Protests and strikes continue on a daily basis in cities across Iran, with people from all sectors of society taking to the streets in protest of the regime’s corruption and mismanagement of the country’s economy, as well as the mullahs’ oppression of the Iranian people.

A look at the latest protests and strikes in #Iran.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/zFLkk9xf0G

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 15, 2019

The following protests were reported by the MEK network inside Iran over the past few days.

Protests Reported on Thursday

A large group of contract employees currently working in the 9th oil refinery in the South Pars gas field in southern Iran protested the delay of their paychecks and pensions. The protesters are demanding that their paychecks be delivered by the beginning of the Iranian New Year on March 21st “so we can go home without feeling ashamed,” according to one of the workers.

In Sanandaj, western Iran, another group of contract workers employed by the city’s municipality rallied outside of the town hall to protest the delay of their paychecks.

Protests Reported on Wednesday

Slaughterhouse workers in Nahavand, western Iran, launched a strike on Wednesday to protest not receiving their wages for four months. The striking workers rallied outside of the governor’s office in Nahavand to demand their unpaid wages.

Municipal workers in Towheed, Ilam Province, held a protest to demand payment of their wages, which they have not received for the past six months. The workers held a sign that read, “We the Towheed municipality employees have not received our paychecks for the past six months. Please see to our requests. We can no longer raise our heads before our families.”
Nurses at the Medical University in Babol, northern Iran, demonstrated outside of the university dean’s office in protest of not receiving responses to their earlier demands.

In Kashan, central Iran, nurses at Beheshti Hospital launched a strike and protest over the hospital’s discriminatory policies and failure to pay their overtime wages or pensions for the past eleven months.

In Shush, southwest Iran, a group of retired factory workers from the Haft Tappeh sugar company rallied outside of the company’s door to demand their unpaid pensions.

A group of looted clients of the Padideh Credit Firm rallied outside of the prosecutor’s office in Mashhad, northeast Iran, to demand the return of their stolen savings.

Protests Reported on Tuesday

Looted clients of the Caspian Credit Union rallied outside of the regime’s judiciary in Tehran to demand the return of their stolen savings.

The Caspian Credit Union, which is closely linked to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) is the largest of several state-backed credit firms that looted billions of dollars from Iranians in an elaborate government-sanctioned Ponzi scheme.
A group of municipality workers in Ahvaz, southwest Iran, rallied outside of the main entrance of the town hall to protest the six-month delay of their paychecks.

In Asaluyeh, southern Iran, employees of phase 12 in the South Pars gas field projects continued their strike. The workers are protesting their employer’s failure to pay their wages for the past two months and their pensions for the past two years.

Staff Writer

On March 10th, members of the MEK’s Resistance Units in Iran launched a widespread campaign in recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8th.

The campaign was aimed at calling attention to the treatment of women under the theocratic Iranian regime and promoting the democratic alternative for the country’s future offered by the MEK and the Iranian Resistance under the leadership of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.

Urmia

MEK Resistance Unit members in the city of Urmia, northwest Iran, put up signs featuring quotes from Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Mrs. Rajavi is the leader of the Iranian Resistance and has called for gender equality as part of her ten-point plan for the democratic future of Iran.

Shiraz and Abadan

Members of MEK Resistance Unit 667 in Shiraz, central Iran, and Abadan, southwest Iran, posted signs in both English and Farsi quoting Mrs. Rajavi’s statements on women and gender equality.

A female member of a MEK Resistance Unit in Shiraz raised a sign commemorating March 8th.

Hamedan and Karaj

MEK Resistance Unit members in Hamedan and Karaj posted signs with quotes from Maryam Rajavi. The signs read, ““No to compulsory hijab, no to compulsory religion, no to a compulsory state.”

Sanandaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz

In the cities of Sanandaj, Isfahan and Shiraz, MEK Resistance Unit members spray painted pro-Iranian Resistance messages on public buildings. Their graffiti read “Iran, Maryam, Maryam, Iran.” They also painted Mrs. Rajavi’s words, “We can and we must overthrow the mullahs’ regime.”

Kerman

Members of MEK Resistance Unit 987 in Kerman, south-central Iran, posted signs featuring quotes from Maryam Rajavi. The quotes chosen were, “The corrupt mullahs will be overthrown by the Iranian women’s uprising,” and “I have a dream for everyone to be free to choose their own way of life, their own clothing, and women enjoying equal opportunity in all issues, including leadership roles.”

Babol

MEK Resistance Unit members in Babol, northern Iran, posted signs that read “It is now the women’s turn to rise against all forms of cruelty.”

New report on Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK "Resistance Units" network inside the country increasing their effort against the mullahs' regime.#Iran#IranRegimeChangehttps://t.co/urw9O4wbIO

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 11, 2019

Ahvaz

In Ahvaz, MEK Resistance Unit members posted signs in English detailing the MEK’s views on women’s rights.

Semnan

MEK Resistance Unit members in Semnan, central Iran, posted a sign listing Mrs. Rajavi’s ten-point plan for the democratic future of Iran.

Tehran

In Tehran, members of MEK Resistance Unit 710 hung posters of Maryam Rajavi subtitled with her quote: “No to compulsory hijab, no to compulsory religion, no to a compulsory state.”
Resistance Unit members in Tehran and Masshad also hung posters featuring Maryam Rajavi’s face and the date of International Women’s Day.

Ilam

In Ilam, western Iran, members of MEK Resistance Units hung Maryam Rajavi posters that called for the overthrow of the regime and the provision of equal rights for women.

Kermanshah

In Kermanshah, western Iran, members of an MEK Resistance Unit spray painted graffiti reading, “Hail to Rajavi and the brave female members of the National Liberation Army of Iran.” They also hung a Maryam Rajavi poster at the entrance of an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) base.

Staff Writer

On Tuesday, March 12, reports emerged from MEK sources inside Iran of another series of protests breaking out across the country. Unpaid salaries have mobilized large swathes of the Iranian population. This time, it was clients of the Caspian credit firm, a company closely affiliated with the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), that were demanding their money.

https://t.co/jFihIhVWOg Continued strikes of workers and the working people, and protests of looted people and other deprived people

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 7, 2018

An Unpaid Population

Since the beginning of 2019, railway workers, teachers, bus drivers, and taxi drivers have all taken to the streets over unpaid salaries and poor working conditions. Years of economic mismanagement, corruption, and embezzlement have left Iranian institutions hollow. Regime officials have plundered workers’ savings, leaving many Iranians struggling to survive in the midst of an economic crisis.

On Tuesday, the clients of Caspian gathered outside the offices of the Judiciary in Tehran to demand reimbursement for their stolen savings. They were the victims of what amounted to a government-run Ponzi scheme.

A Movement Building

On the same day that Caspian investors demanded their money in Tehran, in Southern Iran workers at the South Pars gas field projects were holding a strike of their own. The workers had begun their strike the preceding morning following two months of unpaid wages. There were pensioners among the workers that complained their pension had not been paid out for two years.

Elsewhere, in Tehran, students attending the Khaje Nasiredeen University protesting the ruling regime and campus officials’ neglect of their human rights. They released a statement that read, “we the students of Khaje Nasiredeen University announce today that enough is enough and [the] neglect must come to an end. The students’ basic rights must be respected and we demand all our rights be acknowledged.” Similar protests have taken place at Razi University in Kermanshah and the Science University in Mazandaran, sources from MEK report.

The students and investors are part of a wider resistance movement building in Iran. Everywhere across the country, workers, students, pensioners, ethnic minorities, and human rights activists are calling for regime change. Iranians have had enough of the persistent mismanagement of Iranian finances.

They are tired of the mullahs using the savings of hardworking Iranians to fund foreign wars and terror groups. They are tired of being kept in abstract poverty while the mullahs enjoy a lifestyle of opulence. They are tired of seeing their funds funneled to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Assad’s regime in Syria and the Houthis in Yemen, etc.

Iranian voices will not be silenced anymore. They are making their voices heard.

Staff Writer

Former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Terzi, wrote another opinion piece calling for European governments to sever economic ties with the ruthless and violent Iranian regime. The piece, entitled ‘Six Years After Rouhani’s Election, Moderation is as Far Away as Ever for Iran’, appeared in Euractiv on Friday, March 8.

In the piece, Terzi criticized the appointment of Ebrahim Raisi as Head of the Iranian Judiciary which took place last week. Although Raisi’s predecessor was far from a moderate, his appointment represents a step back for Iranian human rights. “Raisi represents the worst features of the Iranian judiciary,” Terzi wrote, “at best his appointment by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei signals the regime’s public disregards for international human rights principles, and at worst it sets the stage for a dramatic upsurge in politically-motivated killings.”

#Iran 6 ears after #Rouhani’s election, moderation is as far away as ever 4 Iran @EURACTIV https://t.co/F7CRk2j2cy @GlobalCRL @HandsOffCain_En @eu_eeas @ispionline @Rebeccamieli @LetiziaDo @LaNotiziaTweet @GeopoliticalCen @GioSallusti @grimolizzi @agostinoballero @fertermentini

— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) March 11, 2019

A Dark Past

Raisi’s past is of particular concern. Like previous heads of the judiciary, he was part of the “death commissions” that took part in the 1988 massacre when regime agents rounded up and executed more than 30,000 members of the Iranian opposition. Many of those killed were members of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), the largest pro-democracy opposition group in Iran. Their only crime was their “failure to demonstrate loyalty to the theocratic dictatorship,” Terzi lamented.

The 30,000 executions took place in the span of a single summer. Many were buried in unmarked graves, the whereabouts of which the regime has continued to withhold, leaving many families in the dark on the fate of their loved ones.

The massacre was the regime’s response to growing calls for democracy. The MEK has established itself as a viable alternative to the regime’s ruthless branch of religious fascism, which it remains to this day.  “The massacre failed in its goal,” argues Terzi, “the PMOI (MEK) went on to gain in strength and popularity over the next three decades.” Today, the MEK is instrumental in coordinating protests against the regime’s economic mismanagement and rampant human rights abuses. It played a central role in the nationwide protests that rapidly spread across the country in 2018.

Like in 1988, the regime’s response has been to suppress protests through a violent crackdown on the Iranian opposition. In January alone, more than 8,000 Iranian protestors were detained and 50 were killed.

A Sustained Crackdown

When viewed in the context of recent events, Raisi’s appointment can be seen as a continued part of the regime’s backlash against the MEK and the Iranian opposition. Terzi called it

“a deliberate message to Iran’s activist community that the regime is ready to carry out further massacres.”

There have already been signs of impending violence. The clerical regime has made overt threats of executions against those engaging in protests and strikes against the regime.

 

Iranian regime’s President Hassan Rouhani, often championed among European governments as a “moderate” influence within the Iranian regime, has shown indifference towards the appointment of murderers and criminals to senior positions in the Iranian judiciary. He has also filled his own cabinet with those that took part in the 1988 massacre. These appointments show that at best, Rouhani is a loyal servant to the Supreme Leader and at worst, he is another hardliner, happy to promote murderers and brutes.

“Western policymakers have turned a blind eye to his record,” Terzi asserts, “because of their expectations about opening up Iranian markets and gaining access to Iranian oil.” “Such a short-sighted attitude cannot be a guiding principle for Western policies toward the Islamic Republic anymore,” Terzi concludes.

Terzi calls for the immediate severance of ties with Iranian businesses and diplomats. “The international community should push for an independent inquiry about all the crimes committed by the Iranian regime,” he asserts. If Tehran refuses, then international governments must embrace the only viable alternative to regime rule: the MEK.

Staff Writer

On Friday, March 8th, thousands of Iranian-Americans held a demonstration in Washington, D.C. in honor of International Women’s Day. The demonstration was organized by the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) in order to call attention to the Iranian regime’s treatment of women and to ask the United States to recognize the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the oppressive theocratic regime.

The March of Freedom! The voices of demand for regime change, echoing the voices of Iranians inside #Iran #IranFreedomMarch at #DCIranFreedomMarch as the rally starts towards the @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/IA9BNIfy0Y

— OIAC (@OrgIAC) March 8, 2019

Demonstrators at the rally carried banners reading, “Recognize the Right of the Iranian People to Overthrow the Iranian Dictatorship” and “Victory is Certain, Iran Will Be Free.” Others carried signs saying, “Iranian People Want Regime Change,” held large posters featuring images of Iranian Resistance leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, and waved Persian flags.

1_ Iranian Americans participate in a rally held by the @OrgIAC in support of a #RegimeChange in Iran, in Washington, D.C. on March 8, 2019. We support people's uprising for regime change. #DCIranFreedomMarch #FreeIran @RepEliotEngel @RepMcCaul @SpeakerPelosi @GOPLeader pic.twitter.com/cvhyfEQh0b

— OIAC (@OrgIAC) March 9, 2019

Speakers included Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman (D.), and former Reagan Cabinet member Linda Chavez.

Maryam Rajavi’s Speech

Mrs. Rajavi’s speech at the event was focused on inspiring the women of the world to support Iranian women in their fight to overthrow the mullahs’ misogynistic regime.

Distinguished personalities, honorable friends of the Iranian people’s Resistance, freedom-loving Iranians, I salute you all.I salute you for your determination to make Iran free, for your love of #Iran’s captive people, and for your faith in the glorious future of Iran#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/2YJ5GKxTDj

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 8, 2019

She lauded the young women of Iran who have stepped up to take leadership roles in the MEK’s ever-expanding Resistance Units. She went on to quote MEK leader Massoud Rajavi, saying, “As the Iranian Resistance’s leader Massoud Rajavi has said, the Resistance Units are ‘the tip of the spear and guiding light for the uprisings. They are the critical component in continuing and guaranteeing advancement and victory. The historic destiny of the Iranian people in their battle for liberation will be decided with the resistance units and rebel cities.’”

Mrs. Rajavi added, “Yes, change in Iran without being organized is impossible. Change in Iran without sacrifice is impossible.”

Rajavi noted that social and economic issues have “grown to catastrophic proportions” under the mullahs’ rule. She described the rampant poverty, water shortages, inflation, unemployment, environmental destruction, and lack of access to health care.

“So long as the clerical regime is in power, none of these ills will be resolved,” she said. “The ruling mullahs will become ever more dependent on their devastating policies, namely the suppression of Iranian society, warmongering and destructive meddling in the region, money laundering, terrorism in Europe and the United States, and plundering the assets of the people of Iran.”

She added, “The velayat-e faqih regime will continue all these policies until the day of its overthrow.”

Iran’s ruling mullahs will become ever more dependent on their devastating policies, namely domestic suppression, warmongering and destructive meddling in the region, money laundering, terrorism in Europe and the U.S., and plundering the assets of the Iranian people.#Iran pic.twitter.com/DirS6o7DDH

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 8, 2019

Mrs. Rajavi emphasizes that Iran is at a turning point in its history. She said, “The regime now faces one of the most difficult periods of its rule. The continued uprisings have destabilized the ruling structure. And there is no going back. Change in Iran is within reach more than any other time.”

Rajavi went on to speak about the democratic alternative for the future of Iran offered by the NCRI and the MEK. She stressed, “There is a democratic and competent alternative, the National Council of Resistance of Iran. A Resistance deeply rooted in Iran which is capable of overthrowing the regime and managing affairs during the transition so that the Iranian people can choose their true representatives through free and fair elections.”

Pay no heed to the absurd assertions of the mullahs and their international supporters who say that with the overthrow of the #Iran regime, there would be no force capable of controlling the situation.#DCIranFreedomMarch #FreeIran#IranRegimeChange

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 8, 2019

Finally, Mrs. Rajavi emphasizes the obligation of the United States and the rest of the world to recognize the will of the Iranian people to overthrow their oppressors. “The international community is duty-bound to respect the struggle of the Iranian people to overthrow the clerical regime. This is essential for global peace and security,” she said.

Rajavi added, “It is time for the State Department to designate the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the infamous Ministry of Intelligence as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). Doing so would be a positive message to the Iranian people, and a decisive message against the clerical regime.”

Reaction of Demonstrators to Mrs. Rajavi’s Plan

According to the Washington Times’ coverage of the event, many of the demonstrators who were interviewed were hopeful that Mrs. Rajavi’s ten-point plan for Iran’s future will prove to be successful.

 

“The fact that this whole event is led by a woman is just really exciting to see,” said a student at the event who was interviewed by the Times. “Gender equality I think is something that every country strives for these days.”

Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

On Sunday, March 3^rd, Iranian teachers mobilized for their latest round of protests and sit-ins. Teachers from across Iran staged demonstrations over the regime’s inaction to address their basic demands. Reports from MEK sources inside Iran indicate that teachers from Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Karaj, Qazvin, Yazd, Kermanshah, and Saqqez, among others, protested unpaid wages and regime economic mismanagement.

A String of Protests from Educators

Iran’s educators have protested on a number of occasions over the last 14 months. Government corruption, economic decline, and unpaid wages have left Iran’s teachers struggling to make a living and support themselves and their families.

A full report on today's protests by teachers, educators & other sectors of #Iran's society.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/jwXG7CTIVm

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 7, 2019

The teachers have repeatedly demanded higher wages, economic reform to ease their financial hardship, free education for all, and equal rights for Iranian ethnic and religious minorities. Retired teachers have also joined the cause and asked for an increase in the funds allocated to the country’s education sector.

However, the regime has been steadfast in its refusal to even acknowledge the teachers’ demands. It has responded by arresting prominent teachers’ rights activists and threatened those attending protests.

Teachers have remained defiant and have turned out in vast numbers to protest the regime on several occasions. In December, teachers were attacked and arrested during a peaceful protest. On November, 12 were detained and held in regime custody for over their involvement in protests. They also staged strikes in October, and May last year. Each time, Iran’s brave teachers continued and sustained their protests in the face of regime threats, arrests, and violent baton and pepper spray attacks.

The Regime Cannot Stifle the Voice of Justice

Iran’s teachers, like other segments of the workforce, have shown that they will not back down in the face of violence. They will not have their voices silenced and stand idle while their peers and colleagues are arrested and subject to extreme violence.

#Iran’s freedom-loving teachers have once again risen up to demand their rights. They have staged sit-ins to declare support for the imprisoned teachers.#IranProtests

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 3, 2019

The protests are part of a wider movement across Iranian society. Led by the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), Iranian people are rising up against their oppressors in unprecedented numbers and frequency. MEK resistance units orchestrate protests on an almost daily basis across Iran’s towns and cities, challenging the regime’s violence and oppression wherever it occurs.

On Monday, the MEK issued a statement in solidarity with Iran’s protesting teachers. The principal Iranian opposition called on international trade unions and educators to pledge their support to their peers across Iran and provide assistance to the protestors in any way they can.

Staff Writer

The week began in Iran with yet more civil unrest and disobedience.  Reports from MEK sources inside Iran say, protestors in Tehran, West Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Khuzestan, Mazandaran, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Yazd, and East Azerbaijan, among other regions, staged sit-in protests on Monday.

More reports of protests and strikes across #Iran.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/Xwn5VOzpgB

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 4, 2019

Teachers across the provinces refused to work and demanded the payment of unpaid salaries. They are the latest demographic across the country to mount strikes and sit-ins related to unpaid wages. In late 2018, the workers at Haft Tappeh mounted a similar strike over unpaid wages. The workers had gone months without receiving their salaries, putting them under extreme financial duress.

A Day of Strikes

The teachers of Iran were not the only workers on strike on Monday. On the same day, railways workers in Neyshabur and Andimeshk also went on strike over unpaid wages. They also complained that they had not received the New Year’s bonuses they were promised last year. In Tehran, bus drivers also gathered outside the Ministry of Cooperatives over the same issue.

March 4 – #Iran
Teachers throughout the country are continuing their nationwide strike for the second day, demanding the release of jailed colleagues & fair pay/pensions, and protesting high inflation, skyrocketing prices & harsh living conditions.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/1luLBHhMlb

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 4, 2019

In one day, three workforces from across the country mounted strikes over unpaid wages. Nothing illustrates the cracks in the Iranian economy better than the unpaid wages racking Iran’s industries. The mullahs’ systematic looting of Iranian finances and institutions have left the economy crippled and key industries creaking under the financial strain.

Repression and Anger

Instead of embarking on reform, the regime prefers to quell protests and force its people into submission. In the case of Haft Tappeh, workers were arrested and threatened with execution unless they returned to work. Iran’s truck drivers suffered a similar fate when they embarked on nationwide strikes in 2018.

November 6

Employees of the Shadegan (SW #Iran) municipality are protesting & demanding their paychecks that have been postponed for the past 8 months.

Reports also indicate the truckers' nationwide strike has now reached 60 cities across 24 provinces.#IranianTruckersOnStrike pic.twitter.com/fWmJ7T9voU

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 6, 2018

The nation’s teachers, bus drivers and railway workers are under no illusion. They will know that in staging sit-ins and protests they risk not only their freedom but their lives. However, for these brave men and women, the situation demands protest. They cannot continue working in these appalling conditions, unsure of when the next paycheck will come, if ever, and struggling to put food on the table for their families.

Because of this, the Iranian resistance movement, including the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) has called on teachers and trade unions across the globe to pledge their support to Iran’s protesting workforce.

Staff Writer

Teachers in more than thirty cities across Iran protested for the second consecutive day on Monday. The teachers, who plan to continue their sit-in tomorrow, are protesting low pay, low-quality insurance and benefits, and gross mismanagement of the education system. Iran’s teachers staged a number of strikes and protests over these issues last year, but their demands went unanswered, so they were forced to protest once again.

March 4 – #Iran
Latest images of teachers across the country protesting and on strike for the second day.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/p9ZxRX0x6H

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 4, 2019

Teachers are among the many government employees and retirees who are actively protesting the regime’s corruption and mismanagement of Iran’s economy. As the rial continues to plunge in value, people from all sectors of society are struggling to provide for their families. Teachers’ salaries have remained stagnant despite skyrocketing inflation, making their financial situations particular dire.

Education Funding in Doubt

The regime parliament is currently negotiating the budget for the upcoming Persian year, As the March 21st deadline grows near, teachers are worried that education will not be receive adequate funding and that teachers, government employees, and schools in general will continue to suffer due to the regime’s misplaced priorities. The regime spends billions of dollars every year exporting terrorism, funding conflict in the region, and building its nuclear program. Meanwhile, the people of Iran fall further into poverty. Iran’s teachers struggle to meet their basic needs, and protesters say that the Ministry of Education is doing nothing to help.

Additional Demands

 

The teachers’ also demand:

• that the regime provide free education to all, as stated in its own laws;
• the cancellation of legislation that would create an undue burden on current and future teachers;
• the release of colleagues who were imprisoned for organizing on behalf of teachers and/or taking part in earlier protests and strikes;
• the right to organize labor unions.

Support from the MEK and NCRI

The teachers of Iran have the full support of the MEK and the Iranian Resistance in their fight for fair treatment. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), tweeted in support of the protesting teachers, calling on the Iranian people to join their cause. She wrote:

#Iran’s freedom-loving teachers have once again risen up to demand their rights. They have staged sit-ins to declare support for the imprisoned teachers.#IranProtests
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) March 3, 2019

Cities Participating in the Protests

As of Monday, March 4th, teachers in the following cities have joined in the nationwide protests:

Tehran
Tabriz
Isfahan
Shiraz
Mashhad
Kermanshah
Hamedan
Karaj
Qazvin
Alborz
Sanandaj
Marivan
Baneh
Shar-e Ray
Saqqez
Kazerun
Mahabad
Parand
Kamiaran
Homayounshahr
Sarv Abad
Paveh
Takestan
Zanjan
Khoram Abad
Torbat Heydarieh
Divandareh
Tulmat (Gilan)
Bojnurd
Mohammad Abad (Isfahan)

 

Last year Iranian teachers held a number of protests and strikes, receiving widespread support from the Iranian people. In May, October, and November teachers in a number of cities across Iran launched strikes that lasted for several days. The teachers of Iran have continued their protests despite retaliation and intimidation by the regime. Numerous activists and protesters have been imprisoned for speaking out against the unfair conditions faced by teachers, but the brave educators of Iran will not be deterred. The regime’s tactics of suppression are no longer effective in the face of organized resistance.

Staff Writer

 

 

 

The Internet and social media have changed the way activists share information and mobilize followers. The MEK has shown particular skill in organizing the Iranian Resistance using social media, which has caused panic among officials at the highest levels of the Iranian regime. Over the past few months, a number of state-run media outlets and regime officials, including Iranian regime’s President Hassan Rouhani, have voiced their concerns about the threat posed by the MEK’s online activism.

Keyboard and Internet

Recently, regime Supreme Leader’s representative in Nahavand, Abbas Ali Moghithi, spoke about his fear that the MEK could overthrow the mullahs’ regime using the Internet. He said, “Today, the weapon that can eliminate our state is keyboard and Internet, which are in the domination of PMOI/MEK members. They spread news against us, one after another.”

Waging a Soft War

Yousef Tabatabai Nejad, the Friday prayer leader in Isfahan Province expressed the mullahs’ fear that the MEK’s use of social media to freely spread information to Iranians would weaken the theocratic regime’s ability to control the people through its clerics. “Some people have ruined the reputation of clergy on the internet and social media,” Nejad said. “These measures are conducted by some PMOI/MEK channels and platforms. They are intending to wage a soft war to make the people pessimistic about the clergy and changed their minds against us. We must do something against such measures.” Friday prayer leaders are considered the mouthpieces of the regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Their words reflect the beliefs and ideas of those at the highest levels of the regime.

MEK Controls Telegram

The state-run news agency Tehran Press also weighed in on the MEK’s use of the Telegram app to power the Iranian Resistance, writing,

“We were always lagging behind our enemies on social media and have been defeated by them. Now we can say undoubtedly that PMOI/MEK is dominating the Telegram messenger platform. We can dare say that the enemy, especially the [PMOI/MEK] organization, is in control of the Telegram platform. For those who should be familiar with this organization’s tactics, these remarks are not exaggerations at all and are in fact a reflection of our status quo.”

The Tehran Press went on to say, “If not 100 percent, the mentality of toppling [the regime], seen very active today in social media platforms, is very much influenced by the literature and terms of overthrowing that is used very vividly by the [PMOI/MEK]. This culture and vocabulary are witnessed in most Telegram groups, including political groups and even social groups. We may not believe it that many of the so-called principalists groups, those who appear to be loyal to the [regime], are not immune against the influence of this organization’s hypocritical culture. This is the mysterious and low-profile ruling state that continues to be active even in the homes of our senior officials. These days we are witnessing how the children of these loyal individuals and insiders are literally drowned in cyberspace platforms heavily influenced by the [PMOI/MEK] and are not aware of this reality.”

MEK Resistance Units Are Organizing a Revolution

The regime’s fear of the MEK is clear. The mullahs have depended on propaganda and censorship to maintain their control over the people. The MEK is using the Internet to bypass these measures and bring free information to the people. The mullahs have no way to stop the people from expressing their will, and their will is to overthrow the regime.

Staff Writer

Anti-regime protests in Iran continue on a daily basis in response to the country’s failing economy, government corruption, and human rights abuses. These protests have continued for over a year, despite the regime’s repeated attempts to suppress them.

Rail workers in numerous cities across #Iran hold protest rallies.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/2giF76B2jx

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 27, 2019

The following is an abbreviated list of some of the protests that have taken place in Iran and reported by MEK sources, over the past week :

Railway Workers

On Tuesday, railway workers in Tabriz launched a strike in protest of unpaid wages. Regime officials attempted to intimidate the workers, but despite their threats, the striking employees of the Islamic Republic Railroad Company blocked the railroad tracks and prevented the train from entering the station.

 

Unpaid wages for railway workers in Iran have been an ongoing issue, leading to several protests over the past year. The Tabriz railway workers went on strike for several days in January to protest unpaid wages but ended their strike after the regime promised to pay their wages in full. Unfortunately, authorities have not made good on these promises, and the railway workers were forced to strike again.

Meanwhile, in Shahrud, railway workers continued their strike for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. The Shahrud railway workers launched their strike on Sunday in response to unpaid wages.

Railroad workers in Hormozgan and Kerman have launched similar strikes over the past week. The workers are all demanding that their overdue wages be paid.

Numerous cities across #Iran reporting protests by people from all walks of life.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/oSeeCkS9E9

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 28, 2019

Regime authorities have refused to take responsibility for the problem, claiming that other organizations and authorities bear the responsibility for paying the railway workers. The Islamic Republic Railroad Company claims that its subcontractors are responsible for paying the workers’ wages.

 

While the regime passes blame, the workers who maintain Iran’s railroads are left without the means to feed their families or meet their basic needs. The MEK has reported on numerous strikes over the past year by workers who were forced to protest because their wages were withheld for months. The regime refuses to acknowledge its patterns of denying its people pay for their work.

University Students

On Tuesday, students at Tehran University protested against the university’s imposition of arbitrary rules in its housing system. Earlier this week, school regulators canceled the housing of several students at the university. The students were living in the married students’ dormitory. Students were angered by the action and scheduled a number of protests in response.

Taxi Drivers

On Tuesday, taxi drivers in Dorud rallied in front of the governor’s office to protest the arrest of their colleagues. They chanted, “Imprisoned drivers must be freed!”

The taxi drivers were arrested after another demonstration on Saturday in protest of poor working conditions. The regime responded to that protest by raiding the homes of the protesters after the demonstration and arresting four of them.

 

The drivers refused to be intimidated by the regime’s acts of suppression and gathered again on Tuesday to demand the release of their colleagues and to continue their protests for better working conditions.

The MEK’s Resistance Units work with protesters on the ground and through social media to organize and spread the word of strikes and demonstrations. Dissent can no longer be suppressed, and the people’s voices are being heard. The cries for regime change grow louder each day.

 

Staff Writer