Protesters in the Iranian city of Neyshabur on Friday took down a statue of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, in the city’s main square, footage posted to YouTube showed. Meanwhile, police deployed heavily in the predominantly ethnic Arab city of Dezful after activists called for protests, according to Reuters , as unrest showed no sign of abating four weeks since Mahsa Amini's death in custody ignited nationwide demonstrations. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, in remarks on Friday, warned of "divisions in the ranks of Muslims" without explicitly mentioning the protests. Earlier this week, he dismissed them as "scattered riots" planned by Iran's enemies. A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini died on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women. The street violence has led to dozens of deaths , mostly of protesters but also members of the security forces. Related articles: Iranian security forces disperse pro-hijab demonstrators 34 Iranian women prisoners begin hunger strike Sentences for journalists who covered Amini's death reduced Iranian lawyer who criticized government arrested Human rights groups say more than 200 people have been killed in the crackdown nationwide, including teenage girls whose deaths have become a rallying cry for more demonstrations demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic. Iran has blamed the violence on enemies at home and abroad, including armed separatists and Western powers, accusing them of conspiring against the Islamic Republic and denying security forces have killed protesters. (Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
