The demonstrations mark the 232nd day of nationwide uprisings, with protesters blaming Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) for their hardships.
The protests have spread to at least 282 cities, resulting in over 750 deaths and more than 30,000 arrests, according to the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). In Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan & Baluchestan, people took to the streets, chanting anti-regime slogans such as “Down with Khamenei!” and “Khamenei is a murderer! We have nothing to eat!”
Brief on Iran Nationwide Uprising- Thursday, May 4, 2023 #IranRevoIution #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/AB2HK089Qw
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 5, 2023
Despite the oppressive presence of security forces, the people of Zahedan and Iran’s Baluchi community continue to protest. Iranian opposition President-elect Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) praised their courage, condemning the regime’s recent wave of executions and other crackdown measures aimed at silencing dissent.
In Isfahan, central Iran, contract workers from the Arik Sanat Company went on strike, joining the nationwide labor campaign to protest the refusal of officials to increase their salaries. Workers and employees of the Pars Paper Company in Haft Tappeh, Khuzestan Province, also went on strike, citing low paychecks, lack of permanent contracts, long working hours, and no leave from work.
I commend the arisen people of #Zahedan who demonstrated in their courageous uprising today that the criminal executions and blind arrests have not only failed to disrupt the determination of Baluch compatriots in their struggle against the mullahs' regime but have made them more… pic.twitter.com/mLRik1iqxD
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) May 5, 2023
Railway workers in Kerman Province protested against officials’ refusal to address their demands, with many of them facing delayed paychecks. Farmers in Lamerd, Fars Province, rallied outside the governor’s office to protest the regime’s wheat pricing policies and officials’ refusal to purchase their produce.
As the protests continue to grow, the Iranian government faces increasing pressure to address the economic crisis and the demands of its citizens. With opposition groups such as the MEK and the NCRI supporting the demonstrators, the situation remains tense and uncertain.
May 4 – Haft Tappeh, southwest #Iran
Workers and employees of the Pars Paper Company are on strike protesting low paychecks, not having permanent contracts, long working hours, double shifts without breaks, and having no leave from work.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/kcNNRAAiL0— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 4, 2023
While the regime attempts to suppress the protests, the Iranian people continue to risk their lives for their rights and demand an end to the corruption and mismanagement that have led to their current hardships. The international community watches closely as the protests escalate and the Iranian government faces mounting challenges to its rule.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu
