RFERL:

It remains to be seen if this latest round of protests in Iran will continue to gain momentum or not. One thing is for certain, the Islamic Republic is skilled at “managing” a discontented populous—opposition activists call it suppression. What are the coercive tools and mechanisms used in Iran to silence dissent?

There have been five major waves of unrest in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, three within the last decade. All were quashed by the regime. Of those within the last ten years, the first was the post-election protests of 2009, then the nationwide protests beginning in December last year, and recently the post-sanctions wave.

Looking at the evidence from all five major episodes of protests, it is clear that regime forces that suppress dissent are multi-layered and multi-dimensional. After each round of unrest, the organization, methods, and the means used have become more sophisticated.

The system that counters protests in Iran is not made up of just the police and official law enforcement. It encompasses paramilitary forces, intelligence organs, operations units, judicial organs, media, the propaganda machinery, and even financial structures.

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