Qazvin Stadium Chants: ‘Honorable Azerbaijan; Dishonorable Pahlavi’; Kermanshah Retirees Demand: ‘Free Javad Vafaei’
Continuing a wave of social discontent, various cities across Iran have witnessed widespread protests by workers, retirees, youth, and other segments of the population against the clerical regime’s plundering and repressive policies.
On Friday, December 26, 2025, youth in the Qazvin stadium protested all forms of dictatorship by chanting slogans such as, ‘Honorable Azerbaijan; dishonorable Pahlavi.’ Previously, defiant youth and citizens had chanted similar slogans at sporting events in Sahand Stadium in Tabriz on December 15 and in Urmia on December 18, emphasizing their rejection of both clerical and monarchical dictatorships.
On Saturday, December 27, 2025, the strike by workers at the Zareh Shuran gold mine in Takab entered its 15th day. Despite the severe cold, the workers vowed to continue their strike until their demands are met. Simultaneously contract drivers in Tehran, employees of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company in the Lavan region, and a number of oil industry retirees in Ahvaz, Kermanshah, and Shahroud staged protest gatherings. A group of workers from the Middle East Sugar Company in Shush marked the sixth day of their strikes, and vowed to continue their protest, chanting, ‘Sugar company workers, demand your rights!’ On the same day, healthcare personnel in Ahvaz also took to the streets to protest chronic neglect by officials.
Meanwhile, workers from the Petro-Palayesh company in Kangan held a protest rally. Maintenance and technical railway workers in the Lorestan region continued their strike for a seventh day, protesting overdue, unpaid wages. Reports also indicated a strike by workers at the Iranshahr steam power plant protesting their poor living conditions.
On the same day, bakers in Shiraz went on strike to protest the non-payment of subsidies, while truck drivers in Saveh held a strike over low fares and fuel shortages. The medical staff of Jundishapur University in Ahvaz also held another protest rally against mismanagement and unpaid wages.
On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, retirees in Kermanshah held a protest rally, chanting slogans such as, ‘High prices and inflation are plaguing the people!’ and ‘Mohammad Javad Vafaei must be freed!’ They demanded the release of the political prisoner and the fulfillment of their own economic demands. Mohammad-avad Vafaei-Sani, a 30-year-old political prisoner and a boxing champion and coach from Mashhad, has been sentenced to death on charges of membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and is at serious risk of execution.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
28 December 2025
#Iran News Alert #Breaking
On Friday afternoon, December 26, 2025, crowds and freedom-seeking youth at a football match in Qazvin chanted powerful slogans rejecting the Shah's regime and its remnants, declaring:
“Azerbaijan province is the symbol of honor — the Pahlavi has no… pic.twitter.com/Zk6VTUG2sA— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) December 26, 2025
On Friday, December 26, 2025, #Iranian youth at Qazvin Stadium voiced their anger at the remnants of the ousted Shah’s regime, chanting: “Honorable Azerbaijan, dishonorable Pahlavi.” pic.twitter.com/knsJUV0mSQ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 28, 2025