Across Iran, protest movements and labor strikes have intensified as various social groups voice their frustrations with economic hardship, inadequate working conditions, and governmental oppression. From the Northeast to the South and in major cities, people are organizing in response to a broad spectrum of issues, creating a climate of rising dissent.
In Mashhad, located in Northeast Iran, female taxi drivers gathered for a protest rally, demanding improved working conditions as authorities have reportedly ignored their longstanding grievances. This protest highlights growing unrest among working women in Iran, who face significant challenges in various industries.
Meanwhile, in Shiraz, in Southern Iran, nurses from Namazi Hospital continued their strikes, repeating their calls for better wages and improved working conditions. The nurses’ ongoing protests underline the harsh conditions faced by healthcare workers across the country, especially in light of rising inflation and economic strain.
November 9—Mashhad, northeast Iran
Female taxi drivers hold protest rally as the government ignores their demands for better working conditions.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/kG7yg9HzFp— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 9, 2024
In the capital city of Tehran, several protests occurred on November 9. A group of “yellow-hat” contract workers rallied outside the Ministry of Energy, protesting labor rights violations and contract conditions. Additionally, students at the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Social Sciences held a demonstration against the presence of Hamid Noury, a convicted prison guard and complicit in the 1988 massacre, on campus, reflecting broader discontent with the regime’s policies and prominent figures associated with it.
The city of Dezful, in southwestern Khuzestan Province, also witnessed protests as depositors from the Golbaran financial institution rallied, voicing their anger over unfulfilled financial commitments. Many Iranians, already struggling with inflation, have faced severe setbacks due to economic mismanagement and unregulated financial practices.
Adding to the momentum, over 120 student and civil society organizations released a joint statement on November 8, calling for national resistance and organized protests. Their statement emphasized that the only way to escape the current crisis is through collective resistance. “The path to salvation lies in organized, collective struggle and our resistance,” the statement declared, urging citizens across cities and neighborhoods to continue organizing in defiance of the government’s suppression tactics.
November 9—Shiraz, southern Iran
Nurses of Namazi hospital continue strikes and protests, reiterating their demands for higher wages and better working conditions.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/r3tNLNaxhu— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 9, 2024
The statement advocates for continued “general strikes,” describing them as “not only a response to oppression but a vital strategy to counter the war machine and repressive apparatus of the Islamic Republic.” It calls on international supporters, including “freedom-loving Iranians abroad” and various global organizations, to intensify efforts for global support and a boycott of the “gender-apartheid and war-mongering” regime.
In southern Iran’s Pars South Gas Complex, refinery workers, whose protests began in early August, continue to strike, demanding fair wage practices and the enforcement of labor classifications in accordance with prior agreements with the Ministry of Oil. According to Alireza Mir Ghafari, head of the provincial workers’ union, these protests have been maintained in a way that avoids impacting production, but no response has been received from regional or national authorities.
In Chabahar, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, state forces continued demolishing the residential homes of Baluch citizens in Muradabad. This demolition, ongoing since November 1, has left many families homeless. Residents expressed frustration, accusing the authorities of using force to displace Iranian citizens without offering alternative housing solutions.
PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan continue anti-regime protests, stressing their determination to bring freedom and democracy to Iran.#Iran #PMOI pic.twitter.com/MpiQGr9tTA
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 9, 2024
Reports from northwestern Iran’s Kurdistan region document a violent crackdown on Kurdish freight carriers, known as “kulbars.” On November 2 and November 5, three kulbars were injured by gunfire from state forces along the borders near Nosud and Qandil. According to human rights sources, at least 270 kulbars have been killed or injured in 2024, many from forced detours through dangerous, mountainous terrain to avoid border patrols. These individuals, often working under severe conditions, take on perilous routes to earn a livelihood, underscoring the economic desperation many face in Iran.
Zahedan, a central city in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, remains a focal point for anti-regime sentiment, with protests led by members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) and local Resistance Units. These demonstrations continue to highlight the call for freedom and democracy as citizens in these regions express opposition to the regime’s policies.
As discontent grows, Tehran’s responses have yet to address the underlying grievances fueling these protests. Instead, economic struggles and lack of adequate governmental support are pushing people from all walks of life toward increasingly vocal and organized forms of resistance, calling for systemic and groundbreaking change.
