Statement from Several Professional and Civil Organizations: We Have No Choice but to Continue the United and Widespread 'Women, Life, Freedom' Revolution

Several professional organizations and civil institutions issued a joint statement on Tuesday, September 10, marking the second anniversary of the nationwide protests in Iran and the beginning of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising, emphasizing that "today we have no choice but to continue the united and widespread Women, Life, Freedom revolution." The Iranian Pensioners Council, the Council for Organizing Protests of Contract Oil Workers, the Council for Organizing Protests of Informal Oil Workers (Third Parties), the Coordination Council of Nurses' Protests, the Social Security Pensioners' Dialogue Center, the Voice of Iranian Women, the Justice Seekers Institution, the Electrical and Metal Association of Kermanshah, and the Iranian Teachers' Guild wrote in this joint statement: "Two years have passed since the government murder of Mahsa Zhina Amini and the eruption of the Women, Life, Freedom revolution. This social revolution arose with the declaration of 'it's over' and rallied for freedom-seeking, a livelihood with public welfare, equality, modernism, and secularism." The statement continues: "The inevitable confrontation of the majority of the people with the government has been ongoing for years due to the worsening of harsh living conditions, and as we see, the streets have always been occupied by protesters as a manifestation of the revolution over the past two years. Justice seekers, pensioners, workers, teachers, nurses, students, defrauded individuals, and brave women who have not taken a step back from the conquered bastion of hijab have turned the streets into a battlefield." These groups stated that "today we are faced with a strong movement for livelihood, freedom, and equality in society" and added: "Although the widespread popular uprising in these two years has faced the most horrific forms of government repression, and all police, military, security, prison, and execution powers have been employed to push back the revolutionary atmosphere, this approach has never succeeded, and it can confidently be claimed that the strongest movement against torture and execution has formed under these conditions of repression." The signatories of this statement also emphasized: "The protesting society of Iran has not only not been intimidated but with the tightening of the spring of anger and hatred of the majority, the ground has been prepared for the completion of the unfinished Women, Life, Freedom revolution with a force more formidable than two years ago, and we, the people who have come to life, know that we have no choice but to continue the united and widespread Women, Life, Freedom revolution." They concluded by stating, "Now, on the second anniversary of the new women's revolution in history, we teachers, we workers, nurses and pensioners, we women and justice seekers, we freedom-seeking youth, and we people who have suffered from the poverty, corruption, inflation, oppression, and discrimination of the rulers, through our continued protests, gatherings, and strikes, and our renewed cry for unity against poverty and corruption, commemorating the powerful and passionate anniversary of the beginning of the revolution, we unite to dismantle unequal relations, end the oppression of women and wage slavery, and restore power to humanity." The nationwide protests of the Iranian people and the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement began on the evening of September 16, 2022, following the announcement of the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini, a 21-year-old from Saqqez, while in custody of the morality police in Tehran, and quickly spread to other cities in Iran and abroad. Several student organizations and students in Iran had previously issued a statement on the occasion of the second anniversary of the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that they continue to stand against "this inhumane government" and will fight to "permanently challenge" and "destroy" it.