![\"Iran](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/Iran_Regime_Attacks_Teachers_Peaceful_Protest_in_Tehran.jpg\" "\\"Iran_Regime_Attacks_Teachers_Peaceful_Protest_in_Tehran\\"")
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By\u00a0Mohammad Sadat Khansari<\/p>\n
Iranian security forces attacked peaceful teachers\u2019 protest outside the Department of Education building in Tehran on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The teachers and education workers were holding handwritten placards that read:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Imprisoned teachers must be freed<\/p>\n
\u2022 Imprisoned workers must be freed<\/p>\n
\u2022 Your pain is our pain, people must rise up and join us<\/p>\n
The protest was part of a larger movement following a nationwide call from teachers\u2019 unions. Iranian teachers held protests in over 24 cities to mark Teachers Day, which is celebrated every year on May 2 in Iran, demand the basic rights, and call for the release of detained teachers.<\/p>\n
The other cities that took part included Isfahan, Divandareh, Tabriz, Malard, Karaj, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Qazvin, Marivan, Urmia, Yazd, Homayounshahr, Sari, Khorrmabad, Mahabad, Mashhad, Torbat-e Heydarieh, Kurdistan, Ardebil, and Javanroud. They all gathered outside their city\u2019s education offices.<\/p>\n
More cities are thought to have joined since this list was prepared by the Iranian opposition group the People’s Mujahiddin of Iran (PMOI or MEK), which has been instrumental in helping organise the Iranian people\u2019s protests against the Regime since December 2017, when the latest uprising began.<\/p>\n
In Kermanshah, teachers and education workers could be were heard chanting \u201cMajlis (parliament) and the government are not caring about the teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teachers in many cities held handwritten placards with their demands or slogans on them.<\/p>\n
In Hamadan, the placards read:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Imprisoned teachers must be freed<\/p>\n
\u2022 Stop privatizing schools and education<\/p>\n
\u2022 Children must receive a free and quality education<\/p>\n
\u2022 We demand decent pay for our work<\/p>\n
In Malard, which is in Tehran province, teachers held posters and placards reading:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Free education is the right of every child<\/p>\n
\u2022 We demand salary and wages above the poverty line for teachers and pensioners.<\/p>\n
The teachers are demanding:<\/p>\n
\u2022 better wages<\/p>\n
\u2022 free education<\/p>\n
\u2022 respect for the rights of minorities<\/p>\n
\u2022 the cancellation of several governments plans that push Iranian education workers further into poverty<\/p>\n
\u2022 an end to temporary contracts<\/p>\n
Over the past year, Iranian teachers, along with other workers and government employees, have held dozens of rallies to demand their rights and protest economic woes, government corruption and lack of political freedom. This includes three nationwide teachers\u2019 strikes in October, November, and February.<\/p>\n
The attack on these protesters comes just one day after the Iranian security forces arrested at least 35 people for taking part in peaceful protests to mark International Labour Day.<\/p>\n