singers, which went viral with such intensity in a short time, indicates that we have millions of protesters at home who are dissatisfied with the current situation but have remained at home due to fear of confrontation or concern about the outcome of these nationwide protests.
He believes that ignoring the protesters, whether those at home or those who have taken to the streets, is of no benefit to the government and ruling institutions and is merely erasing the problem because, in his opinion, a large portion of the people these days are hesitant, worried, and waiting.
The Number of the Silent is Important
Abbas Abdi, a journalist and political analyst, also pointed out that one of the government’s mistakes is thinking that the protesters are just those who protested in the streets. He said they count that these are no more than 40,000 people. This is a mistake. Look, here the number is not important at all.
When you want to protest in your neighborhood or any other environment, you always look at what others think and how they behave. Their behavior is 10 to 1 or 8 to 1. Even their supporters are passive. Therefore, in my opinion, the number of protesters is not important at all. The number of the silent is important, or those who even show partial support.
Abdi continues by saying that the silent ones are looking for an idea to be proposed and supported, an idea that has a vision for the future. These protests, while they have the right, do not give you any vision. For example, when you talk about the opposition, this entire opposition sitting outside is, in my opinion, a joke to consider them the leaders of the opposition for Iranian society. But the problem is that we do not have a force that gives hope for the future and offers a vision.
I Come to the Street So You See Me
But why is the street so important, and why is the struggle over the share of the dominant discourse or the critical and protesting discourse from it so crucial? The street is one of the most important spaces in urban social life and the arena of politics and the reproduction of power relations and possibilities of resistance. The street provides a civil space where destructive forces, isolated and hopeless groups, and the disappointed and disillusioned meet. Also, the street is where all the internal contradictions of the city have the opportunity to emerge and manifest.
It is only in the streets that marginalized and sidelined groups can appear publicly and therefore politically and have the opportunity to be recognized by members of the political community. The occupation of streets, whether by the police or by the general public, is usually to prove control and dominance and to be seen and heard. Thus, the street is simultaneously an arena of conflict and political demonstrations as well as an arena of suppression and control.
The challenge and difficulty lie in recognizing and understanding the interwoven and complex situation and conditions of public space and striving to create the best while resisting the worst.
In Iran Gate, special reports and analyses on the nationwide protests in Iran are published, which you can read.
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