Teachers held protests in several cities in Iran on Labour Day, which coincided with Teachers’ Day in the country.
According to a report by RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty (RFERL), rallies were held on 1 May in more than a dozen cities, including Shiraz, Arak, Kermanshah, and Sanandaj, where teachers took to the streets to demand better working conditions and the release of their jailed colleagues.
Ahead of the protests, the Iranian Teachers Trade Unions Coordination Council said that at least four union activists in the capital city of Tehran were arrested on 30 April. Three other activists were reportedly arrested in the western city of Marivan.
In the southern port of Bushehr, the police reportedly used force against protesters and arrested at least six teachers who joined in the protests.
Iran News Wire posted videos on Twitter with footage of gatherings by teachers and other workers.
A rally was staged by teachers in Tabriz, where the demonstrators demanded better wages.
Teachers marched with banners in Alborz, a province near Tehran, and chanted, ‘This is the last warning! The teachers’ movement is ready for an uprising.’
In Shiraz, there was a large gathering of teachers who demonstrated in solidarity with workers. There were speeches, and slogans were chanted.
In the western city of Saqqez, the capital of the Saqqez region in the Kurdistan Province, teachers sang Kurdish songs during their protest for better wages.
In the city of Hafttapeh, in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, workers of the Hafttappeh Sugarcane Complex rallied to demand their rights. They chanted in protest against institutionalized corruption.
In Tehran, the police were stationed near the parliament to prevent protests.