After the intense confrontation in June 2018 protests, activists and human rights defenders across the country called for another protest on September 2, 2018 to demonstrate their dissatisfaction concerning how the authorities handled the June 2018 protests and also many other social issues such as education, human rights violations, corruption, territorial disputes, and environmental pollution.

To assure that such large scale protests did not happen again, and on a national holiday, local public security forces employed every thuggish “measure” they had. Activists were put under house arrest, randomly attacked, and detained without warrant or explanation.