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Thousands of angry workers force Rafsanjani to call off May Day speech |
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Sunday, 01 May 2005 |
 Some 20,000 workers who had gathered in and around Tehran's Azadi
Stadium in Tehran today chanted "referendum, referendum, referendum,
this what our people want" and "the Majlis betrays us and leaders
support them", forcing ex-President Hashemi Rafsanjani to call off his
scheduled speech at the May Day gathering.
Workers converged on Azadi Stadium from across Tehran and different
provinces to celebrate May Day and protest against the violation of
their rights. They were incensed to see that rally organizers had
turned the gathering into an election campaign meeting for Rafsanjani.
Angry workers booed Rafsanjani and other officials, showing their
hatred of the mullahs’ former president.
Thousands of workers gathered outside the 12,000-seat stadium and
joined the protesters inside, calling for a full boycott of the
forthcoming presidential elections and demanding a referendum on
clerical rule. Workers ridiculed Rafsanjani by chanting "the servant's
government should leave us alone" and "abolish slavery in Iran."
Rafsanjani occasionally referred to his government as the servant's
government.
The authorities sent thousands of security forces, including agents of
the State Security Forces, the Revolutionary Guards, the para-military
Bassij and the ministry of Intelligence and Security to the scene to
disperse the workers. The area around the stadium was swarming with SSF
patrol cars, ambulances, and fire engines.
Security agents arrested many of the protestors and took them to
unknown locations. Mobile phone communications with people inside the
stadium were jammed.
Labor unrest also broke at in Tehran's Jayhoon district where May Day demonstrators clashed with security forces.
In a similar protest yesterday, more than 1,000 teachers gathered
around the mullahs' parliament to protest against low salaries and
their harsh living conditions.
Attacked by contingences of security forces the teachers chanted "the
leaders live in luxury, we in poverty", "teachers hate discrimination"
and "if teachers' problems are not resolved all schools will shut down."
Security forces beat up a large number of demonstrators and arrested some of the protestors.
The Iranian Resistance calls on international human rights
organizations particularly those defending the rights of workers and
employees to take urgent action to press the Iranian regime to release
workers and teachers arrested in recent demonstrations in Iran.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
May 1, 2005 |
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