Since November 8th, a huge number of farmers and people of Isfahan in central Iran, have been gathering on the bed of the Zayandeh Rood river to protest the drying up of the Zayandeh Rood, due to government policies. Yesterday, speakers at the demonstration put the number of demonstrators at 500,000. This movement has become an important political movement with widespread reflections in the society and has attracted the attention of all the people. People are talking about Isfahan Al Tahrir, referring the mass demonstrations and revolution in Egypt and other Arab countries. The problem is that the Islamic regime has destroyed air, lakes, water, forests and everything, since it came to power 4 decades ago. And people are saying enough is enough! The government’s water policy and diversion of rivers is one of the major problems of the people in some areas of the country. The Zayandeh Rood river, which has been a water-rich river in Isfahan, central Iran, for centuries, is now drying up because it has shifted from the source of the water to other areas and to weapons and nuclear centres. This policy has destroyed agriculture and livelihood of people and resulted in toxic air and other harmful effects. Farmers began to protest the loss of their livelihood and environment since November 8, and soon larger groups of people joined them. The demonstrators, who now reach to hundreds of thousands, chanted slogans such as “Give the Zayandeh Rood back, give breathe to Isfahan”, “The current Zayandeh Rood is our inalienable right”, “We will take the water right even if we die” “We will not return home, until water return to the river.” These demonstrations have been going on day and night for two weeks now. Speakers speak at these massive demonstrations every day. People are chanting. Solidarity groups have been formed to help and provide food and drink to the protesters. An atmosphere of solidarity and unity is prevailing against the government. The atmosphere of Isfahan, the third largest city in the country, is completely affected by these demonstrations and everyone is talking about it. The Islamic Republic has not given a clear answer to the people’s demands. The vice president has said that the government “is looking to solve the problem”. But these kinds of empty and ambiguous words do not alleviate the anger and protest of the people. When two days ago a government official said that we would solve the water problem of the Zayandeh Rood in next three months, the demonstrators shouted, “We are here for another three months!” The problem of water shortage and dehydration is causing huge problems in other provinces of Iran too. Especially Khuzestan an industrial oil rich province in southern Iran, suffers from drought, dust and polluted air, and mass protests have erupted many times in this part of the country too.
