Today, Wednesday, October 16, Iran witnessed a series of coordinated protests in various provinces. Protesters from different sectors—people with disabilities, medical students, hospital workers, victims of fraud, and football fans—gathered across the country to express their dissatisfaction with the government. The protests reflect a growing and diverse wave of discontent, with calls for systemic changes gaining momentum.
Protests led by people with disabilities took place in front of the presidential office in Tehran and in several other provinces, including Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Sistan and Baluchestan, Ardabil, and West Azerbaijan. The demonstrators are demanding the full implementation of Article 27 of the Disability Law in the upcoming 1404 budget bill. This law, which guarantees access to essential services such as healthcare, social security, and employment opportunities for disabled citizens, has been inadequately implemented. Protesters stressed that the government must allocate sufficient resources in the new budget to ensure that the rights of disabled individuals are protected and upheld.
In addition to the protests by people with disabilities, medical students from the Science and Research Branch of Tehran held their second protest today. The students are demanding better educational conditions, improved facilities, and reforms in their curriculum. They expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of medical education and called for immediate changes.
January 14—Tehran, Iran
Disabled people hold protest rally, demanding the implementation of the law that requires the government to provide the basic needs of disabled people who can't work. #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/7G7D3nLC2m— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 16, 2024
Meanwhile, Esteghlal Football Club fans gathered in front of the Persian Gulf Holding in Tehran to protest the financial mismanagement of their beloved team. The fans demanded transparency in the club’s finances and accountability from the club’s leadership.
In Zanjan, service workers from Valiasr and Mousavi hospitals held a protest outside the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. The workers are demanding better wages and improved working conditions. They have been grappling with low pay, delayed benefits, and poor job security, and are calling for immediate action from local authorities to address these grievances.
In Bushehr, a group of people who were defrauded in an automobile investment scheme protested to demand justice. The protesters, who had invested in pre-sales of vehicles only to be scammed, are calling on the government to intervene and help them recover their financial losses.
October 16—'Iran
Disabled people in Kerman and Ahvaz hold protest rally in front of the provincial offices of the Welfare Organization, demanding the implementation of the law that requires the government to provide the basic needs of disabled people who can't work.… pic.twitter.com/BiMyWzPQnO— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 16, 2024
In addition to the protests, the teachers’ union issued a statement condemning the government’s failure to address long-standing issues in the education sector. The union highlighted the low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of government support for teachers, calling for nationwide action to address these problems. The union’s statement emphasized the need for urgent reforms to improve the working conditions of teachers and the educational environment for students.
Today’s widespread protests reflect the deepening dissatisfaction across multiple sectors of Iranian society. The protests by people with disabilities, hospital workers, medical students, victims of fraud, and football fans all share a common demand for justice, better governance, and meaningful reforms. The protests reveal a growing consensus that the current system is failing to meet the needs of the people, and demonstrators are no longer satisfied with superficial changes.
