From Dey to Today: Iranian Anti-Regime Protest Slogans

2018 was a turbulent year for Iran. 2019 could be worse.

The widespread anti-regime Dey Protests in Iran in late December 2017-early January 2018 ignited a vibrant and diverse protest scene that continues to burn to this day. The poignant and often anti-regime sentiments heard during the Dey Protests continued in emotionally-charged chants during Iranian protests throughout 2018.

The graphic below highlights some common Dey Protest slogans that continued to appear in protests across Iranian cities over the last year. The chants run from pro-monarchical and anti-regime chants to localist slogans. Protester sentiments and their unique chants will surely continue to resonate well into 2019 as Iran’s protest scene continues to smolder.

Iran entered a new phase of existence since the Dey Protests in which small-scale demonstrations have become commonplace. Iran’s violent protest scene shows no sign of cooling down anytime soon. Simmering discontent with the regime’s failure to address protesters’ grievances makes the situation ripe for the reignition of widespread anti-regime riots. Disparate protests might not coalesce into widespread protests, however. Protests may rather stay at a continuous low boil. It is unlikely that demonstrations will fade away entirely given the regime’s unwillingness and, in some cases, inability to address people’s core concerns.

More Protests, No Progress: the 2018 Iran Protests