Sunday, June 12, 2022: Retirees and pensioners of the Social Security Organization rallied in several cities, for the sixth consecutive day, protesting the government’s lack of response to their outstanding demands regarding low wages and pensions, insurance issues, and poor living conditions. Demonstrations were reported in Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Borujerd, Bandar Abbas, Sari, Isfahan, and Zanjan among others.
In Ahvaz, southwest Iran, protesters were calling for the labor minister to resign.
“Death to the incompetent government!” protesters in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, were chanting.
In Kermanshah, western Iran, the protesters were chanting “Death to Raisi!”
These protests, which are being held regularly, are as Iran has seen two waves of intense anti-regime protests in the past two months, triggered by nosediving economic conditions, escalating inflation, and skyrocketing prices of food staples, including bread, milk, dairy products, eggs, poultry, and cooking oil. At the same time, Iran’s national currency, the rial, has continued its plunge and stands at its lowest ever value, being traded at nearly 330,000 to the US dollar.
While the retirees and Social Security Organization pensioners previously held their demonstrations on a weekly basis, this is the first time that they are rallying for several successive days.
The protests are taking place despite heavy security measures by the regime. According to reports, security forces attacked demonstrators in Tehran and arrested several people. In Shiraz also security forces attacked the demonstrators. A large contingent of anti-riot forces were dispatched to the city to crack down on the protests.
In this regard, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran(NCRI) sent a message and said: The honorable retirees and pensioners of Iran once again took to the streets with chants of “Death to Raisi” and “We will fight and die but will not accept humiliation.”
Crackdowns and arrests did not stop them. I urge Iran’s youths to support the retirees. There is no other way but to rise up and protest against this corrupt and predatory regime.
