Protests continue to rock Iran, with citizens from all walks of life taking to the streets to voice their grievances against the country’s regime. Among the key issues raised by protesters are the plummeting economy, poor work conditions, and low pensions.

Protests continue to rock Iran as citizens voice grievances against regime

Written by Mohsen Aboutalebi on March 1, 2023. Posted in NEWS

Protests continue to rock Iran, with citizens from all walks of life taking to the streets to voice their grievances against the country’s regime. Among the key issues raised by protesters are the plummeting economy, poor work conditions, and low pensions.

The protests, which began in September 2022, have spread to at least 282 cities across the country, with citizens holding Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for their suffering. Protesters have also condemned the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, along with other security forces that have been deployed to suppress the peaceful demonstrations.

According to sources from the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK), over 750 people have been killed, and more than 30,000 arrested by regime forces.

The protests have been escalating, and a recent decision by officials to close the campus dormitory and hold classes online for the next three weeks has sparked tensions among students at Tehran University, the country’s largest university.

Protests have been held in several cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Arak, Kermanshah, Ardabil, Khorramabad, Hamadan, and Bandar Abbas, along with rallies in Kurdistan and Markazi (Central) provinces.

In Yazd, steel workers have been rallying to demand better working conditions, pay raises, and support for their families. Retirees of the regime’s Social Security Organization and Isfahan steel company were also on strike, with workers protesting low pensions and deteriorating living conditions due to the country’s economic decline.

In response to the protests, regime authorities have deployed anti-riot units to several sites, with reports of dozens of protesting workers being arrested and transferred to unknown locations. Reports indicate that hundreds of anti-riot forces remain present at the steel mill site in Isfahan, with motorcycles used to create fear among protesting workers.

February 27 – Tehran, #Iran
Students of Tehran University were protesting a decision to hold online classes and close the dormitory for three weeks.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/BYmppwfbWI

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 27, 2023

City municipality workers in Yasuj, the capital of Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad Province in southwest Iran, were also holding a gathering to protest delayed paychecks, with workers reporting not being paid for 8 to 13 months.

Other protesters include LPG sellers’ representatives in Isfahan, who were protesting the severe shortage of liquid gas that has made it impossible to provide for their customers. In Chabahar, students of the Chabahar Maritime University placed their trays on the ground to protest the low-quality food served in the campus cafeteria.

February 26 – Isfahan, central #Iran
LPG sellers' representatives protested the severe shortage of liquid gas that has made them unable to sell to their customers.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/1LcYwEUHS9

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 26, 2023

The protests have attracted international attention, with the Iranian opposition President-elect Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) meeting with two prominent members of the UK House of Commons to express her gratitude for their support for democracy and human rights in Iran. Despite the regime’s repressive measures, Rajavi noted that it has been unable to dismantle the material foundations of the uprising, nor has it succeeded in eradicating the Resistance Units and the courageous youth who serve as its driving force.