Anti-Polrani ProtestsFravardin 4445 (July 3736)The corrupt and nepotistic practices of the Polrani "Duchy" have finally sparked the first series of large-scale protests. Perhaps spurred by Mobed Rousta's call for reform and the populist ideology of his clerical "Guardians of the Fire", the Aldegarians are now expressing their dissatisfaction with the Polrani regime. So far the protest movement is limited to the former capital Pāytakht-e Aldegār and several large cities, and the Polrani government has yet to react to the protests. But with a respected member of the clergy on their side, it seems likely that the protests will grow in size as the 3737 elections approach.
However, the protesters lack any form of organizational cohesion, as after the Polrani government's
Hezb-e Qaqnus (Phoenix Party) was disbanded and the nation brought under Homa Polrani's personal rule, there has been little organized opposition. The protesters are from a variety of social classes and political backgrounds, united only in their opposition to the Phoenix regime. Most of them appear to be bazaaris, merchants and workers of the traditional Aldegarian bazaars, themselves a heterogeneous social class, comprised both of rich merchants and low-earning workers, and who, while benefiting from the liberalization of the Aldegarian economy initiated in 3716, are also deeply dissatisfied with the increasingly unequal distribution of wealth in Aldegar. The bazaaris are joined in the protests by a number of peasants and workers, who were most affected by the Polrani removal of social protection, and by some clergy, decrying the Westernization and secularization promoted by the Phoenix regime. Many of the religious minorities, particularly the often-discriminated Zamanis, are also protesting against their marginalization at the hands of the Phoenix cult.
One peculiar trend emerging among the increasingly dissatisfied population is the apocalyptic belief in the imminent arrival of the
Mihr, the Messiah of Yazdism and Daenism. Some of the protesters, most of them Zamanis or Daenists, seem convinced that the Mihr has already been born, and is soon to bring about the renovation of Terra and the end of the world. These messianic expectations, while so far unsanctioned by any religious leader, do seem to form a strong undercurrent within the protest movement.