Teachers protest in almost 100 cities of Iran and Eastern Kurdistan

Iran is experiencing a severe economic crisis due to widespread corruption, plunder of financial resources, high inflation, a budget deficit, an income distribution gap and US sanctions.

Annual inflation in the country has exceeded 40 percent. The Iranian currency is losing value on a regular basis. The middle class also became impoverished and lost its purchasing power to a large extent.

Teachers have taken to the streets several times since the beginning of the year protesting price increases and inflation.

Over the weekend, thousands of teachers in more than 100 cities protested the slow pace of wage and pension reforms. A new protest is planned for tomorrow, Tuesday.

According to the reformist Etemad newspaper, activists gathered in front of the parliament in Tehran and in front of the Ministry of Education offices in cities such as Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashed.

While teachers want their wages to be included in civil servants’ salaries, they also demand that their pension rights be the same as civil servants’ ones. In addition, they demand that their colleagues arrested in previous actions be released.

According to the Etemad newspaper, the slogan “Let the teachers be released” was chanted during the protest actions. Activists state that 15 teachers are currently under arrest.

The protests on Sunday were organised by the Teachers’ Union.

According to Iran’s Workers’ News Agency (ILNA), a “vocational regulation plan” is at the top of the demands of teachers in action. Teachers are saying that the bill, which was recently discussed in the Assembly, did not meet their demands.

Protests took place in many cities in Eastern Kurdistan, especially in Kermanshah and Sine.

Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, wrote that more than 400 employees from the education sector participated in the action in Shiraz, the administrative center of Fars Province.

Videos and photos on social media were posted and showed actions and the police beating the teachers.