Iranians try to access local government building on fourth day of protests

Eyewitness video released on Wednesday, December 31, showed protesters trying to enter a government building in Iran's southern Fars province during the fourth day of demonstrations over the rising cost of living.

The footage captured protesters throwing rocks at the building and forcing the gate open. Reuters was able to confirm the location by matching the walls, gates, road layout, and trees in the video with satellite imagery of the area. However, the exact date the video was filmed and the identities of the individuals could not be independently verified.

Iranian state media reported that protesters attempted to break into a government building on Wednesday. The demonstrations, fueled by high inflation and a sharp decline in the value of the local rial currency, began among shopkeepers in Tehran on Sunday, December 28. By Tuesday, December 30, protests had spread to several universities in Tehran, leading to the reported break-in attempt.

The wave of protests has prompted an unusual offer from the government for dialogue. Previously, Iranian authorities responded to protests over issues such as prices, drought, women's rights, and political freedoms with forceful security measures and extensive arrests.

This time, the government announced plans to set up a "dialogue mechanism" with leaders of the demonstrations—the first major protests since Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran in June, which had sparked widespread patriotic solidarity. Authorities have not provided details on how the mechanism will operate.

-Production: Eleanor Whalley, Bahareh Khodabandeh/Reuters