The wave of protests in Iran that began December 28, 2017 and spread throughout to a number of cities surprised many people both inside and outside of the country. The fact that the recent protests took place at the same time in these different cities does not necessarily mean, however, that they were caused by the same reason, or that the protestors came from the same social class and group. This essay aims to analyze the demonstrations in Qom that emerged during this wave of protests through ethnographic framework primarily consisting of personal observations and conversations that occurred during a recent trip to Qom. It will argue that contradictory governmental policies, exacerbating discrimination and inequality at personal and social levels, have fueled unprecedented anger among people in Qom, particularly among the youth from middle-class families. By juxtaposing the increasing standard of living of clergymen with the decreasing standard of living of people, I argue that during the last decade, the Iranian government has functioned as a neoliberal state for individuals who are not a part of the clergy, but has developed policies that resemble a welfare state for clergymen. Furthermore, it is these developments that have led to an increase in anger and grievances among the middle class in Qom and resulted in significant discontent. We have witnessed the emergence of a multilayer welfare system improving the lives of clergymen through benefits that unattainable for others including free health insurance, low-interest loans, housing assistance, high wages, and so forth. On the other hand, neoliberal policies such as privatizing schools, deregulating labor laws, suppressing unions, cutting public subsidies, and the persistent unemployment and inflation have devastated the lives of ordinary people. I argue that this growing disparity has exacerbated long-standing grievances regarding these perceived injustices and has contributed to the recent unrests in Qom.