How years of increasing labor unrest signaled Iran´s latest protest wave
(WorldNews Iran)

A university student attends a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by Iranian police, on Dec. 30. (Obtained by AP) Beginning on Dec. 28, a wave of protests surged across Iran, with at least 75 cities reportedly experiencing one or more demonstrations in the first week. Soon after they began, commentators rushed to attribute the protests to various grievances, from Ponzi-like banking scheme collapses and budget corruption allegations to soaring prices of eggs and gasoline. However, our research suggests that rather than grievances alone, an underappreciated precursor for the protests was the buildup of demonstrations and rallies by teachers, workers, trade unions...