According to reports collected in the month of August by sources affiliated with the Iranian Resistance, there were more than 177 Iran protests in 57 cities, villages and industrial regions with an average of six protests per day. This is while the regime has stepped up its threats and suppression of workers, teachers and activists who participate in protests.
According to reports gathered by Iran News Wire, more than 21 activists who had participated in various protests were sentenced to lashes and prison only in August.
Workers
Workers staged 83 Iran protests in August in 29 cities, commercial areas and industrial towns and 20 provinces with an average of three protests per day. The gatherings were mostly in protest to delayed paychecks, lack of job security, dismissal of workers, the non-renewal of workers’ contract, privatization and low wages.
Some of the most important workers protests which lasted several days were as follows:
- Gatherings by forest rangers of the Shafavard Forest Company
- Gathering by workers of the Sisakhat municipality in southwestern Iran
- Gathering by workers of HEPCO in the city of Arak in western Iran
- Gathering by Fasa Sugar Cube factory workers in the southwestern province of Fars
- Gathering by workers of RAMCO (Rehabilitation & Maintenance Petrochemical Co.) in the southwestern city of Ahwaz
Defrauded creditors
Defrauded creditors of various regime-affiliated credit institutions held 12 Iran protests in four cities in Iran in the month of August. The protesters were demanding their stolen savings from the Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Caspian Credit Institution, Ramak Auto, Avizco Auto, Shadi Gold Institute, Adineh Complex, Persian Pars Auto, and the Kimia project.
Pensioners
In August, retirees including government workers and teachers held six Iran protests in four cities.
Some of these protests included:
- Two day gathering by retired workers of the Fars Province Telecommunications company.
- Gathering by retired workers of the Nilo Tile factory in Isfahan.
- Gathering by retired workers of the Isfahan Telecommunication Company
- Gathering by pensioners in the northwestern province of Eastern Azarbaijan.
- Gathering by retired workers of the Tehran metro
Teachers
Teachers held 17 Iran protests in eight cities and eight provinces. The most significant aspect of the protests was that they were organized and mostly planned from before. Teachers protested their low paychecks, dire livelihood conditions, not receiving their pay, not being officially hired, and the arrest of teachers among other issues.
Teachers held more protests this month compared to last month which is significant as schools were out for summer break.
Other sectors
Other sectors of the society held 38 Iran protests in 28 cities and 19 provinces. A number of large gatherings were held in Tehran by protesters from other cities.
Some of the most significant of these protests:
- Gathering by employees of rural telecommunications in Tehran outside of the Ministry of Communications
- Gathering by disabled Iranians from all over Iran in Tehran
There were also clashes between ordinary Iranians and regime forces including a clash between villagers in Hani Garmaleh in the western province of Kermanshah in protest to the storming of their homes for inspection by security forces. Land owners in Mahmoud Abad in the northern province of Mazandaran also clashed with the air force over their stolen lands.
Hunger strikes in Iran prisons
There were 13 cases of hunger strikes by prisoners in August in eight prisons and seven cities. The most significant aspect of the protests were the growing use of hunger strikes by nonpolitical prisoners as a way to express their grievances.
Some of these cases include:
- Civil rights activist Akbar Gavili, former member of the Kurdistan Green Association in protest to his arrest.
- Female prisoners in section 5 in the notorious Qarchak Prison near Tehran in protest to horrid prison conditions.
- Detained lawyer and activist Mohammad Najafi in Arak Prison in protest to being detained in quarantine.
- Political prisoner Kamran Darvish in Orumieh Central Prison in protest to not being released on bail.
- Political prisoner Akbar Bagheri detained in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary in protest to his prison sentence, the Supreme Court not seeing to his case, not receiving medical attention and being exiled to the Greater Tehran Prison.
- Ali Ashraf Parvaneh in protest to not being allowed a leave after 18 years of prison.
- Detained environmentalists Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Taher Ghadirian, Sepideh Kashani, Homan Jukar, and Nilofar Bayani to their continued illegal temporary detention.
- Sunni prisoner Hamzeh Darvish in Rajaie Shahr Prison in protest to not being able to choose his lawyer and issues related to his legal case.
- Child Offender and Afghan national Amir Nourzehi in Zahedan Prison in protest to the prison officials’ inconsideration of his demands including the right to know those who filed charges against him in order to petition them for forgiveness.
