Abstract
Abstract The “woman, life, freedom” protest movement that started in September 2022 and lasted for several months is arguably the largest set of demonstrations in Iran since the formation of the Islamic Republic. Its most noticeable characteristic compared to the “Green Movement” in 2009, has been the radicalization of slogans and the transformation of the demands from the quest for reform to seeking regime change. This article briefly examines the socio-political processes that triggered the disappointment of the public with top-down reform, resulting in the gradual radicalization of protesters’ demands between those two movements. It is argued that the failure of the reformists to implement sustainable top-down transformation in politics gave rise to the rapid spread of nationwide bottom-up, unorganized forms of resistance. While their forms, aims, and mobilization incentives have been highly diverse, participants converge in perceiving regime change as the only alternative solution.
Published Version
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