Teachers’ nationwide protests in various cities across the country; Temporary detention of dozens of teachers
22-April-2022
Category: Teachers
22-April-2022
Newsgroup: Teachers –
Breathing in Confinement: Yesterday, April 21, 2022, following a call from the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Unions, the employed as well as the retired teachers staged protest rallies in various cities across the country. Teachers in at least 50 cities of 20 provinces gathered in front of the Provincial Education Department Buildings.
According to “Breathing in Confinement”, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, on Thursday, April 21, 2022, teachers in various cities across the country staged protest rallies.
Mohammad Habibi, spokesman for Tehran Teachers’ Union, announced the arrest of dozens of protesting teachers during the nationwide teachers rallies. Mr. Habibi wrote: “70 teachers were arrested earlier today, in the rally held in Tehran, and transferred to the Security Police Stations in Vozara and Gisha.”
According to Mr. Habibi, all the detained teachers were released a few hours later. He named four of the detainees as: “Shahrzad Ghadiri, a member of the Teachers’ Union, Masoumeh Zamani, Ali Goodarzi, and Ghodrat Forghani, an 82-year-old retired teacher.”
Teachers protested in at least 50 cities, including: Ardabil, Arak, Isfahan, Islamabad-e Gharb, Andimeshk, Tabriz, Poldokhtar, Karaj, Borazjan, Boroujerd, Babol, Bahmaei, Jolfa, Mallard, Sanandaj, Marivan, Songhor, Saqqez, Zivieh, Darab, Zarrindasht, Firoozkooh, Kazerun, Shiraz, Mashhad, Yazd, Shahrekord, Yasuj, Zanjan, Takestan, Qazvin, Kermanshah, Aligudarz, Bushehr, Qom, Hamedan, Rasht, Sari, Bijar, Mehriz, Harsin, Shahreza, Kamyaran, Ahvaz, Bukan, Delfan, Shush, Shushtar, Rostam Shahr, Neishabour, Sirjan, Abdanan, Mahshahr, Shirvan and Divandarreh.
According to a statement issued by the Coordinating Council of Teachers ‘Unions, the protesters demanded: “Full implementation of the law on ranking the employed teachers as well as the law on equalization of pensions”, “Permanent contract with temporary employed personnel such as teaching assistants, Nehzati teachers, as well as the preschool teachers”, “Paying the end-of-service bonus in 2021”, “Improving the livelihood of housekeeping staffs”, “Implementation of Article 30 of the Constitution”, “Release of imprisoned teachers”, “Providing free and high-quality education for students”, “Insurance for student s” and finally, “Reducing the number of students in each classroom to a maximum of 16.”
The teachers demanded the release of the imprisoned teachers, including Ismaeil Abdi, Zeinab Hamrang, Alieh Eghdamdoust, and Rasoul Bodaghi.
The protesting teachers chanted slogans such as: ” The imprisoned teachers must be released” and “Teachers! Speak up,”, “What are imprisoned teachers charged with”, “We do not give up”, “The incompetent Minister must resign”,” Minister shame on you! shame on you!”, ” We rather to die than losing our dignity!” and “Shame on the one who promised justice”.
The teachers also protested the Foreign Shopping Trip scandal of Ghalibaf’s family.