What will you do with the resurgence of protests?
With the resurgence of protests, what will you do? According to Iran Gate, the statistics and average age of the protesters and those arrested in the protests are a serious warning that if not heeded, will once again and in the near future catch the government off guard.
41% of those arrested in recent events are under 20 years old, and 10% are over 35. These statistics, published by Fars News Agency over the past four weeks during recent events, show that the range of protesters is primarily those born in the 2000s.
According to this news agency, 418% of those arrested are under 20 years old, 482% are between 20 to 35 years old, and 10% are over 35. Additionally, according to this agency’s claim, among the detainees, some government employees are also seen, estimated to be about 2% of the total arrested population. However, the report does not mention the total number of detainees.
200 students were also among the detainees, most of whom were students from Azad Universities. A close look at these statistics indicates a generational shift among the protesters and the addition of a new segment from the country’s student community, specifically Azad University students, to recent protests. The spread of protests to the student domain also signals a serious warning for an uncertain future if the government continues on the same path.
Statistics from the experts’ perspective
Mohammad Zahidi Asl, a professor and former social worker at Allameh University, believes that we want to implement a youth population plan in a situation where more than 70% of these young detainees are from the lower and weaker strata of society. He adds that analyzing this age group reveals another perspective that officials have mistakenly assessed as merely the release of energy and emotions until now. Our past analyses were wrong, which suggested that those arrested were young and acting out of a release of false energy and emotions.
When it is said that statistics speak with experts, this is a clear example of the reality of the statistics mentioned above. These statistics show that the majority of detainees are in the age group of 20 to 35 years old, a group that at least studies in universities, but it is not limited to just this age.
Young graduates who should have opportunities for life, employment, marriage, and relative welfare according to the constitution, but when these opportunities do not exist for 85% of the youth and a significant number of them are university graduates who are currently unemployed or driving taxis, they protest. They are familiar with the rights, issues, facilities, corruption, and rents in the country, and the class divide gap, and in these conditions, it is natural for them to act like a fire under the ashes and raise their voices in protest at every opportunity to reach the officials.
If there is no attentive ear or if Article 27 of the constitution, which specifies a free place for holding peaceful protests, is ignored, the result is the arrest and imprisonment of the youth. This age group neither has the freedom to express their protest nor possesses a minimal standard of living.
The government must pay attention to the statistics
Experts believe that the presence of girls and women in these protests indicates that a significant portion of the protesting population includes them, and this sends a clear message. One of the differences between the current protests and those of previous years is the decrease in the age of protesters and the prominent presence of women. The government must clearly understand this message: how far can we go to stop this situation? Even if relative calm is established in the country, it acts like a fire under the ashes and will manifest itself more deeply and extensively in the coming years. When we say we do not have crisis management but rather management by crisis, 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 neither have hope for employment nor for starting a family, and they are even deprived of healthy recreation. What do we expect from them? When a young person sees that a small part of society lives in comfort and the disparity between the privileged and the commoners reaches the sky, their sensitivities are provoked. As a result, when young people have no hope or clear vision for their future, it becomes the main factor for protest and unrest.
