Government offices in northern Iran come under fiery attack

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 10 – Angry residents of Qaemshahr, in Iran’s northern coastal province of Mazandaran, attacked and set fire to the town hall this afternoon, locals told Iran Focus by telephone. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Jan. 10 – Angry residents of Qaemshahr, in Iran’s northern coastal province of Mazandaran, attacked and set fire to the town hall this afternoon, locals told Iran Focus by telephone.

Protestors were angry that authorities had failed to provide basic services to counter the recent disruption in gas supply which provides for much of the city’s heating during the winter cold.

“For two weeks, the gas has been cut off in my home. My children have caught a cold, and I don’t have the means to see to their needs”, said a working-class protestor present at the standoff outside the compound housing provincial officials.

He told Iran Focus that residents gathered outside the town hall at 14:00 local time and began to chant anti-government slogans. Soon after, the angry protestors attacked the building and set parts of it ablaze. The protest rapidly grew in size and lasted for several hours.

State Security Forces were brought in to disperse the crowd.

Nearby, in the city of Sari, angry residents took to the streets fed up with the government’s lack of performance in tackling the gas shortages.