Protesters in Tehran say they saw ‘bodies piled on top of each other’ in hospitals after authorities’ crackdown
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Protesters in Tehran say they saw
Protesters in Tehran say they saw ‘bodies piled on top of each other’ in hospitals after authorities’ crackdown
Several people who participated in recent protests in Iran told CNN that Tehran’s streets were filled with unusually large crowds and scenes of extreme violence. One woman said she saw “bodies piled on top of each other” inside a hospital.
A woman in her sixties and a 70-year-old man said they saw people of all ages on the streets of the Iranian capital on Thursday and Friday. However, on Friday night, security forces used military rifles and killed “many people,” they said, speaking anonymously due to security concerns.
The protests began on December 28 in Tehran’s bazaars against soaring inflation and later spread to more than 100 cities. They are being described as the biggest challenge to the Iranian government in recent years.
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On January 8, 2026, protesters blocked roads in Kermanshah. The nationwide demonstrations began in late December at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over failed economic policies, later spreading to universities and other cities, with slogans shifting from economic demands to political and anti-government chants.
Dozens reported killed amid internet shutdown
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the United States supports the people of Iran, while President Donald Trump reiterated on Friday that Iran could face military action if security forces continue killing protesters.
Despite the internet blackout, protesters in another neighborhood of Tehran told CNN they helped a severely injured man in his 60s who had around 40 pellets lodged in his legs and a broken arm. They said hospitals were in a state of “complete chaos.”
Other protesters said the scale of the crowds was unlike anything they had ever witnessed, describing the scenes as “unbelievably beautiful and hopeful.”
That atmosphere changed dramatically after a televised speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday night. Protesters said the crackdown became extremely violent soon afterward.
One protester told CNN, “Sadly, we may have to accept the reality that this regime will not step down without external force.”
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni acknowledged “some shortcomings” on state television Saturday but promised a “better economic future” for Iranians.
A Tehran-based social worker who attended Friday’s protest said the situation turned into a “nightmare” as authorities attacked demonstrators.
Protesters in Tehran say they saw
“They fired bullets, tear gas — everything you can imagine. It was terrifying,” she said. She added that she saw a girl shocked in the neck with an electric device until she passed out, and said her colleague’s son was among those killed.
Medical staff and witnesses across Iran also described horrific scenes to reformist outlet IranWire.
In the southern city of Shiraz, doctors treated a woman shot in the head. In a video shared with IranWire, a medical worker said, “I have never seen such scenes in my life. They shamelessly shot her in the head and neck. Do you know how many patients we have now?”
A doctor in eastern Neyshabur said security forces fired on protesters from rooftops. A passing family of six was shot, and an elderly woman’s nurse was killed on her way home.
In Najafabad, the injured were taken to Montazeri Hospital. A medical source said families rushed to collect their children’s bodies and buried them in the same clothes.
Iranian-American doctor Mohammad Lesanpezeshki told CNN that hospitals are overwhelmed. An orthopedic surgeon told him there were at least 30 bodies in one emergency department, many with gunshot wounds. Tehran’s Farabi Eye Hospital reportedly treated 200–300 patients with pellets lodged in their eyes.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 116 people have been killed since the protests began, including 38 security personnel. At least seven of the protesters were under 18, and more than 2,600 people have been arrested.
HRANA said protests have been recorded at 574 locations across 185 cities in all 31 provinces.
CNN has contacted Iranian officials for comment but has not received a response.
Authorities arrested 100 people in Baharestan near Tehran on Saturday on charges of disturbing public order. CNN could not independently verify casualty figures.
Internet shutdown backfires
“The shutdown has backfired. Boredom and frustration pushed more people into the streets,” the 47-year-old said.
Men, women, and children are participating, chanting from windows and gathering at night, he said. While protests began over inflation, prices of basic goods like eggs and milk have continued to rise.
Iran’s army chief Amir Hatami urged unity and vigilance, while Khamenei dismissed protesters as “destructive elements” on social media.
Internet expert Doug Madory said Iran remains technically connected to the internet, with limited access maintained for select users.
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Iran Protests: Witnesses Describe Bodies Stacked in Hospitals After Violent Crackdown
Protesters in Tehran have described harrowing scenes following a violent government crackdown on nationwide demonstrations, saying hospitals were overwhelmed and filled with bodies after security forces opened fire on crowds.
Demonstrators told CNN that massive numbers of people flooded Tehran’s streets in recent days, only to face lethal force from security personnel armed with military-grade weapons. One woman said she witnessed bodies “stacked on top of one another” inside a hospital.
The unrest began on December 28 as protests against soaring inflation in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar before spreading to more than 100 cities across Iran. The movement has since evolved into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in years.
Following a televised address by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, witnesses said security forces intensified their response, using live ammunition, tear gas, pellets, and electric shock devices.
Medical workers across multiple cities reported unprecedented numbers of casualties. Hospitals in Tehran, Shiraz, Neyshabur, and Najafabad were described as chaotic, with injured protesters arriving in waves.
Human rights group HRANA estimates at least 116 deaths, including minors, and more than 2,600 arrests. Despite an internet shutdown intended to suppress unrest, residents say the blackout has fueled anger and driven more people into the streets.
International pressure is mounting, with US officials voicing support for Iranian protesters, while Iranian authorities deny wrongdoing and urge unity.
Protesters in Tehran say they saw ‘bodies piled on top of each other’ in hospitals after authorities’ crackdown
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