Thousands of retired teachers, approximately 7,000, convened in Tehran for a significant protest in front of the Iranian regime’s parliament on Wednesday, November 20. The teachers protested the unjust implementation of the Teacher Classification Law and the non-inclusion of 90% of the classification perks in retirement pensions.
The protestors carried banners and chanted slogans demanding immediate action on their requests, highlighting how partial implementation of these laws has diminished their pensions and undermined fair salary practices.
November 20—Tehran, Iran
Retired teachers continue their protests, this time in front of the parliament, reiterating their demands for higher pensions and payment of overdue arrears. #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/LI7BWRap5r— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 20, 2024
Protestors held banners and chanted slogans calling for an immediate response to their demands, pointing out that partial enforcement of these laws has led to reduced pensions and harmed the principle of salary justice. They voiced their frustrations loudly, shouting:
“Woe to all this gross injustice!”
This protest follows several previous demonstrations by retired teachers against the neglect of their demands, notably one on November 16, where they chanted:
“Our outcry to the government: Shame on you!”
“Government officials, have shame! Stop stealing our wages!”
“Lying government, what happened to your promises?”
More footage of thousands of retired teachers protesting in front of the Majlis in Tehran as the regime continues to ignore their demands.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/CM2PElqADP
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 20, 2024
It’s worth noting that the pensions of retirees in Iran are a quarter of the official poverty line, and according to the retirees, these pensions barely cover their basic needs for even one week.
Photos published on social media showed many retirees, who had traveled to Tehran from various cities, had to spend the previous night in parks enduring the cold to participate in the protest. The gathering was scheduled to continue, indicating the severity of their grievances.
Protesters argue that the regime, instead of addressing financial issues and the welfare of the people, focuses on instigating wars in the region and spends millions of dollars supporting terrorist groups. Experts believe the ongoing conflict between the people and the Iranian regime is nearing its end, and it may not be long before these daily protests escalate into an uprising.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), saluted the protesting teachers and said, “The continued protests and unity of all sectors of Iranian society have cornered the corrupt clerical regime. These demonstrations echo years of accumulated suffering that can only be alleviated by rising up and overthrowing the mullahs’ regime.”
Salutes to the thousands of honorable retired teachers who gathered today in front of the clerical regime’s parliament, raising their voices with chants like “Enough is enough! Stop this tyranny!” in protest of their plundered rights.
The continued protests and unity of all… pic.twitter.com/P6Hg24H6e1— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) November 20, 2024
The ongoing neglect of teachers’ financial rights and widespread economic mismanagement indicate that the regime is facing an existential crisis, struggling with internal unrest and widespread dissatisfaction. This scenario is likely to act as a catalyst for further disturbances, signaling turbulent times ahead for the regime.