The demonstrations, involving retirees, environmental activists, and laid-off workers, underscore a growing dissatisfaction among various segments of the population. In central Iran’s Isfahan, retirees from the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) gathered to demand overdue pensions and enforce long-neglected rights.
Similar protests echoed in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, where retirees denounced inadequate pensions and deteriorating living conditions. A separate protest in the city saw participants blocking streets, accusing officials of failing to deliver promised housing under the state-run Maskan Melli program.
December 11—Tehran, Iran
Recently retired teachers rally in front of the Planning and Budget Organization to reiterate their demands for unpaid wages and higher pensions.
Protesters also call for the release of jailed teacher activists.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/ep7lhs649d— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 11, 2024
The capital city, Tehran, saw large gatherings outside the provincial TCI headquarters, with demonstrators voicing their frustration at unfulfilled promises. Chanting slogans like “Shout, retirees! Demand your rights!” the protesters highlighted the urgency of their plight. Similar rallies unfolded in Rasht, Gilan Province; Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province; and Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, with retirees demanding accountability and higher pensions to counter rising costs.
Environmental concerns were also at the forefront. In Yasuj, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, students and activists protested dam construction projects like “Mandegan” and “Khersan 3,” which they claim jeopardize the Dena ecosystem. Academic Shirali Khoramin criticized the projects as a “direct path to biodiversity destruction.” Similarly, in Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh, Gilan Province, locals opposed garbage-burning facilities, citing environmental damage and health risks.
December 10—Bushehr, southern Iran
Workers of Fajr Jam gas refinery and South Pars Gas Company go on strike and rally to protest low wages and unfair contract conditions.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/Wn4vRglpFP— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 10, 2024
Meanwhile, Ilam, in western Iran, became a flashpoint for labor unrest as laid-off petrochemical workers demonstrated outside the provincial governor’s office. These protests, fueled by sudden job losses, highlighted the financial instability plaguing many Iranian families.
Protesters in several cities also criticized powerful organizations like the “Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order Headquarters” and the “Cooperation Foundation of the IRGC,” accusing them of corruption and mismanagement in their control of TCI. Chants such as “Imam’s Headquarters stole telecommunications” reverberated across these gatherings.
December 10—Asaluyeh, southern Iran
Rally by contract workers of the Asaluyeh gas refinery, protesting low wages and poor working conditions.
Protesters say that if Majlis won't dismiss the oil minister, the workers will.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/DylINIYCPr— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 10, 2024
These demonstrations illustrate the mounting pressure on the Iranian regime to address its citizens’ economic and environmental grievances. The collective demand for action reflects a population increasingly unwilling to tolerate systemic neglect, as calls for justice and reform grow louder across the nation.
