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Continued dissatisfaction with the government, especially in the aftermath of previous protests during the Iranian Democracy Movement such as the2017-2018 Iranian protests
The2018–2019 Iranian general strikesand protests were a series of strikes and protests that took place acrossIran from early 2018 until mid-2019 against the country's economic situation, as well as theIranian government.
In late May, Iranian truckers staged a major nationwide strike over low wages and poor working conditions. It lasted until mid-June and was the first in a series of strikes that continued until late 2018 (see below).[10]
25 June:On 25 June 2018, shops were shut and thousands gathered in the Bazaar area ofTehran to protest the economic situation.[11][12] This was met with security forces firing tear gas at the protestors.[13] Protests against the economic situation also occurred inShahriar,Karaj,Qeshm,Bandar Abbas, andMashhad.[14] Some of the stores were closed enforcedly by unknown individuals.[15][16]
26 June:People inTehran took to the streets for the third straight day on 26 June, with many shops inTehran's Bazaar remaining closed.[17] Videos from social media showed the crowd in downtown Tehran chanting "Death to the dictator".[17] Security forces clamped down on the protesters once again, arresting a large number of people.[18]
27 June:Protests continued for a third day in Tehran, despite a heavy security presence,[19] Reuters referred to the three days as "the biggest unrest since the start of the year". Iran's Supreme Leader,Ali Khamenei, addressed the protests for the first time and called on the judiciary to punish those who disrupted economic security.[20] Many of the protests involved traders in theGrand Bazaar inTehran, who complained that thedevaluation of theIranian rial had forced them to stop trading.[21]
28 June:On 28 June, sources told Radio Farda that merchants had closed down the Bazaar in the city ofArak.[22] Tehran's prosecutor general stated that a large number of protesters had been arrested and would likely face trial.[22] Jafar Dolatabadi also stated in an interview that the protesters grievances are not only economic, and that "people are grappling with political and social concerns".[22]
On 22 September 2018, truckers across several Iranian cities restarted their strikes against the rising expenses of their jobs.[23]On 26 September, the strikes continued and were seen inAhvaz,Qazvin,Shahreza,Borujerd, andUrmia.[24] 40 to 70 truckers inFars,Tehran, andQazvin province were arrested on 27 September, as strikes continued into their fifth day.[25][26] The Free Truckers Union announced that the strike had spread to 31 provinces across the country.[26] The judiciary stated that those arrested could face the death penalty.[27] On 29 September, on the eight day of the strikes, the number of truckers arrested reached 89.[28]
On 1 October, the truckers strikes reached their 10th straight day and were seen inBukan,Khosrowshah,Arak,Fooladshahr,Nishapur,Tiran,Takestan,Kermanshah,Sanandaj,Qazvin,Karaj,Bandar Abbas,Ardabil,Dezful,Yazd, andNajafabad. The number of arrested also reached 156.[29][30] By the 13th straight day of the strike, over 230 truckers were arrested.[31] The strikes continued into 8 October, and reached their 17th consecutive day. Security forces responded by arresting a number of truckers, which increased the number of people arrested to 256.[32] On the same day, Bazaaris in multiple cities across Iran closed their shops and went on strike in protest to the economic situation. Strikes were seen in Sanandaj,Bukan,Saqqez,Marivan,Baneh,Miandoab,Tehran,Isfahan,Mashhad,Tabriz, andChabahar.[33][34] The strikes continued into 9 October, although they were reduced in size from the previous day, and were seen in Tabriz,Shahriar,Shahreza, and Sanandaj.[35]
On 1 November 2018, truckers inTehran,Zanjan,Isfahan,Asaluyeh,Nahavand, andShahrud went on strike for the fourth time this year in protest to the arrest of hundreds of truckers in October.[40] Workers from several factories in Iran have been on constant strikes due to unpaid wages and inflation. On 2 November 2018, workers at theHaft Tappeh Cane Sugar Company's factory inShush start their own strikes.
On 13 and 14 November, Iranian teachers in most provinces went on strike for the second time in 2018.[41][42] Thirteen teachers were arrested during this strike.[6]
On 15 November, the workers strikes escalated and protests spilled onto the streets of Shush.[43] Some workers in Shush called for the factory to be operated by a workers council.[44] The following day, the workers disrupted the Friday Prayer service of the city. They chanted "Hossein, Hossein is their cry, theft is their pride", "Death to oppressors, long live workers", and "Workers are willing to die, but will not accept oppression".[45][46] Protests continued in the streets of Shush on 17 November, despite the presence of the security forces and riot police.[47]
On the same day, hundreds of workers of the Foolad Company inAhvaz protested in front of the Governor's office. Protestors in Ahvaz chanted "Let go ofKashoggi, think of us", and "Inflation, increasing prices, be responsibleRouhani".[44] On 18 November, nineteen protestors were arrested inShush.[48] By 21 November, thirteen of the protesters in Shush were released from prison, the arrested protestors faced charges of "acting against the regime".[7] On 24 November, workers joined by ordinary citizens, protested in Ahvaz and clashed with the security forces.[49][50] On the same day, workers of the vegetable oil factory of Zanjan protested in front of the governor's office inZanjan due to unpaid wages.[51] On 28 November, workers protested for the 24th consecutive day in Shush, despite the city's police commander stating that any gatherings were against the law. Protests occurred in Ahvaz on the same day, as thousands of workers took to the streets.[52]
On 18 November 2018 Workers Syndicate at the Haft Tappeh sugar mill in Iran's Khuzestan province announced that the security forces had arrested two of their representatives,Esmail Bakhshi and Mohsen Armand.[53] The syndicate also announced that on 29 November 2018 government forces arrested its senior member Ali Nejati in his house.
On 4 December, workers in Ahvaz protested for the 25th straight day, and chanted "Palestine and Syria are the root of our problems".[54] On 17 December, the security forces cracked-down and arrested 31 workers in Ahvaz whom they re-identified as the leaders of the protests.[8] The day before workers had gathered in Ahvaz and declared that they would take their protest to the capitalTehran, if their demands were not met.[55] On 13 December, Ali Nejati, was transferred to hospital, after long and distressing interrogations.[56]
On 18 December, a lone protester on the island ofKish, stood in front of the main square of the city and graffitied anti-regime and pro-worker slogans, which included: "Imprisoned workers must be freed", and "long live the Shah".[57] On 18 and 19 December 2018 the security forces stormed the houses of Foolad workers in Khuzestan province and arrested up to 41 workers.[58][59][60]
15 workers at Ilam Petrochemical Plant in central western Iran were convicted to six months' imprisonment and 74 lashes by a state court after they gathered in protest outside the factory for their fellow experienced workers being laid off. The court charged them with "disrupting public order and peace".[61]
On 21 December, truck drivers across the country started their fifth round of nationwide strikes in protest to inflation and rising expenses.[62]
On 27 December 2018 Security forces attacked with tear gas a teachers gathering outside the education office inIsfahan, central Iran. Teachers were protesting their low salary and the arrest of their colleagues who were now in jail.[63]
Farmers gathered inIsfahan on 2 January to protest the lack of water in theZayanderud. The protestors were met by security forces who fired tear gas and live rounds into the air to disperse the crowds.[64][65] On 22 January, retirees gathered in front of the parliament building inTehran and chanted "Torture and forced confessions, have no effect anymore".[66] Two days later, on 24 January, teachers gathered in five provinces to protest their current living and teaching conditions.[67]
On 14 February, teachers inArdabil,Mashhad,Marivan,Sanandaj,Orumieh, andKermanshah gathered outside of the offices of the Ministry of Education and protested the arrest of teachers, and unfavourable living and teaching conditions.[3][68] On the same day a teacher's rights activist was arrested in Sanandaj.[69]
On 26 February, railway workers inTabriz andShahroud went on strike.[70] Earlier that day, a large group of retirees gathered in front of the parliament building inTehran to protest low pensions. Protesters chanted "no nation has seensuch a dishonourable parliament" and "shame on those who claim to be the upholders of justice".[71]
On 3 March, teachers across Iran started a three-day nationwide sit in, in protest to low living wages and unfavourable job conditions. This is the third sit in this year by teachers across Iran.[72] The same day, railway workers inAndimeshk went on strike to protest unpaid wages and blocked theAhvaz toMashhad train from running its route.[73] The families ofEsmail Bakhshi andSepideh Gholian also gathered in front of the judiciary inShush to protest their arrest.[74]
The following day on 4 March, mobile bazars inTehran,Tabriz,Ahvaz,Mashhad, andIsfahan went on strike to protest the new initiative started by the Ministry of Communications which prevents them from registering the smartphones they want to sell.[75]
On 5 March, workers of Chamshir Dam inGachsaran went on strike and gathered outside the governorate to protest 14 months of unpaid wages. On the same day, workers of the Ministry of Agriculture gathered in front of the parliament building inTehran and protested their low wages. Railway strikes also continued inTabriz andLorestan province.[76][77]
On 6 March, Foolad retirees took to the streets inIsfahan due to low pensions. The protestors chanted "Our revolution was a mistake" and "Rouhani the liar, resign".[78] Teachers again took the streets on 7 March in multiple cities across Iran. Protests were reported inKermanshah,Urmia,Ardabil,Mashhad, andIsfahan.[79]
On 1 May (May day), workers, students, and teachers gathered in front of the parliament building inTehran to protest poor economic conditions, and lack of individual rights. Protesters chanted "Workers, teachers, students, unite" and "High costs and inflation are hurting people's lives". The security forces clamped down on the protests and 40 demonstrators were arrested.[80][81]
On 2 May, teachers across 13 provinces in Iran protested their poor work and living conditions. The security forces arrested at least three teachers inTehran.[82][83][84]
On 29 November 2018, it was reported by various news outlets thatEsmail Bakhshi, one of the leaders of the strikes inShush, had been severely tortured during his detention and transferred to a hospital inAhvaz.[85] Officials inKhuzestan province quickly denied the news.[86] On 4 December, members of the Haft Tape Union, warned that the health of Bakhshi andSepideh Qolian was in a dire state, as they could not tell what time of day it was.[87] It was later revealed that while in custody, Bakhshi was attacked repeatedly with a baton, to the point where he now has difficulty walking, sitting, and sleeping. He was also given unspecified drugs.[88]
On 20 December 2018,Human Rights Watch urged the regime in Iran to investigate and find an explanation for the death ofVahid Sayadi Nasiri who had been jailed for insulting the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to his family Nasiri had been on hunger strike but he was denied medical attention before he died.[89]
Bakhshi and Qolian were arrested again in January 2019. In February 2019, it was reported that Bakhshi's health was in serious condition while in jail.[90]
Addressing students inQom, in early March 2019, Musa Ghazanfarabadi, an Iranian official and head of the Islamic Courts in Tehran, said that if needed they can bring Hashd al-Shaabi militias fromIraq, Houthis from Yemen and others fromPakistan andAfghanistan to suppress the demonstrations.[91]
Media related to2018 Tehran Grand Bazaar protests at Wikimedia Commons
