Before dawn on Thursday, state security forces attacked the gathering of a huge group of Isfahan farmers who had gathered at the Zayanedeh Rud river’s basin, ransacking their tents and torching their possessions. Farmers had been protesting for more than two weeks, seeking fair access to water to irrigate their crops.
Tents are burning and a large number of anti-riot forces are marching on the farmers at Pol-e Khaju, according to videos taken from the incident. Tear gas was deployed by security personnel to disperse the demonstrators. Authorities are ordering the protesters to return home in the background. “You have received the desired resolution. You’ve received assistance. The authorities told the farmers to “go home,” to which the farmers replied, “You’re lying! You’re lying.”
November 26 – Isfahan, central #Iran
Members of the regime's anti-riot units are seen attacking an individual. This is in response to locals protesting severe water shortages.#اصفهانpic.twitter.com/xAW1KNMDEi— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 26, 2021
While security personnel was forcibly dismantling tents and dispersing demonstrators, official media erroneously stated that the farmers had agreed to call off their gathering after reaching an agreement with the administration.
It’s worth remembering that the protesters had threatened to hold a mass protest on Friday if their demands for access to water were not met by Thursday. The farmers’ movement has gained a lot of traction among the province’s residents. Thousands of people from throughout the province gathered at the Zayandeh Rud basin on November 19 to support the farmers’ requests.
Similar protests have erupted in adjacent Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, where demonstrations began on November 21 and have continued until today.
Farmers in Isfahan and neighboring regions have been protesting the state of the province’s farming economy and water constraints on a regular basis. Farming is one of Isfahan’s most important economic activities, and as irrigation water becomes scarcer, the livelihoods of millions of people in the province are in jeopardy.
The regime’s policies and destructive initiatives, such as dam construction without respect for the province’s ecosystem, have caused serious ecological difficulties as well as damage to the province’s agriculture industry.
Officials from the regime have made inconsistent statements in recent weeks. “I have told the energy and agriculture ministers to manage this issue as soon as possible so that we can put these difficult times behind us,” Mohammad Mokhber, Ebrahim Raisi’s first vice-president, told local television in Isfahan last week. He made no mention of any specific actions that the government planned to take.
Ironically, shortly after Mokhber, the energy minister said, “I am sorry for the farmers, but we are not in a position to meet their water needs.”
November 26 – Isfahan, central #Iran
Footage of protesters injured by the regime's security forces using pellet guns. These locals are peacefully protesting severe water shortages.#اصفهانpic.twitter.com/VVSnwZmhWa— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 26, 2021
According to the Supreme Water Council and the Council of Coordination for Zayandeh Rud’s instructions, 74.3 percent of Zayandeh Rud’s waters should be provided to farmers, while 25.7 percent should be allocated to the energy ministry and government projects. In actuality, however, a controlling minority has taken complete control of the river’s capacity, leaving a significant population of farmers without access to irrigation.
While the regime tries to blame water shortages on environmental factors, Iranians are well aware that government projects and policies are the primary cause of Zayandeh Rud’s drying and water shortages.
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