Strategies for Managing Protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Political, Science, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Protest is a fundamental phenomenon in societies, and the way it is addressed directly affects social cohesion and political stability. Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has faced various forms of protest; however, the issue of protest management has received little systematic scholarly attention. This study aims to fill that gap by examining the management of protests. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts as well as library-based research, and were analyzed using thematic analysis within a SWOT framework to develop a strategic model for protest management. The findings reveal that the most significant weaknesses include the absence of a comprehensive law on protests, the ineffectiveness of persuasive mechanisms, a one-dimensional understanding of protest causes, and the erosion of public trust. Threats such as declining social capital, perceptions of injustice, and foreign interventions further exacerbate these weaknesses. The proposed strategies include drafting a comprehensive protest law, rebuilding public trust, improving media discourse, and leveraging intellectuals and modern technologies. Thus, effective protest management requires an integrated and holistic approach that simultaneously ensures rapid responses, addresses institutional weaknesses, and utilizes social and cultural capacities to restore public trust. Within such a framework, protest can be transformed from a security threat into a legitimate and institutionalized mechanism for expressing demands and strengthening social cohesion

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