Iranians demand—and deserve—a less oppressive regime
For now, alas, they probably won’t get one
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/sites/default/files/images/print-edition/20180106_LDP003_0.jpg)
BIG things often have small beginnings. In the case of the protests engulfing Iran, it was a steep rise in the price of eggs. That was why hundreds of people first took to the streets in Mashhad, Iran’s second city, on December 28th. They demanded the resignation of Hassan Rouhani, the reformist president, for failing to bring prosperity to most Iranians.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Berating the tyrants of Tehran”
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