Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, May 13, 2020—Despite the ongoing risks of the novel coronavirus, people from all walks of life are holding rallies in different cities throughout Iran protesting poor living conditions.
Locals in Zahedan, southeast Iran, were protesting measures by the regime’s authorities destroying their homes. One man sent by local officials said he had orders from Tehran demanding homes in this area be destroyed.
A group of municipal workers in Kut Abdullah near Ahvaz, southwest Iran, rallied on Tuesday, May 12, protesting delays in their monthly paychecks. Authorities responded by dispatching security forces and arresting the protesting workers.
In Tehran, a group of Health Ministry employees held a gathering on Tuesday outside the Health Ministry building in Tehran, protesting not receiving personal protective equipment. “We medical staff members are demanding equipment for the hospitals, emergency units, and medical staff members so we can remain protected in order to continue serving the public,” the protesting Health Ministry employees were saying. They were also demanding their promised pensions, bonuses, and overtime pay.
A group of bus drivers and owners in the city of Qom, central Iran, rallied on Monday, May 11, protesting local officials leaving them in a limbo status following quarantine measures in response to the coronavirus crisis. The protesters in this rally were demanding government support, including unemployment insurance. It is worth noting that 530 buses provide commuting service in Qom, half of which belong to the private sector and their incomes have decreased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, a number of locals in Pakdasht, western Iran, held a rally to protest the fact that it has been five years since they purchased homes from the regime’s Maskane Mehr project and have yet to receive their houses.
Taxi drivers of Khorasan in northeast Iran held a rally on Tuesday outside the regime’s Ministry of Road & Construction in Tehran protesting poor living conditions.
Employees of a counter factory in the city of Qazvin, northwest Iran, held a rally on Monday protesting their job statuses being unclarified, poor living conditions, and not receiving long-delayed paychecks. This gathering was held outside the Qazvin Justice Department.
“Our paychecks have been delayed for nearly 27 months now. And even if these long-delayed paychecks are provided for, we can’t buy much considering the current inflation rate,” one protesting employee said to a reporter.
A number of bus drivers in the city of Yasuj, south-central Iran, held a rally on Monday protesting not receiving their paychecks and pensions for the past few months. This protest gathering was held outside the Yasuj City Council.
