On Sunday April 18th pensioners and retired government workers throughout Iran staged their fifth nationwide protest in a month against inflation and their deteriorating living standards.
The latest pensioners’ protest took place in Tehran, Karaj, Esfahan, Kerman, Behshahr, Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Mashhad, Kermanshah, Qazvin and Dezful.
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners and retired government workers have taken to the streets to protest against poverty in December 2020 and January 2021, calling for a 50 per cent increase in their pensions. There were further protests on February 14th and 20th.
Since the start of the Iranian year 1400 on March 21st, there have been five protests. During the latest protest on April 18th the demonstrators also called for the release of Esmail Gerami, a jailed pensioner.
The slogans the protesting pensioners were chanting included: ‘Free our retired colleague!’,
‘Parliament and government, quit deceiving the nation!’, ‘After all the lies we’ve heard, we won’t vote anymore!’ and ‘We won’t vote anymore, we didn’t see any justice!’.
Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign
19 April 2021
Source: Trade Union of the Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company
Shahrokh Zamani Action Campaign 