Economic Protests in Several Cities of Iran: Enough Warmongering, Our Tables Are Empty

Economic protests in Iran on Sunday were marked by gatherings of retirees from the steel and mining industries in several cities, as well as strikes by oil and gas workers. Protesters chanted "Enough warmongering, our tables are empty" in opposition to various policies of the Islamic Republic both domestically and internationally. According to reports received by Voice of America and published on social media on Sunday, January 6, retirees from different industries and organizations were active in cities including Isfahan, Rasht, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Shush, and Bushehr. Retired social security workers in Rasht protested the non-fulfillment of their labor rights and demands, shouting: "Shout, shout, from all this injustice." Retired protesters in Kermanshah also chanted, "Looting the people's pockets, under the banner of justice," in protest against the false promises of Islamic Republic officials. They further protested the internal and external policies of the Islamic Republic and the tensions and disputes created by the Iranian government in the region with the slogan "Enough warmongering, our tables are empty." A group of retirees from Khuzestan's steel industry also held a "silent march" in protest against the non-implementation of the equalization law. One steel retiree at the gathering stated that the protest was "not to welcome officials but to protest." Another group of retirees in Ahvaz chanted, "Let go of the hijab, control inflation," protesting the government's efforts to restrict women instead of addressing economic issues. Retired protesters in Shush, another city in Khuzestan province, pointed to the devaluation of the Iranian national currency and severe inflation, chanting: "Retiree salary, only for a week." In Isfahan, steel retirees held a protest march with placards demanding their labor rights be met. In Bushehr, a group of retired teachers protested against the "non-payment of end-of-service bonuses" in front of the Bushehr governor's office. Simultaneously with the retirees' economic protests, a group of workers from the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company gathered in front of the Khuzestan governor's office, insisting on their labor demands, chanting: "A worker dies, but does not accept humiliation." Additionally, a group of national housing applicants in Ahvaz protested in front of the Khuzestan governor's office. Reports from the Civil Protest Telegram channel indicated that employees of the "Iran Ofogh" company at the Yadavaran oil field held a protest due to unmet labor demands. The expansion of economic protests comes as state media reported that the minimum monthly wage in Iran, which at the beginning of the Persian year 1403 was about $113, has dropped to "about $88" in the final months of the year due to ongoing shocks in the exchange rate. The rise of protests among various groups, including retirees, workers from various industries, teachers, defrauded investors, and healthcare workers, indicates increasing economic problems in Iran and the indifference of the Islamic Republic officials. In response to these protests, the Islamic Republic has intensified security and judicial crackdowns on independent labor activists, teachers, and retirees, with many of these activists currently imprisoned on security charges. Amid the continued decline of the Iranian rial against foreign currencies, especially the US dollar, which recently reached about 82,000 tomans in the free market, Salman Zakir, a member of the Industries Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, warned of a potential "famine" in Iran, stating that if "imbalances continue at this level, the likelihood of famine exists." Additionally, Iranian media have reported whispers about merging "empty and looted" pension funds, with a pension rights activist deeming this action as "another disaster" for the people that will lead to a "darker era" for retirees.