As Iran’s disparate political entities begin to lobby and organize for the 2016 parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, attacks on Reformist gatherings portend a challenging path for a decimated group that hopes to return to power.

A significant factor in the election of moderate President Hassan Rouhani in 2013 was the overwhelming support he received from prominent Reformist figures. While many of them supported Rouhani in hopes of ending the policies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — by denying hard-line Saeed Jalili the presidency — others hoped to enter political office themselves, taking advantage of Rouhani’s election promise of a more open political climate. However, attacks on Reformist gatherings by protesters appear to be dashing these hopes.

The most recent attack occurred Nov. 29 at a university in Yasuj. Azar Mansouri, a former adviser to President Mohammad Khatami and a Reformist political activist with the Participation Front, was scheduled to speak. According to organizers, they had received permission from both the university and the city to hold the event, but conservative groups from other universities filled the auditorium early, preventing others from entering. When Mansouri entered, the conservative groups began chanting “Death to seditionists,” a term used against Reformist organizers who supported Mir Hossein Mousavi in the highly contested 2009 presidential elections. “The sedition” is the term critics use to refer to the Green Movement.

One organizer of the event described the disruption as “being attacked from three sides.” Unable to deliver her speech, Mansouri left. Three people were injured when one of the protesters pulled a knife on the group accompanying Mansouri.