By Published On: May 3, 2019Categories: NEWS
Teachers protests in Iran

Teachers take it to the streets on Teacher’s day, to express their outrage on the terrible condition of teachers under the ruling regime.-May 2, 2019

On Thursday, May 2nd, educators in dozens of cities across Iran answered a nationwide call to protest in recognition of Teachers’ Day. Teachers gathered in front of local Ministry of Education offices and demonstrated in the streets in protest of low wages, poor benefits and working conditions, the inability to form labor unions, and the imprisonment of activist teachers. Protests took place in the cities of Tehran, Torbat-e Heydariyeh, Sanandaj, Urmia, Yazd, Hamedan, Divandareh, Mallard, Tabriz, Qazvin, Javanrood, Ardebil, Kermanshah, Homayounshahr, Sari, Khorramabad, Marivan, Mahabad, Karaj, Mashhad, and many others.

Protest in Hamadan

 

Teachers in the city of Hamadan held handwritten signs reading: “Imprisoned teachers must be freed.”

“Stop privatizing schools and education.”

“Children must receive a free and quality education.”

“We demand decent pay for our work.”

One of the protesting teachers at the Hamadan rally gave a speech to the assembled demonstrators.

Protest in Kermanshah

In the city of Kermanshah, teachers and educational support workers held a gathering in honor of Teachers’ Day. The teachers chanted: “Majlis [the regime’s parliament] and the government do not care about the teachers!”

Protests in Tehran

 

In the capital city of Tehran, teachers and educational support workers gathered in front of the Ministry of Education building to protest. They carried handwritten signs reading: “Imprisoned teachers must be freed.”

“Imprisoned workers must be freed.”

“Your pain is our pain, people must rise up and join us.”

Protests in Mallard

 

In Mallard, Tehran Province, teachers, and educational support workers held a rally in honor of Teachers’ Day. They carried posters and signs reading: “Free education is the right of every child.”

“We demand salary and wages above the poverty line for teachers and pensioners.”

A number of other cities are reported to have joined in the nationwide protests as well.

Maryam Rajavi’s Remarks

 

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), issued a call to the Iranian people to support the protesting teachers. She also asked human rights groups and international teachers unions to take action to free teachers who have been detained and imprisoned by the Iranian regime.

Mrs. Rajavi tweeted some of the chants heard at Thursday’s protests, noting that their anger reflects a desire for change. She wrote:

“Teachers’ protests and their stand against repressive rgm forces showed public anger & disgust at religious dictatorship and demand for change; ‘People join us, our problem is your problem,’ ‘Teachers are imprisoned, extortionists are free,’
#Iran”
She also saluted the protesting teachers in cities across Iran, tweeting:

“Hail to protesting teachers in Tehran, Mashad, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Sanandaj, Yazd, Ourumieh, Qazvin, Karaj, Hamedan, Ardebil, Esfahan, Sari, Khoramabab, Rasht, Ilam, Mahabad, Shiraz & Arak who chanted ‘Imprisoned teachers must be freed” &“Workers, Teachers, Unite’ #Iran”

Iranian teachers took part in a number of protests last year, including multiple nationwide strikes, and their demands have been ignored by the regime. Many of the teachers responsible for organizing the protests have been arrested and imprisoned, and their colleagues have repeatedly called for their release, as well as the release of colleagues who have been imprisoned for their participation in labor unions.

 

The MEK supports fair labor practices for teachers and all workers and has called for the release of these political prisoners and an end to the repressive regime responsible for their imprisonment.

Staff writer

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