The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran), reported that the Iranian pensioner’s protests enter 8 weeks in a row on Sunday, over low wages and the refusal of the mullahs to increase pensions in line with inflation and based on the devaluation of the rial.
Retirees and pensioners protest
This week, the protests reached 17 cities and retirees chanted slogans like:
- “The result of the government’s work is plundering the people’s wealth”
- “Our country sits on treasures, but we are living in suffering”
- “Housing and livelihoods are our inalienable rights”
- “Our enemy is right here; they lie when they claim it is the US”
This showed a complete rejection of the idea that the problems in Iran are down to US sanctions rather than regime policies, something that can be clearly seen when regime officials live in luxury and ordinary Iranians now consider chicken a luxury food.
The protesters demanded that the regime implement Article 96 of the Welfare Law, which says that pensions need to be adjusted so that retirees can meet their basic needs of food and shelter.
They also demanded that pensioners receive free healthcare and that their demands be prioritized in the regime’s parliament sessions.
The regime has refrained from its usual crackdown
Over the past seven weeks, the regime has refrained from its usual crackdown on the protest because it feared the consequences of its actions, but this week it arrested several retirees across the various cities involved and even attacked them, but on the latter was forced to retreat following resistance by protesters.
The increase and intensification of these protests are a microcosm of the country’s overall hatred of the regime’s actions over the past forty years. If those in poverty are forced to sell their organs or their children and still can’t put meat on the table, as reported by the state-run media, it can only be a matter of time before the people overthrow the regime.
Salaries many times below the poverty line
The state-run Mostaghel daily wrote Sunday: “In one night, people’s life savings become worthless with the devaluation of the national currency. Their salaries are in Rial, but they have to buy all the goods in dollars. People start living with more inflation than the day before. Even those who are not unemployed and receive salaries many times below the poverty line do not know whether they will be employed tomorrow or not.”
The economic issues are creating a society on the verge of an uprising, so Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tried to extinguish the flames of rebellion with his crocodile tears last week, but to no avail. The uprising is coming and it will shake the regime like never before.
MEK Iran (follow them on Twitter and Facebook)
and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube
