Truckers on strike in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran – May 21, 2023.As nationwide unrest sweeps across Iran, the ruling regime grapples with widespread anti-regime protests escalating to unprecedented levels.
Sparked by soaring inflation and the rising cost of basic goods, rallies are being held by a wide spectrum of society, with retirees and the country’s truckers spearheading the latest round of demonstrations.
Over 750 people have been killed and upwards of 30,000 detained in 282 cities, according to sources linked to thePeople’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Bold acts of rebellion against the regime’s forces are increasing, including an attack on an IRGC base in Kermanshah, resulting in several explosions.
High levels of civic discontent are echoed in chants heard throughout rallies, such as “Down with the dictator!” and “Our silence is treason and collaboration in crimes!” This vehement outcry against the regime resonates from the capital, Tehran, to the northern city of Rasht and beyond.
#IranProtests at a Glance- Sunday, May 21, 2023#IranRevoIution pic.twitter.com/hzZWxvr4lG
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 22, 2023
Retirees from diverse sectors, including the Social Security Organization and the telecom industry, have mounted multiple protests against low pensions and the dire economic climate, plaguing cities like Ahvaz, Arak, and Mashhad. Their grievances highlight the regime’s failure to address their declining living standards, with pensions failing to adjust to rampant inflation and the plummeting value of the rial.
Strikes are concurrently being staged across numerous industries. Heavy vehicle drivers in Arak have withdrawn their labor, denouncing poor working conditions and the oppressive rule of the mullahs. Also, railroad technicians in Qom are on strike over delayed paychecks, while petrochemical workers in southwest Iran have reinitiated their strike after promises of salary increases fell through.
In Tehran, defrauded investors have rallied outside the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade, demanding reimbursement of stolen investments. State police response to local protests has also been brutal, with gunshots fired on residents opposing demolition of residential homes in Gojag village.
May 22 – Rasht, northern #Iran
Locals are in the streets chanting anti-regime slogans, including:
"Down with the state of executions!"
"We swear on the blood of our compatriots that we will stand to the very end!" #IranRevoIution #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/tuO1CumBTg— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 22, 2023
Resistance has also been voiced by university students in Tehran protesting the suspension of a classmate, while villagers from Darreh Hendu and Mehrabad rally against the regime’s refusal to upgrade local infrastructure and the destruction of their flower market.
The nationwide truckers’ strike, launched in the terminal of Bandar Abbas, promises to escalate this wave of dissent, symbolizing the united stand against the regime’s injustices and failures.
May 22 – Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
Retirees and pensioners of the regime's telecom industry from across Khuzestan Province are protesting low pensions and poor economic conditions.#IranProtests2023 pic.twitter.com/583QOAUe86pic.twitter.com/J0vmFw2zOp— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 22, 2023
These protests signify a groundswell of resistance, with Iranians from all walks of life demanding change and an end to oppressive rule. With no signs of abating, this wave of dissent continues to challenge the very foundations of the regime.
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