Demonstrations and strikes in Iran continued on Saturday, while President Ibrahim Raisi marked the first anniversary of his appointment to the post by Ayatollah Khamenei, due to difficult economic situation | Iran’s currency fell to a historic low of 333,000 rials to one US dollar
Retirees, industrial workers, and teachers took to the streets last Saturday in many cities and towns across Iran to protest the inflation rate of over 40%. Retirement protests that began several months ago and have become more frequent recently.
The current round of strikes and demonstrations began on Sunday, June 12, after Iran’s currency fell to a historic low of 333,000 rials to one US dollar. Along with retirees, small business owners have also been at the forefront in recent days.
The demonstrators are proven to be particularly brave, as in Iran the police fire live ammunition at their demonstrator. On Saturday, retailers demonstrated in Tehran with many clashes with police.
In the oil-rich province of southwestern Khuzestan, pensioners chanted slogans against Raisi, accusing him of lying. Raisi, who took office last August, is the first Iranian president since the 1979 Islamic Revolution whose government has faced widespread protests within months, with disappointed protesters demanding his resignation because of mismanagement of the country. This was reported by the television channel Iran International
Workers and business owners at Isfahan’s Mahmoodabad Industrial Town and Sabzeh Meydan bazaar as well as the shopkeepers of Nourabad Mamasani have joined the #IranStrikes. #IranProtests#IranProtests2022 pic.twitter.com/WiNXWrNDOk
– Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) June 18, 2022
Similar demonstrations took place in Zanjan, and in Shushtar, a city of more than 100,000 residents in Khuzestan, they called for “no longer living in shame”. Retirees are demanding pension increases in line with rising prices of essential goods, saying current payments are inconsistent with the government’s decision to set a 38 percent increase in the minimum wage. Earlier this month, the government announced that the pension for most retirees would increase by only 10 percent.
Business owners at the Isfahan Bazaar on Saturday refused to open their stores in protest of an unprecedented rise in their tax bills. Traders of the Grand Bazaar of Tabriz, the capital of eastern Azerbaijan province, were the first to strike earlier this month. The strikes have since spread to several other large and small cities including Tehran and Shiraz.