The Bazaar Strike in Baneh Enters Its Nineteenth Day

The strike of bazaar merchants in Baneh, protesting the restrictions on the entry of goods from the borders, entered its nineteenth day on Thursday, May 2. Some websites reported that the security atmosphere in the city continues and that the internet has been cut off. Mohammad Mahmoudi, a civil and political activist in Baneh, stated in an interview with Rasoul Mahmoud, a reporter for Radio Farda in Erbil, that the strike will continue at least until next Sunday. According to Mr. Mahmoudi, the government delegation is expected to respond to the protesters on Sunday, which is why the strike will continue until that day. He also mentioned, "So far, security forces have not intervened and have not used violence. People have quietly closed their shops. However, some shops reopened yesterday." Merchants from several other cities in Kurdistan province, including Saqqez, Marivan, Sardasht, and Piranshahr, have also joined the strike in recent days. Some local media reported the arrest of more than 20 shopkeepers and protesters; however, these arrests have not yet been confirmed by Iranian judicial authorities. Meanwhile, Hassan Amini, the director of the Imam Bukhari Religious School in Sanandaj, criticized the arrest of some protesters and the "threat of severe action against others" in a statement supporting the protesters. The news website "Baneh News" reported that since Tuesday evening, the internet has been cut off for all SIM cards and telecommunications in Baneh. Additionally, the website "Hengaw" reported on Wednesday that "more than 20 vehicles from special forces" have been dispatched to Baneh from other cities, and "several checkpoints" have been established at the city's entrances and exits, controlling all traffic. The strike of bazaar merchants in Baneh and some cities in Kurdistan province began in early April in protest against the closure of borders. The implementation of the "border trade with the porter card" plan, which led to the closure of borders to porters and an increase in customs tariffs, began on February 28, 2018, from the Siranband Bazaar in Baneh, Kurdistan province. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Minister of Interior, announced on December 17, 2017, the government's decision to "stop portering" and create 15 border markets, while also stating that this decision would have "social and security repercussions." Protesters have stated that the closure of porter routes has caused unemployment among porters and created problems for shopkeepers. Several representatives from Kurdistan province in the parliament have protested the government's actions. For instance, Rasoul Hazri, a representative from Piranshahr, stated on Wednesday, April 18, that the government's decision to "prohibit portering and close the borders" has led to unemployment for "more than 70 to 80 thousand porters." Meanwhile, there have been ongoing reports of the deaths of several porters due to gunfire from Iranian border guards. For example, in September of last year, protests were held in Baneh and Sanandaj in response to the killing of two porters from Baneh, resulting in the arrest of several demonstrators. In February 2017, after the killing of five porters, 60 civil and political activists wrote a letter to Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president, and members of parliament, requesting that they provide immediate support to the families of the victims and take long-term actions to create more jobs in western provinces of Iran. In this context, the Minister of Interior of Iran announced a plan for "organizing porter activities." Amid the ongoing strikes in Kurdistan, the Marivan market remained closed on Saturday. A conversation with Radio Farda featured a political activist in Baneh discussing the strikes in the city. Several participants in International Workers' Day events in Tehran and Saqqez were arrested.