“AT NIGHT, CHANTS ECHO FROM INSIDE PEOPLE’S HOMES” AFTER THOUSANDS KILLED AND INTERNET SHUT DOWN ~ Rob Latchford, Gabriel Fonten ~ Iran remains under de-facto martial law as heavy repression sets in to quell the uprising that shook the country. Despite the ongoing internet shutdown, eyewitness accounts and video evidence of killings and injuries continue to circulate on social media. One video showed bodies of patients who were executed in hospital beds, their bodies still attached to life-support equipment. Another showed body-bags at the Kahrizak Forensic Medicine Center in Tehran. On Saturday (17 January), Iranian officials said 4,500 civilians had been killed in the protests, but sources opposed to the regime have put the number at over 20,000. Reports also emerged from multiple locations Saturday that doctors and nurses who had treated the injured had been summoned to court. https://cdn.freedomnews.org.uk/news/2026/01/video_2026-01-18_19-38-44.mp4   The internet shutdown in Iran has exceeded 240 hours, renewing after a brief, heavily filtered restoration of select Google and messaging services. Netblocks reported that “During this time, some Iranians were able to give updates detailing the severity of the crisis on the ground”. According to Iranian anarchist writer Hasse-Nima Golkar, “Shutting down the internet, Starlink, telephones, and every means of communication is not merely a security tactic, but an attempt to sever the horizontal bonds of solidarity and mutual aid among the people”. The protests, which started in late December, saw clashes with security forces spread to over 180 cities, from the capital to the border provinces populated by Kurdish, Azeri and other minorities. During an emergency UN Security Council session, members warned of further sanctions and called for the immediate release of detainees and a halt to executions. US President Donald Trump threatened, then retracted threats, to take military action against the regime. A comrade from Tehran reported via Anarchist Front that proxy forces, including Shiite Iraqi insurgents Hashd al-Shaabi, have been present at security checkpoints, particularly in Tehran, Mashhad, and Zahedan, with unconfirmed reports from other cities. “They are firing live ammunition directly at demonstrators”, reported the comrade, “Those who fail to stop at checkpoints or show signs of frustration or resistance are subjected to severe beatings and brutal treatment.  “The city is saturated with anger and tension. People drive aggressively. Public patience has been exhausted, and encounters have become increasingly harsh and volatile. At night, chants echo from inside people’s homes. Calls of ‘Death to the dictator’ can be heard for one to two hours—sometimes intermittently, sometimes continuously”, the comrade wrote. The Anarchist Front has issued a call for “permanent anarchist and internationalist sit-in” on streets around the world to draw attention to the “dramatic decline of the world situation” from Iran and Venezuela to Palestine, Greenland to Sudan. “It is time to mobilise hope not fear and this is only possible through the creation of solidarity and permanent networks, which, through affinity, actions, independent reporting, and plurality, can modify the balance of power”. Over 500 Iranian feminists in the diaspora signed a declaration against the mass killings. They described the uprising as an “extension of long-standing demands for justice, freedom, and independence” and called for “a democratic, secular, and gender-equal future for Iran”.  In Warsaw, members of ZSP were removed by monarchist organisers from a solidarity demonstration on 17 January, after they carried a banner stating: “Neither Shah nor Ayatollah — Solidarity with the people of Iran”.  The post Iran under martial law appeared first on Freedom News.

SIMON AND URI DISCUSS A BUSY WEEK OF UK NEWS—AND THE WEIRDEST REACTIONS TO THE UPRISING IN IRAN The last three hunger strikers in the Filton campaign have called off their action, on the grounds that at least some of their demands had been secured, including improved treatment, and most significantly the collapse of a training deal between Britain and Israeli arms firm Elbit. Meanwhile over in Parliament we’ve had a day of drama as Robert Jenrick, the senior Tory who’s been bucking for Kemi Badenoch’s position by whinging about brown people and making videos about ticket dodging on the London Underground, was kicked out of the party and promptly joined Reform UK. The post Anarchist News Review: Filton prisoners’ hunger strike ends, top Tory joins Reform appeared first on Freedom News.

JAMES BIRMINGHAM JOINS SIMON AND JON FOR A TRANSATLANTIC SHOW TO KICK OFF 2026 ~ US bellicosity in Venezuela and Greenland has shocked the world with what has been a naked display of gangster tactics in the first instance, and a seeming disdain for Nato in the second – and just today it has announced withdrawal from 66 international organisations. The shooting in Minneapolis of Renee Good meanwhile has been kicking off protests nationwide. Back in Blighty, the Filton Palestine solidarity hunger strike has seen one of the hunger strikers, Teuta Hoxha, forced to stop amid fears she has suffered irreversible damage to her body, while Kamran Ahmed was admitted to hospital for the sixth time yesterday and his immediate family notified. The hunger strikers are between 50 and 70 days in, which is the same range that killed Bobby Sands. In London, a recent FT story has gone into a bit of detail over a proposed data centre at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. And last but not least, Freedom has published an exclusive interview with Iranian group the Anarchist Front about the uprising which is taking place there  The post Anarchist News Review: The US gets aggressive while the UK sits around appeared first on Freedom News.

INTERVIEW WITH MEMBERS OF ANARCHIST FRONT, A COLLECTIVE SPREADING INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS IN IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, AND TAJIKISTAN ~ Gabriel Fonten ~ The uprising in Iran has been ongoing for over a week. It is not only an economic protest, but also a practical revolt against the entire logic of state power. People have disrupted control of the streets, destroyed the symbols of repression, and stood against bullets. This is precisely anarchy in action: paralysis of the government machine from below, without the need for immediate replacement with new power. The regime responded with direct shooting, raids on hospitals and mass arrests, but the crackdown has failed so far. Sporadic and floating tactics (burning cars, breaking cameras and blocking dispatch routes) have moved power from the centre to the sidelines and created a space for real self-management: mass donation, hospital defense, and direct display of information without intermediaries. To find out more, we sent some questions to the Anarchist Front, a collective spreading information about events in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. How widespread is support for the strikes among the general population? Support for radical strikes and protests in Iran is extremely widespread. Out of Iran’s thirty-two provinces, only two or three have not participated in these strikes and protests. How would you characterise the current general strike in Iran? What caused the strike? At present, strikes and protests are unfolding simultaneously, and the situation is escalating rapidly. What began as a peaceful shutdown of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar by shopkeepers turned violent after security forces intervened. From there, protests quickly spread to cities across the country. At the heart of this unrest lies unbearable economic pressure and rampant inflation that has made everyday life impossible for large segments of society. The first strikes emerged among mobile phone sellers, driven by the chaos of fluctuating exchange rates and the soaring cost of imported goods. These protests are entirely spontaneous and self-organized. There is no leadership, no political faction directing them, and no central command issuing orders. This is anger rising directly from the ground. At the same time, the son of Iran’s former king is once again attempting to capitalize on the situation. Whenever protests erupt in Iran, he rushes to claim them as his own. While it is true that he has some supporters inside the country, the vast majority of his base resides abroad. Beyond royalists, decades of repression by the Islamic Republic have effectively destroyed the possibility of other organized opposition forces emerging inside the country. How are protests being organised and what groups are looking to benefit from them? This wave began with the closure of markets in response to the catastrophic collapse of the rial, extreme inflation, rising taxes, and the regime’s complete inability to manage the economic crisis. It rapidly transformed into accumulated rage against the entire structure of power. Slogans such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Basij, Sepah, ISIS — you are all the same” reflect the depth of this anger. The root causes are the total economic collapse of the regime, stemming from systemic corruption, massive military expenditures, and foreign sanctions. However, sanctions are merely an excuse the regime uses to justify repression. https://cdn.freedomnews.org.uk/news/2026/01/video_2026-01-03_18-52-56.mp4 Naziabad Organization is largely horizontal and decentralised: through social media networks, local calls by bazaar merchants, and the organic spread of street-level rage—without a central leader or guiding party. This is precisely its strength: genuine self-organisation by ordinary people against domination. However, this is where the danger lies. Exiled opposition groups—particularly royalists aligned with Reza Pahlavi—have entered the scene and are attempting to hijack this popular uprising. Through calls issued from abroad, they inject slogans like “Long Live the Shah” in an effort to steer protests toward the restoration of another hereditary dictatorship—one that previously crushed people through SAVAK and bloody repression, and now seeks to reclaim power through diplomatic smiles and empty promises. Beyond these groups, anarchists, segments of communists, parts of liberals, and republicans also support this movement and stand to benefit from the fall of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, sections of the Islamic Republic itself are attempting to portray this uprising as an internal reformist movement, in order to preserve the regime in a modified form. Could you introduce yourselves as a collective: where did you emerge from, what is your purpose, how are you organised? The Anarchist Front is the newest form of a path that began in 2009—a path marked by many rises and falls, from The Voice of Anarchism to the Federation of the Era of Anarchism. Today, with a renewed structure that brings together experienced comrades and new forces, we once again place emphasis on self-organisation and radical struggle—both in raising political awareness and in actively encouraging and supporting struggles on the ground. The Anarchist Front is founded on the principles of solidarity, anti-authoritarianism, and relentless resistance against all forms of domination. We do not seek to reform the existing order; we seek to destroy it—so that no power, no class, and no borders remain. Our struggle is rooted in the historical protests and resistance of people in the geographies of Iran and Afghanistan, while at the same time remaining deeply connected to the global anarchist movement. While our primary focus is on Iran and Afghanistan, our horizon goes far beyond borders. We strive for a world where freedom, equality, solidarity, and genuine mutual aid are realised—without any form of rule or exploitation. For us, anarchism is not merely a theory; it is a way of life, a mode of action, and the process of building a world free from power, repression, and lies. A lot of your coverage focuses on violence against women. Do you see this as part of the current strike? Today, women, students, and youth are actively present in the streets. They formed the core social body of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Therefore, yes—the current strikes are aligned with the demands of the Mahsa movement and with women’s rights struggles. We believe this movement, while preserving the spirit of Woman, Life, Freedom, has also created an opportunity for more passive and conservative segments of society to enter collective struggle against the Islamic Republic and unite with others. https://cdn.freedomnews.org.uk/news/2026/01/video_2026-01-03_18-45-51.mp4 Mourning procession for protester Ismail Qureshindi Our primary concern—beyond confronting the criminal Islamic Republic, which killed more than seven people in our geography just last night—is confronting royalist currents that have infiltrated the movement and are exploiting the situation. Their misogynistic tendencies are clearly visible in both their discourse and political practice. What is the state of anarchism in Iran and Afghanistan, and what challenges do activists face? Threats, summons, beatings, death threats, imprisonment, and sexual violence are realities anarchists have faced over the past two years and even before that. In the past five months alone, two of our comrades have been arrested and four others summoned. Conditions inside Iran are extremely dangerous for us. At present, one of our direct comrades from the Anarchist Front, Afshin Heyratian, is imprisoned in Evin Prison. Other anarchist comrades are imprisoned in prisons in Yazd Province. We hope that through struggle we can free our comrades and create conditions of safety for ourselves. Do you see a risk of foreign intervention in Iran? What would be the result? As mentioned earlier, royalists and supporters of Reza Pahlavi are deeply dependent on Western powers. Along with other sections of the opposition, they have created conditions in which Western governments—under the guise of helping the Iranian people—openly discuss military attacks or media intervention in Iran. Trump and Netanyahu have repeatedly threatened Iran with military action, particularly during moments of active protest. We take this opportunity to state our absolute and unconditional opposition to any military occupation or foreign intervention by Western states in Iran—at any level and in any form. Just as we were present during the twelve-day Iran–Israel conflict in the fields of reporting, mutual aid, and resistance inside Iran, we insist that if foreign intervention occurs, we have both the will and readiness to confront it. We are a local force, composed of horizontal and diverse networks of anarchist activists who previously organized together within the Federation of the Era of Anarchism. We are not primarily a militarist group. However, depending on future developments, we may adopt new positions and prepare ourselves accordingly. We do not view Iranian society as a whole as eager for foreign intervention. Finally, how can people overseas keep up to date with events in Iran and Afghanistan? We provide real-time reporting and organising in Persian. Our reporters are in direct contact and physically present in major Iranian cities. At the end of each day, the Anarchist Front’s news and journalism platform publishes a comprehensive daily report in Persian. In addition, we publish daily news in Italian, Spanish (Argentina), Arabic, English, and occasionally in German and Swedish. A platform also exists for comrades from non–Persian-speaking countries, including an international coordination group. We receive reports from around the world and act as an anarchist political force offering solidarity and support during ongoing crises. Regarding Afghanistan and Tajikistan: our comrades are present inside Afghanistan, and we also have comrades in Tajikistan. Similar to Iran, we engage in both news work and practical action in these regions. Our final demand is the continued awareness of free people of all tendencies across the world. We ask them not to turn their eyes away from the specific conditions of the Middle East and North Africa—especially Iran and Afghanistan—and to resist false information, misleading narratives, and grand narratives that erase society, its dynamics, and its demands from political analysis. We also call for solidarity and mutual cooperation. The post Iranian anarchists: Uprising is “genuine self-organisation by ordinary people” appeared first on Freedom News.