In fact, the organized nature of 2019 protests compared to those of 2017-2018 has been a result of MEK’s resistance units’ active role, helping to organize and lead protests in no less than 191 cities in the country. MEK units contributed to safeguarding protesters from countermeasures undertaken by the regime’s repressive forces, and especially played an active role in the diffusion of the uprising news through MEK news outlets.

A brief review of a number of news items and articles published by the regime’s media can be useful for a better understanding of the ongoing situation:

Supreme Leader’s official website-17 November 2019

Blaming the MEK/PMOI for protests

In the past two days, that is two nights and a day that followed this affair, almost all hooligan centers in the world encouraged these acts against us, extending from despised and evil family of Pahlavi (the deposed Shah) to a collection of evil and criminal MEK. They are continuously encouraging these kinds of hooliganisms in social media and other places…”

ILNA state-run news agency-17 November 2019

Assadollah Abbasi, Spokesman of the Presidium of the Islamic Consultative Assembly commented on the remarks made by the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in the closed session of the Assembly and said: Ali Shamkhani told the closed session of the Assembly that a number of people who provoked people on the streets have been identified. It was determined that they were linked to the MEK. They were among local hooligans and were paid to foment unrest.

Shohadaye Iran website-17 November 2019

Wise people of Iran would not join the MEK

Parliamentary deputy representing Malayer told Majlis (Parliament): Although people may be angry with some of the decisions, our people with a basic understanding, alertness, and wisdom would never join the network of counter-revolutionaries and the MEK. This will never happen… The Islamic Republic that has managed to establish lasting security in Iraq and Syria would never be troubled by the activities of the MEK… People of Iran who remember sacrifices and … would never allow the blood of martyrs to be trampled on and would continue supporting them. Therefore, they would never join the MEK and hooligans.

Fars state-run news agency-17 November 2019

Instructions coming from counter-revolutionaries and MEK in recent events

Hossein Ashtari, Commander of the State Security Forces said: Our investigations indicate that instruction coming from counter-revolutionary and MEK organizations was the cause of these events. The country’s security and police institutions will identify these individuals and God willing they will be punished for their practices at the right time.

Jahed Khabar website-17 November 2019

People must be on alert not to get involved with the MEK and monarchists

A security source said: People gathered at a location in the city of Rasht to follow up living problems and gasoline price rise but among the innocent people some known individuals from the MEK and monarchists infiltrated and caused unrest…

Tabnak website -18 November 2019

MEK members among hooligans

Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, head of Basij-e Mostazafin Organization (a paramilitary force) told a press conference: On Saturday evening troubles were caused by centers of hooliganism and rubbers of people’s property but, once again, the plots by the US failed. They planned to carry out this project in 2018 but did not succeed. The MEK has cells in our country and in other countries, some mercenaries and the US affiliated MEK inflict blows to the interests of nations.

He emphasized: Of course, all these measures failed in the face of people’s alertness and our people did not cooperate with these individuals and groups. The main elements of these activities have been identified and arrested.

Farhang Radio-18 November 2019

Ali Larijani, Majlis (parliament) spokesman: … Honorable representatives of people in Majlis, after hearing remarks by His Highness (Khamenei), found it crucial to follow his instructions and look seriously into people’s concerns in the area of economic problems and with greater unity would not allow unrests to be created by the US and its lackeys, the MEK and the counter-revolutionaries…

Defense Press-18 November 2019

Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri, member of Council of Experts, former Minister of Intelligence: Recent disturbances were not caused by people. Setting fire on people’s property and causing destructions were the work of the MEK and the counter-revolutionaries. People would not set fire to their own properties… the MEK had been planning to cause unrest since several months ago but they were identified very quickly and isolated from the people.

Resalat daily – 19 November 2019

Resalat investigates the role of the MEK in recent unrests

Enemies of the revolution take advantage of any opportunity to destroy the country and harm the people. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the MEK, and the White House supported the unrest in their statements…

A member of the State Expediency Council told Resalat: No one in Iran would heed remarks by Rajavi and people like her.

Former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, told Resalat: Some took advantage of people’s protests and damaged public property. These people are obviously supported by Maryam Rajavi, monarchists and the US… people must keep a distance from these hooligans.

Majid Ansari, member of the State Expediency Council told Resalat: The MEK is always trying to close any opportunity where people of Iran may have some peace by resorting to sanctions through the US. In other word, the MEK is trying day and night to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees and does not let up even a moment… People, as in the past, must be on alert and do not let the MEK take advantage of the atmosphere of peaceful protests.

Ala’addin Boroujerdi, member of the National Security Committee of the Majlis believes: Recent statements by Maryam Rajavi and the White House are only the repeat of the same dreams they had in seditions of 1999 and 2009. Dreams that will never come true… These politically bankrupt forces, especially the despised MEK organization serving as the lackey of the US in the region, have been betraying the great nation of Iran for decades, but it must be said that they are not going to benefit in any way from the recent developments and disturbances in the country… I advise the youths and youngsters not to be deceived by the guided hooligans and allow the national interests to remain protected.

Entekhab state-run website-19 November 2019

Abbas Ali Mohammadian, Commander of Alborz (province) Security Forces said: In recent days, with the efforts of all security forces in the province, a large number of rioters who destroyed public and private properties have been arrested. Our investigations indicate that instructions for these incidents came from counter-revolutionary and MEK organizations.

IRNA state-run news agency-19 November 2019

Fajr IRGC Commander in Fars province, Seyyed Hashem Ghiasi said: In interrogations conducted on leaders of hooligans affiliated with the MEK it was determined that among their main objectives were to cause insecurity within the society, harm people attending the protests and instigate discontent and disrupt people’s normal life…

ANA news agency- 20 November 2019

How do “urban terrorists” of the MEK operate?

With the presence of young women and heavily built men in riots; how do the “urban terrorist” teams of the MEK operate?

The type and methods of operations in recent riots in the country show that these activities are guided by urban terrorism of the MEK organization.

There are a lot of similarities between the recent riots and the operations conducted by the MEK in years passed. Destructions and riots in recent days also resembled the security formation of the MEK organization. Creating small cells to carry out terror operations and set fire [to premises] and then engagement of the second layer of operation using women to touch public feelings that were removed by actions of the security and police forces. The MEK also uses women to excite crowd and chant anti-regime slogans.

The field assessment shows that some heavily built and young individuals were leaders of the recent riots accompanying small teams and acting like insurgents, using handmade weapons set fire and destroy public properties to cause fear and terror. This is contrary to the riots of January 2018 where young girls led the riot teams in the country.

Esmaili, the Judiciary Spokesman said: Among those arrested are some elements affiliated with the MEK and monarchists…

Fars news agency, 20 November 2019

Leaders of rioters captured by IRGC Intelligence

Commander Ramezan Sharif, deputy head of IRGC Public Relations and Propaganda, said: The monarchists and the MEK, through a bunch of thugs and hooligans, disturb the security of the society and damage public property and an American-Zionist-European trend supports them financially and militarily.

He described the trend affiliated with the MEK as one that is hated by people and added: The MEK Organization killed more than 17000 people in the early days of the revolution, including some officials, in a bid to create insecurity and fear.

Baran TV network, 20 November 2019

“We know you are the children of those executed from the Monafeqin”

Felahati, Khamenei’s representative in Gilan province, north of Iran, said: We know that you (rioters) are the children of those executed from the MEK, you are the children of the MEK driven from their home… we know you well… do not go after your unfortunate ancestors. Repent and give in… The main cells of the sedition of the arrogance (The US) are the MEK and the monarchists and the Judiciary must act firmly and hand in the maximum punishment to the main elements involved in the recent riots, which has disturbed people’s peace.

Mehr news agency- 21 November 2019

Shamkhani: All rioters will be punished one by one

Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, in an interview with Mehr news agency emphasized that MEK, thugs, monarchists, and hooligans will never be able to have any influence on the Iranian people’s determination to reach their objective and added: The enemies intend to take advantage of Iranian people’s protest in connection with their living conditions… Every single rioter, wherever they might be in Iran, would be identified and punished for their acts.

State-run news agencies-22 November 2019

Remarks by Tehran’s Friday prayer leader

Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s Friday Prayer leader and Khamenei’s representative, made the following remarks about the nationwide uprising following gasoline price rise:

I thank the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC, the paramilitary Bassij force and the State Security Force who confronted the hooligans… I call on people to identify the hooligans and not to have the slightest compassion towards them and hand them over to the authorities… In light of the extensive plan that the hooligans had, they must be chased house to house and hand over to the authorities… They have inflicted thousands of billions of Towmans (billions of dollars) of damages… they are enemies of God and must receive the maximum punishment (death according to the regime’s law and Khomeini’s decree)… the MEK must be treated as at the beginning of the revolution as they were wiped out…

One of the admirable measures adopted during this period was to cut off the internet and international networks… I advise them not to reconnect the internet in view of recent days’ experience…

Fars News agency-Friday, 22 November 2019

Remarks by some Friday prayer leaders

Kazem Fatah Damavandi, Friday prayer in Damavand, northern Iran: The authorities who caused such major damage to the country must be held accountable. People on Saturday were protesting peacefully, but from Saturday afternoon some organized elements who were guided by the MEK came to the scene…

Mehrab Banafi at Borazjan: Those who protested in recent days against gasoline price rise should not have damaged public property. They even fired on the Basij paramilitary force and State Security Force. No doubt that they were from the MEK…

Online website-22 November 2019

Statement by the Assembly of Experts on the recent unrest

While strongly warning the criminal US, evil Israel, … that are supporting the MEK … as the elements causing riots in Iran in recent years… once again call on the government and the Assembly of Islamic Council (the parliament) to prevent the cause of new economic problems and high prices … and also call on the security and the Judiciary apparatus to deal decisively with the elements causing these riots.

Jam-e Jam state-run TV 24 November 2019

While blaming the forces outside Iran for recent riots a video clip about a meeting by the MEK delegation led by Maryam Rajavi was shown and some of the interesting comments follow:

The incidents this time were different from previous occasions and the rioters were more organized, had networks and acted seriously more effectively…

A very good thing that was done in this round was cutting off the internet network. Although there was a lot of criticism our security is more important because we saw on the very first day (of riots) momentary reports in the social media about the things happening that affected the public opinion and caused excitement and encouraged people to join…