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Iran Protests: Mass Protests by Nurses Erupt Across Iran on August 17, 2024

In a powerful display of dissent, nurses across multiple cities in Iran have taken to the streets, demanding better wages, improved working conditions, and greater job security. These protests, which have been building momentum over recent weeks, reflect growing frustration among healthcare professionals in a country grappling with economic hardship and political repression.

In Arak, located in central Iran, nurses continued their protests today, joining their colleagues in a nationwide movement that has spread to cities across the country. Similarly, in Yasuj, in southwestern Iran, healthcare workers rallied to demand fair pay, changes to work-hour regulations, and safer working conditions.

One of the most significant protests took place in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, where nurses from Qaem Hospital gathered en masse, raising their voices against the dire state of their profession. Demonstrators at Imam Reza Hospital chanted, “Dollar inflation, our wages in rials,” highlighting the growing disparity between the cost of living and their stagnant incomes. In response to the heavy police presence, protesters defiantly shouted, “Police forces, you too will be hospitalized,” underscoring the tension between the state’s security apparatus and its increasingly discontented public sector workers.

These protests are part of a broader wave of unrest that has engulfed the country in recent weeks. In Qom, also in central Iran, literacy educators staged a rally in front of the provincial governorate, reiterating their demands to be promoted to official teaching positions, a long-standing grievance that has yet to be addressed by the authorities.

The persistence of these protests is significant, particularly in light of the severe repercussions faced by participants. Reports have emerged of nurses being threatened with dismissal and the creation of security files against them in cities across Iran. Despite these threats, the protests have continued to grow, with healthcare workers from various provinces, including Fars, Tabriz, Yazd, Kerman, and Kermanshah, joining the movement.

The situation in Shiraz is particularly dire, where 90% of the nursing staff have reportedly left their positions, citing “forced overtime, failure to implement laws, low wages, hard work, insults, and threats” as reasons for their mass resignation. Instead of addressing these grievances, hospital management has reportedly involved security forces, further inflaming tensions.

The Iranian healthcare system is under significant strain, with the Ministry of Health facing criticism for its handling of the crisis. Reports suggest an increase in suicide rates among nurses, attributed to the “increasing pressure” in the workplace. Moreover, the ongoing exodus of nurses and doctors from the country has been repeatedly flagged by health officials as a serious concern, with warnings that hospitals and universities may soon be depleted of qualified staff.

Despite the growing unrest, the Iranian government has downplayed the situation. General Ramazan Sharif, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), recently dismissed the reports of widespread dissatisfaction as a “media attack against the Islamic system.” However, the continued protests and the vocal opposition from healthcare professionals suggest that the government’s challenges are far from over.

As Iran grapples with this wave of protests, the demands of nurses, workers, retirees, farmers, and other public sector workers for fair treatment and better conditions have become a focal point of broader discontent with the regime. With no resolution in sight, the coming weeks could see further escalation in a country already on the brink.

NCRI
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