What do you do with the resurgence of protests?
What do you do with the resurgence of protests? According to Iran Gate, the statistics and average age of protesters and detainees are a serious warning that, if not heeded, will once again surprise the authorities in the near future.
41% of those arrested in recent incidents are under 20 years old, and 10% are over 35. This is the statistic published by Fars News Agency over the past four weeks during the recent events, indicating that the range of protesters is primarily from the 2000s generation.
According to this news agency, 41% of those arrested are under 20 years old, 48% are aged between 20 and 35, and 10% are over 35. Additionally, according to the claims of this news agency, some government employees are among those arrested, estimated to be about 2% of the total detained population. However, this report does not mention the total number of detainees.
200 students were also among those arrested, with a significant portion being students from Azad University. This statistic indicates a generational shift among protesters and the addition of a new segment from the country’s student community, specifically Azad University students, to the recent protests. The spread of protests to the student domain is also a serious warning for an uncertain future if the authorities continue on the same path.
Statistics from the experts’ perspective
Mohammad Zahidi Asl, a former professor and social worker at Allameh University, believes we are trying to implement a youth population plan in the country while more than 70% of these young detainees come from the lower and weaker segments of society. He adds that examining this age group indicates another analysis that officials have mistakenly assessed as merely an emotional and energy release. Our past analyses were wrong, claiming that those arrested were young and acting out of false excitement and emotions.
When it is said that statistics speak with experts, this reality is exemplified by the above-mentioned statistics. These statistics show that the majority of detainees are aged 20 to 35. This age group is at least studying in universities, but it is not limited to this age.
Young people who have graduated should have the possibility of living, employment, marriage, and relative welfare, and according to the constitution, they have civil and welfare rights. But when these opportunities are not available for 85% of the youth, and a significant portion of them are university graduates currently unemployed or driving taxis, they become protesters. They are familiar with the rights, issues, facilities, and corruption and rent-seeking in the country and the class divide, and under these conditions, it is natural for them to act like a fire under ashes and raise their voices at every opportunity to reach the ears of officials.
If there is no listening ear or if Article 27 of the Constitution, which specifies a free place for peaceful protests, is ignored, the result is the arrest and imprisonment of young people. This age group neither has the freedom to express their protest nor has a minimal standard of living.
The authorities should pay attention to the statistics
Experts believe that the presence of girls and women in these protests indicates that a significant segment of the protesting population includes them, and this is a clear message. One of the differences between the current protests and those of previous years is the reduced age of protesters and the prominent presence of women. The government must clearly understand this message: how far can we go to prevent this situation? Even if relative calm is established in the country, it will act like a fire under ashes and manifest itself in a deeper and broader form in the coming years. When we say we do not have crisis management, but rather crisis mismanagement, these disasters occur in various cities, including Kurdistan, Zahedan, and Ardabil.
A blurred picture of the future
When young people have no hope for the future, and a significant portion of our youth, some of whom have been arrested, come from middle and lower-class families, this message must be understood. Most young people have no hope for employment or starting a family and are even deprived of healthy recreation. What do we expect from them? When a young person sees that a small part of society is living in comfort and the disparity between the privileged and the rest is vast, their sensitivities are provoked. The result is that when young people have no hope or clear vision for their future, it becomes the main factor for protest and unrest.
