As the anniversary of November 2019 uprising in Iran, many streets in Kermanshah have witnessed a large presence of military and security forces. An informed source from Kermanshah also told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network that he witnessed the arrest of a number of civilians in Azadi Square (Terminal) in Kermanshah.
The source stated that the security forces in many neighbourhoods and streets of Kermanshah in Iran were exerting increased repression in fear of protests. “Officers prevent the formation of any youth gatherings in the main streets of the city, especially in the neighbourhoods where protests took place last year. I even witnessed the arrest of several young men by riot police in Azadi Square (in front of the Kuwaiti Passage) this afternoon.”, he further added. Videos of the streets of Kermanshah published on social networks also confirm the significant presence of riot police forces in the city.
Kermanshah on the evening of November 15, 2019, was one of the first cities where the spark of popular protests was ignited by the sudden increase in gasoline prices , after which many neighbourhoods of the city witnessed widespread popular protests. Protests were violently suppressed by the riot police and security agents and resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians in this city.
