Teachers & Workers sit on wet cardboard to protest: “We’re hungry, we’re starving”

Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi

Teachers and Workers continue their protests all around Iran. There isn’t a single day that goes by where the regime’s own news agencies themselves even, do not report the number of protests and demonstrations by members of these two extremely deprived classes. In recent weeks groups of teachers and workers walked hundreds of kilometers to get to Tehran so that they can protest in front of the Islamic Parliament’s Assembly.

A number of the teachers from the Province of Fars whose protests in front of their own governor’s office went completely ignored, time and time again, decided to walk to Tehran. They walked for more than three days. Upon arrival in Tehran, due to the lack of funds for accommodations, they were forced to camp out on the street. Joining the workers whom they already knew would be gathered there, protesting, they made themselves as comfortable as possible on wet and shaky cardboard boxes, under the torrential downpour in Tehran.

The shameless Parliamentarians pull up to the gates of the Assembly building in their brand new, spotless Mercedes Benzes and not one of these big talkers have yet to approach these people, to walk around and talk to them.

The workers from Qazvin’s NAAZNAKH, FARNAKH and MODENAKH thread factories are the latest group to be joining this ever-expanding conglomeration.

The teachers who have bags and suitcases with them and sport plastic bags on their heads [in order to stay dry and warm] were shouting in unison: “We’re hungry, we’re starving”. A protestor suggested that the group shout out ALLAH O AKBAR every once in a while as well so that the disciplinary forces do not attack them. Despite that however, the disciplinary and special units attacked and severely beat the protestors. ISNA, the regime-run student news agency reported that this was meant to teach these people to respect and mind “order and restraint”. READ MORE

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In the town of KHATAM (Province of Yazd), on Wednesday, Nov. 9th, for the 3rd day in a row dozens of people gathered to protest in front of the Heraat agricultural bank as well as the central command office.

According to reports from IRNA, the regime-run news agency, the majority of the protestors were dairy and produce farmers.

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On Wednesday, Nov. 9th, in the city of Sanandadj (Province of Kurdistan) dozens of young people, gathered in front of the office of the governor of Kurdistan. A majority of these are university graduates and have higher degrees but due to joblessness and financial devastation, they are forced to work as cabdrivers.

The security and disciplinary forces, which do not tolerate any form of gathering in Kurdistan, forced the crowd to disburse by bullying and threatening to take their taxis away.

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Workers of ZAMZAM soft drink company in Ahvaaz (Province of Khuzestan) who began their protest on Monday, Nov. 7th demanded that the management of the company listen to their requests.

These workers told the regime-run news agency ILNA’s reporter that they have not received the salaries for many months; the management who refused to offer any explanation whatsoever simply said that the workers would not get paid until February/March either!