Young protesters began a demonstration on Saturday to commemorate and demand justice for those killed in security forces’ shootings in December-January. Government supporters also called separate rallies in response. Iranian media outlet Fars News reported that protests had spread to three universities in Tehran, with Sharif University of Technology at the center . Videos circulating on social media showed students chanting anti-government slogans and demanding the restoration of the monarchy.
The economic crisis is a major driving force behind the movement. Under pressure from US sanctions, Iran’s currency, the rial, has depreciated sharply; the cost of living has risen rapidly. Protests by businessmen and shopkeepers in late December quickly turned into nationwide anti-government protests.
At the time, US President Donald Trump publicly supported the protests; later took a tough stance on Iran’s nuclear program. Although nuclear talks between Iran and the United States began earlier this month, the US military presence in the Middle East has also increased.