The nationwide protests by teachers continued for the third consecutive day in 114 cities in 29 provinces on Monday, December 13, 2021. The sit-ins and rallies on Saturday and Sunday have culminated into street protests on the third day where thousands of Iranian teachers are demanding their rights. Women have a prominent presence virtually everywhere.
Iranian teachers have come to the streets and gathered outside the mullahs’ parliament in Tehran and outside the Departments of Education in other cities despite being attacked by the State Security Force trying to disperse them.
The State Security Force (SSF), the plainclothes, and Intelligence Ministry’s agents attempted to prevent the teachers’ gatherings and attacked them in several cities.
In Tehran, the repressive forces attacked the teachers’ gathering and tried to disperse them but were forced to retreat in the face of the protesters’ resistance, who were shouting, “Shame on you.”
The third day of nationwide protests by teachers was held in Tehran, Yazd, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Kerman, Qom, Izeh, Yasuj, Babol, Likek, Sari, Genaveh, Saqqez, Marivan, Jam (Bushehr Province), Shiraz, Noorabad and Mamasani, Isfahan, Shahrekord, Rasht, Ramhormoz, Karkheh, Khuzestan, Bukan, Najafabad, Qazvin, Khorramabad, Bandar Abbas, Ezna (Lorestan Province), Tabriz, Malayer, Doroud, Arak, Lordegan, Javanrud, Amol, Bijar, Takestan, Behbahan, Bagh-e Bahadoran Isfahan, Marvdasht, Andimeshk, Gachsaran, Delfan (Lorestan), Abadan, Fasa (Fars), Sirjan, Borazjan, Eqlid, Goledar (Fars Province), Pol-e Dokhtar, Boroujerd, Ilam, Aligudarz, Kuhdasht, Malekan, Sanandaj, Nourabad (Lorestan), Sa’ein Ghal’eh, Firuzabad, Neyshabour, Mahshahr, Ardabil, Urmia, Jolfa, Mashhad, Semnan, Miandoab, Shahindej, Tiran and Koron, Golpayegan, Shahin Shahr, Falavarjan, Daran, Faridan, Bushehr, Kangan, Torbat Heydarieh, Bojnourd, Birjand, Dezful, Shushtar, Bandar Khomeini, Aghajari, Baghemalek, Shush, Zanjan, Sajasrud, Lamerd, Mehr, Khonj, Larestan, Zarrindasht, GhiroKazerin, Estahban, Darab, Kamyaran, Dehgolan, Baneh, Qorveh, Shahr-e Babak, Eslamabad-e Gharb, Dehdasht, Cheram, Dishmuk, Gorgan, Fereydoon-Kenar, Hamadan, Khatam, Marvast, Behabad, Maybod, Mehriz, Bafgh, and Abarkuh.
In Shiraz, teachers came to the streets in throngs despite the SSF crackdown.
In Mashhad, security forces took the protesting teachers inside the Department of Education’s building to prevent the formation of their gathering.
On the third day of nationwide protests by teachers, they chanted:
Teachers arise and defend your rights
Free all imprisoned teachers
No nation has experienced so much injustice
You who claim of justice, shame on you
Freedom-loving teachers, our only solution is to cry out
Teachers die but would not accept humiliation
We will not relent until we obtain our right
Teachers cry out and demand your rights
The government betrays, the parliament supports
The Iranian teachers demand a pay raise to reach 80% of the salary of the Scientific Faculty. The retired teachers want their salaries balanced with the new inflation rates.
The speakers in these gatherings also condemned the arrest and imprisonment of teachers and demanded their immediate release.
The first and second days of the nationwide protests by teachers were held in 110 cities on Saturday, December 11, and in 70 cities on Sunday, December 12.
The Iranian teachers’ demand:
The adoption and full implementation of the teachers’ ranking bill
Balancing the salaries of all jobs based on a fair system, particularly the retirees’ pensions
Complete and precise execution of Principle 30 of the Constitution on free education.
In September, Iranian teachers geared up their nationwide protests to obtain their legitimate demands for decent salaries and living conditions. Most teachers have very difficult livings with wages that are one-fourth or one-third of the poverty line.
Teachers with permanent employment receive an average salary of 4 million Tomans a month. Teachers with temporary contracts receive between one and two million Tomans a month. Often, they do not receive their salaries for months, while the poverty line in Iran is 14 million Tomans a month.