The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has released a report into the increased levels of protest by Iranian women during May, with a particular focus on encouraging others to boycott the election.
They advised that women from all classes and employment sectors have been taking to the streets in most cities and villages over everything from power outages, water shortages, house demolitions, non-payment of wages, and a massive number of other issues. The problems that these women are facing have increased the protests and the number of people who want to boycott the presidential election.
Protests by Iranian women were at least 127 in May, with 29 by teachers who want to be officially employed with the benefits that come along with that, 42 by students who want to avoid in-person exams during the pandemic, and many more by hospital staff over salary non-payment.
Brave women have also been taking part in resistance units activities to encourage people to boycott the elections. They’ve been putting up posters, handing out flyers, and writing graffiti, all with slogans like “Election boycott is a patriotic duty” and “My vote is overthrowing the Regime”. They’ve even made videos that are published on social media, like the mothers of the November 2019 martyrs, who declared that “We want the overthrow of this regime. We vote for the regime’s overthrow”.
One woman said: “Those who vote in this election are just as guilty as the regime officials who ordered the killing of our children. We will never forgive. Anyone who casts a ballot and participates in this election commits a crime and treason.”
In addition, the mothers of the victims of the 1988 massacre gathered in Tehran’s Khavaran Cemetery on May 13 to condemn the authorities for destroying the mass graves containing the remains of the martyrs. During their protest, they held placards and chanted slogans against the regime, particularly Judiciary head and presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi.
Raisi was on the notorious Tehran Death Committee during the 1988 massacre and was responsible for sending thousands of political prisoners to their deaths, for which the United States has blacklisted him due to human rights violations.
The signs that they held up included:
- “Khavaran, the enduring document of crime against humanity in Iran, the 1988 massacre”
- “Until the prosecution of, and accountability for the criminals, we will neither forgive, nor forget.”
