Thursday morning, 10 May, both working and retired teachers of Iran’s Teachers Association Network, took to the streets in at least 32 cities. The teachers’ protests were held in front of the General Directorate of Education in the multiple cities.
The teachers’ protests aimed at low salaries, a difficult livelihood, and deprivation of minimum job benefits. They are also calling for efficient health insurance, better job security and acknowledgment of their demands by the government.
Tehran
In Tehran, the gathering was held in front of the parliament where teachers held placards reading 'Salary above the poverty line is the right of teachers,' 'Bread, Labor, Freedom, Educational Justice' and 'Access to quality, free and fair education is the right of all children.' Dozens were arrested and a number were injured.
The eye of a female teacher was torn due to the severity of the blows by the repressive forces. To prevent the news from spreading, mercenaries beat up the people and seized their mobile phones.
Isfahan
In Isfahan, teachers in fury chanted, "Our salaries are paid in Rial, while the costs are in Dollar." Some placards read. "We demand that all forms of discrimination (ethnic, gender, religious, class) be eliminated from the structure of the educational system of the country." Another said, "Independent and free form of organization is our right." They also called for free, high-quality and fair education.
In Kazeroon, teachers recited, "The teacher's place is in the classroom, not in prison."
In the city of Mamasani, also in the southern part of the country, teachers and the people rallied in front of the education ministry office saying "the teacher's place is in the classroom not behind the wheels of taxis."
Nationwide protest
The cities encountering such protests, as recorded were:
- Tehran,
- Arak,
- Qazvin,
- Zanjan,
- Kermanshah,
- Isfahan,
- Homayoun Shahr,
- Shiraz,
- Mamasani,
- Shahreza,
- Shahrekord,
- Mashhad,
- Bojnourd,
- Birjand,
- Kazeroun,
- Saghez,
- Baneh,
- Sanandaj,
- Dehgolan,
- Marivan,
- Mahabad,
- Ghorveh,
- Ziviah,
- Divandareh,
- Tabriz,
- Rasht,
- Sari,
- Khoram Abad,
- Behbahan,
- Bandar Abbas,
- Bushehr
- and Hamedan
Teachers in Hamedan carried a placard which read, "The enemies of teachers are the enemies of this homeland."
In the city of Marivan, teachers showed solidarity with their association members in Tehran and condemned Repressive Forces attacking the peaceful gathering.
The Iranian Resistance calls on all the people, especially the youth, to show their solidarity with the educators who are deprived of their most basic rights and live in a very difficult situation.