Iran: Protests, rallies in Khuzestan and Kurdistan

Reporting by PMOI/MEK

Iran, June 6, 2020—Reports of continued protests and gatherings held by workers and various employees in different parts of Iran.

Retired employees of the Khuzestan Cement Factory held a rally on Wednesday, June 3, protesting delays in their due pensions. These retired workers have been holding rallies since last Sunday outside the Khuzestan Province Inspectors Office demanding pensions that have been delayed for the past six years.

Khuzestan Cement Factory [File Photo]

Workers of the Khuzestan Department of Ports and Navigations rallied outside the governor’s office in the city of Mahshahr on Wednesday. These protesters say officials of the Khuzestan Department of Ports and Navigations, and those in the Mahshahr governorate office, are hand in hand with the managing staff of the “Hemmatkaran Contracting Company” and intend to usurp their due paychecks and pensions. These workers have been continuing their protests since February of this year.

In Sanandaj, capital city of Kurdistan province, western Iran, employees of the Zhaveh Dam held a rally on Tuesday, June 2, protesting not receiving their paychecks for the past six months and not receiving their new year bonuses that they were due back in March of this year. These workers have stopped working and held a rally outside their place of work. They have also threatened to launch an official strike and continue their sit-ins until their demands are addressed.

The Zhaveh Dam in Sanandaj was built on Sirvan River and around 50 workers are working at this site as full-time or part-time employees.

Earlier in the week, on Thursday, tomato farmers in Gachsaran, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer Ahmad province, held a rally in protest to the government not buying their yields. The farmers blocked the road and yelled slogans against regime president Hassan Rouhani.

Protests by tomato farmers in Gachsaran

In other news, security forces in Kermanshah have been put on high alert in fear of protests. 

A citizen reporter from Kermanshah said on Friday, “The number of basij and military patrols in Kermanshah, Ravansar, and Kuzaran has increased.”

In garrisons, guard duty has been doubled. Watch tower guards have been instructed to be armed at all times. A soldier said, “We’re all on alert. All furloughs have been canceled.”