“They set the market on fire to burn people alive.”

Field report from the Rasht Bazaar fire. Suppression and forced retreat of civilians. Thursday, January 8th.

This report is being shared from inside Iran amid unstable internet conditions, where information comes out slowly and at great personal risk. The account is based on testimonies from shopkeepers, eyewitnesses, and on-the-ground investigation.

Starting Wednesday morning, after the Rasht Bazaar joined the strike, the city center, especially around Municipality Square, was heavily securitized. On Thursday, January 8,th the highest number of killings occurred in and around this square and the four main streets leading to it, as security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to push people back from all directions.

More than 95% of the fires were recorded in this same area. Due to the old, maze-like structure of the bazaar, many people fled inside to escape the crackdown. Security forces pursued them deep into the market. That night, flames spread from Shariati Street, fueled by strong warm winds.

According to shopkeepers, the bazaar burned for over an hour and a half without any intervention by firefighters, despite the serious risk of the fire spreading. Today, one sentence is repeated throughout the market:

“They did this to the bazaar because the bazaar went on strike.”

Source: Telegram channel “Civil Protest of the Bazaar.”