On January 2, 2018, tensions rose in the Islamic Republic of Iran with anti-government protests. With 21 people dead as of January 9 and about 3,700 arrests, Iranians started protesting because of Iran’s economy and the rise in price of both food and fuel.

With the Iran protest of 2018 being the biggest protest in Iran since 2009, Iranians are enraged, because they expected a better life after the deal in 2015 when severe sanctions were lifted between the UN  Security Council and over Iran’s nuclear program. Among the 3.700 arrests, at least 90 of them were students.

With the protest, many human rights activists in Iran have raised concern about mass arrests, especially during one of the biggest protests in Iran’s history. With the protest, at least three demonstrators, or people who take part in protests and marches have died, questioning the rights that humans have. Not only did demonstrators die while protesting, they have also been dying in jail.

After interviewing Roberto Martinez, senior, he believes that Iran has always been in a bad state. Martinez stated, “I think that governments around the world should help the conflict in Iran.”  He said that if the United States has interfered with Iran’s conflict before, they can do it again. After learning about the demonstrators that died, Martinez strongly agrees that it violates human rights.

Destiny Caudillo, senior, stated, “I think it’s good that the Iranians protested. The people of Iran should get what they want. They had a valid reason to protest.” Like Martinez, Caudillo thinks that the demonstrators dying violates human rights, because the Iranians are fighting for what they believe is right.