Iran: Protesters to gather nationwide September 10 /update 1

Event

Protests are set to take place nationwide on Thursday, September 10, to denounce the republishing of cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, along with an alleged incident involving the burning of the Quran in Sweden. Protests will reportedly take place in the following locations (all times local):

• Yazd: Yazd Mosalla Seminary from 09:00.
• Arak (Markazi province): Arak Mosalla from 10:00.
• Shiraz: Martyrs' Grand Mosque from 10:00.
• Bandar Abbas (Hormozgan province): Jameh Mosque from 11:00.
• Qom: Fatima Masumeh Shrine from 11:00.
• Tehran: Imam Hossein Square from 17:00.
• Kerman: Kerman Martyrs' Cemetery from 17:00.
• Tabriz (East Azerbaijan province): Martyrs' Cemetery from 17:00.
• Esfahan: Golestan Martyrs' Cemetery from 17:30.
  

A heightened security presence and localized disruptions are possible in the vicinity of any demonstrations. Demonstrations may also occur in other cities. 

Context

In January 2015, two gunmen stormed the magazine's Paris offices and killed 12 people. The magazine republished the cartoons on September 1, the eve of a trial in Paris of the alleged accomplices in the 2015 attack.

Related protests took place in Tehran and Qom on Wednesday, September 9. Demonstrations have also taken place in several countries like France, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Chechnya and Yemen against the republishing. 

Advice

Those in Iran are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all demonstrations and political gatherings as a precaution, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.