Welcome to the website of the Resistance Units in Iran!
Who Are the Resistance Units?
In the face of Iran’s oppressive regime, brave individuals have risen to challenge the suffocating grip of dictatorship. These are the Resistance Units, ordinary citizens from all walks of life – students, workers, teachers, and more – who have united in their unwavering pursuit of freedom and democracy.
These opposition cells, affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), risk their lives to dismantle the regime’s “Wall of Fear.” They work tirelessly to challenge the Iranian regime’s oppressive apparatus through acts of protest, organisation, and advocacy, bringing hope for a free and democratic Iran.
The Strategy of the Resistance Units
The strategy of the Resistance Units involves:
- Integration with Society: Resistance Units’ members, while affiliated to the MEK, are everyday citizens from various walks of life, embedded within their communities, making the units less detectable and more resilient to crackdowns.
- Communication and Coordination: Despite severe repression, they’ve managed to establish and maintain effective communication networks across different units.
- Inspiring Defiance: By setting examples through bold actions against regime symbols, they inspire and guide the younger generations in resisting oppression.
- Disrupting the Suppression: The Resistance Units’ strategic targeting of repressive centres disrupts the regime’s apparatus and fosters a culture of defiance.
Activities of the Resistance Units
From torching regime symbols and defacing propaganda to writing slogans on walls and sharing information, the Resistance Units’ efforts inspire and organise dissent. They have a leading role in organising and guiding anti-regime protests. Notable operations include:
Brave Displays
The Resistance Units boldly erect large banners with photos of Iranian opposition leaders and calls for regime change across busy highways and on bridges and overpasses in major cities, inspiring defiance and encouraging public support.
Group Marches
Resistance Unit networks in various cities filmed themselves carrying out a series of group marches, while chanting slogans against the regime. These images send a message to the Iranian people that the regime is unable to eradicate organised opposition.
Defiant Messages
The Resistance Units write slogans like ‘Down with the Dictator’ on city walls, undermining the regime’s control and instilling hope in millions of Iranians.
Symbolic Attacks
The quick destruction of Qassem Soleimani’s statue shortly after its unveiling symbolised their defiance.
20,000 Acts of Defiance
In the run-up to the Free Iran World Summit 2024, the Resistance Units filmed themselves carrying out 20,000 different acts of resistance across virtually all of Iran’s 31 provinces. These scenes were broadcast before hundreds of world leaders and Parliamentarians at the Free Iran summit in Paris on 29 June 2024, letting the world know of the existence of a viable and organised grassroots resistance movement inside the country.
Health Information
They monitored hospitals and cemeteries and provided crucial, unfiltered information during the COVID-19 outbreak, exposing the regime’s mismanagement.
Targeting Centres of Repression
The Resistance Units have conducting numerous targeted actions against IRGC and Basij bases, shattering the perception of an omnipotent regime.
Role in Recent Protests in Iran
During the recent nationwide pro-democracy protests, the Resistance Units played a pivotal role:
Organising and Leading:
They organised and sustained the protests, ensuring they remained focused on regime change. Specifically, at immense personal risk, members of the Resistance Units embedded within protests bravely initiated impactful chants such as “Death to the Dictator,” directly challenging the regime’s existence.
Countering Regime Tactics:
They countered the regime’s attempts to undermine protests by identifying and expelling regime infiltrators from protesters’ ranks.
Moral Support:
Their actions against repressive forces lifted the spirits of protesters, fostering a prolonged resistance movement.
Maintaining the Flame of Resistance:
The Resistance Units have through their activities been instrumental in keeping the flame of resistance alive in the aftermath of the crackdown on the 2022 uprising. They have been instrumental in popularising the rallying cries of “Women, Resistance, Freedom” and “Down with the Oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)”.
Military Centres Targeted in Iran
Taking a Stance
In response to the regime’s actions against the Iranian people, such as executions, poisoning of schoolgirls, mass evictions, and destruction of people’s homes, the Rebellious Youth have targeted IRGC and Bassij centres involved in the crackdown.
Burning the Statue of Qassem Soleimani
On 5 January 2022, just hours after officials inf Shahr-e-Kord unveiled a large statue of Qassem Soleimani-the former commander of the Quds Force Killed in a US airstrike-the Resistance Units set it ablaze in a daring act of defiance. This bold action sparked Celebrations across Iran, Forcing the regime to cancel planned events and ultimately remove the burnt statue.
Facing Brutal Repression
Over 3000 Resistance Units Arrested
The Iranian regime, terrified of the growing influence of the Resistance Units, has unleashed a wave of brutal repression, using mass arrests, disappearances, and infiltration attempts. At least 3,626 members were forcibly disappeared during the 2022 uprising and are believed to be imprisoned. At least 10 have been sentenced to death, and several have been executed.
Yet, despite these immense challenges, the Resistance Units continue to grow in size and influence and remain steadfast in their commitment to freedom. Their resilience exposes the regime’s inability to silence the call for change.
A Beacon of Inspiration
The Resistance Units have become a powerful symbol of hope for the Iranian people, demonstrating that resistance is possible even in the face of overwhelming odds. Their courageous actions continue to inspire a nation yearning for change. Their defiance against repression and their call for democracy resonate deeply, connecting a new generation to the legacy of resistance. Their work has inspired countless Iranians to envision a free, democratic Iran.
The Strategy of the Resistance Units
The Resistance Units have become a powerful symbol of hope for the Iranian people, demonstrating that resistance is possible even in the face of overwhelming odds. Their courageous actions continue to inspire a nation yearning for change. Their defiance against repression and their call for democracy resonate deeply, connecting a new generation to the legacy of resistance. Their work has inspired countless Iranians to envision a free, democratic Iran.
Global Support
A Global Chorus of Support
The world is taking notice of the Resistance Units’ courageous stand against the Iranian regime. These brave individuals, who risk everything to challenge oppression, have inspired a global chorus of support. In summer 2024, some 137 former world leaders signed a global statement recognising their right to resist tyranny. Prominent figures like Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo have also voiced their solidarity, amplifying the call for a free and democratic Iran.
Gallery
Qasem Soleimani billboard burned in Birjand | Iran protests
