Continued Strikes and Protests by Nurses in Iran; Protesters in Golestan: 'Nurse, Shout, Demand Your Rights'

The strikes and protests by nurses in Iran, deemed 'unprecedented' by many analysts, continue despite arrests and threats from officials of the Islamic Republic. These protests, which began in Karaj, the capital of Alborz province, have persisted in over 20 cities since mid-August, and on Tuesday, September 5, they were ongoing with protesters present in at least Golestan and Kangan. These protests have received support from various professional organizations and gatherings have also been held abroad in solidarity. According to reports received by Voice of America and shared on social media on Tuesday, September 5, the protests were active in Golestan province in the north and Kangan in Bushehr province in the south. Protesters in Golestan held placards stating their demands and chanted: 'Nurse, shout, demand your rights.' A video report also depicted the strike and gathering of nurses and medical staff in Kangan. The newspaper Etemad reported on a slogan held by a protesting nurse stating 'Justice in payment is a nursing demand,' emphasizing that 'this is a clear message of what the nursing community in Iran wants, yet several protesters have been arrested to halt the gatherings.' So far, several nurses, including Zahra Tamaddon, head nurse at Masih Daneshvari Hospital, and Pouya Esfandiari, a nurse at Milad Hospital in Tehran, have been arrested. Concurrently with the protests and strikes by nurses in Iran, a wave of gatherings has begun abroad in support of them. A video sent to Voice of America shows a gathering of Iranians in San Diego supporting the nurses. They also held a picture of Arzoo Badri, a young woman who was injured by government agents due to not adhering to mandatory hijab laws and remains in a coma in the hospital. The strikes and protests by nurses, reported by domestic media to be ongoing in 'over 50 hospitals in various cities,' have received support from political figures and professional organizations. According to Mohammad Sharifi-Moqaddam, Secretary-General of the Nurses' House, the scope and nature of the nurses' protests are 'unprecedented in the 100-year history of modern nursing in Iran.' Hamid Enayati, a nursing expert, told the newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad that 'all the demands of the nurses are clear and on the table; they have been raised for years in meetings and discussions, and now they just want a decisive and specific order for implementation.' Nurses are protesting against the non-implementation of the pricing law, mandatory overtime, and low wages, stating that the Ministry of Health must hear their voices and meet their demands. The professional protests by nurses continue to receive widespread support from professional organizations, and several independent organizations have called for 'unity among workers, teachers, and nurses.'