Retirees Protest in Several Cities in Iran: Men and Women are Equal, United and Brave

On Sunday, July 24, protests over living conditions in Iran continued with gatherings of steel industry retirees in Tehran and Isfahan, as well as retirees from government and social security in several cities. According to reports received by Voice of America and published on social media, protests took place in at least Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Shush. Retired protesters in Tehran not only expressed their dissatisfaction with the authorities' neglect of their professional demands but also protested against the violation of women's rights and the pressures imposed on them to enforce mandatory hijab by the Islamic Republic, chanting: 'Let go of the hijab, think about us.' These protesting retirees also chanted: 'Men and women are equal, united and brave' and 'Oppression and injustice against women is compounded here.' In Kermanshah, protesting retirees condemned the arrest and death sentence issued for Sharifeh Mohammadi, a civil activist, chanting: 'Sharifeh Mohammadi must be freed.' The gathering included retirees from organizations such as telecommunications, social security, and other government sectors, with additional slogans such as 'Unity, unity, against poverty and corruption,' 'Gathering and protesting is our legitimate right,' 'Imprisoned teachers must be freed,' and 'Imprisoned workers must be freed.' Steel retirees in Isfahan also gathered and marched in front of the Steel Retirement Fund. Additionally, retirees in Shush held a protest rally, chanting: 'Enough of promises, our table is empty.' The expansion of protests among various groups, including retirees, workers from different industries, teachers, defrauded individuals, and healthcare workers, indicates the increasing living problems in Iran and the indifference of the Islamic Republic's officials. Jamshid Asadi, an economist, previously predicted in an interview with Voice of America that the living conditions and economic situation would worsen. Hussein Raghfar, another economist, recently commented on the ineffectiveness of changing the head of government in the Islamic Republic, stating that there are two governments in Iran; one that 'has power and force' affecting people's livelihoods and another that 'has no power at all.'