Iran: Retirees protest in dozens of cities in 19 provinces - shopkeepers protest in various cities

On Sunday, 12 June, retirees in Iran staged a nationwide protest and demonstration in dozens of cities in 19 Iranian provinces to fulfill their demands, writes Shahin Gobadi.

These demonstrations took place in many important cities of Iran, including Ahvaz, Mashhad, Tabriz, Kermanshah, and Isfahan.

Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "death to Raisi," "government betrays, parliament supports," and "the master (Khamenei) acts like a god, the nation begs."

According to eyewitnesses in Tehran, repressive forces attacked retirees who were planning to gather, and beat them with batons. People were not allowed to leave the Baharestan metro station heading to the regime's parliament, and several demonstrators were arrested and taken to an unknown location.

In Isfahan, protesters were attacked and beaten by State Security Forces.

In addition to retirees' protests, on Sunday in Tehran and Arak, shopkeepers also protested and clashed with police. They protested against the freefall of the official currency and the terrible increase in taxes. Today, the price of the dollar has reached 33,300 tomans. Since the beginning of the Iranian year (March 20, 2022) the dollar's value has increased by 25%, or 7,500 tomans.

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, greeted retirees, bazaar merchants, and shopkeepers protesting across Iran and said repression and arrest would not stop them.

Rajavi called on the youth to support the protesting retirees and noted that most people suffer from poverty, inflation, and high prices, while the people’s wealth is wasted on repression, nuclear and missile projects, and incitement to war. She said there is no other way but to rise and protest against this regime, which is riddled with corruption and is plundering the people. The only way to end Velayat-e-Faqih is to establish democracy and the people's rule.

Last week, Iranian retirees staged continuous anti-government protests in more than ten provinces.

Iranian retirees, who comprise a population of millions, have long protested the non-payment of their most basic rights and salaries.

The main demands of their rallies and protests were initially economical, and they wanted their rights to be taken care of due to the terrible inflation and skyrocketing prices. But in recent days, these demonstrations and protests have reached unprecedented levels and have become political, targeting the regime in its entirety.

On June 5, the government of Ebrahim Raisi announced a 10 percent increase in pensions. This was while the regime's Supreme Labor Council had approved a 38% increase in salaries.

The announcement of this decision sparked protests. In Tabriz (northwest), thousands of retirees took to the streets and targeted the regime in its entirety with their slogans.

Images of thousands of retirees in Tabriz, which showed protesters breaking through the police force and continuing to march with slogans like "Death to Raisi," symbolized the retirees' deep anger and dissatisfaction.

The announcement of the approval of a 10% increase in pensions was made when the annual inflation rate in Iran in the year 1400 (March 2021 to March 2022) was at least 40%. The prices of basic commodities such as beans and potatoes and cooking oil have increased by 120% in recent weeks.

Protests in Iran have not been limited to retirees, and Iranian cities have seen a steady wave of ongoing anti-government protests in recent weeks. Demonstrators in several cities chanting, “Death to Khamenei, death to Raisi," clashed with security and repressive forces who tried to disperse them.

Observers of Iranian affairs point out that the Resistance Units and supporters of the main Iranian opposition movement, Mojahedin Khalq Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), who have become active in Iran in recent years, have played an active role in organizing, spreading, and directing popular uprisings and social protests in the society.

The role of women has been prominent in many of these anti-government demonstrations.

According to reports, the Iranian parliament is intensely tightening repressive laws to prevent the protests from continuing. One of the rules is to allow repressive forces to shoot arbitrarily at the protesters.

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