Protests in Tehran, Tuesday, January 2
Protests continued in the evening January 2 in Karaj, the capital of Alborz Province:
Security forces on the streets of Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province, in the evening January 2.
The Trump administration is calling on Iran's government to stop blocking Instagram and other popular social media sites as Iranians are demonstrating in the streets, AP reported.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says the United States wants Iran to "open these sites." He says Instagram, Telegram and other platforms are "legitimate avenues for communication."
The United States is encouraging Iranians to use virtual private networks, known as VPNs. Those services create encrypted links between computers and can be used to access blocked websites.
Goldstein says the U.S. is still communicating with Iranians in Farsi through State Department accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. He says the U.S. wants to "encourage the protesters to continue to fight for what's right."
Goldstein says the U.S. has an "obligation not to stand by."
More amateur video clips posted on social media on January 2 appear to show protests continuing in Iran after days of unrest. Demonstrations were reportedly taking place in dozens of towns and cities including the capital, Tehran. RFE/RL cannot independently confirm the authenticity of each video clip.
