Economic protests by pensioners from Social Security, government, telecommunications, and steel sectors took place in several cities across the country on Sunday, July 7. The protests emphasized the “double oppression” of women by the government in Iran and called for the release of Sharifeh Mohammadi, a labor activist sentenced to death.
According to reports from labor sources, pensioners from various organizations gathered on Sunday to protest against their living conditions, unmet labor demands, the arrest and pressure on labor activists, and the additional oppression of women in several cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shush, and Ahvaz.
In Tehran, protesting pensioners chanted: “Double oppression on women.”
Protesting pensioners in Tehran also chanted against the arrest and death sentence of labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi: “Sharifeh Mohammadi must be freed.”
At the same time, protesting pensioners in Shush, Khuzestan province, chanted: “Let go of the headscarf, think about us” in protest against their living conditions and government pressure on women.
In this gathering, the protesting pensioners also emphasized: “We condemn the death sentence of Sharifeh Mohammadi.”
At the pensioners’ protest in Kermanshah, protesters demanded welfare services, including free healthcare, and wage determination based on inflation rates.
In Isfahan, retired steel industry workers highlighted financial corruption and large-scale embezzlement, chanting to the regime officials: “Reduce your thefts, solve our problems.”
Additionally, Khuzestan steel industry retirees gathered in front of the Steel Industries Pension Fund in Ahvaz.
The expansion of labor protests by various groups, including pensioners, workers from different industries, teachers, victims of financial fraud, and healthcare workers, indicates the increasing economic problems in Iran and the disregard of regime officials.
The continuation of economic protests on Sunday occurred just two days after the regime held elections to appoint a successor to Ebrahim Raisi. Most people consider the change of the head of state in the current government structure irrelevant to solving economic and livelihood issues.
Economist Hossein Raghfar recently stated regarding the campaign slogans of the Islamic Republic’s favored candidates that there are two governments in Iran’s ruling system; one has “weapons and power” and impacts people’s livelihoods, while the other has no “power” at all.
