Iran: Retired employees rallying in Tehran

Iran: Retired employees rallying in Tehran

Tehran – Retired government employees rally outside the Planning and Budget Organization

Reported by PMOI/MEK

Iran, Oct. 16, 2018 - Retired employees in Tehran gathered from across the country to rally outside the Iranian regime’s Planning and Budget Organization office building. Retired nurses and other Health Ministry employees are also taking part in this protest gathering.

The placards raised at this rally read:

“We have the right to establish our own organizations and hold protest rallies”

“The problems we face include officials’ hollow promises”

“We will continue our efforts until our legal demands are met”

Tehran – Retired government employees holding a protest rally

The sign reads: “We will continue our efforts until our legal demands are met”

Tehran - Retired government employees are demanding justice

Tehran – Retired government employees holding a protest rally

Tehran – Retired government employees holding a protest rally

The sign reads: “We have the right to have organizations and hold protest rallies

The sign reads: “Why are the officials terrified of upholding the law?”

Tehran – Retired employees demanding justice & legal measures

On Sunday and Monday teachers across Iran held a strike that spread to 103 cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Shahin Shahr, Karaj, protesting unbearable living conditions and heavy security measures in schools and on college campuses. 29 of Iran’s 31 provinces were witness to these sweeping protests and strikes.

Students of Tehran University’s School of Social Sciences held a protest rally Monday afternoon, refusing to show up for some of their afternoon classes and supporting their protesting teachers.

The students were voicing slogans ridiculing the speech delivered by Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani calling for “hope therapy” to overcome the current crises in Iran. They were also holding signs expressing their support for their teachers’ nationwide strike and called on authorities to meet the teachers’ demands of better living conditions and the release of imprisoned teachers.

A number of telephone and communications workers issued a statement expressing their support of the protesting teachers’ strike.

“The teachers’ demands are very similar to those raised by the drivers and other hardworking people across the country. They are protesting high prices, inflation, the unprecedented drop in the people’s purchasing power, oppressive measures against teachers’ independent organizations and the imprisonment of their colleagues. We hail the protesting teachers and voice our support for their demands. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their effort to establish a free and equal society.”

Members of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Workers Syndicate also issued a statement expressing their support for the protesting teachers’ nationwide strike.

“Teachers are among Iran’s workers’ class. They are calling for the release of their jailed colleagues, protesting inflation, poverty and extremely poor living conditions, demanding a decent life, fair wages… We, the members of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Workers Syndicate, stand alongside these brave teachers and have no doubt that victory is ours.”

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As teachers across Iran continue their nationwide strike for the second consecutive day on Monday reaching 103 cities, and truckers forced regime officials to succumb to three of their demands after three weeks of strikes, more reports are coming from numerous cities across Iran about people from all walks of life holding a variety of rallies.

In Tehran, clients of the Revolutionary Guards-linked Caspian credit firm rallied outside the Iranian regime’s Central Bank, demanding their stolen money returned.

The protesters were chanting:

“The bankrupt government is sitting on our money”

Clients of the Caspian credit firm were also rallying in the city of Rasht in northern Iran. Braving heavy rainfall, these protesters gathered outside the Caspian branch and demanded their plundered savings returned.

They were chanting:

“Our life’s work has been stolen and plundered”

“We’ll continue our protests until our money is returned”

“Our money has been stolen and we can’t put food on the table”

In Haft Tappeh, southwest Iran, livestock workers went on strike on Monday, protesting pressures imposed by regime officials.

In Shushtar, southwest Iran, municipality workers held a rally outside the city hall on Monday demanding their paychecks that have been postponed for the past six months. These protesting workers say that prior to the Dec/Jan period, all Shushtar municipality employees were working under the city’s official authority. However, against the workers’ will and opinion, they were suddenly placed under regime officials’ authority under plan pretexted as a privatization measure. Their paychecks have been delayed ever since they added.

Shushtar – Municipality workers’ protest rally

Students of the Sanandaj Open University in western Iran rallied on Monday, protesting officials’ decision to eliminate the fields of nursing, especially one week into the course.

Sanandaj Open University students protesting

Employees of a factory producing industrial counters in the Albroz Industrial Complex in Qazvin Province held a rally to protest not receiving their pensions for the past 14 months.

Alborz Industrial Complex workers holding a protest rally

According to the latest reports, teachers in more than 100 cities across Iran are continuing their nationwide strike for the second consecutive day on Monday, reaching the cities of Mashhad, Marivan, Isfahan, Hamedan, Karaj, Homayounshahr, Shahinshar, Ahvaz, Baneh, Ravansar and many more.

Reports from the cities of Qeshm, Ahvaz, Poldokhtar, Ravansar, Rafsanjan, Zarineh and Babol indicate all teachers are on strike. Their protests have also spread to the cities of Divandareh, Shiraz, Sanandaj, Sari, Langrud, Saqqez, Khomeini Shahr, Kermanshah, and many others.

Teachers of a school in Marivan, western Iran

The teaching staff of a school in Karaj, west of Tehran

Teachers of a school in Isfahan, central Iran

Teachers of Hamedan, western Iran

Teachers in dozens of cities across Iran began their nationwide strike on Sunday, protesting poor living conditions, problems with their jobs and heavy security measures imposed in their schools.

Teachers of Alborz city are on a nationwide strike

Teachers in the cities of Paveh, Islamabad-e Gharb, Yazd, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Marivan, Mashhad, Ilam, Gonabad, Torbat-e Heydariyeh, Tabriz, Amol, Garmeh, Lamerd, Sanandaj, Saqqez, Tehran (Quds Town), Sarvabad and a number of other towns and cities were seen to be on strike.

Students in various cities also announced their support for their teachers on this initiative.

Teachers of Hassankhan tower in Tehran are on a nationwide strike

Teachers of Divandarreh are on a nationwide strike on Oct 15

Other cities included Mahabad, Khorramabad, Firouzazbad, Zarrin Shahr, Bojnourd, Javanrud, Sari, Karaj, Ivan-e Gharb, and others.

The protesting teachers are also calling for the release of their jailed colleagues.

Since anti-government demonstrations erupted throughout Iran in December, strikes have become a popular way for citizens from all walks of life and social classes to protest against the corruption and inefficiency of the Iranian regime.

Mofatteh school, Isfahan-teachers on strike

This is the second time that Iranian teachers are going on strike. Earlier this year, teachers across the country took to the streets to protest against discrimination, imprisonment of political activists and economic woes. This round of strikes by teachers is happening in parallel to a widespread strike by truck drivers across the country, which has lasted for more than three weeks and has expanded to more than 300 cities across the country. Last week, a separate strike by merchants and shop owners reached dozens of cities.