The Success of the Three-Day Protest of Teachers in Pushing Back the Regime!

The Success of the Three-Day Protest of Teachers in Pushing Back the Regime!

We Condemn the Arrest of Rasoul Badaghi and Demand the Release of the Imprisoned Teachers!

The nationwide teachers' strike and protest, which lasted for three days from December 11 to 13 in more than eighty cities with the participation of tens of thousands of teachers and cultural figures, is a great and valuable achievement for cultural figures and all freedom-seeking and justice-seeking forces. The three-day strike and protest, organized at the invitation of the Coordinating Council of Cultural Figures Trade Unions, is one of the most important and organized protests in recent years.

The protests were widely welcomed, on the one hand, by special social groups, including workers, retirees, and other wage-earners and on the other hand, it led to the approval of the ersatz classification plan by the parliament, one day after the street protests of teachers and cultural figures on December 13. A plan that, if implemented, would slightly increase teachers' salaries, but teachers' organizations considered it deficient and ersatz, and announced that they would continue their protests until their demands were met. Teachers have many problems and difficulties and the issue of ranking is one of their demands.

The importance of teachers' widespread protest is another emphasis on the special role of teachers in articulating the struggles for freedom and equality. Teachers' protests are the crossroads of union and political demands, group interests and public interests, the sufferings of the present generation and the dreams of the future generations for a better life.

The Islamic Republic did not tolerate the protests of the teachers an attacked their gathering in front of the parliament. In the morning of the first day of the strike, the repressive forces attacked the house of Rasoul Badaqi, an inspector and a former member of the Coordinating Council of Cultural Figures Trade Unions. He was beaten and taken to prison. During the protest days, many others were summoned, threatened, and detained. However, due to the scale of the protests, the regime's repressive forces were unable to quell the nationwide teacher protests.

The political-executive board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian) congratulates the teachers and cultural figures and the Coordinating Council, which has played a key and influential role in organizing and leading this great social event, on the successful conduct of the three-day strike and protests by teachers and cultural figures and once again declares its firm support for the rightful demands and struggles of cultural figures. We also strongly condemn the arrest of Rasoul Badaqi and the assault by security forces on cultural protest rallies, and the threatening and accusing of newspapers affiliated with repressive regime institutions of leaders of cultural organizations. In unison with teachers and cultural figures and other progressive and freedom-loving forces, we demand the release of all imprisoned teachers and an end to the persecution of democratic organizations activists.

Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)

December 18, 2021