Officials also appear keen to avoid an immediate crackdown that could further inflame public anger and broaden demonstrations.
Authorities have instead announced a series of closures under the pretext of “cold weather and energy saving.”
On the third day of protests, President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government recognizes the public’s right to protest and has tasked the interior minister with holding talks with representatives of Tehran’s bazaar merchants.
Ali Ahmadnia, head of the government’s information office, also said on Wednesday that the administration had formally accepted the protests and would listen to criticism.
The government, he said, “will sit down and listen to all critics and will not engage in any violent behavior—indeed, it strongly opposes it.”.
One X user wrote: “If the government respected the people and had heard their protests, it would have resigned on the first day and stood with the public.
He also alleged that shopkeepers had distanced themselves from protesters because of slogans he described as “dictated by the Zionist regime.”. »
![image for [OC] Driven by this place displaying a Trump 2020 flag countless times. Noticed this today](912e475f-dd82-54eb-8c9a-99025b0e566c_thumb.jpg)
![image for [OC] New Years in Southern Denmark](1f54ad50-8054-5550-a67a-354715769c36_thumb.jpg)