A report on the protest rallies over the past one month – July 20 to August 20, 2021
25-August-2021
Category: Labor and guilds
25-August-2021
Newsgroup: Workers and Guilds –
Breathing in Confinement: The ongoing miserable economic situation and livelihood pressures, led to the spread of the protest rallies across the country. Over the past one month (July 20 to August 20, 2021), at least 225 protests took place by various groups of people.
Despite the spread of delta variant of coronavirus leading to the appalling morbidity and mortality rates, given the deplorable living conditions, people continued to stage protest rallies in various cities.
According to the Statistics Center of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, during the last one month (July 20 to August 20, 2021), more than 225 protest rallies were held in 72 cities and towns by various groups of people.
The uprisings of the people in Khuzestan against water crisis, and the rallies in other cities in their support, continued until mid-August.
On July 23, concurrently with the ninth day of the uprisings in Khuzestan, protest rallies continued in the cities of Malachieh, Dezful, Abadan, Assaluyeh, Ramshir, Shushtar, Mahshahr and Gachsaran. Simultaneously, people took to the streets in the cities of Meybod, Yazd, Robat Karim, Junqan, Saveh and Qazvin to support the uprisings in Khuzestan. All of the protests were suppressed by security forces.
On July 24, the people of Tabriz rallied in support of the protests in Khuzestan. Despite the heavy presence of security forces and counter-insurgency agents, widespread rallies took place in the city. Security forces used drones to control the protests. Police motorcyclists also attacked the protesters.
In addition to Tabriz, protest rallies in support of the uprisings in Khuzestan were held in the cities of Fooladshahr, Shushtar, Saqez, Mohammadshahr in Karaj, Zanjan, Shadegan, Ahvaz, and Bojnourd.
Furthermore, the protest assemblies of the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Factory, held in the factory’s premise, reached its thirteenth day. In addition to their request for eviction of the private sector, the workers demanded for the wage rise, the return of fired workers, the extension of pest control workers’ contracts, and vaccination of workers against Covid-19. The protests of Haft Tappeh Company workers have been ongoing in front of the Governor’s Office in Shoush.
The protest rallies in support of the uprisings in Khuzestan spread to Tehran and Karaj too. On July 26, the people of Tehran and Karaj gathered on Jomhuri Street, chanting:
“The mullah must be killed,” “From Karaj to Khuzestan, Solidarity, Solidarity,” “Death to the dictator,” “Khamenei shame on you! leave the country!”
In addition, despite the widespread prevalence of the Covid-19 in Iran, various groups of people, including ranchers, retirees, truckers, bus drivers, refuse collectors, fishermen, Caspian Institute clients, oil company employees, and IRIB retirees, assembled demanding their most basic rights.
On August 1, general practitioners staged rallies in the cities of Shiraz, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Kerman, Hamadan, Tehran, and Yasuj, protesting their employment status, their low income, and the internship law.
Protests against frequent power outage and its aftermath have been ongoing over the past one month. The people of Islamshahr, Abdanan, Dareh Deraz in Kermanshah, Eyvan-e Gharb and Kordkuy protested against the frequent power outages.
In addition to the ongoing strike by the oil industry workers, protests of the workers of the companies affiliated with the oil industry also continued. For example, welders and assemblers working on the Qeshm oil terminal project, as well as a group of employees of the Qeshm Oil Company, held several protest rallies.
Despite all these protests, most of which were against poor living conditions, the prices of essential goods rose on a daily basis. The price of chicken increased to 45,000 tomans per kilogram, and egg price rose to more than even that of chicken. In the past one month, the price of food items increased by 59.2% compared to the same period last year.