Teachers Stage Renewed Protest Rallies in At Least 40 Cities; Detained Teachers Released

Active and retired teachers and educators across Iran gathered again on Thursday, May 21, to protest against the incomplete teacher ranking regulation, the non-implementation of salary equalization for retirees, and the “continuous and systematic” suppression of union activists in several cities.

Mohammad Habbabi, a teacher and union activist, reported midday Thursday that all teachers detained at the Tehran protest who had been transferred to Varzaneh and Geisha detention centers have been released.

The spokesperson for the Teachers’ Professional Association had previously reported the detention of forty female teachers who participated in today’s protest rally and their transfer to Varzaneh. According to the report, thirty male teachers were also transferred by security forces to Geisha detention center.

Prior to this, the Coordinating Council of Educators’ Professional Associations reported on its Telegram channel the detention of at least “40 people” among the protesters by mid-morning Thursday.

In its message, the council stated: “Following the security atmosphere imposed on Sepahbad Qorani Street today, security forces prevented the formation of the gathering and, with violence and intimidation, detained approximately 40 teachers and transferred them to Varzaneh detention center.”

So far, the holding of rallies and protests has been confirmed in at least 40 cities including Tehran, Shiraz, Sanandaj, Mashhad, Ahvaz, Zanjan, Dehgolan, Pol-Dokhtar, Kermanshah, Yazd, Rasht, Kamyaran, Saqqez, Hamadan, Qom, West Islamabad, Boukan, and Bijar.

Simultaneously, Mohammad Habbabi, spokesperson for the Teachers’ Professional Association, reported on his Twitter account, citing eyewitnesses, that security forces in Tehran cordoned off the route leading to the central building of the Ministry of Education, from Ferdowsi Square to the end of Qorani Street, and prevented teachers from being present.

Videos published on social media also indicate a “highly securitized” atmosphere at the Ministry of Education building in Tehran.

Mr. Habbabi had previously reported the detention of several teachers. In this regard, tweets referenced the names of Shahrzad Ghaderi, a member of the Teachers’ Professional Association, Massoumeh Zamani, and Ali Godrzadeh.

In recent months, alongside the expansion of professional protests by active and retired educators, security and judicial measures against teacher union activists have intensified. The Coordinating Council of Iran’s Educators’ Professional Associations recently emphasized in a statement that the teachers’ movement “will not be subdued by these rulings.”

Simultaneously, the channel of the Coordinating Council of Iran’s Educators’ Professional Associations, as well as the Iranian Teachers’ Professional Association channel, published images from Thursday’s protest gathering in the provinces of Isfahan, Khuzestan, Gilan, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Yazd, Lorestan, Khorasan, Hamadan, and other Iranian provinces on Telegram.

Published videos show protesting teachers in various cities chanting “Free imprisoned teacher” demanding the release of their colleagues.

They also expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of the thirteenth government’s education minister with the slogan “Incompetent minister, resign, resign.”

Videos from the teachers’ gathering in Isfahan also show protesters chanting “One less layette, our problem is solved.” This was a reference to news from the previous day about Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s wife and children’s trip to Turkey to “buy baby supplies,” which sparked controversy.

Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, claimed on Thursday that Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s wife, daughter, and son-in-law’s trip to Turkey was not for buying baby supplies, and that overloading was not an issue.

The primary demand of Iran’s active and retired teachers in recent months of protest gatherings has been the full implementation of the ranking plan at 80 percent of the university faculty level for active teachers and the implementation of salary equalization for retired teachers.

Mobile Internet Blocking of Some Union Activists

Following the sudden blocking of mobile phone lines of some union activists in recent hours, the Coordinating Council of Iran’s Educators’ Professional Associations accused Iran Telecommunications Company on its Telegram channel of “cooperating with security agencies in suppressing teachers.”

The council, by publishing screenshots of text messages sent to a number of union activists, reported that “due to the announcement of a teachers’ protest gathering from Wednesday, April 20 to Thursday, May 21, the mobile internet of some union activists across the country has been blocked.”

The Coordinating Council added that after necessary follow-ups, a message was sent to union activists with the content of the need to “contact competent authorities to remove mobile internet blocking.”

Source: Radio Farda