On Sunday, July 26, retirees covered by Iran’s Social Security Organization held simultaneous protest gatherings in Tehran, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, and Shush to demonstrate against deteriorating living conditions, rising inflation, soaring prices, declining purchasing power, inadequate healthcare, and what they described as the violation of their rights. In some cities, protesters also chanted slogans expressing opposition to warmongering, death sentences, and the arrest of labor and civil activists.
Tehran: “Our Salaries Are in Rials, Our Expenses Are in Dollars”
A group of Social Security retirees gathered outside the headquarters of the Social Security Organization in Tehran, protesting difficult economic conditions and the continuous decline in purchasing power while demanding that their grievances be addressed.
Protests Expand Across Iranian Cities, From Retirees and Workers to Students and Bakers
Chanting “Our salaries are in rials, our expenses are in dollars,” the protesters stressed that the constant rise in the prices of goods and services has created severe hardships for a large number of retirees.
Ahvaz: Protest Over Living Conditions in Extreme Heat
In Ahvaz, Social Security retirees also gathered outside the Khuzestan Provincial Social Security Office despite the extreme heat.
Protesting economic conditions, inflation, and living hardships, demonstrators chanted slogans including “Wealthy Iran, what has an incompetent official done to you?” and “Enough warmongering, our tables are empty.” They called for improved living conditions and pensions that reflect the actual cost of living.
Kermanshah: Protest Against War, Inflation, and Death Sentences
Social Security retirees in Kermanshah also gathered outside the city’s Social Security Office. In addition to protesting living conditions, inflation, war, and healthcare issues, they expressed support for prisoners sentenced to death.
Participants chanted slogans including “From Isfahan to Tehran, against the death sentence” and “Against the death sentence, we will stand until the end.”
The retirees also voiced their demands through slogans such as “Inflation, high prices, no to war and destruction,” “So much oppression and injustice has driven us into the streets,” “Unity, unity against poverty and corruption,” “Healthcare should be free, but it has become paid, my friends,”
“Imprisoned workers must be freed” and “Imprisoned teachers must be freed.”
Shush: Commitment to Continue Protests Until Demands Are Met
Social Security retirees in Shush also held a protest gathering, emphasizing that they would continue pursuing their labor-related and economic demands.
Chanting “Only in the streets will we win our rights,” the protesters declared that they would continue their demonstrations until their demands are fulfilled.
In their statement and slogans, the retirees in Shush presented a range of economic and social demands, including wage increases in line with the cost of living, controlling inflation and rising prices, creating employment opportunities, regulating housing rents, providing free education and healthcare, guaranteeing the right to protest and strike, releasing detained protesters, ending the security crackdown, combating corruption, eliminating discrimination, and ensuring the fair distribution of wealth
The simultaneous protests by retirees in four cities took place as demonstrations over living conditions, declining purchasing power, inflation, and rising prices have become an ongoing demand of retirees and other salaried groups across different cities in Iran in recent months.
